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Former officer gets 'hard 20' DODGE CITY -- A former police officer convicted of murder has been sentenced to a "hard 20" in the death of his former girlfriend
Former officer gets 'hard 20' DODGE CITY -- A former police officer convicted of murder has been sentenced to a "hard 20" in the death of his former girlfriend. Ford County District Judge Leigh Hood sentenced Chris Tahah to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 20 years for the felony first-degree murder of Erin Jones. Hood also sentenced Tahah to a consecutive eight-year sentence for criminal discharge of a firearm. Tahah decl...
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today. Aluminum -$1.319 per lb., London Metal Exch. Wed. Copper -$3.7860 Cathode full plate, U.S. destinations. Copper $3.7240 N.Y. Merc spot Wed. Lead - $1992.00 metric ton, London Metal Exch. Zinc - $0.9785 per lb., delivered. Gold - $883.00 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Gold - $900.50 troy oz., NY Merc spot Wed. Silver - $16.690 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Silver -...
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National Basketball Association Playoffs By The Associated Press CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-7) Monday's Game Detroit 94, Boston 75 Tuesday's Game L
National Basketball Association Playoffs By The Associated Press CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-7) Monday's Game Detroit 94, Boston 75 Tuesday's Game L.A. Lakers 93, San Antonio 91 Wednesday's Game Boston 106, Detroit 102, Boston leads series 3-2 Today's Game San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m., L.A. Lakers lead series 3-1 Friday's Game Boston at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Saturday's Game L.A. Lakers at San An...
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Officials fear sect might flee AUSTIN, Texas -- Child welfare authorities are warning that members of a polygamist sect could flee Texas jurisdiction now that a court has found the state's removal of their children was improper
Officials fear sect might flee AUSTIN, Texas -- Child welfare authorities are warning that members of a polygamist sect could flee Texas jurisdiction now that a court has found the state's removal of their children was improper. Texas Child Protective Services lawyers argued Tuesday that if the custody orders are rescinded, parents could take the children out of the state and "no Texas court would have any authority to enter any orders to pro...
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Europe slowdown hurts earnings
NEW YORK -- Big corporate profits fueled by strong international sales could disappear fast if Europe's economy begins to falter, stripping many multinational companies of a huge source of earnings growth. Europe? Not China or India? That's right. Europe. Europe accounts for almost half of U.S. companies' foreign sales, according to Citigroup. That's something you can't ignore when domestic sales are faltering under the weight of higher pric...
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DENVER (AP) -- Former Denver Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun pleaded guilty today to disturbing the peace in a confrontation with a taxi driver last December and was sentenced to perform 24 hours of community service
Punter pleads DENVER (AP) -- Former Denver Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun pleaded guilty today to disturbing the peace in a confrontation with a taxi driver last December and was sentenced to perform 24 hours of community service. County Court Judge Andre L. Rudolph ordered Sauerbrun to perform the community service through NFL Charities by Oct. 1. He also sentenced Sauerbrun to a year's unsupervised deferred judgment, meaning if he stays out ...
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Westar seeks price hike TOPEKA -- Westar Energy Inc
Westar seeks price hike TOPEKA -- Westar Energy Inc. is seeking a 15 percent rate hike that would add about $10 to a home's average monthly electric bill. The utility filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission Wednesday to raise nearly $178 million in new revenue. The request cites expenses related to new natural gas plants, wind energy and restoring power during the December ice storm. Repairs after the winter storm cost $69 million. Topek...
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Lifetime teaching ban part of new law
TOPEKA (AP) -- A conviction for certain crimes against children will carry a lifetime ban from teaching in Kansas under a new state law. A bill making the change slipped quietly through the Legislature. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed it last month, and it took effect May 1. "Anybody who had a preponderance to do things to children, we didn't want them to be around teaching," Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Jean Schodorf said Tuesday. Gen...
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Sharapova barely gets by firstround
PARIS (AP) -- When the ball was in play, Maria Sharapova at least was able to make something happen. The top-seeded Russian struggled with her serve in the wind at the French Open, hitting 17 double-faults and barely managing to defeat 103rd-ranked Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 3-6, 8-6 today in the first round. Rafael Nadal had an easier time in his opener, improving to 22-0 for his career at Roland Garros by defeating Thomaz Bellucci 7-5, 6-3, 6-...
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Bryant leads Lakers to Game 4 win
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Even though his Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from the NBA finals, Kobe Bryant knows of a reason to remain wary of the San Antonio Spurs. "They're the defending champs," Bryant said after the Lakers beat the Spurs 93-91 Tuesday night in Game 4 to take command of the Western Conference finals. Still, winning three straight is a tall order even for the Spurs, and they know it. "We had a hill to climb being 0-2. Now we'...
