Kansas.com: Top Stories

Soria is Royals' All-Star; Guillen in final vote

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

Kansas City Royals closer Joakim Soria is heading to his first All-Star game after being named to the American League team by manager Terry Francona on Sunday.

Soria, 24, has converted 23 of 24 save chances this season, going 0-1 with a 1.22 ERA. The right-hander has allowed 18 hits, struck out 41 and walked nine in 37 innings.

Soria has allowed runs in just two of 35 outings this season and had retired 28 of the last 29 batters faced headed into Sunday's game against Tampa Bay. He is the first Royals reliever to be named an All-Star since Mike MacDougal in 2003.

Royals outfielder Jose Guillen still has a shot at playing in the July 15 game at Yankee Stadium; he's one of five candidates for the final AL roster spot that will be determined by a fan vote.

Guillen is hitting .274 with 13 homers and 64 RBIs, third in the American League. He also has 28 doubles, second-best in the AL, and is second in baseball with 21 go-ahead RBIs.

Tampa Bay pounds Royals again

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

Evan Longoria might be playing himself onto the All-Star team.

Longoria hit a two-run homer during a four-run third inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays went on to pummel the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Sunday for their seventh straight win.

"There's a sense of calmness in our dugout," said Longoria, one of five players the fans will vote on to fill the last American League All-Star spot. "It's incredible the things we're doing here."

James Shields (7-5) gave up two runs and four hits over seven innings to win his third consecutive start. He struck out eight and walked one.

The Rays, with the majors' best record at 55-32, have won 11 of 12 overall. Their seven-game winning streak is the second-longest in team history; Tampa Bay won 12 in a row in June 2004.

Fuel prices thinning the skies

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

Jim Alexander is feeling the pinch of higher fuel prices.

Alexander, a pilot and founder of Jim Alexander Aircraft Sales, no longer fuels his 1960 Cessna 180 to fly for fun as often as he once did. It's too expensive.

"No question," he said. "I can't justify it."

And while Alexander still sells used aircraft, he no longer keeps them in stock.

"You've got to carry them too long," he said.

One conservative absent from KRA endorsements

DION LEFLER — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

The Kansas Republican Assembly's local endorsement list reads more or less like a who's who of Wichita-area conservatives.

But one candidate conspicuously absent is one of the most conservative Republicans ever to put his name on a ballot in Sedgwick County -- Mark Gietzen, who is running against Phil Hermanson for the GOP nomination in the 96th House District.

"I don't think he (Gietzen) would appreciate our endorsement," said Charlotte Esau, executive director of the KRA.

No doubt.

Gietzen, a former leader in the KRA, calls the current organization a "complete fraud" and "renegade group."

Police: KU suspect killed self

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

A man suspected of killing a University of Kansas law student killed himself after being arrested in New Jersey, police said.

Adolfo Garcia-Nunez, 46, was arrested in Elizabeth, N.J., on Friday night, after police found his unoccupied pickup there, Lawrence police Sgt. Paul Fellers said in a news release Saturday. Garcia-Nunez took his own life while he was in custody in New Jersey, Fellers said.

Garcia-Nunez was suspected of killing Jana Mackey, 25, of Hays, who was found dead at his Lawrence home on Thursday, hours after a friend reported her missing. A second-degree murder warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Mackey and Garcia-Nunez, an artist who went by Fito Garche, had recently ended a relationship.

No additional information about Garcia-Nunez's death or arrest will be available until the Lawrence Police Department's investigators return from New Jersey, Fellers said.

Killings prompt new calls to action

CHRISTINA M. WOODS — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

A 17-year-old girl who came to Wichita to visit family members returned this weekend to her Arkansas hometown in a casket.

A 23-year-old woman died after asking her lifelong friend to move a car from her grandmother's parking space.

The shooting deaths this past week of Iesha Donaby and Deshonda Walker triggered immediate community meetings and a prayer vigil.

But many outraged residents are struggling to identify long-term solutions.

"We can't sit idly by at home, shaking our heads, praying it doesn't come to our home," said the Rev. Keith Trumbo, pastor of Cornerstone Seventh-Day Adventist Church in far east Wichita. "The challenge is, we care, but we don't know what to do.

Health care's looming crisis: A need for nurses

ROY WENZL — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:05 CDT

National nursing organizations have warned for years that the dangerous shortage of hospital nurses is about to get a lot worse, and will eventually kill hospitalized patients. Sofia Jaramillo says this will not happen on her watch if she can help it.

Jaramillo works in a medical intensive care unit at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus. A few days ago, two of her patients died of natural causes within 90 minutes of each other, and Jaramillo cried. She said, "I always cry when one of mine dies."

Jaramillo works on the front lines of what nurses and doctors here call a national crisis.

American medical groups say the nurse shortage -- nearly 9 percent nationally -- has burned out nurses, driven many nurses working in acute care out of that specialty, and diminished patient care, just as the baby boom generation has started filling hospital beds.

