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Kansas Governor Signs Court Change BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed a bill altering the way judges are appointed to the state Court of Appeals. The bill gives Brownback authority to make the appointments, subject to confirmation by the state Senate. The Republican governor signed the bill Wednesday. He says he would also like to see changes in how members of the state Supreme Court are selected. The measure does away with a special commission that nominated three candidates for the Court of Appeals. The governor made the appointment, with no role for the Legislature. Brownback wants Kansas to do away with the nominating commission that selects Supreme Court justices, which would require changing the Kansas Constitution. A measure to do that is stalled in the Legislature.============== Kansas House Approves Drug Testing BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has approved a bill that would require unemployment and welfare recipients to undergo drug testing. Under a bill passed Tuesday on a 106-16 vote, anyone who fails a drug test would have to get drug treatment and job skills training, paid for by the state and federal government. Those who fail a second time would lose assistance for a year. The bill also would prevent anyone who is convicted of a drug felony after July from getting welfare for five years. A second conviction would mean a lifelong ban. House and Senate members also would be tested if there is a reasonable suspicion about their behavior. T he Wichita Eagle reports that the Senate has approved the bill but will consider some minor changes in the House version.============== Kansas Lawmakers Open Negotiations on Tax ProposalsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate's top negotiator on taxes says cancelling a scheduled decrease in the sales tax is vital to allowing future reductions in income tax rates. Wichita Republican Les Donovan defended the Senate's proposal to keep the sales tax at its current 6.3 percent rate as his chamber opened talks Wednesday with the House. The tax is set to decline to 5.7 percent in July by law. Republican Governor Sam Brownback and many GOP legislators want to follow up on personal income tax cuts with more cuts in income tax rates. But the state also must stabilize its budget. Brownback and the Senate want to cancel the sales tax decrease while reducing income taxes further. The House plan would drop the sales tax and cut income taxes less aggressively.============== Kansas Senate Approves Expansion of Concealed CarryTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate has approved a bill expanding the number of public buildings where concealed weapons are allowed and letting public school and college employees carry concealed firearms. The 35-5 vote Wednesday sends the measure to the House. The bill backed by gun-rights advocates comes as federal officials consider new gun-control measures following a deadly mass shooting at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school in December. The House already has approved its own version of the same measure, allowing local school boards and state colleges to designate employees to carry concealed weapons. Also, state and local governments couldn't prohibit holders of state concealed-carry permits from bringing their weapons into public buildings unless those places had security measures. Officials would have until 2018 to get those security measures in place.============== House Approves Bill to Require Stem Cell ResearchTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has approved a bill that would require the University of Kansas Medical Center to start a center to promote research and use of adult stem cells, cord blood and related stem cell therapies. The bill would prohibit the center from using embryonic stem cells or cells taken from aborted fetal tissue. It also would require the medical center to appoint a director of the center to oversee patient treatment and research. However, the bill does not include any state funding for the proposed center. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center would require $1.1 million to renovate a lab and hire staff and $750,000 annually after that. The bill now goes to the Senate.============== Manhattan Airport Tower Open Through SeptemberMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Manhattan Mayor Loren Pepperd says the city's air traffic control tower will stay open at least through September. The city commission decided Tuesday to postpone a decision on how to find funds to keep the tower open after September. The control tower at Manhattan Regional Airport is one of five scheduled to be closed in Kansas because of federal budget cuts. The others are in Hutchinson, Topeka and two airports in Olathe. Pepperd says the city has not determined how the contract covering the air traffic controllers would be funded, but the tower would operate through the end of the fiscal year, which is the end of September. The Manhattan Mercury reports that commissioners will discuss possible future funding of the tower at their meeting next week.