Wire
Oddities
Tourist survives 250-foot slide down Big Sur cliff BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) — A tourist is nursing only cuts and bruises after sliding 250 feet down a cliff on California’s coast. Twenty-year-old Jost Ben of Wilnsdorf, Germany, had been tossing a football with friends Sunday at a traffic pullout perched 400 feet above the Pacific. After a stray toss, he climbed over the edge to retrieve the football. Monterey County Sheriff’s Sgt. Garrett San...
full story
Feds, tribe wage legal battle in immigration scam
WICHITA (AP) — When federal agents raided the Wichita offices of the Kaweah Indian Nation, Malcolm Webber told the arresting officer that he had not committed fraud and was confused how he could be arrested on “sovereign soil,” court documents show. Now almost a year later, Webber — also known as Grand Chief Thunderbird IV — is poised to wage a legal battle in federal court as he defends himself against charges that he and his so-called tri...
full story
Fort Riley aviation medics honored
TOPEKA (AP) — Seven Army flight medics from Fort Riley deployed to Iraq received the Combat Medical Badge for their actions to save lives. The Army said the soldiers were the first medical evacuation crews to earn the medals. The awards were presented July 28 at a ceremony at Camp Speicher, Iraq. The medics are with Fort Riley’s Combat Aviation Brigade, part of the 1st Infantry Division. The aviation brigade deployed to Iraq in 2007 and is...
full story
Oddities
Bikers down to bare basics for eco demonstration ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fewer clothes and lots of skin have made a political point in a public park in St. Louis. Hundreds of mostly nude bicyclists joined curious spectators in the city’s Tower Grove Park on Saturday night for a 10-mile “World Naked Bike Ride.” The ride has been staged in 70 cities worldwide since 2004 as a way to protest society’s dependence on oil. St. Louis police were on han...
full story
EPA says University of Kansas a repeat offender
LAWRENCE (AP) — The University of Kansas has violated Environmental Protection Agency regulations for the second time in three years, the federal agency says. Now, the EPA says it may fine the university. “When you find the same things, it shows there is a pattern,” said David Bryan, a spokesman for the EPA’s regional office serving Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. “It shows there really haven’t been institutional things done to correct t...
full story
Celebrities
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Known for alternating between mainstream Hollywood and independent films, John Cusack says his latest movie “Shanghai” is a rare middle ground between the two genres. Speaking at a set visit in Bangkok on Saturday, the 42-year-old star of movies like “Serendipity” and “Being John Malkovich” called “Shanghai” a unique project that combines the artistry of independent film with the resources of a commercial movie. “T...
full story
Machinists strike begins at Hawker Beechcraft
WICHITA (AP) — More than 100 striking machinists lined the streets early Monday outside the Hawker Beechcraft plant, snarling traffic as cars crossed picket lines at the start of the plant’s day shift. But the first day of their work stoppage appeared to go smoothly otherwise in what is the first machinist strike against the company since 1984. Among the strikers was Juice Bruner, 35, a second-generation machinist who has worked at the pla...
full story
World briefly
Tropical Storm Edouard eyes coasts of Texas, Louisiana coasts GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — Residents along the Texas and Louisiana coasts prepared Monday for Tropical Storm Edouard, which was rolling through the warm waters of the Gulf and threatening to reach near-hurricane strength before making landfall. In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a statewide emergency, and two communities in the western part of the state, Vermilion Parish an...
full story
Kansas sky provide ideal backdrop for observatory
GIRARD (AP) — Just west of Girard sits a piece of a famous astronomer’s legacy to his home state. Nestled between a cornfield and a cemetery is the Pittsburg State University-Greenbush Astrophysical Observatory. Inside its silver dome is a telescope designed and used by Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto. “Our telescope is a really neat piece of equipment and a piece of history as well,” said Josh Cochran, observatory coordinator. To...
full story
Little tobacco money spent to stop smoking
TOPEKA (AP) — Of the $505 million that Kansas has received through a legal settlement with tobacco companies, just 1 percent has been spent on programs to help people stop smoking or not pick up the habit. The money comes from a 1998 master tobacco settlement the industry struck with 46 states to end dozens of lawsuits filed on behalf of longtime smokers and their families. Just $7 million of the money given to Kansas has gone to anti-smo...
