Letter

To the Kansas State Football Family: On behalf of our players, staff and entire football program, I thank you with all my heart for your genuine, caring and loyal support. Once again you, our support base, have proven to be the very best fans in the country. You know that we are so very grateful for you being a major part of our football family. With in excess of 20,000 fans in attendance at the Fiesta Bowl pep rally and in excess of 40,000 in attendance at the game you did your part as you always do. However, we did not hold up our end of the deal even though the opportunities were there.

Federal prosecutors say a Valley Center woman crossed the line when she sent a letter to a doctor who has publicly announced she is training to perform abortions. Angel Dillard is in Federal Court in Wichita Wednesday. Prosecutors want to establish a no-contact order that would keep her 250 feet away from the home, business, and vehicle of Dr. Mila Means. It is part of a civil case against Dillard, claiming she violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Dr. Means has a private practice at Harry and Webb.

Wichita's teachers' union says the profession has a reached a crisis point. Those words are in a letter to members this week that says teachers are under attack in the Kansas legislature. The letter from United Teachers of Wichita encourages teachers to become more involved. It points out several issues, including a bill that would prohibit labor unions in Kansas from using membership dues to engage in political activity. The letter is also critical of the school board's proposal to teachers for their next contract.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation says that more than a month before Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed, it received an anonymous letter warning about the man now charged in the case. FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton says the April letter warned that Scott Roeder would physically harm Tiller or any other abortion provider. The letter turned out to have been written by Mark Archer. He and his wife are in the midst of a bitter custody battle with Roeder over a child Roeder fathered.

by Megahn Snyder Nearly two dozen retired United States Air Force generals are lashing out against those who question the Air Force's decision to award a multi-billion dollar tanker deal to Northrup-Grumman, an American company that partnered with French-based plane maker Airbus to replace the Air Force tanker fleet. They wrote a letter to US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. It appeared Friday in the military newspaper The Tanker Times. In it they admonish Boeing and others who question the selection process.

In late 2008, Hawker sent a letter to employees saying that the company was preparing for the possibility of layoffs.  In November, employees learned that the company was planning to cut about 5% of its workforce, which equals about 490 workers. In early November, 320 workers were laid off. In January, another letter went out to employees stating that the company would have to make further cuts this year, but no firm numbers have been released. Hawker-Beechcraft employs 9,800 people worldwide, about 7,700 of them in Wichita.

A Hutchinson man will spend two years in prison for threatening to kill President Barack Obama.  27-year-old Michael Scott Ramsey pleaded guilty to one count of threatening the president. In his plea, Ramsey admitted he wrote two letters in 2009 and delivered them to the staff of the Larned State Hospital.   In the first letter, he said "I am going to kill Barrack (sic) Obama  ... and this is Michael Ramsey telling you this. " In the second letter, Ramsey wrote, "I'll take his life.

The town of Geuda Springs is a small one, less than a hundred people live there. But everyday, more than 200 who live in the area come to the town to get their mail and see their friends. Last week, the residents received a letter for the postal service informing them that their post office might be closing. The reasons for closing the post office outlined in the letter include declining demand and that the office does not have a post master. The last one retired in 2008. Many residents of Geuda Springs and the surrounding areas get their mail from post office boxes because they live outside of the delivery route.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - An anti-abortion group has released a document raising new questions about Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' ties to one of the few U.S. physicians performing late-term abortions. Operation Rescue opposes Sebelius' appointment as U.S. health and human services secretary and is trying to block her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. On Wednesday, the group released a copy of what it said was a September 2002 fundraising letter signed by Dr. George Tiller. It's on the stationery of the ProKanDo political action committee, formed that year.

by Rebecca Gannon (WICHITA, Kan.) They were told to prepare for the worst. Now, workers at one of Wichita's biggest planemakers get the news. The worst may already be here - Hawker Beechcraft workers found out Monday the company will cut 5% of its workforce, and many of those jobs will likely be in Wichita. Hawker sent a letter to its employees a couple of weeks ago warning them to prepare for the worst because of the economy. Now employees get a new letter telling them of layoffs.