==============Study: Kansas Could See Rise in Health Claims CostsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new national study says Kansas could see an increase of nearly 19 percent by 2017 in medical claims costs for individual insurance policies under the federal health care overhaul. That's better than the nationwide figure of nearly 32 percent forecast by the Society of Actuaries study. Kansas legislators from both parties said Wednesday they're not surprised some costs could rise under the 2010 federal health care law championed by President Barack Obama. Medical claims costs are a major driver of health insurance premiums. The study assumes all states expand Medicaid coverage under the federal health care law. Kansas hasn't made a decision on that issue, but many Republican legislators oppose an expansion. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Obama administration questioned the design of the study, saying it ignores tax credits to help people pay premiums and special payments to insurers who attract more of the sick. Sebelius said that it's difficult to compare catastrophic plans being sold today to the comprehensive coverage that individuals will get under the law starting next year.==============Westar Issues Caution on Impostor in Derby AreaDERBY, Kan. (AP) — The state's biggest electric utility is cautioning residents in south-central Kansas town about a man posing as one of its workers. Topeka-based Westar Energy said Tuesday it received a report of a man knocking on doors in the Derby area and asking to enter homes. The company says the man claimed to be a Westar employee performing home electricity audits. The utility says the man doesn't work for Westar or any of its partner companies. Westar workers carry company identification, and many wear clothing with its logo.==============Sentencing Delayed for Man Accused of Binding KidsLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed for an Illinois man who was arrested after two of his children were found bound and blindfolded in a Wal-Mart parking lot in eastern Kansas. Adolfo Gomez and his wife, Deborah Gomez, of Northlake, Illinois, were arrested June 13 in Lawrence after police found two of their children, ages 5 and 7, bound by their hands and feet in the store parking lot. Deborah Gomez was sentenced earlier to one year of probation after pleading no contest to child endangerment. Adolfo Gomez awaits sentencing after pleading no contest to felony child abuse and child endangerment. 6NewsLawrence reports Adolfo Gomez was scheduled to be sentenced this week, but the sentencing was canceled because Gomez requested a new lawyer. A status conference is scheduled for April 11.==============Kansas Gun-Rights Bill Still AliveTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Gun-rights supporters in Kansas are expecting to make a final push for a bill declaring that the federal government cannot regulate some firearms and ammunition manufactured in the state. Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce said Wednesday he expects his chamber to vote on the measure next week. The House has already approved it, and a Senate committee endorsed it this week. The measure is reaction to discussions of gun-control measures by federal officials following the mass elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in December. The bill says the federal government has no authority to regulate firearms, ammunition and accessories that are manufactured, sold and kept in Kansas. Supporters say it will block an overreach by the federal government. Critics see it as creating unnecessary conflict and possible litigation.==============Kansas Senate Revises Governor's Reading InitiativeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas senators have approved a heavily amended version of Governor Sam Brownback's reading initiative, putting the focus on first-graders. The measure passed 30-10 on Wednesday, sending it back to the House to consider the changes. Brownback and the House had proposed holding back third-graders who lack proficiency in reading. The Senate's version would require school districts to retain first-graders who don't meet proficiency standards. The Senate also added language to require multiple tests of student skills and to bring parents in on any decision to hold a student back. Brownback says the proposal would help improve overall student reading and academic performance.==============Kansas Man Gets 36 Years in Girlfriend's 2006 DeathLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 41-year-old Lawrence man was sentenced to more than 36 years in prison for death of his girlfriend, who died of an infection after she was beaten with the leg of a table. Christopher Belone was sentenced Tuesday in the 2006 death of Linda Begay of Lawrence. It was the second time he had been sentenced in the case. Belone was first convicted in 2006 but the Kansas Supreme Court ordered a new trial, ruling a jury should not have been allowed to hear a taped interview Begay gave investigators before she died. T he Lawrence Journal-World reports that Belone says his alcohol and drug use caused Begay's death. Belone has already served more than six years in prison.