December 28, 2024

Keeping Media and Government Accountable.

Category: News

More controversy embroils Prairie Village as 9th Mikkelson recall effort moves forward

Invoices and emails show that some of the accusations that prompted a recall effort against Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson…

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“Scoop and Score” makes false claim, won’t substantiate rosy economic impact of bringing the Chiefs to Kansas

Much like quarterbacks use the “silent count” in noisy situations near vocal opponents, the organizers of “Scoop and Score” working…

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Cowley County dog trainers win appeal; case on warrantless searches will proceed

The Fourth Amendment lawsuit filed by award-winning bird dog trainers Scott Johnson and his wife, Harlene Hoyt of Cowley County,…

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Federal court rules against Biden administration’s Title IX rules

Education Week reports the Biden administration’s new Title IX rule, which explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender…

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USD 413 Chanute attempts to stifle, marginalize board members

Chanute Board of Education President Heather Guernsey and Superintendent of Schools Matt Koester refuse to answer questions about a “board…

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Critics throw flag on billion dollar scheme to lure Chiefs across border

“The rich tradition and history of the Chiefs are beloved across the entire Kansas City region and throughout Kansas. The…

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KPI urges Legislature to pass constitutional amendment to limit property valuation increases

The Kansas Legislature, in its upcoming Special Session, should approve a constitutional amendment limiting the annual increases in property valuations,…

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AG Kobach: implementing Title IX policy now is”foolish and a waste of money”

The Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) is telling school districts they must soon adopt policies — contrary to state…

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Part 2: New solutions to fix the federal immigration system

In Part 1 of this series, retired federal immigration judge Elliot M. Kaplan explained why, in his view, the federal…

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Retired immigration judge says the federal immigration system is broken

Calling it “anarchy,” former Federal Immigration Judge Elliot Kaplan said, in an exclusive interview with The Sentinel, that the federal…

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More than $50,000 in overtime paid to 95 public employees in 2023

More than $50,000 in overtime was paid to 33 municipal employees in Kansas in 2023. There were 28 county workers, primarily…

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Clock ticking on Leavenworth County Treasurer Office probe of $10,000 theft

In 2019, about $10,000 went missing from the Leavenworth County Treasurer’s Office. Then-Treasurer Janice Van Parys determined it was taken…

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Johnson County hires Government Relations Coordinator as taxpayer-funded lobbyist

Johnson County has hired a Government Relations Coordinator at a salary of $122,000 per year.  The new position increases county…

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JoCo Commissioners release Peg Trent opinion on library funding after Sentinel publication

In a victory for transparency, within hours of publishing a story about Johnson County Chief Counsel Peg Trent refusing to…

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The promise of Brown v. Board of Education is still “unfulfilled”

The 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing state-sanctioned segregation in schools…

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Johnson County avoiding questions about Library retirement funds

Johnson County Chief Counsel Peg Trent is refusing to answer questions about the legality of using more than $6 million…

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New state assessment at odds with Legislature’s improvement targets

Deputy Education Commissioner Dr. Ben Proctor revealed that a new state assessment plan will be given to students during the…

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Education officials at the top of the 2023 KPERS ‘millionaires’ list

Data provided by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System shows that Kansas has 4,375 KPERS ‘millionaires’—state and local government retirees…

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Most Kansas cities lost population over the last three years

Most of the largest cities in Kansas have lost population over the last three years. According to data from the…

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Prairie Hills / Sabetha USD 113 now in land transfer dispute with Nemaha Central

Its long-running financial disagreements with school districts in Jackson Heights and Vermillion over its closure of the Wetmore School was…

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Kobach sues federal government over new Title IX rules

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing the federal government over changes to Title IX requirements that are supposed to…

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Former Manhattan mayor defends city’s taxes, salary increases

Manhattan city taxpayers have seen their property taxes increase by 25% since 2019.  Since 1997, taxes increased by 351%; that…

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USD 434 Santa Fe Trail seems in violation of building needs assessments law

Unified School District 434 Santa Fe Trail appears to be in violation of state law K.S.A. 72-1163, which requires local…

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Study shows Kansas tax burden is the 12th highest in the nation

While taxpayers await another threatened veto of tax relief, a new analysis shows Kansas has the 12th highest tax burden…

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