Laurie Labarca, Via Christi's interim chief executive, warns that the shortage could get worse.

Voters have voice in state's financial future

JEANNINE KORANDA — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

You might be worried about gas and grocery prices, but the state faces its own money problems.

And decisions you make at the polls will help determine how legislators react to those problems: Will they find more money -- through taxes or fees or other means -- to avoid cutting programs? Or will they cut spending to avoid raising taxes? Or both?

All 165 state legislative seats are up for election this summer. Whoever is elected will face a state economy that is flat at best.

"The budget is going to be very, very difficult next year," said Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, who has decided not to run for re-election.

Two years ago, Kansas had nearly $1 billion in reserves. Since then, the state has spent more money than it has taken in. To make up the difference, lawmakers have dipped into reserves, which are now estimated to be $67 million.

Man arrested in KU student's death found dead

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:01 CDT

Police say a man suspected of killing a University of Kansas law student killed himself while in custody in New Jersey.

Lawrence police say 46-year-old Adolfo Garcia-Nunez was arrested in Elizabeth, N.J., on Friday night, after police found his unoccupied pickup in that town. Authorities say that while he was in custody in New Jersey, Garcia-Nunez took his own life.

The Lawrence Police Department said no additional information about his death or arrest would be available until its investigators return from New Jersey.

Garcia-Nunez was suspected of killing 25-year-old Jana Mackey, of Hays.

She was found dead Thursday at his Lawrence home, and a second-degree murder warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Utilities ask to use credit reports to set deposits

DION LEFLER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:16 CDT

Should whether you pay your Visa bill on time affect what you pay to get electric and natural gas service?

The staff of the Kansas Corporation Commission says no.

After 20 months of research and debate, the staff has recommended banning utilities from using consumer credit scores to determine who should pay a deposit for utility service.

Using credit scores is widely favored by utilities -- and strongly opposed by consumer advocates.

The outcome of the case could have a significant effect on a lot of Kansans' wallets.

U.S. military re-ups 1,200 on the Fourth

MIKE THARP — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

The U.S. military in Iraq celebrated the Fourth of July with what it billed as "the largest re-enlistment ceremony ever held," and 1,215 soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen raised their hands and re-pledged allegiance to America.

Gen. David Petraeus, head of Coalition forces in Iraq, administered the oath in Saddam Hussein's former Al-Faw Palace. John Philip Sousa's marches blended with roars of "Freedom," "hooah" and "oorah" from the men and women, many of them carrying their weapons, as they re-upped in their service branches.

Money was an incentive for many, but so was a belief in what they're doing more than five years into a war far away from their homes. Hundreds were in their second and third tours in the combat zone.

"There's no place I'd rather be to celebrate America's birthday than here in Iraq," said Petraeus, who described the troops as "America's new 'Greatest Generation.' " The troops' commitment and sacrifice, he added, have given the Iraqi people "the most precious gift... freedom."

The general compared the re-enlistees' raising of their right hands to the language on most award citations: "In keeping with the finest traditions of our military services." He said the combined total of their additional service amounted to 5,500 years.

Help with historic houses

BECCY TANNER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

It used to be owning a house on the National Register of Historic Places meant owning a Queen Anne Victorian or a Tudor Revival.

Now, it means almost any house built before 1958.

While the historic designation used to bring prestige, now it can also bring money -- specifically tax credits for home improvement.

"I haven't yet used them, but I'll claim them for when I do window replacements and when I go to replace the roof," said attorney Randy Rathbun, who lives in the historic C.M. Jackman House at 158 N. Roosevelt in College Hill.

In 2007, the city adopted a preservation plan that states nearly 12,000 buildings could potentially qualify for listing on the National or State Register of Historic Places.

Boy, 3, drowns at Watson Park

DEB GRUVER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

A 3-year-old autistic boy drowned in a south Wichita lake Friday night. The discovery ended an extensive search by more than 13 fire department units and 15 police officers.

The boy was reported missing at O.J. Watson Park at about 9 p.m. Friday, according to a Sedgwick County 911 dispatch supervisor.

The park surrounds a large lake that is popular for fishing and paddleboating.

Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Rob Hughes said the boy was discovered in water near the bank of the lake, not far from a playground, at about 10:30 p.m.

He was transported to Via Christi Medical Center-St. Francis Campus and later pronounced dead, according to the dispatch supervisor.

Food, parades big part of 4th

BILL WILSON AND DEB GRUVER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:53 CDT

AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

His brats and ribs covering several grills and a smoker at Osage Park in south Wichita, Brian Powell joked that he could have fed the 82nd Airborne on July Fourth. Powell, his wife, Tiffany, and the rest of their family spent the day Friday at the park, putting on quite the feed.

"We've been out here since 9 this morning," Brian Powell said about 6 p.m. "Just come on out and have fun. I've been grilling all day, and I'm not done yet."

