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In a surprising twist to a Johnson County murder that gained nationwide attention, Edwin Hall pleaded guilty this afternoon to killing Kelsey Smith. Hall stood before Judge Peter Ruddick as he entered guilty pleas to charges of capital murder, aggravated kidnapping, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy. For the murder charge, he faces life in prison with no chance of parole. For each of the other three counts, the range of punishment is 147 to 653 months.

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Governor Kathleen Sebelius has found herself in the middle of the KU t-shirt turmoil.

Wichita, Jul 18, 2008 / 05:55 pm (CNA).- A sixteen-year-old Kansas girl was allegedly forced by her mother to undergo an abortion on Wednesday at an abortion clinic run by the notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller. Reportedly both the teenage girl and the baby’s father, who was also sixteen, objected to the abortion. The young father arrived at the clinic too late to stop the abortion, a pro-life group says. According to an incident report from the Kansas Coalition for Life (KCFL) the sixteen-year-old girl was two months pregnant. Her mother brought her to the Women’s Health Care Services...

A Kansas church well-known for its protests at the funerals of fallen American soldiers plans to picket at this week's funeral of former Press Secretary Tony Snow, declaring that Snow is "a very bad monkey" who is "now burning in hell." "He had a platform, he was given some small talent by his Creator. He was an unfaithful steward, and is now residing in hell," says a schedule on the website of the Westboro Baptist Church. "Each opportunity he had to faithfully report what the servants at WBC had to tell this country/world, Tony Snow besmirched and vilified the words...

Daniel Gilyeat sauntered through the back door to the offices of Cycle Connections, an online motorcycle magazine, then paused and scratched his chin. He was more than a little aware that a roomful of mechanics and Hooters employees on a Saturday afternoon meant something was up. “Danny, you need to come here,” said sales manager Dave Miller. “For all the things you do to keep us safe, we wanted to give you an opportunity to get back on the road.” Miller then turned to the mechanics. “Go ahead.” Without a word, they pulled a sheet off a sparkling deep blue...

The Pentagon's announcement Wednesday that it will rebid the Air Force tanker contract was initially greeted as good news by most supporters of Boeing's bid for the $35 billion job. But U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton, emerged from a Defense Department meeting Wednesday afternoon convinced that the Pentagon is fixing the new contest in favor of Northrop Grumman and partner European Aeronautic Defence & Space, parent of Airbus. He said he learned from Pentagon acquisition chief John J. Young Jr., the man controlling the rebid, that the revised contract criteria will give credit to the larger Northrop-EADS plane for having...

Local scouts donate to Little Sioux camp The Boy Scouts of Troop 66 on Fort Leavenworth were recognized Wednesday for donating $1,074 to help rebuild the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Little Sioux, Iowa. The ranch was nearly destroyed when a tornado touched down in the camp on June 11, leaving at least four people dead and more than 40 injured. Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, commanding general of Fort Leavenworth, congratulated the scouts on a job well done. Lt. Col. Chip Bircher said his son, Brion Bircher, wanted to help the scouts affected by the tragedy after seeing...

A year ago, Steve Howe stood in front of the Johnson County Courthouse to announce his campaign for district attorney. Behind him were about 15 supporters from a broad spectrum of the Republican Party, including his two campaign managers: Charlotte O’Hara, a conservative from Olathe, and Greg Musil of Overland Park, from the party’s moderate wing. In April, they rallied behind him again. It was a stunning show of Kansas GOP unity after many years of divisive intraparty politics. But don’t think the rift between conservative and moderate Republicans has closed. The wound may have scabbed over some, but it...

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, running for re-election, walks down the street in an early summer parade, finding the mood less than sunny. “Hey!” a man shouts. “When are you going to do something about gas prices?” “We’re trying,” Moore answers. A few days later, Moore’s likely opponent — Kansas Sen. Nick Jordan — sits across the table from a businessman in a Johnson County meeting room. “I don’t know if you’ve thought much about energy policy,” Jordan tells the businessman, whose company markets a medical device. “Sure I have,” he tells Jordan, interrupting. “It scares everybody.” Some elections are decided...

