Kansas

Happy Mother's Day! The weather looks beautiful - just like all the Mom's across Kansas.    It should be a "good" hair day, as the wind will be light and the humidity will be low.  A few more clouds across central and eastern Kansas compared to yesterday.  Don't be surprised by a sprinkle or shower in the Eastern half of Kansas, however most areas should remain dry.  Overall, a fabulous afternoon with highs in the upper 60s and 70s east,...

Even at 95, Glenn Mauch refuses to retire. The Dodge City resident was one of several older workers honored for their role in the Kansas work force. It's the 16th year the state has recognized workers who are 55 years old or older, and work in both the public and private sectors. The Department of Commerce gave Mauch the oldest worker award Tuesday. He details cars and drives them at a dealership in Dodge City. He said he is proud of his work ethic. "I've done something I like to do besides making a living out of something," Mauch said.

It has been part of Kansas for more than a century, but ALCO Stores will move its corporate headquarters out of Kansas this summer. Currently, the variety store chain is headquartered in Abilene, Kansas. Wednesday, its CEO said it will move its central office operations to a Dallas, Texas, suburb in June. The Abilene distribution center and ALCO store will remain open. In a press release, CEO Rich Wilson says a "challenging business climate and highly competitive retail landscape" require a move to a more metropolitan location.

In Colorado, marijuana supporters are celebrating after voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana use. "I would rather see them legalize marijuana than alcohol," Colorado resident Gary Dockins says. Dockins and his sister, Susy Perez, were passing through Kansas the day after the election. "I didn't vote," Perez says.  "Most of my friends did, and they did vote yes. " But Wallace County Sheriff Larry Townsend is among those wondering if what happens in Colorado will stay in Colorado.  His county borders Colorado.

The idea of winning a jackpot always gets a lot of attention.  That's why many lined up in Wichita Monday to buy Powerball tickets. This week's jackpot is expected to be about $350 million. Your odds of winning are very slim, but still Buddy Presnell likes to play.  "You can't win if you don't play, it's $350 million for  a couple of bucks, might as well see what happens".  We asked Curtis Bruce what he would do with the money if he won..  "Pay off my bills build another home, that's it. Sit back and take it easy from now until whenever I leave and whatever I got left,the kids can have".

An area of Kansas that was mined for its lead and zinc deposits to fuel industrial production more than a century ago is getting a new life and purpose.      The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is purchasing some 700 acres in southeast Kansas that will be used for public recreation. Funding comes through a federal program that seeks to clean up contaminants left by 150 years of mining and smelting.      Members of the State Finance Council approved purchasing the land in the Neosho River basin in Cherokee, Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties.

By John Boyd (WICHITA, Kan.) Want to see your house online?  You now can through Google's Street View mapping system.  Google used high-tech vehicles equiped with 360 degree cameras...and drove the streets of Wichita, Hutchinson and other areas of Kansas. You can drive the virtual streets of Wichita, using the 360 degree images to look in all directions as you cruise.  Check Out Google Maps Street View Street View imagery is available in the blue-shaded areas.

      This website lists TONS of different farmers markets in Kansas Oldtown Farmer's Market - starting May 14 on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Wichita, KS Sedgwick County Ext. Office Farmer's Market - starting April 3 on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. & starting May 26 on Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in West Wichita Derby Farmer's Market - starting May 29 on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in...

Two weeks after VCU's Bradford Burgess blew off watching the NCAA field announcement - Why be disappointed? - the Rams are making the tournament's most impressive underdog run since George Mason in 2006. Like the Rams, George Mason was an 11th seed. Both schools hail from the unheralded Colonial Athletic Association. And just as George Mason toppled championship favorite Connecticut to reach the Final Four, VCU must now knock out the last No. 1 seed standing. That's after VCU (27-11)

The same week workers get layed off at Siemens in Hutchinson and Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita, the latest unemployment numbers show a slight improvement. "I usually get about ten miles in every day, depending on what errands I have to run to make sure I have food and everything for the family," Brice Gordon says. Gordon is on foot and out of work, with a broken-down car a family to feed. "They're counting on me, so every second I go without being employed is a heartache and a half," Gordon says.