==============NW Kansas Man Convicted of Second-Degree MurderOBERLIN, Kan. (AP) — A northwest Kansas man has been convicted of fatally shooting another man and wounding a woman as the couple slept. Twenty-five-year-old Dylan Coryell, of Oberlin, will be sentenced in June following his conviction Wednesday on charges of intentional second-degree murder and aggravated battery. It was the first murder trial in Decatur County in more than a decade. Coryell was charged with shooting 22-year-old Corey Cook, also of Oberlin, and a female acquaintance as they slept the morning of October 16, 2011. The Salina Journal reported last week that witnesses testified Coryell had recently begun a relationship with the woman, who survived the shooting. Prosecutors said both men had been drinking and exchanging hostile text messages in the hours before the killing.==============Man Sentenced to Nearly 9 Years in Topeka SlayingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 22-year-old Topeka man was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison for his role in the shooting death of a woman and the wounding of her partner. Ronald Wakes was sentenced Tuesday in the July 2011 death of 40-year-old Natalie Gibson and the wounding of 43-year-old Lori Allison. He was one of nine people charged in the shooting, which occurred during a botched robbery at the women's home. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Wakes pleaded no contest in February to involuntary manslaughter, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery and attempted aggravated intimidation of a witness. Chris Biggs, assistant district attorney, said he agreed to the plea agreement because Wakes did not go to the women's home with criminal intent. Before sentencing, Wakes apologized for his role in the shootings.============== Third of 4 Escapees from Kansas Jail SentencedMINNEAPOLIS, Kan. (AP) — The third of four inmates who escaped in April 2012 from a north-central Kansas jail was sentenced to 11 more years in prison. The Kansas Attorney General's Office says 24-year-old Alberto Barraza-Lujan was sentenced Tuesday for aggravated escape from custody. He'll serve the sentence after finishing a sentence of 11 years and four months for previous convictions. Barraza-Lujan and three others escaped from the Ottawa County jail in Minneapolis. They were being housed at the county jail to relieve overcrowding at the state prison. Barraza-Lujan was serving time for attempted aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer in 2011. He was recaptured in Ottawa County shortly after the escape. Two other defendants have been sentenced and the third is awaiting sentencing.==============2 Charged in KC Home Invasion That Killed StudentKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two Kansas City men have been charged in a home invasion that left a University of Missouri-Kansas City music student dead and three others wounded. The Jackson County prosecutor announced Wednesday that 21-year-old Anthony J. Williams and 20-year-old Alonzo D. Ruff face one count each of second-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Aaron Markarian, of Warrensburg. They also are charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and robbery. The men were arrested Tuesday and prosecutors are requesting $500,000 cash bonds. Prosecutor's office spokesman Mike Mansur says he doesn't know if the suspects have attorneys. Police say intruders robbed eight people and shot four last Thursday at a home south of the Country Club Plaza. The occupants of the house were mostly students from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.==============Kansas Military School Received 339 Abuse ComplaintsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — About 340 current and former students have complained to a Kansas military school, saying they were beaten, hazed, harassed or abused over the past five years. Twenty-one said they were branded. The numbers surfaced last week in the latest documents filed in a federal lawsuit brought by 11 former cadets and their families against St. John's Military School. The document makes public for the first time the extent of abuse that the plaintiffs claim is part of the culture at the Salina boarding school. The school says the number reflects its concern for student safety because it investigates and records every complaint, no matter how minor. School president Andy England also said in an email to The Associated Press that some students see branding as "a badge of honor."==============Alabama Airport Still Using Cabinet Like One That Killed KS BoyBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Birmingham's airport is still using a large panel of video monitors similar to one that tipped over and killed a 10-year-old Kansas boy last week. The approximately 9-foot-tall cabinet was flashing flight information on three screens near baggage claim Wednesday, five days after a similar display killed Luke Bresette one floor higher in the airport. A small warning sign tells visitors not to touch the cabinet. A portable metal fence on wheels is in place to keep people away. Airport spokeswoman Toni Herrera-Bast says a similar cabinet was removed from another area, but she didn't have any immediate information about the one still in use. The 300- to 400-pound steel cabinet fell Friday, killing the child as his family returned home to Overland Park from Florida. His mother and two brothers were hurt.