Governor candidate at strip club raid
On Saturday, Paul Davis, the Democrat candidate for governor, dismissed the relevance of him being at the strip club Secrets when it was searched for drugs 16 years ago.
The Coffeyville Journal first reported that police found Davis on a couch in a private room with a woman wearing a G-string in August of 1998. Davis was 26 years old and single at the time, and was not charged, arrested or detained.
“I was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Davis said about the incident, during a campaign meeting stop in Overland Park, Kansas. “Nobody has ever accused me of any wrongdoing.”
The incident took place five years before he entered the Kansas Legislature.
Senators oppose aiding rebels
Two Kansas senators were on the losing side of a 78-22 vote last Thursday. Republicans Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts both voted against a bill that provided continued funding for the government beyond the end of the budget year that ends on Sept. 30.
Three out of the four Kansas House delegates voted for the bill, which may factor in to the upcoming election. The bill also had some measures that helped Syrian rebels. The Topeka Capital Journal reports in terms of Syrian opposition forces, Rep. Lynn Jenkins said the move was necessary but may fall short of eradicating the Islamic State.
In a statement by Rep. Mike Pompeo, he said U.S. military power must be devoted to a compelling strategy to “annihilate” the Islamic state.
Both Jenkins and Pompeo voted in favor of the bill.
Oil company operation shut down
The Kansas Corporation Commission ordered a Kansas oil drilling company to temporarily shut down operations and to pay a $75,000 fine in response to a long list of alleged violations. The KCC issued there decision against Viva International at a Thursday meeting, according to a Topeka Capital Journal article.
Previous cases with the KCC show Viva has a history of both quality and paperwork problems, including violations related to one well that failed a test to determine whether it could operate without putting water at risk from pollution.
Most of the Viva’s wells were listed in Greenwood, Woodson and Linn counties, though not all 570 were included. KCC spokesman Jesse Borjon said to the Topeka Capital Journal if the company doesn’t cease operations in response to this order, staff will place a seal on the wells. If Viva breaks the seal or doesn’t comply the maximum penalty is $250,000.
At $80 per barrel, the average price of crude oil in Kansas, illegal production would account for about $1.1 million in revenue, according to KCC documents.
The KCC had suspended the company’s license in August after it ignored an order to fill out required forms listing the location of all unplugged wells owned by the company and pay a $100 fine for not filing them on time. Viva kept pumping which led to Thursday’s order, which requires the company to cease operations at all Kansas wells until it pays the fine and comes into compliance with all KCC orders.
