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A federal judge in Kansas has dismissed a man's drug indictment, citing misconduct by a prosecutor who works in the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Regional headlines from the Associated Press

UPDATE: State of Kansas Pulls Inmates from Ottawa County JailTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas prison officials have removed all inmates housed at a county jail after four inmates escaped, including a convicted murderer who remains at large. Department of Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay said Thursday that the remaining 18 prison inmates who were being held in the Ottawa County Jail because of prison overcrowding have been returned to the state prison in Ellsworth. Barclay says the temporary decision was made after four inmates escaped Wednesday morning from the jail in Minneapolis, a small town about 120 miles west of Topeka. Two of those men, including a convicted killer, were still missing Thursday. Barclay says the move is temporary as the department investigates the escape and reassesses placing inmates in the jail. Kansas allows some county jails to house prison inmates under state contracts to help alleviate prison overcrowding.==============================Sheriff: Escaped Inmates Used Homemade KnivesMINNEAPOLIS, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas sheriff says four inmates who escaped from his jail were armed with homemade knives and overpowered guards after complaining about a broken water line in the holding cell area. Two of the four are still at large, including a convicted murderer. They'd been transferred to the Ottawa County jail in January to help alleviate prison overcrowding. Sheriff Keith Coleman tells The Salina Journal that the inmates overpowered the guards, opened the cell doors and got outside. He says the guards suffered only minor injuries. The inmates escaped around 5am. One was quickly apprehended and another was captured late yesterday (WED) afternoon in North Platte, Nebraska. Prison officials say the jail in Minneapolis had passed an inspection before it was allowed to house prison inmates.==============================KS Prison Agency Considers Ways to Help County JailsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A spokesman for the Kansas Department of Corrections says it is discussing supplemental training for staff at county jails that house state inmates. Department spokesman Jeremy Barclay says that the informal discussions were prompted by the escape of four inmates from the Ottawa County Jail in Minneapolis. Two inmates were apprehended yesterday (WED), but two others -- including a convicted murderer -- remain at large. The four inmates were sent to the Ottawa County Jail because of overcrowding at the state prison in Ellsworth. Five counties, including Ottawa County, have passed a state inspection and are certified to house state inmates. ==============================Kansas School Board Revokes Teacher's LicenseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Education has revoked the license of a teacher who was accused of failing to promptly report suspected child abuse. The case is being called unusual and possibly the first of its kind. The Wichita Eagle reports that 51-year-old Donna L. Ford surrendered her teaching license to the state board. Members voted 6-2 on Tuesday to accept the surrender and revoke Ford's license. She had been a teacher for 17 years, most recently working at Cleaveland Elementary School in Wichita. She said in a letter to the board that said she surrendered her license as a condition of her resignation with early-retirement benefits. The Wichita district declined to discuss specifics. But Kansas National Education Association general counsel David Schauner says the punishment was too severe.==============================KDHE Announces Medication Disposal ProgramTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials from two Kansas health agencies have collaborated on changes in the way residents can dispose of unused or expired medications, preventing the drugs from accidental ingestion or flushing down the toilet. Dr. Robert Moser, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said Thursday that changes in agency policy interpretation will allow for establishing medication collection centers. The program is in conjunction with the Board of Pharmacy, as well as KDHE's Bureau of Hazardous Waste. Moser said allowing pharmacies, law enforcement and household hazardous waste centers to collect and safely dispose of the medications will reduce the number of accidental poisonings of children. It also will prevent contamination of water supplies that can occur when the medications are flushed or poured into municipal sewer systems.