Veteran radio talker Darla Jaye, who just celebrated her third anniversary as the host of "The Darla Jaye Show show weekdays from 9-11 a.m. on KMBZ-980, will be moving her show to the evenings. SHE WILL REPLACE SYNDICATED TALKER MARK LEVIN. Jaye's new show, "980 Live With Darla Jaye," will be expanded to three hours and run from 7-10 p.m. Her current producer, Brian Mallicoat, will move with her to the new time slot. Jaye will be on vacation until her show commences July 14. Syndicated talk show host Glenn Beck will be inserted into the 9-11 a.m. slot vacated...

A grand jury investigating abortion provider George Tiller adjourned Wednesday afternoon without issuing a criminal indictment. Retired Sedgwick County District Judge Paul Buchanan, assigned to preside over the grand jury, said the panel returned a finding of “no true bill,” meaning criminal charges would not be filed. The grand jury was convened in January through a petition drive by anti-abortion groups seeking an investigation into whether Tiller violated state abortion laws.

For the second consecutive year, a gay pride parade and festival was marked by the arrest of a Wichita pastor. But for the vast majority of those who gathered Sunday afternoon at Naftzger Park for the event, the day was one of celebration. "It means a lot to me," said Ken Gehmlich, president of Wichita Pride, which sponsors the annual event. "I think it's great that we can come together as family." Organizers estimated that about 100 people walked in the parade and that more than 1,000 attended the festival, which featured live music and vendors. After the parade traversed...

TOPEKA | You know it’s a hot congressional race when even talk of running a clean campaign turns nasty. That’s what happened when Jim Ryun asked his Republican primary opponent, Kansas Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, to make their contest a polite one. Ryun, the track star who held Kansas’ 2nd District congressional seat for 10 years, said he got no response. “She doesn’t show any interest in running anything other than a disappointing campaign,” he said last week. But Jenkins said it is Ryun who disappointed her after outside groups from Washington spent thousands to denounce Jenkins in a round of...

Wichita, KS, June 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A murder investigation has been opened involving Shelley Sella, a California abortionist employed by George Tiller, who according to a former employee is reported to have intentionally stabbed to death an infant born alive during an abortion at Tiller's Women's Health Care Services abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas. On the advice of an attorney, Operation Rescue reported the incident to the Wichita Police Department after a former Tiller employee, Tina Davis, told Troy Newman and Cheryl Sullenger of the stabbing in April. It is believed that the alleged infanticide took place sometime in...

Wichita, KS - June 24, 2008 - A murder investigation has been opened involving Shelley Sella, a California abortionist employed by George Tiller, who is reported to have intentionally stabbed to death an infant born alive during an abortion at Tiller's Women's Health Care Services abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas. Operation Rescue reported the incident to the Wichita Police Department after a former Tiller employee, Tina Davis, told Troy Newman and Cheryl Sullenger of the stabbing in April. It is believed that the alleged infanticide took place sometime in the past two years. In addition, the incident has been reported...

Kristi Boone of Olathe never planned to file for the Kansas Legislature when this election year began. Neither had Chris Napolitano of Lenexa nor Judy Macy of Overland Park nor Sean Tevis of Olathe. They changed their minds, though, after attending the Democratic Party’s Feb. 5 presidential caucuses in Kansas. Now they are running as Democrats in Republican-rich Johnson County. All were swept along by a tide of enthusiasm for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, and Democratic successes in Kansas in 2006.

I am scheduled to be on Paul A. Ibbetson's 'Conscience of Kansas' radio show today at 6 p.m. EDT on 91.9 FM, the student radio station of Kansas State University. The subject is the Obama-Code Pink scandal that has been slowly reaching critical mass in the past few weeks. Ibbetson interviewed Obama bundler and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans two weeks ago. Evans said that Osama bin Laden had valid arguements for the 9/11 attacks. That statement made its way around the blogosphere and was picked up by the Republican National Committee in a press release issued last Saturday.Livestream link...

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts has slipped below the 50% level of support in his bid for re-election. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state found that the Republican incumbent now leads Democratic Congressmen Jim Slattery 48% to 39%. In May, Roberts attracted 52% of the vote and was up by a dozen points. Any incumbent who polls below 50% is considered potentially vulnerable. The race is particularly interesting given that Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932.

