School funding rally planned in Topeka

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Organizers expect more than 1,000 people to turn out Tuesday for a school funding rally at the Statehouse.

The slogan for the event is "We want what's right, NOT what's left."

Gov. Mark Parkinson will speak at the rally along with Senate President Steve Morris, a Republican from Hugoton, and Sen. Tom Holland, a Democrat from Baldwin City. Two students from a Topeka-area school district and 2009 Kansas Teacher of the Year Cindy Couchman of Buhler will fill out the speaking lineup.

Organizer Christie Slay said in a news release that the goal of the event is to help lawmakers to understand that school cuts "hurt our kids and our communities."

The rally comes as the state faces the threat of a lawsuit from more than 70 of its 293 school districts over education funding cuts last year.

------ Kan. Senate panel reviewing proposed soda tax

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A Kansas Senate committee is reviewing a proposal to impose a new tax on soda and other sugary drinks.

The bill before the Assessment and Taxation Committee sets the tax at a penny for every teaspoon of sugar.

The new tax would increase the cost of a 12-ounce can of soda by a dime and generate $90 million for the state during the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The committee plans to have a hearing on the measure Wednesday and is considering it as a way to help erase a budget shortfall.

The tax would apply not only to soda and to ginger ales, root beers and lemon-limes but to other "flavored" beverages with less than 10 percent real fruit or vegetable juice.

------ No records for 2005 asbestos work at Topeka prison

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas officials say they have no records that asbestos-contaminated materials were properly handled during a 2005 dormitory renovation at the state's prison for women.

The Topeka Capital-Journal filed an open records request with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The agency released documents related to contracts for professional asbestos abatement at the prison in 2007, 2008 and 2009. State Department of Corrections officials produced two abatement contracts for 2001.

But the newspaper reported that neither agency had documentary evidence that the 2005 project under investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency complied with state and federal requirements.

Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of respiratory diseases, including lung cancer.

Corrections spokesman Bill Miskell said the department is waiting for additional information from the EPA before commenting further on the renovation project.

The inquiry started in November after the state health agency received a request from Topeka lawyer Keen Umbehr to examine whether regulations were followed when Topeka Correctional Facility staff members and inmates used mechanical grinders to pulverize asbestos-laced flooring into a powder.

------ Ethics complaint brings uncertainty to Kan. House

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas House members don't have much guidance from its rules or its past about handling a misconduct complaint from Democrats against its Republican speaker for representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state.

Six House Democrats submitted the complaint last week. They contend that Speaker Mike O'Neal, a Hutchinson Republican and a lawyer, has conflicts of interest as a legislative leader because of the lawsuit, which he filed in January in Shawnee County. His 17 clients include industry workers' compensation funds, the Kansas Bankers Association, the Kansas Realtors Association and a Wichita company doing business as Speedy Cash.

O'Neal views the complaint as an unwarranted partisan attack on him and has expressed concern that such complaints will proliferate as a way of publicly airing political differences. Democrats say they're trying to protect the integrity of the legislative process.

House rules require the appointment of a committee of three Republicans and three Democrats to review the complaint but don't spell out what constitutes misconduct worthy of a reprimand, censure or expulsion. The House last appointed a committee to review a member's conduct nearly 60 years ago, and that precedent appears to be of little value.

For O'Neal to face any sanction, the Democrats who filed the complaint must persuade a majority of O'Neal's fellow Republicans that his involvement in the lawsuit represents misconduct. House rules require a two-thirds vote to reprimand, censure or expel a member, and Republicans hold a 76-49 majority.

"It will take a number of legislators from his own party deciding that they want to put their party label aside and bring pressure upon the speaker to remove himself from this lawsuit," said Minority Leader Paul Davis, of Lawrence, one of the Democrats who signed the complaint.

------ Kansas State gets No. 2 seed in West

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- The "firsts" and "bests" keep piling up for Kansas State.

In the same year that Frank Martin fashioned the best three-year record of any Kansas State coach, the resurgent Wildcats have nabbed their highest seeding in any NCAA tournament.

Seeded No. 2 in the West region, they will meet No. 15 North Texas in the first round on Thursday.

And, just as they had hoped, the Wildcats (26-7) will play their opening weekend in Oklahoma City, an easy drive for fans who've been jamming Bramlage Coliseum with record crowds.

"I'm ecstatic for our kids and I'm glad that they were rewarded for all their efforts this year by being able to play as close to home as possible," said Martin, who outpolled Kansas' Bill Self in balloting for Big 12 coach of the year. "I'm just happy we're in Oklahoma City."

Kansas State had made 23 NCAA appearances before, and never been seeded higher than fourth. But led by the high-scoring guard tandem of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente, the Wildcats finished runner-up to No. 1 Kansas -- the overall top seed -- in both the Big 12 tournament and the regular season.

------ $50K-plus to go to resigning Kansas superintendent

KINGMAN, Kan. (AP) -- A south-central Kansas school superintendent who was placed on leave after a DUI arrest and recently resigned will receive $50,000 from his former district.

The details of the settlement with former Kingman School Superintendent Scott Carter were provided in a summary of last week's school board meeting.

Carter resigned March 8, citing personal reasons.

Carter had been on leave since his arrest Dec. 13 after he allegedly was involved in a hit-and-run accident involving a mailbox.

He subsequently was charged with driving under the influence, failure to report an accident and improper driving on a roadway

He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a diversion hearing in Kingman County District Court on April 8.

------ KCK woman charged in slaying of man in Riverside

PLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Kansas City, Kan., woman has been charged with shooting and killing a man at his apartment in the western Missouri town of Riverside.

Nineteen-year-old Cavona C. Flenoy faces one count of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, stealing a motor vehicle and stealing a credit card. The Kansas City Star reported that the charges were filed this past week in Platte County Circuit Court.

Flenoy is accused of shooting Hassan A. Abbas several times on Tuesday and then leaving the apartment in his car.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd says Flenoy attempted to buy gas using the victim's credit card. She also is accused of switching license plates from her car to the victim's.

Zahnd says Flenoy bought the gun used in the shooting for $100 a few days beforehand.

------ A-1 Plank of Hays files for bankruptcy

HAYS, Kan. (AP) -- A scaffolding and concrete form manufacturer that once employed 170 people in Hays has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Hays-based A-1 Plank and Scaffold Mfg. has effectively ceased operations pending emergence from bankruptcy. Besides its Hays work force, it also has a plant in Paramount, Calif.

Its president, Dwight Allenbaugh, hopes the company can emerge as a "leaner, meaner" but somewhat smaller operation.

Allenbaugh says the economy has hurt his business. He says that when things got tight, people stopped paying their debt.

A companion Chapter 11 petition was filed at the same time last month for Allenbaugh Family Limited Partnership. It owns the buildings and land where A-1 is located on the west side of the Hays Regional Airport.