News

The Wichita City Council today unanimously approved an 8 percent raise for City Manager Bob Layton.

The council had not given Layton a pay raise since he was hired in 2008, due to overall economic budget restraints.

All of the council members thanked Layton for his efforts including Jeff Longwell who says he appreciates the hard work that Layton has done on behalf of the citizens in the city.

Incoming Kansas Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce has filled out his staff with a former congressional intern and an aide to the state House speaker.

Bruce chose Kara Evans to be his legislative director. Evans recently graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science and government from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. Evans has worked as an intern for Republican U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and James Inhofe of Oklahoma.

Bruce has also hired Katrina Abraham as his executive assistant. Abraham held the same position for outgoing House Speaker Mike O'Neal.

State officials have issued revised fish consumption advisories for 2013 because locally caught fish may be contaminated by environmental pollutants.

Children and pregnant or nursing women are advised not to eat fish caught in Kansas more than once a week. They should limit bass consumption to once a month, due to mercury contamination. Everyone else should eat bass no more than once a week.

Democrats in the Kansas House say legislators have been warned that Governor Sam Brownback's tax cuts are likely to mean there's less cash to go around. 

"Legislative services who are the people we rely on, have always relied on for years, told you there would be a problem, tax experts in the state told you we would have a deficit before the session even started, that makes sense," says Democratic Representative Barbara Ballard of Lawrence.

Legislators worried about the drop in state revenue; Bills have already be introduced for the 2013 legislative session; State warns about Kansas-caught fish consumption.

KS Legislators Warn About Drop In State Revenue

Democrats in the Kansas House say legislators have been warned that Governor Sam Brownback's tax cuts are likely to mean there's less cash to go around.

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Bills Coming In For 2013 Legislative Session

John Cage, one of the most influential and revolutionary composers of the 20th Century, was born almost exactly 100 years ago. He was very well schooled as a composer, but it seems as though his mission was to reject nearly every compositional technique he was taught, and instead push the boundaries, even the very definition of music. His results were, to say the least, interesting.

KU has connected Eduroam, a service that allows faculty and students to log onto a wireless network at any other participating research or education institution. Conversely, visitors from Eduroam partner institutions can connect to KU's wireless network.

Eduroam started Europe and now boasts 6,000 member organizations in 58 countries, including 78 institutions in the U.S. KU is one of only a few schools in the Midwest using the service.

Gov. Sam Brownback has named Dr. Joel Hutchins of Holton, Kan., to the State Board of Healing Arts.

The northeast Kansas physician will serve a four-year term on the 15-member board, which licenses and regulates physicians.

Hutchins will replace Dr. Nancy Welsh of Topeka. Welsh was appointed by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. She stepped down in November, after serving on the board since 2004.

Four candidates from District IV will be considered this week for the interim Wichita City Council seat.

Michael O'Donnell vacated his seat on the city council when he was elected to serve in the Kansas State Senate this fall.

Candidates Joshua Blick, Jeff Blubaugh, Paul Gray and Stan Reeser were all nominated by the District IV Advisory Board. Three of the candidates were interviewed last week by the board at a public forum in south Wichita.