Topeka ? Kansas again will find itself at the center of international attention on the subject of evolution when the State Board of Education today votes on new science standards.

Major news outlets have been calling the Department of Education to get information on today’s meeting, Valerie Jennings, department spokeswoman, said.

“I’m expecting there is going to be a lot of bodies,” she said.

The scene will probably be similar to 1999, when a small army of reporters hovered over the Education Board when it voted to de-emphasize evolution. The decision was reversed in 2001 when a more moderate board was elected.

But with conservatives in command again, the media have returned to the culture wars played out before the board.

In May, when conservatives put on four days of hearings for intelligent design advocates to thrash evolution, reporters from around the world came to Topeka.

The Journal-World will file updates throughout the day online at www.ljworld.com in addition to coverage in Wednesday’s paper. Public comment to the board is scheduled for the morning, and a vote on the standards is scheduled for around 3 p.m.