Powell said he cooked 80 bratwursts, 80 hot dogs, chicken legs, ribs and roasted corn.

The Powells' children played in the park's fountains and with water guns.

In memory of 9/11, NY group helps Greensburg

DEB GRUVER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

The New York Says Thank You Foundation, a group of New York City firefighters and other volunteers, is making Greensburg its major Sept. 11 project this year.

The foundation visited Greensburg in December. Founded by Jeff Parness, the group visits communities ravaged by natural disasters such as wildfires and tornadoes and helps them rebuild.

Parness got the idea for the group when his son decided to donate his extra toys to other children after seeing footage of California wildfires.

The motto of the foundation, which commemorates the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is "From one day of terror, 10 years of kindness."

On Friday, Parness sent a message to his supporters, along with a video the group posted to the Web site YouTube that talks about some of its projects. The group has rebuilt homes in New Orleans and other cities across the country, raised a church destroyed by an Indiana tornado and planted 428 trees in two small Illinois towns hit by a tornado.

Boy, 3, drowns in Watson Park lake

DEB GRUVER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:34 CDT

A 3-year-old autistic boy drowned in a south Wichita lake Friday night, ending an extensive search by more than 13 fire department units and 15 police officers.

The boy was reported missing at O.J. Watson Park at about 9 p.m., according to a Sedgwick County 911 dispatch supervisor.

The park surrounds a large lake that is popular for fishing and paddle-boating.

Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Rob Hughes said the boy was discovered in water near the bank of the lake, not far from a playground, at about 10:30 p.m.

He was transported to Via Christi Medical Center-St. Francis Campus and later pronounced dead, according to the dispatch supervisor.

Group wants bond proposal withdrawn

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

A group that opposes a $350 million bond issue for Wichita schools has asked the school board to withdraw its bond proposal, citing a weakening economy and low turnout at recent public forums about the bond issue.

"I am very surprised that they are going to push forward with this," said Helen Cochran, spokeswoman for Citizens for Better Education, which opposes the bond issue.

"They have very little feedback... To me, it's apparent that this (bond issue) is too much, too soon."

Bond supporters, meanwhile, said sparse attendance at a series of forums -- the final one is 7 p.m. Tuesday at South High -- doesn't mean voters won't support a bond issue.

"If someone has concerns, they can come to the meetings and bring those up, and some have done that," said Sarah Olson, co-coordinator of Citizens Alliance for Responsible Education (CARE).

State BOE candidate disqualified

LORI YOUNT — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

One of the two Democratic candidates for Wichita's seat on the State Board of Education has been disqualified because he also filed to run for a local public office.

Wichita business owner Charles Wiggins said he'll challenge the disqualification -- a move that could delay the printing of Sedgwick County advance voting ballots.

Wiggins said he was notified last Friday by the secretary of state that he wasn't a valid candidate for the state office because he also filed to run again for his position as Minneha Township trustee.

A spokeswoman for Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh confirmed that Wiggins was disqualified because he can't run for two public offices in the same election.

Wiggins filed an objection early this week. It will be heard Tuesday morning by top state officials.

Dillons stores voluntarily recall some ground beef

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

On a weekend known for grilling burgers, some consumers scrambled to see whether ground beef they bought at Kroger stores, including Dillons, was part of a voluntary recall by the company.

The Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocery store, continued its voluntary recall of some ground beef products due to concerns about E. coli.

Meanwhile, Nebraska Beef Ltd., one of the nation's largest meatpackers, expanded its recall of ground beef products. Sheila Lowrie, a spokeswoman for Dillons in Kansas, said that none of the ground beef involved in the Nebraska Beef recall is available at Kroger's family of stores.

Dillons issued the voluntary recall as a precaution, Lowrie said.

Dillons customers in Wichita received notices on receipts that said "Valued customer: You may have purchased the product listed below which has now been recalled. You may return the product or the empty container for a full refund at any Dillon or Bakers store. DO NOT CONSUME THIS PRODUCT."

Food costs have gone up for the zoo's 400 species

BECCY TANNER — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:15 CDT

If you think it's hard trying to feed your brood all the necessary daily food groups while living on a strict budget, try coping with these 2,000 hungry mouths to feed. From cockroaches and smelt to mealworms and cow's blood, meal variety is everything at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Each day, zoo officials must take into consideration the likes and dislikes of 400 species of animals, all of them hungry.

And all of them expecting to be fed on time.

"Each year we negotiate our food budget with our vendors," said Christan Baumer, a spokeswoman for the zoo. "Because we can guarantee our vendors volume sales, they guarantee us set prices. We don't see rising costs from month to month. But we do see a 3 to 5 percent increase per year."

It was a lot more than that from last year to this year -- 12 percent. Next year's may be even more. Here's why:

Grain prices are expected to increase because of fuel costs. Produce costs can be affected by weather, Baumer said. If cold weather hits the citrus crop one year, for example, the zoo could see produce prices jump the next year.