==============================Spirit AeroSystems Workers Return to Work MondayWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Spirit AeroSystems workers in Wichita will return to work Monday after a tornado slammed the aircraft parts maker Saturday night. The Wichita Eagle reports that employees will be paid for their normal work schedule this week. Workers aren't required to be at work this week unless contacted by their manager and told otherwise. Spirit AeroSystems President and CEO Jeff Turner said in a statement that the company is committed to doing what needs to be done to have the factory up and running. Turner said the facility has made good progress with the recovery already. The tornado tore up roofs and blew out windows. Turner says the facility doesn't have to be "perfect or pretty." It just has to be "safe and operational" to allow work to resume.============================== Kansas Authorities Seek Identity of Man Hit by TrainLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Douglas County Sheriff's officers are asking the public for help identifying a man who apparently was hit by a train north of Lawrence. The Lawrence Journal World reported that the man's body was discovered Tuesday morning near Riverfront Park. Sheriff's spokesman, Sgt. Steve Lewis, said officers' initial investigation indicates the man was struck by a train. But authorities are working with Union Pacific Railroad officials to try to determine exactly when that happened. Anyone with information is urged to call the sheriff's office.==============================Kansas Man Sought in Toddler's Abuse DeathSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Salina are looking for a man charged in the abuse death earlier this month of an 18-month-old girl. The Saline County prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant charging 25-year-old Troy Love II with first-degree murder and child abuse. Authorities say Love was an acquaintance of the mother of Bre'elle Jefferson, who died April 10 at a hospital in Wichita. The toddler had been transferred there from a Salina hospital the previous day, after emergency crews went to her home on a report of a baby not breathing. Police have not disclosed the nature of the toddler's injuries, but say they were consistent with abuse.==============================Missouri Man Charged with Robbing Kansas BanksKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri man has been charged with holding up four northeastern Kansas banks at gunpoint and trying to rob one of them a second time. The U.S. Attorney's office says 54-year-old Charles E. Shaw, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas. The indictment charges Shaw with robbing Kaw Valley State Bank in Topeka in October 2010 and the Main Street Credit Union in Leavenworth the following month. He's also accused of holding up Citizens National Bank in Leavenworth in February 2011 and the Educational Credit Union in Topeka in December 2011 — and attempting to rob the credit union again six weeks later. Court records did not list an attorney for Shaw on Thursday.==============================KU Dean of Engineering School Named as LSU ProvostBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana State University has named Stuart R. Bell, dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas, as LSU's new executive vice chancellor and provost, effective August 1, pending approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors. If approved, Bell will replace John Maxwell Hamilton, who held the post on a two-year appointment that began July 1, 2010. Chancellor Michael Martin welcomed Bell on Thursday, saying his vision and experience "will continue the momentum of maintain the academic standards, quality education and research that Louisiana has come to expect from its flagship university." Bell was one of four finalists for the position. He has served in higher education for more than 25 years and has broad administrative experience encompassing departmental, school/college, university and system activities.==============================KS Regulators Grant Westar $50M Rate IncreaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas regulators have granted Westar Energy a $50 million rate increase that will add an average of $3.54 a month to residential customers' bills. Topeka-based Westar is the state's biggest electric utility. The increase was contained in a multi-party agreement approved Wednesday by the Kansas Corporation Commission. The agreement allows Westar shareholders to earn a 10 percent profit on their investments. Westar says the extra revenue will also help it maintain customer services, including tree pruning. Westar originally sought a rate increase of $91 million, while the Corporation Commission staff recommended a hike of $33 million.==============================KS Senate Panel to Finish Budget Plan Next WeekTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee has postponed a vote until next week on a proposed state budget exceeding $14 billion. The Ways and Means Committee reviewed dozens of budget issues yesterday (WED) and began fashioning a spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. But the panel didn't finish its work. The committee has yet to consider an increase in general state aid to public schools or providing funds to cities and counties so they can keep their property taxes in check. The committee now plans to complete its budget proposal and vote on it after the full Legislature returns April 25 from a long break. The House Appropriations Committee plans to draft its own version of the budget and