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Kansas superdelegate gives support to Obama
TOPEKA (AP) -- Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates on Monday endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the party's presidential nomination. Gates, one of Kansas' superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention, said he was backing Obama for his ability to win in Republican-dominated states and "his positive campaign." Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton in February's Kansas caucuses. "Senator Obama inspired record numbers of voters to t...
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Hopes to auction Bob's collectibles
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A foot-high cowboy hat from the movie "Paleface." An autographed photo of Lucille Ball with some teeth blackened out. A money clip from Jack Benny. These were a few of Bob Hope's favorite things. Nearly 800 items of Hope history, from foolishness to fine art, will be sold to fans and dealers alike at a mid-October charity auction in Los Angeles commissioned by the family of the famed comedian, who died in 2003 at age 100. ...
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City OKs coyote trapping LEAWOOD -- A Kansas City suburb has unanimously approved a measure that legalizes coyote trapping
City OKs coyote trapping LEAWOOD -- A Kansas City suburb has unanimously approved a measure that legalizes coyote trapping. The vote Monday night was a response to coyote attacks on pets in Leawood. The ordinance allows the city to trap coyotes on public property only and requires homeowners' associations to obtain permits to trap the animals on private land. The National Humane Society objected to trapping as inhumane and ineffective, and su...
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Netflix introduces its new TV box
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Preparing for the eventual extinction of its DVD-by-mail rental service, Netflix Inc. today is introducing its first solution for subscribers who want entertainment delivered directly to their television sets with just a few clicks on a remote control. The breakthrough comes in the form of 5-inch-by-5-inch device tailored for a year-old service that uses high-speed Internet connections to stream more than 10,000 movies...
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Construction blast injures 14 SAN DIEGO -- Leaking natural gas caused an explosion that injured 14 construction workers and damaged four floors of an unfinished 30-story hotel, authorities said today
Construction blast injures 14 SAN DIEGO -- Leaking natural gas caused an explosion that injured 14 construction workers and damaged four floors of an unfinished 30-story hotel, authorities said today. The blast at the bayside Hilton Monday afternoon was an apparent accident, caused by a gas leak in a fifth-floor utility room, said San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesman Maurice Luque. Investigators had not determined what ignited the gas. "We're ...
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New project teaches Sedalia Middle School students about the great outdoors
SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) -- What kinds of insects live in the wetlands? Are they the same as the ones living in the prairie? Does temperature affect their numbers? Students in Patti Hegger's science classes at Sedalia Middle School answered those questions and more inside and outside the classroom, and the results of their long-term science project have garnered interest from teachers and groups around the country. Hegger started the outdoor project...
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Golden retriever is doing well after intense physical therapy sessions
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -- Molly the golden retriever doesn't want to balance the Milk Bone dog treat on her nose. She'd rather eat it. "Wait, wait, wait," Molly's owner, Deb Wenzel, coaxes her 7-year-old furry companion. And Molly, all golden fur so soft you just want to sink your hand into it and pet her forever, truly tries to wait. She sits as asked, her tail sweeping across the floor in front of the carpeted stairs that lead to the second-s...
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Spurs hold off Hornets, advance to West finals
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A title defense endures for the playoff-savvy San Antonio Spurs. Manu Ginobili scored 26 points, hitting four free throws in the final minute Monday night, sending the Spurs to the Western Conference finals with a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in Game 7 of their second-round series. Tony Parker added 17 points, including a crucial jumper in the final minute, as the Spurs held off a late rally to become the fir...
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U.N. keeps pressure on Myanmar YANGON, Myanmar -- The U
U.N. keeps pressure on Myanmar YANGON, Myanmar -- The U.N.'s top humanitarian official made fresh pleas to Myanmar's military government today to allow in more foreign aid for cyclone survivors, as the country began three days of mourning for the 134,000 dead and missing. Flags at government offices, schools and large hotels in Myanmar were lowered to half-staff. But shops were open as usual and many people in Yangon said they had little idea...
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Royals counting on young closer
MIAMI (AP) -- The curve from Joakim Soria lacked its usual bite and stayed a little higher than he wanted, which is why it came to rest beyond the center-field wall. Jeremy Hermida's two-run homer cut the Kansas City Royals' lead over Florida to 7-6. The runs were the first allowed by Soria this season. "It was coming someday," the young closer said later Friday night. "Someday someone was going to hit me. It's OK. It's no big deal." If S...