============== Teen Released in Columbia Shooting Arrested in KCCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Columbia teen who was recently acquitted by a jury in a connection with a 2012 shooting at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant now faces two new felony charges related to an armed robbery of a Kansas City cellphone store. The Columbia Daily Tribune (bit.ly/13upNEV ) reports that 17-year-old James T. Miller was arrested Saturday, eight days after a Boone County jury found him not guilty of firing a .45-caliber handgun at the restaurant full of children. Miller spent nearly 13 months in the Boone County Jail awaiting trial in the Columbia case. He remained in the Jackson County (Missouri) Detention Center late Tuesday on a cash-only bond of $150,000.============== William Allen White Home to Reopen for Spring and SummerEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — The Red Rocks State Historic Site, home of famed Kansas journalist William Allen White and his family, will reopen April 4 for the spring and summer travel season. White was editor of The Emporia Gazette and in his day hosted high profile political and literary people at his home in Emporia. Theodore Roosevelt was among the five U.S. presidents to visit Red Rocks. The Historical Society said Tuesday that visiting hours will be from 11 am to 5 pm Thursday through Saturday during the season, which ends October 26. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 students. Kansas Historical Foundation members and children five and younger are admitted free.============== Small Kansas School Saved by Agriculture CharterWALTON, Kan. (AP) — An east-central Kansas elementary school that nearly closed six years ago is bursting with students and has a long waiting list, and it's attracting visitors from as far away as New Zealand. The recovery started in 2007, when the Newton School District changed the K-4 school in Walton to a charter with an agricultural theme. Agriculture is used to teach all classes, and each class pairs with a local farm family. By 2005, only about 75 students attended Walton Elementary. Now, the 167 students attend the Walton Rural Life Center learn by doing all the chores associated with a farm. The waiting list goes to 2018. The Kansas City Star reports that since the charter opened, state assessment rates hover around 97 percent for reading and 100 percent for math.============== Small College Might Open in KC-St. Joseph DioceseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A nonprofit group from Texas is considering opening a small college in the headquarters building of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese. Diocese officials say The Walsingham Society of Christian Culture and Western Civilization wants to establish a Christ College in Kansas City. Diocese chancellor Jude Huntz says the group is considering leasing space in the diocese's 10-story headquarters. Brinton Smith, president of the Walsingham Society, told The Kansas City Star in an email that Christ College would offer a Catholic, seminar-based, Great Books course of study. He says the college would teach Catholic doctrine but otherwise be an independent institution. Smith says the plan is to start small and expand as needed. But he offered few other details, saying the proposal was a work in progress.============== Wisconsin Man Indicted in Koch Industries CyberattackWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Call this a classic Internet-era problem: A Wisconsin man has been charged with joining a cyberattack on Wichita-based Koch Industries organized by the computer hacker group Anonymous. The U.S. attorney's office said Tuesday that 37-year-old Eric J. Rosol, of Black Creek, Wis., was indicted on one count each of damaging a computer and conspiracy to damage a computer. The indictment alleges that Anonymous asked conspirators in February 2011 to launch a so-called Low Orbit Ion Cannon that sent a high volume of repeated requests to a Koch website. Numerous conspirators complied, and the company's website crashed. Rosol also is accused of sending a code that damaged the company's computer. A phone message left for Rosol at his home was not immediately returned. Prosecutors do not know whether he has retained an attorney.============== Wichita Police Seek Suspect in 3 HoldupsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita are looking for a gunman suspected of robbing four people, including one who died of an apparent illness several hours later. KFDI-FM reports the 73-year-old man told police he was driving out of a parking lot in southwest Wichita about 8:30 pm Monday when the robber opened a passenger door and pointed a gun. The victim handed over some money and the robber left in another vehicle. The 73-year-old died several hours later of what was described as a sudden illness, but police don't believe the death and the robbery were related. The same gunman is suspected of robbing one person around 10:30 pm Monday and two victims at 3:30 am Tuesday, also in southern and western Wichita.