has scheduled meetings for today (THUR) and tomorrow (FRI). ==============================Kobach Still Seeks Change in KS Citizenship RuleTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) remains optimistic that he can persuade Kansas legislators to put a proof-of-citizenship rule for first-time voters in place ahead of this year's presidential election. A critic of Kobach's efforts yesterday (WED) said tactics his allies are using to keep the issue alive are underhanded. But Kobach said they're trying to make sure both chambers vote. A law enacted last year will require people registering to vote for the first time in Kansas to give election officials proof that they're U.S. citizens. But the rule doesn't take effect until January, and Kobach wants to move its effective date up to June 15. His proposal passed the House, but a Senate committee hasn't voted on it. Kobach's allies are now trying to get around the Senate committee.==============================Missouri Man Gets 10 Years for Receiving Child PornSPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A registered sex offender from southwestern Missouri has been sentenced to 10 years in prison without parole for receiving child pornography. The U.S. Attorney's office says 35-year-old Austin Wayne Ploof, of Springfield, pleaded guilty in December and was sentenced yesterday (WED) by U.S. District Judge Gary Fenner. Ploof is a registered sex offender based on a 2004 felony conviction in Kansas for sexually exploiting a child. Prosecutors say Ploof's girlfriend found child porn on his computer in June 2011. The woman took the computer and flash drive from Ploof's home to the Greene County Sheriff's Department. Investigators found eight videos and eight images of child pornography on a flash drive hooked up to the computer.==============================Wichita Man Headed to Prison for Fatal CrashWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man who pleaded guilty in a head-on crash that killed a college student is going to prison for more than 18 years. KAKE-TV reports that 37-year-old Tommie Cameron received the maximum sentence yesterday (WED) in Sedgwick County District Court. Police said Cameron was driving under the influence on July 25, 2010, when he sideswiped one vehicle before crashing into a car driven by 21-year-old Kari Rinehart, a student at Wichita State University. The crash killed Rinehart and injured her two passengers, one of whom was her identical twin sister. Cameron pleaded guilty in February to involuntary manslaughter while under the influence and two counts of aggravated battery. Judge Anthony Powell imposed the maximum sentences on all three charges plus 34 months for attempted robbery in an unrelated case.==============================Former Team Owner Admits Tax Evasion, FraudKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The former owner of a minor league basketball team has pleaded guilty in Kansas to tax evasion and bank fraud. The U.S. Attorney's office says 52-year-old James Clark, of Overland Park, entered the pleas yesterday (WED) in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas. Clark owned the Kansas City Knights, who played in the early 2000s at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Clark admitted withholding more than $500,000 in payroll taxes from employees of his company, SWISH Holding Corp., but failing to pay the money to the Internal Revenue Service. He used the money for other purposes, including operation of the basketball team. Clark also admitted submitting false information to a bank when he applied and received a line of credit worth more than $1 million. Sentencing is set for July.==============================Man Pulled from Burning House Remembered as Good NeighborKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A possible homicide victim pulled from a burning Kansas City home is being recalled as a good neighbor and father. The Kansas City Star reports that 78-year-old George Graham was found sitting in a chair yesterday (WED) inside his burning home. Fire department spokesman Battalion Chief Lew Hendricks says firefighters were able to pull him from the house but he was pronounced dead at a hospital. Graham was the father of six children. One of his sons, Jeffrey Graham, says his father was active in his church and in his neighborhood watch program. The Rev. Rodney Williams is pastor of Swope Parkway United Christian Church, where Graham worshipped. Williams says Graham regularly took communion to the sick and shut-ins, drove the church van and served on the church's deacon board.==============================KS Launches New Online Parks Reservation SystemTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has launched a new system for reserving cabins and camp sites as state parks, fishing lakes and wildlife areas. The state Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says its online reservation service — http://www.ksoutdoors.com — makes it easier to find available cabins and camp sites. The agency temporarily stopped taking reservations online or by phone at the start of the month so that its new system could get up and running. A San Diego-based company, Active Network, is working with the Kansas agency to provide the system. Wildlife and Parks officials say only about half of all camp sites and cabins will be available for online reservations. The rest will be set aside for visitors to claim on the spot.