Hawker Beechcraft To Close 3 Facilities, Cut Jobs
Wichita-based airplane maker Hawker Beechcraft says it's closing facilities in three states and laying off more workers in Kansas.
The company said Wednesday that 240 employees will lose their jobs with the closing of Hawker Beechcraft Services facilities in Little Rock, Ark.; Mesa, Ariz.; and San Antonio, Texas. It also plans to cut a total of 170 jobs at its Wichita headquarters and at its completion center in Little Rock.
Hawker Beechcraft says the moves are in line with plans to emerge from bankruptcy as a standalone company. It says the closures and layoffs will help with its plan to focus on turboprop, piston and military aircraft and on its parts and maintenance business.
Affected employees in Wichita will be notified Friday. The others will be told next week.
Advisory Group To Focus On KS Aviation Industry
The Kansas Governor's Council of Economic Advisors will be in Wichita next week for a conference on the global competiveness of the state's aviation industry.
Gov. Sam Brownback will join other state officials and council members for Tuesday's meeting at Spirit AeroSystems. Jeremy Hill, director of Wichita State University's Center for Economic Development and Business Research, will discuss competition in the aerospace industry.
He will be joined by John Tomblin, the executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research who will address that entity's role and industry collaboration. Also expected to speak is Tony Kinkel, president of the Wichita Area Technical College, on the role of the National Center for Aviation Training.
KanCare Enrollment Packets To Be Mailed
Kansans whose health insurance is provided through the Medicaid and HealthWave programs will begin receiving an important mailing in the next few days.
Kansas Officials Ponder Next Health Care Step
Kansas officials are pondering their next steps to implement the federal health care law now that the presidential election has been decided and deadlines are looming.
The state has until November 16 to tell the federal government whether it wants to be a partner in creating an online health insurance marketplace. Republican Governor Sam Brownback delayed decisions on implementing the health care law until after Tuesday's election.
End Of Busing Soon Could Be Official In Wichita
More than four years after the Wichita school district stopped transporting students across town to racially integrate schools, the district has taken another step toward being freed from a voluntary busing agreement.