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Cancer survivor no-hits Royals
BOSTON (AP) -- Jon Lester has survived cancer and pitched a World Series clincher for the Boston Red Sox. Now he can add a no-hitter to his already amazing list of accomplishments. The 24-year-old lefty shut down Kansas City 7-0 on Monday night for the first no-hitter in the majors since Red Sox rookie Clay Buchholz threw one last September. It was Lester's first major league complete game. And what a way to do it. "You don't feel tired in th...
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County coroners work hard, are paid little for their duties
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- Coroners have jobs that commonly evoke images of gleaming labs, high-tech equipment and complex, cutting-edge procedures to solve crimes within an hour. Such images generated and fueled by television shows like "CSI," "Cold Case" and other TV programs couldn't be farther from the truth in southeast Missouri, where counties haven't established a medical examiner. While more-populated counties and major cities have a...
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Sebelius signs heath care, school bills, vetoes voting bill
TOPEKA (AP) -- Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has signed a bill implementing nine of 21 policy reforms sought by the Kansas Health Policy Authority, including expanding efforts to reach poor, uninsured children. The bill was one of 16 that the governor signed on Sunday. Sebelius announced the signings Monday, which bring the total to 178 she has signed that were passed by the 2008 session. Other policy changes included in the bill would create a stan...
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today. Aluminum -$1.339 per lb., London Metal Exch. today. Copper -$3.8530 Cathode full plate, U.S. destinations. Copper $3.7955 N.Y. Merc spot Mon. Lead - $2192.00 metric ton, London Metal Exch. Zinc - $1.0647 per lb., delivered. Gold - $914.50 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Gold - $905.00 troy oz., NY Merc spot Mon. Silver - $17.505 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Silver - $16.974 troy oz...
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No winner in Kansas Cash
No winner in Kansas Cash TOPEKA (AP) -- Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the Kansas Lottery: SUPER KANSAS CASH: 1-6-7-22-32; the Super Cashball was 10; there was no winner of the jackpot worth an estimated $700,000; no players matched five of the first set, with each ticket worth $2,000; four players matched four plus the Super Cashball, with each ticket worth $250; 106 players matched four of the first set, with each ticket w...
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"Life is never so bad at its worst that it is impossible to live; it is never so good at its best that it is easy to live
"Life is never so bad at its worst that it is impossible to live; it is never so good at its best that it is easy to live." -- Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (1890-1972).
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Hello Kitty gets appointment TOKYO -- Hello Kitty, Japan's ubiquitous ambassador of cute, has built up an impressive resume over the years
Hello Kitty gets appointment TOKYO -- Hello Kitty, Japan's ubiquitous ambassador of cute, has built up an impressive resume over the years. Global marketing phenom. Fashion diva. Pop culture icon. Now the moonfaced feline can add "government envoy" to the list. Japan's tourism ministry today named Hello Kitty as its choice to represent the country in China and Hong Kong, two places where she is wildly popular among kids and young women. Offic...
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Junta orders three days of mourning
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Myanmar's junta today announced a three-day mourning period for cyclone victims, while the country's neighbors said they will establish a task force to handle foreign aid distribution. The mourning period starting Tuesday comes as people remain angry at what appears to be an inadequate government effort following the storm that left at least 130,000 people dead or missing. It also follows on a declaration by China of t...
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Brigade to deploy for Iraq TOPEKA -- Another brigade of soldiers from Fort Riley has been given its orders to deploy to Iraq
Brigade to deploy for Iraq TOPEKA -- Another brigade of soldiers from Fort Riley has been given its orders to deploy to Iraq. The 2nd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division was officially notified today that it was among the units to be deployed later this year. In all, the Pentagon notified one division headquarters and seven brigades, about 25,000 soldiers, that they would be deploying. The Fort Riley brigade recently began the final phase of...
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Iraq reports arrest of al-Qaida figure
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi officials said police today arrested a man suspected of being a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure in the northern city of Mosul, where security forces have been carrying out an intensified crackdown to root out the terror network. The U.S. military said it was looking into the report. Reports of high-level al-Qaida arrests in the past have sometimes proven incorrect. Maj. Gen. Ahmed Taha, of the Iraqi Interior Ministry, identi...
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