Obama-Sebelius ‘08  by Aaron Goldstein  I have reason to believe Barack Obama will pick a woman to be his running mate. It just won’t be Hillary Clinton. Several months ago, I wrote that Obama did not need Hillary. He does not need her now – unless she has pictures. But short of making him an offer he can’t refuse, I believe Barack Obama will select Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be his number two. I am certainly not the first person to speculate about Sebelius. According to liberal blogger Ben Smith, former Democratic presidential aspirant Wesley Clark introduced Sebelius as “the next vice president...

Dems Running on Empty by Sen. James Inhofe What a difference three years makes: In 2005, I led the charge against a massive global warming cap-and-trade bill. It was a lonely battle with few GOP members willing to join me on the Senate floor to publicly oppose it. Fast forward to June 2008: Not only was I joined by dozens of GOP Senators, but nearly 30% of the Democratic Senators rebelled against their leadership and opposed the Boxer Climate Tax Bill. In the end, Senator Boxer only had at most 35 Democratic Senators willing to vote for final passage on...

Quietly for now, perhaps more visibly later, Sen. Sam Brownback has set himself a missionary task. That task involves persuading the so-called "religious right," his core constituency, to get behind the John McCain presidential candidacy. .... "You get down to the raw points of it, and that's the (Supreme Court)," he said. He tells conservatives that McCain's "very reliable on that... and so (in a different way) is Barack Obama." "Barack's a good guy - I like him - but he's a very liberal Democrat," Brownback said. "If you have a liberal Democrat plus a Democratic House and Senate, that's...

McCain needs to learn from the mistakes of another honored war hero who ran for the White House and lost.John McCain has long known what it's like for a teleprompter-challenged Republican senator to go up against a charismatic, made-for-TV Democrat. In 1996, McCain was Bob Dole's right-hand man. He served as one of the Kansas senator's closest traveling companions and top surrogates in the battle to unseat Bill Clinton. It was a race that began as Dole's to lose—Clinton was caught up in the Whitewater scandal. But lose he did. McCain watched as the Democrats successfully transformed the image of...

Last weekend Congressman Duncan Hunter came to Kansas to campaign with Jim. Rep. Hunter, a former Presidential candidate and Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, represents the 52nd District of California. Rep. Hunter accompanied Jim and Team Ryun to a meet and greet in Wamego (thanks to all who helped organize it), a BBQ in Manhattan (thanks to the Addairs, our great hosts!) and even an afternoon of sporting clays. We had a great weekend of events and of course there are tons of pictures! If you had your picture taken over the weekend and would like a copy...

WICHITA, Kan. — Almost a year ago in Everett, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner No. 1 rolled out with an impressive exterior but completely empty inside. At the sprawling Spirit AeroSystems plant here Thursday, the cockpit door inside the 42-foot-long front section of Dreamliner No. 4 opened to reveal a finished flight deck. Though it's only the front of the plane, it seemed almost ready for takeoff.

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 731 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008 CASS MN- 731 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008 ...A tornado warning remains in effect until 8:00 p.m. CDT for Northern Cass County... AT 727 PM CDT...National Weather Service Doppler Radar continued to indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado. This possible tornado was located near Walker... or 12 miles West of Leech Lake moving Northeast at 33 MPH. This possible tornado will be near... 7 miles Southeast of Steamboat Lake by 735 PM... Crooked Lake and 6 miles Southeast of Wilkinson by...

A possible tornado has struck the Litle (spelling from site?) Sioux Scout Camp in Iowa. Very large response is being reported by media. Large number of injuries.

George Chandler’s not sure how it happened. Maybe he stood up at the wrong time, or maybe his friend lost his balance. What he knows for sure is that one minute he was installing lattice for his wife’s trailing wisteria, and the next minute he had a two-inch nail from a nail gun embedded in his skull.

WAMEGO — Despite some differences in political opinions, former presidential hopeful Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said he will support John McCain in the election. The presidential election was among the topics when Hunter spoke Saturday at Kaw Valley State Bank in Wamego in support of former Rep. Jim Ryun's bid for the 2nd District The conservative Hunter, who has been a strong supporter for establishing a physical fence line to the country's southern border, initially endorsed Mike Huckabee but said he called McCain to give his endorsement after the Arizona senator secured the nomination. "McCain has committed to the fence,"...