==============================Kansas City Royals Looking Forward to 2012 All-Star Game KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals owner David Glass believes his young team will be in contention by the All-Star break, despite starting 3-9 and failing to win a home game yet this season. Glass said he has "no concern" that the Royals will turn things around. He spoke Thursday at a public appearance in Kansas City to promote the All-Star Game, which the Royals will host in July. Kansas City took its opening series against the Angels before losing two of three to Oakland, and opened a 10-game homestand by getting swept by Cleveland and Detroit. The Royals had Thursday off before starting a series against Toronto. Even if the Royals are out of contention, baseball fans in Kansas City can still look forward to the Midsummer Classic. It will be the first All-Star Game the city has hosted since 1973.==============================TX Man Learns Mother's '89 Death in KS Was HomicideLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former Lawrence man who long believed his mother died of natural causes has learned she was killed. Brian Torres made the discovery last week when he stumbled across a Lawrence Journal-World article detailing his mother's unsolved 1989 killing. He had been searching for information needed for a replacement birth ertificate at the time. The Journal-World reported that the Dallas construction worker called the discovery "a bit of a shock." Torres was 7 years old when his 37-year-old mother's strangled body was found stuffed into a culvert west of Lawrence. At a foster care home in Lawrence, relatives told Torres that his mother died of natural causes. He later was adopted by relatives in Pennsylvania. No one ever told him his mother was killed.==============================Truancy Measure Put on Hold Again in Kansas CityKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A city council committee in Kansas City has again delayed taking action on a measure aimed at cutting down on truancy in the city. The Kansas City school district and police sought the measure, which is a daytime curfew law intended to deter children ages 7 to 16 from loitering unsupervised during school hours. The Kansas City Star reports that Councilman Scott Taylor argued against the delay, which follows another delay last month. He says it reminds him of the way Congress drags its feet on deciding issues. Opposition has come from home-school parents who worry their children could be stopped for visiting libraries or museums unattended. Also generating concerns is a provision that would impose $100 fines on parents of chronically truant children.==============================TransCanada Submits New Route for Oil PipelineWASHINGTON (AP) — TransCanada says it has submitted a proposal for a new route through Nebraska for the disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline. The company said in a statement Wednesday that it has submitted a planned route for the pipeline to Nebraska officials. The state has become a focus of concern for the 1,700-mile pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. President Barack Obama blocked the pipeline earlier this year, citing uncertainty over a planned route intended to avoid Nebraska's environmentally sensitive Sandhills region. Details of the new route were not immediately available. A spokeswoman for the State Department said officials had not received notification of a new route. State Department approval is need because the $7 billion pipeline crosses a U.S. border.==============================2 KS Jail Inmates Back in Custody, 2 Remain at LargeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A convicted murderer and another inmate remain at large after escaping from a Kansas jail where they'd been transferred because of overcrowding at a state prison. Two others were apprehended yesterday (WED). One turned himself in at a Walmart in Nebraska. All four escaped early yesterday (WED) from the Ottawa County Jail in Minneapolis, about 120 miles west of Topeka. The two inmates still at large are Santos Carrera-Morales and Eric James, both 22. Carrera-Morales was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with two killings in 2007. One inmate was apprehended quickly after the escape. Authorities said the other inmate, 21-year-old Drew Wade, traveled by minivan to North Platte, Nebraska, about 240 miles northwest of the Kansas jail. They say he walked into the local Walmart and asked a manager to contact police.**this story has been updated. Please see above.

A Democratic state representative wants the policy to become state law so that it can’t be revoked by a future governor.

The majority of senators rejected several gun-safety proposals including one to require background checks and a three-day waiting period for gun purchases.

A 34-year-old postal worker at the Marysville Post Office has been indicted for stealing mail, including political mailings.

