Kansas Woman Faces Sentencing for Giving Boyfriend Guns Used in Deadly Hesston Shooting
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A woman who gave her ex-boyfriend the guns he used in February's mass shooting at a Kansas lawn equipment factory will return to federal court for sentencing. The defense attorney for Sarah Hopkins has filed a sealed sentencing memorandum that includes her psychological evaluation in advance of Monday's hearing. Hopkins has pleaded guilty to not alerting authorities that a convicted felon unlawfully possessed firearms.
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Governor Brownback Will Wait to Address Budget Fix
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Lawmakers have expressed concern over Governor Sam Brownback's plan to wait until January to fix the state's $349 million budget deficit. The three governors who preceded Brownback used their executive authority to make cuts before the Legislature convened when the state faced financial difficulties and Brownback had, too. The Wichita Eagle reports that a Brownback spokeswoman says the governor "intends to submit a budget proposal in January that makes significant cuts unnecessary."
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Topeka House Fire Claims Life
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - One person was reported killed in a Topeka house fire. Fire Marshal Michael Martin told The Topeka Capital-Journal the fire started Saturday. The victim's name and age weren't immediately released. No other injuries were reported. The Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office was helping the Topeka Fire Department investigate.
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Chemical Plant Explosion in Southeast Kansas Under Investigation
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The investigation continues into the cause of an explosion at a Kansas chemical plant. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that officials say they're still investigating the cause of the explosion and fire at the Airosol Company chemical plant in Neodesha, which manufactures and packages aerosol, liquid and other specialty chemicals. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says officials have identified a number of chemicals that were released from the blast.