Surbaugh leads charge for sales tax
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Johnson County Chairwoman Annabeth Surbaugh gave her fifth State of the County address, Surbaugh stressed the need to renew an existing quarter-cent sales tax to build a crime lab and juvenile detention center and fund and operate other public-safety ventures.

Kansas Regents votes to ban all guns
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No weapons on campus: State higher education officials Thursday voted to prohibit weapons on the campuses of regents universities, including law abiding concealed carry license holders.

Concealed-carry advocates will take part in campus protests at Washburn and nationwide
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Washburn University students will take part in the nationwide "empty holster" protest sponsored by the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. Paul Cope, 24, head of the SCCC chapter at the Washburn School of Law, will wear an empty holster because "this is an incredibly important issue at this time. It is the right of every trained individual to carry a firearm to protect yourself.

Residents look to incorporate Stilwell
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Rural Johnson County residents rallied in a Monday night hearing, hoping to persuade the County Commission to create the third-class city of Stilwell, population 4,300.

Is Kansas really the #10 "pro-business" state in the U.S.?
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An annual report by the Pollina Corporate Real Estate group again lists Kansas as the #10 pro-business state. Dr. Ronald R Pollina says "Kansas lead creating a low-tax, low red-tape, and pro-job growth business climate." And Kansas gets this #10 ranking at the same time bureaucratic red-tape is killing a new power plant that would provide energy and jobs in Western Kansas? Does this ranking make any sense? Further evidence supports the Polinna does the report for marketing purposes only.

Kansas Going Broke Story
State officials and university economists issued a new, more pessimistic financial forecast Wednesday. The forecasters said revenues will be $130 million less than originally thought.

Sebelius vetoes second coal plant bill
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Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday vetoed a second bill allowing two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas. But House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, an Ingalls Republican who strongly supported the measure, replied that the Democratic governor is preventing the state from having a comprehensive energy policy. Sierra Club spokeswoman Stephanie Cole said, “The Governor has proven to be a steadfast leader in responding to climate change.” The Sierra Club is known nation-wide for its liberal ecological theories, including the no-burn forest policies that have caused significant wildfires and economic loss across the country.

Woman caught on fire while making meth
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Investigators think a Jefferson County woman caught fire while she was apparently making methamphetamine.

Area veterans get free trip to National World War II Memorial
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Honor Flight, a nonprofit group based in Ohio, organizes free one-day trips for veterans to see the Washington memorials honoring their service. Top priority is given “senior” veterans, World War II veterans whose numbers are estimated to be dwindling by an average of 1,100 a day.

Ethanol plant designer lays off 105 employees
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The nation's leading designer of ethanol plants has laid off 105 workers. ICM Inc., located in Wichita indicated that a struggling economy has made it harder to find lenders for domestic endeavors and has triggered layoffs in multiple company departments.

Missouri House Votes to Ban Forced Abortions, Help Pregnant Student Athletes
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The Missouri House has approved a bill that would ban pressuring or forcing a woman to have an abortion. The legislation also contains other sections helping pregnant women, including one that prohibits colleges and universities from revoking athletic scholarships form pregnant students.

Jayhawks buoyed by Coach Self's faith
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The Jayhawks, coached by Bill Self, a professing Christian, punched their ticket to the national title game with a semifinal rout of North Carolina, but despite the joy of victory, a number of Kansas coaches and players are keeping their focus on the main thing regardless of tonight's outcome.??"God has given us this platform and He deserves all the glory," assistant coach Kurtis Townsend said. "We're going to give the glory to Him."??Townsend added, "Tuesday morning we're still going to be praising Him. It's another opportunity to witness to others and to know God." Assistant coach Ronnie Chalmers, a Wayland Baptist University graduate, said he marvels at how God has placed the team at the brink of NCAA glory. "I'm a big believer that God has a plan for this team. I've been spending a lot of time with my pastor, and our prayer is, What you do, do it well," Chalmers said. Chalmers and others praised Self not for his bold, verbal witness, but for setting a moral and Christian standard for the team.

Franking Abuse by Kansas Democratic Legislative Leadership
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Recently, both the Kansas House Minority Leader, Dennis McKinney, and Kansas Senate Majority Leader, Anthony Hensley, abused their nearly unlimited budget to mail items to Kansas voters. These mailings had less to do with helping inform constituents about what is going on in the Kansas legislature, and more to do with getting certain Democrats re-elected this year.

State Senator gives pre-election non-profit gift
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Kansas Sen. David Wysong has announced a $750,000 challenge gift to help raise $1.5 million in support of the JCCC program. David and his wife, Kathy, have agreed to match donation gifts dollar for dollar through the Wysong Family Foundation. Wysong represents NE Johnson County and is up for re-election this year.

JCCC Officers to finally carry guns
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Johnson County Community College trustees decided this week to provide guns for the school’s previously unarmed public safety officers. The 6-0 decision Thursday also will make the public safety department an official police department, much like the one that already patrols the University of Kansas campuses.

Trooper back on the road after near-death shootout
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Missouri Highway Patrol Trooper Brandon Brashear still doesn’t know exactly how many bullets hit him that night in a roadside shootout. He thinks maybe it was 11, but it’s been hard to tell because of the number of holes he had in him: 17. Three years later and after serious rehabilitation, Trooper Brashear is back to work.