Brownback Stumps for Romney in Ohio TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has been both a rival of Mitt Romney and a boss of Romney's running mate. Now, Brownback has served as a surrogate for the GOP presidential nominee in a crucial swing state. The Youngstown, Ohio, Vindicator reported that Brownback spent Tuesday on a five-city tour of northeastern Ohio stumping for the Republican ticket of Ryan and Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan. Brownback, elected governor in 2010, is a former U.S. senator. Ryan served on Brownback's U.S. Senate staff in the 1990s. Brownback unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2007, opposing both Romney and the eventual nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain. In the 2012 race, Brownback initially endorsed the presidential bid of Texas Governor Rick Perry. =================== Pompeo: No Rape Exception in Anti-Abortion View WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Abortion could become a key issue as the candidates for the Kansas 4th Congressional District near Election Day. Republican Representative Mike Pompeo of the Kansas 4th District says he believes abortions should be allowed only when necessary to save the life of the mother, and would not support any other exception even in cases of rape. His Democratic challenger, retired court services officer Robert Tillman, backs abortion rights. The heart of the 4th District is Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, and for years ground zero in the nation's abortion debate. It was the home of the late Dr. George Tiller, who was shot to death in May 2009 by an anti-abortion zealot. The last Democrat to hold the seat was Dan Glickman, who was elected in 1976 but lost to Republican Todd Tiahrt in 1994. =================== Ethics Complaint Against Kansas Lawmaker Dismissed TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint against a conservative Democratic House member. The commission concluded Wednesday that Rep. Jan Pauls of Hutchinson didn't intend to violate the law when she failed to list a rental property she owns on annual financial disclosure forms. Pauls filed a new form with the secretary of state's office in July after questions were raised. She said she and her husband lost money on the duplex they rented out. The complaint against Pauls was filed by the chairman of a Kansas Democratic Party caucus that advocates for gays and lesbians. Gay rights supporters have targeted Pauls because of her strong backing of legislation that critics say would nullify local anti-discrimination ordinances helping gays and lesbians. =================== Leawood Lawyer Named to 10th Judicial District TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Leawood lawyer has been appointed to the 10th Judicial District of Kansas. Governor Sam Brownback's office said Wednesday in a release that Brownback has named Leawood attorney Michael Joyce to the state's 10th Judicial District, which covers Johnson County. Joyce takes the seat of retiring Judge Lawrence Sheppard. Joyce was one of three candidates submitted to Brownback by the district's nominating commission. =================== Topeka Council Votes to Keep Elephants at Zoo TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The two elephants living at the Topeka Zoo aren't going anywhere. The Topeka City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to support the zoo's decision to keep the elephants, 52-year-old Sunda and 42-year-old Tembo. The zoo and council had been pressured for weeks by critics who said the elephants weren't getting proper care and should be transferred to a sanctuary in Tennessee. The council's vote required the zoo to improve its elephant program. Zoo director Brendan Wiley says changes are planned, and zoo patrons will see improvements as early as February. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Wiley says the focus of the program will change from viewing the elephants as an exhibit to considering their living space as a 24-hour habitat. =============== Overland Park Considering Restriction of Open Carry Ordinance OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Overland Park city officials are considering adding some restrictions to a new ordinance that allows residents to openly carry weapons. The city council voted last month to allow gun owners to carry firearms in public places if they are kept in holsters with the safety engaged. Guns are not allowed in city-owned buildings. Since then, councilman Jim Hix says council members have been inundated with complaints from Overland Park residents. The Kansas City Star reports the council will consider next month requiring those openly carrying weapons to have the same permits currently required to carry concealed weapons. Earl McIntosh, with the Libertarian Party, says he believes a legal challenge would be filed if Overland Park tries to change its open carry law. ================= Former Thayer City Clerk Sentenced for Theft WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former southeastern Kansas city clerk whose thefts have left the community near bankruptcy will spend a year and a