Kansas House Hopeful Wins Ballot Spot as Independent
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The Kansas Secretary of State's office says a state House candidate may now run as an Independent after a lost filing form kept him off the ballot as a Democrat. The office confirmed Friday that Larry Meeker, of Lake Quivira, gathered enough signatures from registered voters in the 17th House District to be listed on the November general election ballot. Meeker was the only Democrat seeking to enter the race in the Kansas City area district. Democrats contend the Secretary of State's office lost Meeker's original filing form after it was delivered to Topeka on the deadline. The office says there's no proof it ever arrived. The seat is currently held by Republican Brett Hildabrand, of Shawnee. He faces Jason Leib, of Lenexa, in Tuesday's GOP primary.
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Kansas Has 12 Lakes With Harmful Algae Blooms
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- About a dozen Kansas lakes currently have harmful blue-green algae blooms. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says warnings are in place about algae blooms at Harvey County East Lake, Harvey County West Park Lake, Logan City Lake, Great Bend's Memorial/Veterans Lake, Johnson County's South Lake Park and McPherson County State Fishing Lake. The state lifted warnings and advisories for Milford Reservoir, Lake Scott State Park and Marion Reservoir. The warnings mean the lakes contain high levels of the algae and contact with the water is prohibited. Advisories mean direct contact with the water is discouraged. Lakes currently under advisory status are Atchison County Park Lake, Brown County State Fishing Lake, Centralia Lake, Chisolm Creek Park Lake North, Deanna Rose Farmstead pond and Riggs Park Lake.
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Missouri Man Charged of Killing Survey Work in 2004
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) -- A western Missouri man has been charged with killing a 54-year-old woman who disappeared in 2004 while doing door-to-door surveys. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced the first-degree murder charge against Jeffrey Sauerbry on Friday afternoon, just hours after Sauerbry was convicted of murder in another case. A jury found the 40-year-old Independence man guilty in the 1998 shooting and stabbing death of William Kellett. The two had worked at a used car dealership and had clashed several times. The new charge accuses Sauerbry of killing Summer Shipp, who was last seen conducting surveys in Sauerbry's neighborhood in December 2004. Shipp's remains were discovered three years later along a river in Independence. Court documents show Sauerbry had been questioned just days after Shipp was reported missing.