A soldier from the Kansas town of Oakley has died while serving in Afghanistan. 33-year-old Sergeant First Class Trenton L. Rhea died in Kandahar on May 15. According to a Department of Defense report, Rhea drowned while trying to cross a body of water during combat operations. He was assigned to the 603rd Military Police Copmany, 530th Military Police Battalion, 300th Military Police Brigade, 200th Military Police Command out of Belton, Missouri. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback released the following statement regarding SFC Rhea's death: “On behalf of the citizens of Kansas, Lt. Governor Colyer and I offer our condolences to Sgt. 1st Class Rhea's family and friends for their loss,” said Governor Brownback.

Kansas military families will soon be impacted by federal furloughs. Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense, announced Tuesday his decision to proceed with federal furloughs to manage the budgetary shortfalls facing the military and the nation.   Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, adjutant general, said the cuts will affect readiness and cause hardship for guardsmen and Kansans.  "The Department of Defense has directed that we institute furloughs of up to 11 days for some of our federally-funded work force," Tafanelli said.  Tina Sorensen's husband works fulltime as a Kansas National Guardsman.

Kansas students helped a grandmaster chess champion play his way into the record books. Timur Gareev, 25, played simultaneous chess matches in Lindsborg Wednesday, blindfolded. Forty students faced off against the North American Open Chess Champion from Uzbekistan.  Gareev won all 40 games. The mental feat has never been attempted in Kansas, and is rare across the United States. Gareev played 33 players in St. Louis last month, winning 29 of the games and drawing four. Marc Lang, German grandmaster, holds the current blindfold world record for playing 46 people in Sontheim, Germany in November 2011.

As part of Peace Officer Memorial day, Salina held a special ceremony at Jerry Ivey Park for the state's fallen officers. They honored 15 officers with the Salina Police Department, Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol. They read a roll call of all of the men who lost their lives in the line of duty, as well as playing TAPS and holding a gun salute. Among those honored was Jerry Ivey, the man whom the park was named after. He died in 1975 after being shot to death at an armed robbery.

The Boston bombings have put a spotlight on student visas. An alleged accomplice of suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was allowed to re-enter the United States although his student visa had expired. Tuesday, The Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to boost security around the student visa program, ensuring federal agencies communicate with each other. FactFinder 12 looked into international students in Kansas using student visas. There are thousands of them and they bring in an estimated $23 million to the Wichita economy and more than $200 million to the state.

As you stare into the wheat fields near Andale, there's a different crop that catches the eye. "It's easy to get excited about a crop that's this beautiful," says Larry Reichenberger. "All my neighbors are gathering up their grandkids to come out here and take pictures. " Reichenberger is talking about his lovely field of yellow flowers.  But these aren't Kansas sunflowers, they're part of his new canola crop. "We just got tired of growing five bushel soybeans," says Reichenberger.

The top recruit in the nation, and the brother of a Wichita State basketball player has made his choice for college next season, and it's in the state of Kansas, but not where Shocker fans had hoped. Andrew Wiggins announced this morning he will be a Jayhawk next season. Andrew's brother Nick is a senior-to-be for Wichita State, but the Shockers were considered a long-shot at best to get the top-rated younger brother. For the University of Kansas, this is a big win, as the Jayhawks are looking to replace their top five scorers from last season.

The idea of winning a jackpot always gets a lot of attention.  That's why many lined up in Wichita Monday to buy Powerball tickets. This week's jackpot is expected to be about $350 million. Your odds of winning are very slim, but still Buddy Presnell likes to play.  "You can't win if you don't play, it's $350 million for  a couple of bucks, might as well see what happens".  We asked Curtis Bruce what he would do with the money if he won..  "Pay off my bills build another home, that's it. Sit back and take it easy from now until whenever I leave and whatever I got left,the kids can have".

Happy Mother's Day! The weather looks beautiful - just like all the Mom's across Kansas.    It should be a "good" hair day, as the wind will be light and the humidity will be low.  A few more clouds across central and eastern Kansas compared to yesterday.  Don't be surprised by a sprinkle or shower in the Eastern half of Kansas, however most areas should remain dry.  Overall, a fabulous afternoon with highs in the upper 60s and 70s east,...

Email to American Family Insurance Media Relations - Brian Heap - May 2, 2013 Dear Am Fam, I am an investigative reporter for KWCH-TV in Wichita, KS.  I am working on a story about what appears to be a sudden increase in the number of Kansas homeowners being dropped by their insurance carriers. It seems several large insurers, including American Family, are reevaluating the risk level of customers with a history of filing claims and determining those customers are no longer insurable by that company.