Kansas Farmers Plant Less Winter Wheat
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas growers have planted fewer acres for their 2013 winter wheat crop amid widespread drought conditions and lack of soil moisture. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported yesterday that Kansas farmers planted 9.3 million acres of wheat last fall for harvest in 2013. That is down 2 percent from the 9.5 million acres planted in the state the previous year.
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Kansas Ranks 3rd in Gun Prosecutions
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. attorney's office in Kansas has filed so many firearms cases that the Midwestern farm state ranked third last year among the 93 judicial districts nationwide in the numbers of gun prosecutions. Justice Department statistics show only Puerto Rico and the Western District of Texas had more federal gun prosecutions than Kansas in 2012. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom told the Wichita Pachyderm Club yesterday that fighting gun violence and protecting the safety of law enforcement officers are among Justice Department priorities.
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Brownbacks Nominates Two Judges to Appeals Court
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has named two Kansas trial judges to the state Court of Appeals. Brownback announced yesterday the appointments of Sedgwick County District Judge Tony Powell and Stevens County District Judge Kim Schroeder to the state's second-highest court.
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Gorilla Statue Mystery Solved
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The mystery surrounding a 300-pound concrete gorilla that showed up in a northeastern Kansas park has been partly solved. Overland Park police said yesterday the owners have been identified as residents of nearby Olathe (oh-LAY'-thuh), who reported it stolen from their front yard around December 15th.