Kansas House Minority Leader Forms Committee for Governor's RaceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas House Minority Leader Paul Davis has formed a campaign committee for a potential run for the Democratic nomination for governor next year. Davis announced Thursday that he's created the committee and appointed former state Representative William Kassebaum of Burdick as his treasurer. Kassebaum is the son of former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker and served in the House as a moderate Republican. Davis is a Lawrence attorney and is the first prominent Democrat to publicly show an interest in challenging Republican Governor Sam Brownback. But Davis spokeswoman Haley Pollock emphasized that he's not yet formally announcing his candidacy. Davis has served in the House since 2003. He's been repeatedly mentioned by prominent Democrats as a potential challenger to Brownback.==================Agreement Would Narrow Suit over Kansas Abortion LawTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys for Kansas and Planned Parenthood have agreed about how parts of a new state abortion law will be enforced and are seeking to narrow the abortion provider's federal lawsuit over the statute. The lawyers filed their agreement Friday in U.S. District Court. If Chief Judge Kathryn Vratil accepts it, Planned Parenthood's lawsuit will be limited to a single requirement in the law dealing with abortion providers' websites. Planned Parenthood had objected to requirements that providers post information containing statements about abortion and fetal development that the organization views as misleading. But under the agreement, the state is declaring that providers are compliant as long as they give patients access to materials from the Kansas health department, without repeating the statements in their own materials.==================I-70 in Kansas City Reopened After Accident CleanupKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Horses, cowboys and rescue personnel worked together to clear the wreckage of a cattle truck that closed westbound lanes of Interstate 70 near downtown Kansas City. The accident occurred about 3:45 am Friday and the westbound lanes of the interstate weren't reopened until about 10:30 am. Police say the driver told them the accident occurred when his load of about 80 cattle shifted, causing the truck to overturn. Six of the cows were killed or had to be put down because of their injuries. Cowboys on horses were called in to lasso one cow that escaped. The remaining cattle were trapped in the wreckage. The truck driver was not injured and a passenger suffered minor injuries.=================More Rain Expected, Floods Possible in Central USST. LOUIS (AP) — Water-weary residents of several central U.S states are girding for more rain and possible flooding after a week of intermittent downpours dumped as much as 15 inches in some locations. The National Weather Service predicts heavy rainfall and says there's a flood risk through early Saturday across southeast Kansas and southern Missouri. More rain is expected into next week. In Oklahoma City, a 60-year-old man drowned early Friday while trying to rescue a relative who was stranded by floodwaters. Police say the man was swept into a drainage canal. The relative, who was stranded in a car, escaped without injury. Authorities in southwest Missouri say a woman who died Thursday morning while attempting to drive across a flooded creek near the town of Jane was 69-year-old Helen Pendergraft of Noel.==================Flooded Basements, Sewage Plague Some Kansas HomesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Emergency responders say most of the flood damage to Kansas homes has been water in basements and sewage backups. Megan Hammersmith, director of the Central Kansas Chapter of the American Red Cross, said Thursday that Reno County has some of the worst damage, mostly stemming from Sunday's downpour. There has been no new flooding to homes reported from Thursday's latest round of rainfall. The agency says four homes in Reno County were totally destroyed by flooding and 11 homes have major damage. Another 180 homes have minor damage and 56 other homes were affected. Mostly minor damage was reported to 30 homes in Harvey County and 60 homes in the city of Ellinwood. About 122 homes were flooded last week in Lindsborg.==================Man Arrested After Resisting Rescue in Kansas RiverWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 35-year-old man is in custody after Wichita police say he resisted efforts to rescue him from the Arkansas River. KWCH-TV reports that a witness alerted police to a man giving what looked like a distress signal around 8:30 am Friday as he floated down the river on an inflatable object. Firefighters in boats threw ropes to the man but said he refused to grab the ropes and continued floating. More than 20 rescue workers were involved before the man finally surrendered and was brought to shore. Police said the man had several warrants out for his arrest. He also faces possible charges for failing to obey an officer and being in the river.