The numbers are down a little, but the Kansas Food Bank still wants to say, "Thank you. " Wichita letter carriers helped raise 142-thousand pounds of food during their 21st annual drive. That's about 15-thousand less than last year. That food is now being processed for distribution. In those 21 years, letter carriers have gathered more than two million pounds of food for Kansans in need. Even though the official food drive is over....you can still donate. The Food Bank's Larry Gunkel tells us,  "All this week letter carriers will continue to pick up food and for those folks who do not care to burden their letter carrier with a donation, all the seven postal stations around wichita will receive and accept that food on behalf of the food bank".

A Texas minister's open letter to Victoria's Secret, criticizing a line of underwear that he says is marketed to young girls, has gone viral. In the blog post, Evan Dolive says the "Bright Young Things" collection is sending the wrong message. He specifically describes items like low-cut green and white polka-dot underwear with the words "Feeling Lucky" printed on them. Dolive says he is the father of a three-year-old girl, and is concerned about the message the clothes are sending.

Mail carriers work in rain, sleet and snow. But starting this summer, they won't work on Saturdays. In August, the U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering letters to your home on the weekend. It's a move to fight on-going money trouble. How will this affect you:      - Plan ahead to pay a bill or get a letter to someone on a certain day.      - Packages, mail-order prescriptions, priority mail & express mail will still be delivered on Saturdays.      - P.O. boxes will still get Saturday deliveries      - Post office Saturday hours will not change.

To the Kansas State Football Family: On behalf of our players, staff and entire football program, I thank you with all my heart for your genuine, caring and loyal support. Once again you, our support base, have proven to be the very best fans in the country. You know that we are so very grateful for you being a major part of our football family. With in excess of 20,000 fans in attendance at the Fiesta Bowl pep rally and in excess of 40,000 in attendance at the game you did your part as you always do. However, we did not hold up our end of the deal even though the opportunities were there.

A Hutchinson man will spend two years in prison for threatening to kill President Barack Obama.  27-year-old Michael Scott Ramsey pleaded guilty to one count of threatening the president. In his plea, Ramsey admitted he wrote two letters in 2009 and delivered them to the staff of the Larned State Hospital.   In the first letter, he said "I am going to kill Barrack (sic) Obama  ... and this is Michael Ramsey telling you this. " In the second letter, Ramsey wrote, "I'll take his life.

Good evening K-StateFans! After the flight home Tuesday from Connecticut with our women's basketball team I have been back in the office going through the usual accumulation that results from a week on the road! Before I dig into the next stack, I do want to take a moment to offer my congratulations to both our basketball teams on another terrific season for each. Not only did both programs reach the 20-win mark again, but K-State was one of only 10 schools in the nation this year to have both its men's and women's teams win games in the NCAA tournament.

The FBI is investigating several suspicious letters sent to congressional offices across the country.  Senator Pat Roberts received one of the letters at his Wichita office Thursday. Wichita's haz mat team is at Robert's office right now investigating.  Traffic in the area of 1st and Market has been impacted by the activity. Wichita police say the letter Roberts received contained a white powdery substance.  Several other members of congress received similar letters this week.

A birthday card or Christmas present will soon cost more send through the mail.  The United States Post Office will raise rates Sunday.  A regular stamp will cost another penny, 45 cents.  Over the past ten years, stamps have increased a total of eight cents.  You can still buy Forever Stamps at the 44 cent rate before Sunday.  The cost of a postcard, international mailing and packages will also go up. The postal service is raising rates...

500 Letters to Santa were delivered to the Downtown Wichita Post Office Friday afternoon. Letters from area children were collected Nov. 28-Dec. 14 at Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, CityArts, Mid-America All-Indian Center and Old Cowtown Museum. The letters are going to the North Pole via the Wichita post office so that Santa can respond to each one.   Every child who submitted a letter was automatically entered into a prize drawing for a ride to school on a Wichita fire truck (grand prize)

The City of Wichita is teaming up with the North Pole to collect letters for Santa and give away early Christmas presents that include a ride on a Wichita fire truck. From now through Dec. 14, children ages 12 and under are invited to drop off their letters at Century II (Concert Hall entrance) CityArts, Old Cowtown Museum and the Mid-America All-Indian Center. Children who include a return address and stamp on the outside of their envelopes will also receive a response from Santa Claus himself.