day in federal prison for her crimes. Fifty-year-old Laura Whittley sobbed Wednesday as U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten rejected a passionate defense request for probation. He also ordered her to repay $120,000 in restitution. Whittley pleaded guilty in May to bank fraud and money laundering. She apologized in court and said she will do her best to repay the stolen money. Thayer is a Neosho County community of 500 people with just 183 households and a median family income of about $35,000. Mayor Anthony Vining says the city was forced to raise its mill levy and its water rates and soon its local sales tax because of the thefts. ================= Abilene Students Protest Federal Food Law ABILENE, Kan. (AP) — Students at a northeast Kansas high school are waging a protest against a new federal law regulating what they eat for lunch. Some Abilene High School students are boycotting the cafeteria to protest the law, which requires them to eat more fruits and vegetables. The students also say they aren't getting enough to eat. The Salina Journal reports students are being encouraged to bring their own lunch to school or to use the school snack bar this week. Nancy Curtis, food service supervisor at the school, said the cafeteria served about 175 students Monday, down from an average of about 380. She says the cafeteria isn't losing money because workers are able to freeze most of the leftover food and there's more revenue from the snack bar. ================= Mistrial Declared After Kansas Jury Sees Wrong DVD OSKALOOSA, Kan. (AP) — A judge in northeastern Kansas has declared a mistrial in an attempted murder case because jurors saw improper evidence. Jefferson County District Judge Gary Nafziger ordered the mistrial Wednesday in the attempted murder trial of 62-year-old John Hayworth Jr. of Valley Falls. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Hayworth is charged in the December shooting of 58-year-old William Schoonover, also of Valley Falls. The trial, which opened Monday, was declared a mistrial after jurors watched a DVD containing footage that should have been redacted. Jefferson County Attorney Jason Belveal says a redacted copy had been made, but the jury was inadvertently shown the incorrect version. The judge set a January 24 court date to reschedule the trial. ================= Trial Reset for Man Charged with Hurting Kids LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) — A new trial date has been set for a western Kansas man who's charged with trying to kill his three children. Thirty-one year-old Irineo Garcia of Liberal has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted first-degree murder. He's scheduled to stand trial February 11 in Seward County District Court. The Hutchinson News reports that a psychological evaluation delayed Garcia's trial, which initially was scheduled for last February. He's accused of trying to kill his three children, then ages 5, 6 and 7, in 2010. Prosecutors say he also tried to kill himself. The children and Garcia were found injured at their home after his estranged wife notified police. Officers found him bleeding outside the home and the children inside. They have all recovered from their injuries. ================= Jury Selection Begins in Hutchinson Murder Trial HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Jury selection has begun in the trial of a 33-year-old man charged with killing a Hutchinson woman. Billy Joe Craig and Charles Christopher Logsdon are charged with first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting death of Jennifer Heckel. Investigators have said they believe the men planned to rob someone else and went to the wrong house and killed Heckel. Her 5-year-old son was home at the time, and he alerted neighbors, who called police. The Hutchinson News reports that Logsdon's trial began Tuesday with jury selection, which was expected to last two days. Logsdon's lawyer, Jim Pratt of Wichita, told prospective jurors his client was innocent and only learned about the case through others. Prosecutors say the case could last at least a month. Craig will be tried separately. ================= Overland Park Woman Killed in Hit-and-Run OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A 35-year-old woman died when she was struck by a car as she walked on a street in Overland Park. Police identified the victim as Tiana J. Beall. She was struck by the car about 11 pm Tuesday. No other details about the accident were immediately released. The vehicle involved in the death was located Wednesday. Overland Park police said no arrests have been made and the investigation continues. ================= Goodland Man Dies After Being Hit by Car GOODLAND, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says a northwest Kansas man died after being hit by a car. The patrol says 46-year-old Jeffrey Badgett of Goodland died late Tuesday when he walked into a road in Goodland and was hit by a Jeep Cherokee. Badgett died at the scene. The driver of the Cherokee was not hurt. An investigation into the accident is continuing. ================= Meeting Set for NW Kansas Water Withdrawal Limits HOXIE, Kan. (AP) — A