==================Hutchinson Assisted Living Site Damaged by FloodingHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The residents of a Hutchinson assisted living complex will be out of their home for least two weeks while workers repair damage from flooding. Water seeped into the Elm Grove Estates after heavy rains hit the area Sunday, forcing 104 residents to move other living situations. Shawn Lahr, an official with Emeritus, which operates Elm Grove, says about half of the residents are living with family. The others are at the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center or Golden Plains Rehabilitation Center. Elm Grove staff is continuing to care for the residents. The Hutchinson News reports that about 100 workers are involved in efforts to dry out the complex. Lahr says they will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week until repairs are completed.==================Kansas Confirms West Nile Virus CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State health officials say an Atchison County adult is the state's first reported case of West Nile in Kansas this year. The officials did not release further information about the patient. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Thursday the first sample of mosquitoes infected with the virus were found this year in Sedgwick County. Last year, Kansas had 57 reported cases of West Nile virus, the most cases since the virus first was found in the state in 2002.==================4 More Heat-Related Deaths Confirmed in Kansas City/Jackson County AreaKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Health Department says it has confirmed that four deaths this summer in Jackson County, Missouri were heat-related. That brings the total number of heat-related deaths to five in the county. The new cases include men in their late fifties, late sixties and early seventies and a woman in her mid-eighties. Two more suspected heat-related cases are still under investigation.==================Judge Named to Kansas Sentencing CommissionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A trial judge from east-central Kansas has been appointed to the state Sentencing Commission by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. Judge W. Lee Fowler has served since 1997 in the 5th Judicial District, handling cases in Lyon and Chase counties. He's one of two judges appointed to the sentencing commission by the chief justice and will replace Judge Richard Smith, of Linn County. The Kansas Sentencing Commission has 17 members drawn from all three branches of government. The commission evaluates the effects of sentencing practices on corrections resources and prison populations and recommends changes in laws to the Legislature. Fowler's appointment was announced Thursday. Nuss noted that Fowler has been both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer and established a drug court in Emporia in 2004.==================Kansas Man Given Death Penalty for Missouri KillingsLIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A southeast Kansas man convicted of killing three relatives in west-central Missouri has been sentenced to death. Clay County (Missouri) Circuit Judge Larry Harman imposed the sentence Friday on 47-year-old Robert Blurton, of Garnett, Kansas. Blurton was convicted in June of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his aunt and uncle, Donnie and Sharon Luetjen, and the couple's 15-year-old granddaughter, Taron Luetjen. The killings took place in June 2009 at the couple's home in Cole Camp. Investigators said Blurton killed the three after a robbery. The case was moved from Benton County to the Kansas City area because of extensive publicity. The jury that convicted Blurton had recommended the death penalty. The judge on Friday accepted the recommendation and rejected Blurton's motion for a new trial or a new penalty phase.==================Kansas Board of Regents Planning 3-Day RetreatTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Members of the Kansas Board of Regents plan to discuss budget issues and their policy of banning concealed guns on higher education campuses during a retreat next week. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the three-day gathering is to begin Tuesday at a bed and breakfast in Valley Falls, northeast of Topeka. Regents President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Tompkins said the regents will help their staff develop budget proposals to be considered at the board's meeting in September. The regents expect to meet Wednesday with Governor Sam Brownback's chief of staff and budget director. They're also planning to discuss a new state law aimed at ensuring that people with valid permits can carry concealed guns into public buildings. Public universities and colleges can exempt themselves through 2017.