4-21-2011

IN LOCAL NEWS…

ACCORDING TO THE MANHATTAN MERCURY, MANHATTAN’S JOBLESS RATE FELL FROM 5 PERCENT IN FEBRARURY TO FOUR-POINT-EIGHT PERCENT IN MARCH. THE SAME TREND HELD TRUE FOR THE MANHATTAN METROPOLITAN AREA WHICH INCLUDES RILEY, GEARY AND POTTAWATTOMIE COUNTIES. THAT WAS FIVE POINT NINE PERCENT IN FEBRUARY AND IN MARCH IT WAS FIVE POINT SEVEN PERCENT

ACCORDING TO 1350 KMAN AM, RILEY COUNTY POLICE RECENTLY ARRESTED FIVE MAGAZINE PEDDLERS ON SOLICITING A BUSINESS WITHOUT A PERMIT. ALL FIVE OF THE PEDDLERS WERE FROM OUT OF STATE AND NONE OF THEM HAD LICENSES. RCPD CAPTAIN KURT MOLDRUP URGED MANHATTAN RESIDENTS TO CALL THE POLICE IF THEY FEEL PRESSURED BY THESE INDIVIDUALS. ACCORDING TO MOLDRUP, IT’S VERY LIKELY THAT THIS PERSON WILL NOT HAVE A LICENSE TO SELL MAGAZINES.

ACCORDING TO KSNT CHANNEL TWENTY SEVEN IN TOPEKA, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A TRANSIT SYSTEM CONNECTS JUNCTION CITY FORT RILEY AND MANHATTAN. THE SERVICE WILL ALLOW RIDERS TO GO FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT. IT WILL COST TWO DOLLARS PER RIDER AND THE SERVICE WILL OPERATE FROM SIX IN THE MORNING TO SEVEN AT NIGHT.

IN STATE NEWS…

ACCORDING TO TOPEKA POLICE CHIEF RON MILLER RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES AND VEHICLE BREAK-INS ARE UP. MILLER SAYS THE CRIMES ARE HIGHER THEN WERE FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. MILLER ADDED THAT VIOLENT CRIMES DIPPED BY POINT SIX THREE PERCENT.

THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL ROBBERIES HAS CLIMBED FROM TWENTY THREE IN 2010 TO THIRTY FOUR IN 2011. MILLER THINKS THE PROBLEM IS GANGS, BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOT AS LARGE AS PEOPLE THINK.

MILLER’S GOAL COMING IN TO OFFICE WAS TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIMES BY TWENTY FIVE PERCENT AND CRIME OVERALL BY TEN PERCENT. TO DO THIS…THE POLICE ARE USING DATA TO DETERMINE WHERE CRIMES ARE HAPPENING. THE POLICE THEN INCREASE THEIR PRESENCE IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS.

ACCORDING TO KSNT CHANNEL 27 IN TOPEKA, HAVE A NEED FOR SPEED? WELL KANSAS GOVERNOR SAM BROWNBACK JUST INCREASED THE SPEED LIMIT TO SEVENTY FIVE ON DESIGNATED AREAS OF FOUR LANE HIGHWAYS. THE NEW INCREASE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED JULY FIRST. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS THAT OVER A THOUSAND MILES OF HIGHWAY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW SPEED LIMIT. THE NEW LAW HOPES TO ENCOURAGE FREIGHT COMPANIES TO STOP SKIPPING KANSAS IN FAVOR OF OTHER STATES WITH HIGHER SPEED LIMITS.

IN NATIONAL NEWS…

ACCORDING TO USA TODAY, A NEW REPORT IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES PURPORTS THAT CHILDREN EXPOSED TO HIGH PESTICIDE LEVELS IN THE WOMB ARE MORE LIKELY HAVE A LOWER IQ. THE STUDY INCLUDED 400 CHILDREN. THE STUDY FOUND THAT THOSE CHILDREN HAD AN AVERAGE IQ, SEVEN POINTS LOWER THEN THE NORMAL CHILD.

A UCLA OBSTETRICIAN MICHAEL LU SAID THAT EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF PREGNANCY WHEN THE BRAIN IS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS…

ACCORDING TO THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, FORMER DISNEY STAR DEMI LOVATO TWEETED HER SUPPORT OF ACTRESS CATHERINE ZETA JONES. JONES WAS RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH BI-POLAR DISORDER. LOVATO…THE EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD SINGER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE DISEASE AFTER A THREE MONTH STAY IN REHAB. LOVATO WHO IS MOST FAMOUS FOR HER ROLE ON THE SHOW SONNY WITH A CHANCE HAS DECIDED TO LEAVE THE SHOW. SHE SAID THE SHOW WOULD HINDER HER RECOVERY. SHE IS CURRENTLY WRITING ARTICLES FOR SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE’S WEBSITE AND IS ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO SEEK HELP.