public hearing takes place next month on a proposal to limit water withdrawals in part of northwestern Kansas. The Hays Daily News reports the Division of Water Resources is moving ahead with a local enhanced management plan. The plan seeks to limit irrigation in a 99-square-mile area of Sheridan and Thomas counties that's considered a high-priority water use area because of declining water levels in the Ogallala aquifer. The plan calls for a five-year program limiting irrigation to 11 acre-inches of water per year. Water use for livestock would be limited to 12 gallons of water per animal each day. That's about a 20 percent reduction from current use. Organizers are expected to offer more details about the proposal at the hearing November 28 in Hoxie. =============== Corps of Engineers to Waive Some Park Fees on Veterans Day OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will waive day-use fees for veterans, active and reserve component service members and their families at more than 2,400 Corps-operated recreation areas nationwide on Veterans Day, November 11. The waiver will include areas managed by the Corps' Tulsa District. The Tulsa District operates 38 projects in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. The day-use fee waiver requires only verbal confirmation of service. It covers fees for boat launch ramps and swimming beaches but does not apply to camping and related services or fees for specialized facilities like group picnic shelters. The Corps does not charge an entrance fee to its parks. Other agencies that manage recreation areas on Corps land are encouraged to offer the Veterans Day waiver of fees in those areas as well. =============== Proposed Nebraska Pipeline will Increase Republican & Platte River Flows LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Four natural resource districts are joining forces for a project to increase water flows to the Republican and Platte Rivers, both crucial to Nebraska farmers and subject to water-usage agreements with Kansas and other states. District officials have agreed to buy a farm south of North Platte and retire approximately 15,800 acres from production. Doing so will allow them to save water that would otherwise be used for irrigation, and ship it down to the rivers when it's needed to make sure Nebraska stays in compliance with interstate water agreements. The districts are expected to split the $83 million cost to buy the property and make upgrades to help ship the water. Officials estimate that they'll need 17 miles of pipeline to transport water to both rivers. =============== Health Care Firm Moving 300 Workers to KS OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A managed health care company is moving 300 workers from offices in Kansas City, Mo., a few miles across the state line to Overland Park, Kansas. KSHB-TV reports Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc. plans to make the move next April. Coventry's Kansas City offices are located in the southern part of the city, about a block from the Kansas border. Coventry Health Care of Kansas provides health benefit products and services to individuals in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. It's a subsidiary of Maryland-based Coventry Health Care Inc., and also has offices in Wichita. =================== Hutchinson Police Investigate Widespread Vandalism HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Police say they are investigating a widespread outbreak of vandalism overnight in Hutchinson. So far, 17 cases have been reported but police expect there will be more. Police say someone shot out windows with a BB gun at businesses, homes and some vehicles. The Hutchinson News reports that police suspect the vandals traveled around town, shooting BB guns. No suspects have been identified. Police Lieutenant Thad Pickard said such damage usually occurs in one section of town but last night's vandalism was spread throughout the town. =================== Postal Service Rejects Pleas from Gove, Healy GOVE, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service says it will stick with plans to cut hours of service in Gove and Healy. Residents of the western Kansas towns had urged the postal service not to reduce the hours, saying the postal service is vital to the two small towns. The postal service's regional office in Omaha, Nebraska announced Monday that hours at the two post offices would be reduced. The date for the change was pushed back to January 12 to allow for Christmas season mailing. The Hays Daily News reports postal officials declined to say how much money would be saved by reducing service at the two post offices. The reduction in hours is part of a larger proposal to reduce hours at more than 360 post offices in Kansas. =================== KSU to Develop Solar-Powered Charging Stations MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University has received a $200,000 grant to help develop solar-powered charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles. The money comes from a foundation for Overland Park-based engineering and construction firm Black & Veatch. The university says in a news release