Court employees facing furloughs

3/18/2010
ERIN MATHEWS
Employees in Saline County District Court and other courts across the state will be furloughed for four Fridays starting in April as part of an effort to deal with continued state budget shortfalls.

District court offices, including the clerk’s office and court services, will be closed on April 9, 16 and 23 and May 7, and about 35 employees locally will be on unpaid leave on those days as the result of an administrative order issued last week by the Kansas Supreme Court.

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Prosecutor: Conclusion near in missing woman case

3/18/2010

Kuckelman declined to give details of what evidence was found Wednesday at the rural Sabetha home of Roger and Rebecca Hollister. He says Roger Hollister is a person of interest in Kimmi's disappearance, but stopped short of calling him a suspect.

The same property was searched in January. Roger Hollister was charged earlier this month with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery after driving his SUV head-on into a tractor trailer.

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Kan. woman marks 104th birthday with green beer

3/18/2010

PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) -- It's been sort of a tradition for Charlott Engstrom of Pittsburg to drink a green beer on her birthday, which happens to fall on St. Patrick's Day. For three of the last five years, she and her family have gathered at McCarthy's to celebrate the occasion.

The only thing separating Engstrom and other St. Patrick's Day revelers is her age. She turned 104 on Wednesday.

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Kan. House GOP release budget cuts

3/18/2010

The plan is being outlined by GOP leaders of the House Appropriations Committee. It would close the projected budget shortfall by not replacing federal stimulus dollars for education and borrowing $50 million from the state highway fund.

It also cuts all other state agency budgets by 1 percent, eliminates all overtime unless authorized and would close all state offices at 3 p.m. on Fridays.

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Police: Remove cell phone batteries

3/18/2010
ERIN MATHEWS
The Salina Police Department asks parents to remove the battery from cell phones that are no longer in use before they are given to a child as a toy.

Salina Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield said many people do not seem to be aware that even after a cell phone is discontinued from a calling plan it can still dial 911.

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Car reportedly stolen from Long McArthur

3/18/2010
ERIN MATHEWS
A silver 2009 Ford Focus was reported stolen from Long McArthur when the person who rented it did not return the vehicle Monday as agreed.

The $15,000 car was rented at 4 p.m. Feb. 22 and was to be returned by 8 a.m. Monday, said Salina Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield.

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Want tomato with that?

3/18/2010
By CHRIS HUNTER Salina Journal

The destruction of 70 percent of the tomato crop in Florida earlier this year by severe cold is affecting businesses nationwide and locally.

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Gas Prices

3/18/2010

Salina, $2.69

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Salina man gets 25 years for sex offense

3/18/2010

Rafael R. Medina Jr., 35, was given the mandatory sentence for having inappropriate sexual contact with the middle school-aged girl in 2008, said prosecutor Christina Trocheck, an assistant county attorney.

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Department heads told to brace for cuts

3/18/2010
By DAVID CLOUSTON Salina Journal

A projected drop in revenue of more than a million dollars in the 2010 Saline County budget has County Administrator Rita Deister warning department heads to prepare for cuts in their 2011 budgets.

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