18 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS IN BRIEF
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2003
STATE
Bicyclists head east across Kansas on an eight-day trek
EMPORIA—Hundreds of bike riders pushed off Saturday in western Kansas near the Colorado border for the 29th annual Biking Across Kansas, an eightday pedal-a-thon punctuated by overnight stops in the state's smaller communities.
They set out from one of three start points west of Tribune, Syracuse and Johnson City Kansas depending the routes they follow across south-central Kansas.
Riders end their ride In LaCygne at the Missouri line on June 14, after crossing 470 to 501 miles.
Out-of-state purchases subject to additional Kansas taxes
HUTCHINSON—Many Kansans are breaking the state's tax law, and they don't even know it.
A 1937 Kansas state law requires any Kansas resident who buys merchandise from another state to pay the difference between the two states' sales taxes.
Someone buying an item in Wyoming is required, under state law, to pay Kansas the difference between what he or she paid in sales tax to the other state and what Kansas would charge.
"It's pretty well on the honor system or personal purchases," said Steve Brunkan, a policy analyst for the Kansas Department of Revenue.
Individuals are rarely audited for sales tax compliance, he said.
Kansas businesses pay $35 million to $50 million each year in additional sales tax to state, Brunkan said.
After July 1, consumers will combine local sales tax rates with the state sales tax rate when calculating out-of-state sales taxes due to Kansas.
Brunkan said the Department of Revenue won't make any new push to make people pay the tax.
New professional baseball team debuts in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It was standing room only at the debut of the Kansas City T-Bones, the first professional baseball team to begin calling Kansas City home since the Royals put down roots in 1969.
Friday 7,014 people packed every seat at the Community America Ballpark and spread out blankets on the grassy knoll in the picnic area behind right field to watch the game. However, the T-Bones lost the game to the Sioux City Explorers 1-0.
T-Bones general manager Adam Ehlert,
son of owner John Ehlert, insists the team is not in competition with their bigger, richer neighbor.
"The Royals are major league baseball. We have a vastly different product at a vastly different price range." Ehlert said.
The most expensive seat in Kauffman Stadium costs $140. At CommunityAmerica Ballpark, the "Prime T-Bone" seats cost $13.50. The cheapest seats at Kauffman Stadium, box seats are $22, compared to the T-Bones are $9.50.
The players are mostly college and low minor league veterans, playing in an independent league without affiliation to a bigleague club.
Traces of dangerous algae found in Marion Reservoir
HILLSBORO—The discovery of a potentially dangerous algae has prompted officials to stop pumping from the Marion Reservoir and start hauling water from nearby districts.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered the fairly aggressive strain of the Anabeana algae in the reservoir Thursday, said Morgan Marler, senior water treatment technician for the city of Hillsboro.
Marler said the city began bringing water in on trucks from McPherson and from the Kansas Rural Water Association on Friday.
She said the district's 7,000 customers in Hillsboro and nearby Peabody have also been asked to conserve water.
She said the algae, which occurs naturally in the proper conditions, could be harmful to humans.
The water is coming into Hillsboro 24 hours a day, on three trucks at a time each loaded with about 6,200 gallons of water, Marler said. She said it was unclear how long the city would continue hauling water.
Hillsboro is located about 50 miles north of Wichita in east-central Kansas.
Kansas residents ticketed for out-of-state licensed cars
WICHITA — Driving a vehicle registered out of the state of Kansas while a resident here could earn you a ticket.
Sedgwick County Treasurer Jan Kennedy said the county's Tag Enforcement Unit, created in 1990 was formed to find people who illegally register their vehicles in another state.
Kansas has one of the highest registry taxes in the nation.
Last year, the county collected $441,283 from people replacing out-of-state tags with Kansas plates.
It costs the county $175,000 a year to run the unit, which relies heavily on public input to nab would-be tax dodgers.
If deputies conclude that someone probably has an illegal tag, that person will get a warning letter. Some have a reasonable excuse, such as being in the military or in college, which are exceptions to the law.
Deputy Elton Bowman said to avoid a ticket a vehicle in Kansas for more than three months must be registered in the state.
NATION
Mother arrested after partying with her daughter and minors
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — A school bus driver rented a motel room, stocked it with beer, then drank with her eighth- grade daughter and classmates has been charged with corrupting minors, authorities said.
Jacqueline Allerton, 40, was arrested Friday and was also charged with furnishing alcohol to minors. She was released
on $75,000 bail.
"Mrs. Allerton wanted a treat for these kids," said David Zellis, Bucks County's first assistant district attorney.
Allerton and six youths, including her 14-year-old daughter, allegedly drank three cases of beer and a case of Bacardi Silver malt beverage after a May 17 dance at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, a suburb of Philadelphia, authorities said.
Allerton is a bus driver for the Hatboro-Horsham School District, which operates Keith Valley Middle School.
Judge decreases sentence of sailor convicted of murder
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — A sailor was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for fatally beating his wife with an iron skillet and stabbing his mother-in-law to death last year.
Monday a military jury shortened the usual 30-year sentencing of Petty Officer 2nd Class David A. DeArmond
DeArmond, a native of Fresno, Calif., pleaded guilty last month to charges of unpremeditated murder and manslaughter in exchange for prosecutors dropping charges of premeditated murder.
DeArmond also pleaded guilty to a charge of abusing his wife's corpse.
He received credit for one year served in the Navy and was dishonorably discharged.
His Singapore-born wife, Zaleha DeArmond, 31, and her mother, Saniah Binte Abdul Ghani, 66, were found dead June 10, 2002, in the couple's home in a Navy housing complex near Pearl Harbor.
Lt. Commander James Lucci, the prosecuting attorney, called for the maximum penalty of life in prison without parole, citing the vicious nature of the crime and DeArmond's lack of remorse.
Man pleads guilty to five counts of kidnapping in sex-slave case
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A retired handyman pleaded guilty Tuesday to holding five women captive as sex slaves in an underground bunker over a 15-year period.
John Jamelske, 68, pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree kidnapping. Under a plea deal, Jamelske could serve 18 years to life.
Jamelske was indicted on the five kidnapping charges two weeks ago and is being held without bail.
Police arrested Jamelske April 7 on charges of holding a 16-year-old girl hostage for nearly seven months in a
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