that solar panels will power charging stations for plug-in vehicles. Project leader and chemical engineering professor Larry Erickson says solar-powered charging stations and plug-in vehicles have the potential to significantly change greenhouse gas emissions. He also said it's less expensive to operate vehicles with electrical energy and that advantage is expected to grow. He and others overseeing the project are exploring a time line, design and site for the project. The station would be used for research, development, education and charging vehicles. =================== Dole Institute Honoring McGovern Legacy LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas is presenting a special exhibit honoring the late Democratic Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. McGovern, who was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1972, died Sunday at the age of 90. Dole, the former Republican senator from Kansas, worked with McGovern to create an international food for education and child nutrition program, for which they shared the 2008 World Food Prize. He issued a statement Sunday praising McGovern as a "humble, compassionate and caring man." The Dole Institute exhibit traces McGovern's life growing up during the Great Depression, his service as a pilot during World War II and his political career. It's free to the public and will be on display through November 15. =================== Kansas Man Sentenced to Life in Jessica's Law Case OSWEGO, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of a child sex crime that occurred in 2010. Twenty-four-year-old Nicholas Coree Joplin of Parsons was sentenced Tuesday by Labette County District Judge Robert J. Fleming. The Wichita Eagle reports that the case was prosecuted by the Kansas Attorney General's office under Jessica's Law. The statute mandates a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years for adults convicted of certain sex crimes against children younger than 14. A jury convicted Joplin in April on a single count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. =================== Three More Charged in Topeka Woman's Death TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three more people are now charged in connection with last week's killing of a Topeka woman. Ashley Alcala, a 34-year-old mother of two, died after being found severely injured in her home last Thursday. Her husband, Manuel Campos Alcala, is being held on $1 million bond on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports two 19-year-old men and a 58-year-old woman from Texas have now been charged with felony first-degree murder and conspiracy in the death. They're being held in El Paso County, Texas, on other charges. The charge of felony first-degree murder applies to murders committed during some other, dangerous felony. Authorities have not disclosed the alleged underlying felony against the three new suspects. =================== KU's Self Open to Some Financial Allowance for Student Athletes LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas basketball coach Bill Self says he's no longer completely opposed to providing student athletes with some financial allowance beyond the usual parameters of a scholarship. Self told The Kansas City Star that while he used to be totally against compensating student-athletes beyond room, board, books, tuition and fees, his opinion has changed. He says he began noticing a disconnect during the NCAA Tournaments when revenue for television and the NCAA piled up, but players' parents had to spend a lot of money following their kids to different tournament sites. The NCAA passed legislation last year to provide scholarship athletes an additional $2,000 each year, but that legislation later was put on hold when schools expressed concern about the cost. =================== Royals Promote Maloof from Minors to Major League as Hitting Coach KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have promoted minor league hitting coordinator Jack Maloof to major league hitting coach and Andre David to assistant hitting coach. The two of them replace Kevin Seitzer, whose contract was not renewed. Maloof was the hitting coach for the Florida Marlins from 1999-2001. He has also worked with San Diego and Atlanta before joining the Royals in 2008 as minor league hitting coordinator. He played a big part in the growth of young prospects such as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. David will be in his 15th season with the organization. He was the Royals' hitting coach for parts of the 2005 and '06 seasons, and has spent the past three years working with prospects.

In 2014, Kansas lawmakers repealed so-called teacher tenure. The state's main teachers' union, the KNEA, complained. The state's highest court ruled unanimously against the KNEA, saying lawmakers did nothing wrong.

A Moscow court said Leake was detained on suspicion of organizing a drug trafficking business. If convicted, he could face as much as 20 years in prison under Russia's strict drug laws.

The news of his tour plans comes just weeks after five women filed another sexual assault lawsuit against the 85-year-old comedian.