Topeka: Glitch prevents sales at 360 lottery outlets

About 360 lottery vendors were unable to sell Powerball or Kansas lottery tickets Saturday because of an apparent problem with phone lines.

The glitch affected numerous stores in Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth counties, public information officer Jane Elliott said. Some vendors near Topeka also had problems.

“We regret that our players aren’t able to buy tickets,” Elliott said.

Affected vendors were unable to sell tickets for the drawings, though scratch-off tickets were available. Elliott said she was unsure what caused the problem.

Overland Park: Former Reagan aide to speak at Sprint event

William Bennett, former U.S. secretary of education, will deliver the keynote address at Sprint’s Empowered Classroom Initiative Tuesday in the auditorium of Sprint’s World Headquarters Campus in Overland Park.

Bennett was President Reagan’s chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1981 to 1985, and secretary of education from 1985 to 1988. Time magazine named him “one of the 25 most influential people in America.”

The daylong initiative also will feature presentations on school safety, technology and funding. Sprint will provide a Webcast of portions of the event to the public. For more information, or to register for the Webcast, visit www.sprintbmo.com and click on the Showcase Schools box.

Topeka: Grant to assist Kansas with fighting terrorism

A $4.1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant will help the state of Kansas prepare for a terrorist attack.

The funds will allow the state to purchase specialized equipment for emergency response agencies and to pay for weapons of mass destruction training exercises.