==================Kansas Board Cracking Down on Teacher CrimeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas State Board of Education will consider disciplinary action next week against six teachers who have been convicted of criminal activity, an usually large number for one meeting. Cheryl Whelan, attorney for the State Department of Education, says the board is pursuing school districts that are not reporting criminal activity by teachers and administrators. Four of the six teachers were convicted of sexual improprieties with minors; one stole an instrument from the school and the sixth was convicted of fraud. The board also will consider denying the application for a new license from a man convicted of marijuana possession. Whelan told The Lawrence Journal-World that school districts and local prosecutors have been reminded they must report criminal cases to state teaching licensing officials.==================Hays Resident Claims $1M Powerball PrizeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A northwest Kansas resident has come forward to claim a $1 million cash prize in Wednesday's Powerball drawing. The Kansas Lottery said Friday the person lives in Hays but has chosen to remain anonymous, as allowed by state law. The winning ticket matched the first five numbers but not the Powerball in Wednesday's drawing, which had a $425 million jackpot. Lottery officials say the million-dollar Kansas ticket was sold at Cerv's 2, a convenience store in Hays.==================Kansas City Police Shoot, Kill Man at MotelKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say officers shot and killed a man after a confrontation in northern Kansas City. Officers went to a motel Thursday across Interstate 435 from Worlds of Fun after being told a man wanted on outstanding warrants was there. Police say when they found the man, he resisted and threatened them with what believed to be a gun. The officers fired and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured. The man's name was not released.================== Copper Ripped from Historic Kansas TheaterPITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Someone worked hard to steal copper fixtures from a historic southeast Kansas theater, and a theater official worked just as hard to track the items down. The Joplin Globe reports Colonial Fox Theatre executive director Vonnie Corsini noticed copper gutters, ornamental boxes and brackets missing from the Pittsburg building's exterior Tuesday. Corsini says a thief would have needed at least a 20- or 30-foot extension ladder to reach the fixtures. Calls to area salvage yards led Corsini to a scrap metal business in Columbus, where the owner reported paying $280 for the stolen fixtures. The Colonial Fox is being renovated, and Corsini had bought the items for $2,300 a few years ago when another historic building in Pittsburg was demolished.================== Baldwin City School District Having Trouble Selling PropertyBALDWIN CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Baldwin City school district has a deal for you. The district has been trying to sell a three-story office building and a gymnasium near downtown Baldwin City for more than two years. It's asking $415,000 but will accept a reasonable offer. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the district hasn't had any offers for the property, which includes a parking lot and adjacent lot. District superintendent Paul Dorathy says the problem is that the buildings were built in the 1920s and '30s and would need a lot of renovation. The district has sold two closed schools in recent months. Baldwin City has the extra property because a $22.9 million bond issue passed in 2008 allowed it to build an elementary school, baseball fields and a performing arts center.================== Kansas Conference Focuses on Women's Role on FarmsMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas farm women are gathering near Manhattan for the second annual "Dirt, Denim and Diamonds" conference. The two-day event begins Friday at the Living Water Ranch 16 miles north of Manhattan. It is hosted by the Flint Hills Chapter of Kansas Agri-Women. The conference focuses on the role of rural women on the farm, with sessions on leadership, current events and agricultural issues as well as skill-building opportunities. Topics on Friday's agenda included food labeling, livestock photography and farm communication. Saturday's plans include more sessions on areas ranging from livestock to agribusiness.==================Tyson to Stop Buying Cattle Fed with Bulking SupplementWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Foods Incorporated says it will no longer buy cattle fed a supplement that's designed to bulk them up before slaughter, citing experts who suggest the drug may be causing animals to become lame. The decision has raised concerns that less beef will be available, which would drive up consumer prices. Tyson told cattle feeders this week it's concerned about the incidences of cattle at its processing plants that had difficulty walking or moving. Some experts have suggested the use of Merck Animal Health feed supplement Zilmax, or zipaterol, is a possible cause. The company says it will suspend purchases of Zilmax-fed cattle, effective September 6. Merck contends it is confident that Zilmax isn't causing Tyson's problems. Tyson says this is not a food safety issue, but about animal well-being.