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Royals lose ninth straight
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Losing doesn't get any easier to accept for the Kansas City Royals. Michael Cuddyer singled home Joe Mauer in the 12th inning, giving the Minnesota Twins a 4-3 victory Tuesday night and sending the Royals to their ninth straight defeat. "It's all disheartening and disappointing," Royals first-year manager Trey Hillman said. "I'm not going to sit here and sugarcoat it. It's frustrating. People like playing us right ...
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices today. Aluminum -$1.319 per lb., London Metal Exch. today. Copper -$3.7985 Cathode full plate, U.S. destinations. Copper $3.7410 N.Y. Merc spot Tue. Lead - $1992.00 metric ton, London Metal Exch. Zinc - $1.0076 per lb., delivered. Gold - $902.50 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Gold - $907.70 troy oz., NY Merc spot Tue. Silver - $17.480 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). Silver...
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Plane makes emergency landing TULSA (AP) -- A Texas man says engine problems forced him to make an emergency landing on U
Plane makes emergency landing TULSA (AP) -- A Texas man says engine problems forced him to make an emergency landing on U.S. 75 near Tulsa. No injuries are reported and the only damage appears to be to a road sign. Allen Braden says he was flying his single-engine Cessna from Emporia, Kan., to his home in Houston when he developed engine trouble. Braden says he tried to make it to Tulsa International Airport but couldn't so he landed on the h...
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Nepal prepares to end monarchy KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal's lawmakers opened the first session of the newly elected assembly today and were discussing a resolution to end 239 years of royal rule in the Himalayan nation
Nepal prepares to end monarchy KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal's lawmakers opened the first session of the newly elected assembly today and were discussing a resolution to end 239 years of royal rule in the Himalayan nation. Across Katmandu, young men marched with red Maoist flags as residents celebrated what many here see as the culmination of a two-year peace process with communist rebels that began after weeks of unrest forced King Gyanendra t...
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The era of big Clintons is soon to be over
WASHINGTON -- There's been a Clinton running for the White House or living in it for approximately forever. Bill, it could be said, was born to run. Running became Hillary's destiny, too. One quarter of Americans have never known life without a Clinton trying for or having the presidency. Millions have gone from diapers to diplomas in the time of the Clintons. When Hillary Rodham Clinton finally exits the 2008 Democratic presidential rac...
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Tiller attended reception at governor's residence
TOPEKA (AP) -- Abortion provider Dr. George Tiller bought his way into a reception with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius last year at her official residence while he remained under investigation by the attorney general's office. Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said Wednesday that Tiller attended an April, 9, 2007, event at Cedar Crest, the governor's residence. She said the reception had been offered as a prize at an earlier fundraising auction fo...
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Topeka teen recovering from ATV accident
TOPEKA (AP) -- Fifteen-year-old Tyler Hughes used to get made fun of for taking so long to get ready to ride his ATV. The Shawnee Heights freshman wasn't allowed to get on his four-wheeler, or quad, without all his safety gear -- helmet, chest protector, gloves and so on. And his friends impatiently waited a few extra minutes for Hughes before each ride, occasionally poking fun of the gear. "They're not making fun of him anymore," said Jenny ...
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Wichitan among blacks resettling in Ghana
WICHITA (AP) -- Shukura Sentwali is going home -- to Ghana, West Africa. Sentwali, a Wichitan and longtime community activist, said she's moving to Africa next year because two Ghanaian chiefs are offering free land to descendants of slaves. The gesture means to atone for Ghana's participation in the African slave trade, but the land holds deeper meaning for Sentwali because it provides her a way to fulfill a lifelong mission to improve life ...
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Casino contracts move ahead TOPEKA -- Ten proposals for state-owned casinos have been forwarded to a review board that will pick three
Casino contracts move ahead TOPEKA -- Ten proposals for state-owned casinos have been forwarded to a review board that will pick three. Developers of an 11th proposal dropped out of the competition for a contract with the Kansas Lottery. The Kansas Lottery Commission endorsed proposed contracts for two projects in Ford County, three in Sumner County and five in Wyandotte County. Next, a seven-member review board will decide which applicant ge...
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Big Brown takes to track NEW YORK (AP) -- Big Brown was back on the track a day earlier than expected, and trainer Rick Dutrow Jr
Big Brown takes to track NEW YORK (AP) -- Big Brown was back on the track a day earlier than expected, and trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said the unbeaten colt looks as good as ever -- maybe even better. The Triple Crown hopeful took a 1 1/2-mile jog around Belmont Park on a rainy morning. It was the first time since Friday that Big Brown was out exercising following the discovery of a quarter crack on the inside of his left front hoof. "I was very...
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