Saying he has a passion for justice, District Attorney Phill Kline announced Monday that he would be a candidate to retain his job as Johnson County’s top law enforcement officer. At an evening news conference, with his wife and daughter at his side, Kline said he would file today to run as a Republican. That means Kline will face former Johnson County prosecutor Steve Howe in the Aug. 5 primary; the winner will take on former Johnson County prosecutor Rick Guinn, a Democrat, in November.

Until recently, for all Kansans knew, Kathleen Sebelius was the best thing to happen to the state since ethanol. Their “moderate” Democrat governor—there are no liberals in Kansas—had taken major national wall space as a bonafide political pin-up. VogueMagazine did a feature on the handsome, 60 year-old in designer gowns. Time Magazine named Sebelius one of America’s five best governors, and the Democrats tapped her to give the party’s response to the president’s state of the union speech. More impressively, Barback Obama had reportedly put Sebelius at the very top of his short list for his vice-presidential running mate, a...

It’s the only way Tory Bowen knows to honestly describe what happened to her. She was raped. But a judge prohibited her from uttering the word “rape” in front of a jury. The term “sexual assault” also was taboo, and Bowen could not refer to herself as a victim or use the word “assailant” to describe the man who allegedly raped her. The defendant’s presumption of innocence and right to a fair trial trumps Bowen’s right of free speech, said the Lincoln, Neb., judge who issued the order.

On the heels of Thursady night's meeting between Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, talks of a dream ticket continue. But with the choice of vice president still up in the air, local lawmakers have not ruled out a possible Kansas vice president. State Representative Raj Goyle believes that Sebelius would be a perfect choice for Senator Obama...

An AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter gunship from the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, prepares for a night mission, May 31, 2008. The 1-1 ARB Gunfighter air and ground crews work around the clock sustaining air operations and are part of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., flying in support of Task Force Iron, 1st Armored Division, in northern Iraq. Photo by Maj. Enrique Vasquez, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. TIKRIT — Since the days of early aviation, Army pilots have played a key role in the outcome of ground battles and air...

PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0354 AM CDT THU JUN 05 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OUTBREAK EXPECTED FROM THE EASTERN HALF OF THE PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS...STRONG TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL OVER A LARGE PART OF THE EASTERN PLAINS AND THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE MUCH OF IOWA CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA WESTERN AND NORTHERN MISSOURI CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA...

A cloud-to-ground ligtning strike from a severe thunderstom hit a large gasoline storage tank at the Magellan Petroleum tank farm in Kansas City, igniting 2 million plus gallons of unleaded gasoline, rapidly growing into a huge inferno of flame belching over 200 feet in the air. Local authorities have elected to let the fire burn itself out, which is anticipated to take a day or more. The fire is presently contained to the burning tank. Authorites and company officials feel confident the fire poses no danger to other large storage tanks nearby. Video from local news helicopters shows tank walls...

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – The University of Kansas national champion men's basketball team began their victory lap in the nation’s capital yesterday by visiting wounded warriors and signing autographs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. The University of Kansas national champion men's basketball team poses for a picture with injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. The team and coaching staff kicked off their two-day tour of the nation's capital by visiting wounded warriors June 2, 2008. Defense Department photo by John J. Kruzel  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Towering players in...

Machine politics is generally associated with cities, the cynical cronyism that is the prerequisite to wholesale corruption and urban decay. But these days it’s at its worst in, of all places, Kansas, under the governorship of leading Democratic vice-presidential contender, Kathleen Sebelius. Just ask Phill Kline.

Obama says 10K people died in Kansas...

KIRKUK, Iraq, May 29, 2008 – On opposite sides of the globe, two groups of people in very different environments worked together to raise money for individuals suffering from brain injuries. U.S. Army soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and U.S. Air Force personnel and civilian contractors begin a two-mile charity Memorial Day run on Forward Operating Base Warrior in northeastern Iraq's Kirkuk region. The deployed Americans joined the 21st annual Amy Thompson Run to Daylight to help those suffering from brain injuries. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jason Jordan  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0938 AM CDT THU MAY 29 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW STRONG TORNADOES OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE WESTERN IOWA EASTERN HALF OF NEBRASKA FAR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA ELSEWHERE...ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE SURROUNDING THE HIGH RISK FROM WESTERN KANSAS TO SOUTHERN WI. VERY WARM...MOIST AND BUOYANT AIRMASS IS SPREADING NORTHWARD...

Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is getting flack from a pro-life group for supposedly holding a secret party at the governor's mansion with an infamous late-term abortion practitioner. Sebelius reportedly invited George Tiller and his abortion center staff for a party at Cedar Crest, the governor's mansion. Rumors of the party have circulated for months and first appeared in print when nationally syndicated columnist Bob Novak mentioned them in an article saying Sebelius' pro-abortion views would fit with those of Barack Obama.On Wednesday, Operation Rescue told LifeNews.com the rumors were true and produced pictures of the event...

...Sebelius would help the Illinois senator in several obvious ways -- she's a woman, a Catholic and a Democratic officeholder who has successfully reached across the aisle to make strong Republican allies in a deeply red state. When she was selected to give her response to President Bush's State of the Union address last January, she began: "In this time, normally reserved for the partisan response, I hope to offer you something more: An American response." Sebelius, in other words, is a Democratic politician who not only talks the Obama talk but walks the Obama walk. Recently, however, she has...

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, whose Roman Catholic archdiocese covers northeast Kansas, on May 9 called on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to stop taking Communion until she disowns her support for the “serious moral evil” of abortion. That put the church in conflict with a rising star of the Democratic Party, often described as a “moderate” and perhaps the leading prospect to become Barack Obama’s vice presidential running mate. Naumann also took Sebelius to task for her veto April 21 of a bill, passed two to one by both houses of the Kansas Legislature, which would strengthen the state’s ban on...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, whose Roman Catholic archdiocese covers northeast Kansas, on May 9 called on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to stop taking Communion until she disowns her support for the "serious moral evil" of abortion. That put the church in conflict with a rising star of the Democratic Party, often described as a "moderate" and perhaps the leading prospect to become Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate. Naumann also took Sebelius to task for her veto April 21 of a bill, passed two to one by both houses of the Kansas Legislature, which would strengthen the...

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, whose Roman Catholic archdiocese covers northeast Kansas, on May 9 called on Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to stop taking Communion until she disowns her support for the "serious moral evil" of abortion. That put the church in conflict with a rising star of the Democratic Party who is often described as a "moderate" and is perhaps the leading prospect to become Barack Obama's running mate. Naumann also took Sebelius to task for her veto April 21 of a bill, passed by 2 to 1 margins in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, that would strengthen the state's...

More footage of one of several tornadoes to hit the US this weekend has emerged. Several people have died following two days of tornadoes in Kansas and Oklahoma. Video courtesy KWTV

(Wichita) Four Hispanic families are suing St. Anne's Catholic School over a policy that requires students to speak English at all times while at school. The lawsuit, filed Monday, calls for an end to this policy and asks for an order barring similar policies at other diocese schools. And it asks for court costs and unspecified damages for diiscrimination and emotional suffering. The lawsuit was filed by Mike and Clara Silva, Maria and Fermin Fernandez, Guadalupe Cruz-Tello and Alma Contreras on behalf of themselves and their minor children. The diocese said the school enacted the policy in response to four...

Wichita, May 21, 2008 / 06:14 pm (CNA).- A Catholic school in Wichita is being sued by four Hispanic families over a policy that requires students to speak English in school at all times. The Associated Press reports that the lawsuit filed against St. Anne’s Catholic School on Monday seeks to end the policy and to secure an order barring similar policies at other diocesan schools. The suit also seeks to allow the return of one student who was allegedly kicked out for refusing to sign the “English only” pledge. It asks for court costs and unspecified damages for discrimination...

The last surviving plaintiff in Topeka's Brown v. Board of Education case, which led to the historic 1954 Supreme Court ruling outlawing segregation in public schools, has died at 88. Zelma Henderson died Tuesday in Topeka, six weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her son, Donald, said she wasn't physically imposing, but when she was passionate about something, "She was just fire." In 1950, Henderson signed onto the litigation on behalf of her children challenging Topeka's segregated schools. In all, 13 black parents in Topeka, including the Rev. Oliver Brown, took part in the federal case. The plaintiffs lost...

... What is beyond debate is that, with Kline, it has been one thing after another. So I can fully understand why Kansas GOP officials are throwing fits over news that Kline may renege on his promise to sit out this year’s election. Imagine their horror upon learning of the draft-Kline movement. And that it’s entirely possible he will run for a full term as Johnson County district attorney. Or at least won’t rule it out. ...