Shawnee County News

Inspections by the Kansas Department of Agriculture report about three-percent of restaurants in Shawnee County have had a roach problem in the last year.

The Helen Hocker Center for the Performing Arts will begin its 2012 season in patriotic fashion with "1776," the musical about signing of the Declaration of Independence.

RESTAURANTS IN SHAWNEE COUNTY THAT HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE INSPECTION WITH THE PRESENCE OF ROACHES WITHIN THE PAST 13 MONTHS, ACCORDING TO KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RECORDS.* *Because the data span 13 months, many of these inspections found only dead roaches, which were removed on site, or problems that since have been corrected.

Topeka is seeing fewer potholes this winter than in the past two, but street maintenance and traffic operations director Ron Raines doubts the city will save much money as a result.

The ruckus over Gov. Sam Brownback's recent dinner parties for Republican lawmakers, which has made for good reading lately, is a case study in what happens when people in power inflame those who buy ink by the barrel and have Internet bandwidth to spare.

The Shawnee County Planning Commission will hold the first of three public hearings on its proposal to make major zoning changes in southern Shawnee County at 6 p.m. Monday in the cafeteria at Washburn Rural Middle School, 5620 S.W. 61st.

Topeka, Kan. - The best spellers in Shawnee County competed in the 59th annual Shawnee County Spelling Bee on Saturday.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that District Court Chief Judge Nancy Parrish on Friday denied a defense motion to suppress the cellphone records.

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor has withdrawn a request that some legislators preserve records related to a series of dinners at the governor's mansion last month.

More than 40 thousand Shawnee County valuation notices going out on March 1 will show a decrease in property values.

A Prescribed Burn School is slated from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at Grove Township Hall, north of Silver Lake at 6939 N.W. Tibbs Road, according to a news release.

Project Topeka has established a lofty goal for its 27th annual drive to stock the shelves of local food banks.

Two former Kansas Bureau of Investigation employees in Topeka have been charged in connection with computer crimes, authorities said Friday.

TOPEKA, Kan. -- It's a powerful statement that jurors in a Topeka double murder case will never hear.

A House redistricting bill passed 109-14 Thursday, but the bipartisan support the bill had in much of the state was largely absent in Shawnee County.

Preliminary hearings were scheduled Thursday for two of three men charged with breaking into a southeast Topeka residence to threaten a couple in November.

They won $2500, choosing not to trade their winnings for what turned out to be the bigger deal - a trip to Naples, Florida.

The venerable Kansas Expocentre once again is displaying its value to Topeka, Shawnee County and Kansas as a venue for a broad range of events and shows.

Commissioners also approved the purchase of an empty tract of land at 828 North Kansas Avenue for nearly $20,000. The land will serve as a connection between North Kansas Avenue and Veteran's Park to provide better access to the NOTO Arts District.

There is nothing unusual about meeting "informally" with the governor. It is only when those meetings contain political discourse among a voting majority that it violates the Kansas Open Meetings Act, and this, sadly, is what Gov.