full story
Ask Amy
Dear Amy: About nine months ago I struck up a friendship with a woman at work. We’re both in our late 40s and married. We discovered some shared interests and took a craft class together outside of work. We began taking walks and hikes on the weekends. She expressed interest in a backpacking trip this summer -- we would both be first-timers. We both began excitedly planning this trip and training for it with outings and more hikes. About t...
full story
Reports on Kansas judges to be posted online Aug. 29
John Hanna Associated Press Writer TOPEKA (AP) — Some of the state’s appellate and district court judges are being graded, and their reports cards will be posted online Aug. 29 to help voters determine whether they should keep their jobs. The evaluations are being compiled by the state Commission on Judicial Performance. Its reports will cover Kansas Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges and appointed district judges who are on ...
full story
Heloise
Dear Heloise: There are many methods (some really ingenious) that people use in their homes to conceal valuables from possible theft by burglars. For example, hollowed-out books, genuine product containers (oil, furniture polish and the like) that are empty but can be opened to insert valuables through a screw-off bottom, and dummy electrical outlets that must be installed in a room’s drywall and can hold cash and jewelry. All of these devi...
full story
Abortion key in Kline’s race in Johnson County
John Hanna AP Political Writer OVERLAND PARK (AP) — Cookies and snacks are plentiful, but the 30 or so people who’ve gathered in a suburban living room have come to hear Phill Kline explain why he should keep the Johnson County district attorney’s job. They’re not doubters. Instead, they want information to pass along to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Kline relates unsettling incidents involving sexual predators and lists initiati...
full story
Other Editors
The Salina Journal, on farming, water at risk: It’s hard to believe in this part of the state, having recently finished a successful wheat harvest season and with corn, soybeans and sorghum still in the field, but agriculture is only the No. 2 industry in the state. Manufacturing and services have surpassed agriculture for income in the state. And it may be a good thing. Rising temperatures and reduced water supply could cost Kansas more...
full story
Celebrities
BALTIMORE (AP) — Bill Cosby urged people in Baltimore to empower themselves and nurture their children, but during his visit Thursday he avoided the scolding tone that has drawn criticism from some black leaders. Cosby urged parents to keep their children close. “Your children got no business going to the street for love. There’s no love out there,” Cosby told the crowd during a city-organized block party. “All that’s out there is lost youn...
full story
Ask Amy
Dear Amy: This is a difficult and delicate problem. I am an 80-year-old patriarch of a small family. I have two grown children who are in their 50s. I’ll call them “Son No. 1” and “Son No. 2.” Son No. 1 has been married twice and is now single. Son No. 2 is on his third marriage, which has survived for 13 years. The problem is that Son No. 1 and I both have an active dislike for Son No. 2’s wife. As core family members, the three of us...
full story
Heloise
Dear Readers: Are you thinking about adding a hamster to the household? Here are some important things to keep in mind: * As with any pet, a hamster does require some responsibility. Hamsters need food and water daily, and they need to live in a clean environment, so frequent cage cleaning is a must. * Check out beforehand what you will need -- a cage, exercise wheel, food dishes, a care book and water dispenser. Hamsters love to chew plas...
full story
Keep it in the family: Tim Russert’s son joins NBC convention team this year
Lynn Elber AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The late Tim Russert’s son will take up a family tradition for NBC News, helping to cover the Democratic and Republican conventions. Luke Russert’s assignment as a convention correspondent focusing on “youth issues” is his first for NBC, the network said Thursday. Russert, 22, a recent Boston College graduate, has been on the radio since 2006 as co-host with pundit James Carville of “60/...
full story
Chunky and colored styles are pearl trends, especially rare colors
Samantha Critchell AP Fashion Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The chunky — and sometimes colored — pearls that Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain have been wearing on the campaign trail are not your grandmother’s pearls. They are trendy pearls and styles that are still selling strong even in this economic downturn, according to pearl jeweler Tara. CEO Sonny Sethi reports sales are up in all categories of pearls, but especially rare and expensive blac...
full story