==================US Rig Count Down 4 This Week to 1,778HOUSTON (AP) — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Incorporated says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. decreased by four this week to 1,778. The Houston-based company said in its weekly report Friday that 1,385 rigs were exploring for oil and 386 for gas. Seven were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,931 active rigs. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Colorado gained three rigs and Kansas and North Dakota each gained one. California lost four rigs, New Mexico and Texas each lost two and Alaska and Wyoming each lost one. Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia were unchanged. The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.==================Southwest Jet from KCI Diverted to Alabama After Fire AlarmBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say a Southwest Airlines jet was diverted to Birmingham due to a mid-flight fire alarm. Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz tells The Birmingham News that Southwest Flight 585 was en route from Kansas City to Tampa, Fla., Friday morning when the firm alarm sounded in the plane's rear lavatory. The flight was diverted to Birmingham and landed around 9:30 am Friday. No injuries were reported among the 65 passengers and five crew members. Al.com reports that there was no fire or smoke on the plane. Mainz said the passengers were being placed on another flight to Tampa after a delay of about an hour and a half.==================Authorities Search for Missing 15-Year-Old Missouri GirlGILMAN CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kidnapping charges have been filed against a 23-year-old man accused of leaving a northwest Missouri home with a 15-year-old girl. The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an endangered person advisory for Bailey Ann Summers, who was last seen Thursday leaving a Gilman City home with 23-year-old Elijah McPike. Gilman City is about 100 miles northeast of Kansas City. Harrison County Sheriff Josh Eckerson said Friday a recent protection order prohibits McPike from contacting Summers. The Harrison County prosecutor's office says McPike was charged Friday with kidnapping and violating a protection order. Eckerson says Kansas authorities have also become involved in the search because McPike's cellphone signal was located late Thursday in Edwardsville, Kansas. McPike may be driving a silver 2001 Dodge Ram extended cab truck with Missouri license plates 5DB857.==================Small Suburban KC Town Seeks Historic DesignationWESTWOOD HILLS, Kan. (AP) — A small suburban Kansas City town is asking to be placed on state and federal registers of historic places. Westwood Hills is one of the first suburbs developed in Kansas by urban planning pioneer J.C. Nichols. The city covers only 5½ blocks and has 359 residents. The Kansas City Star reports that a state review board will consider the city's request Saturday. If it's approved, the request will go to the National Park Service for federal approval. An endorsement by the state increases chances the town will get on the national register. The listing would provide protection for the town's 1920s and '30s architecture, winding streets and tall trees. And it could make some preservation grants available.================== Wichita Man Struck, Killed by Freight TrainWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police have identified a pedestrian struck and killed by a freight train, but they're not certain why the man appeared not to notice the danger before it was too late. KFDI-FM reports 26-year-old Robert Wells of Wichita was dead at the scene of the accident late Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses told investigators Wells was crossing the tracks and turned to see the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train just before he was struck. The train's crew had sounded a horn but could not stop the train in time. Police Lieutenant Joe Schroeder says the victim did not have any disabilities, and the death doesn't appear to have been a suicide. He also says Wells was not wearing headphones.================== Skelton Named to WWI Centennial CommissionKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former Missouri congressman Ike Skelton has been named to the national panel planning next year's activities marking the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. The western Missouri Democrat was appointed Thursday by President Barack Obama to the 12-member World War I Centennial Commission. The commission is headquartered in Kansas City at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. Skelton represented Missouri's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 1977 to 2011. He chaired its Armed Services Committee during his final two terms. Skelton is currently a partner in the law firm of Husch Blackwell LLP. The White House noted that his father, Ike Skelton Sr., served in the U.S. Navy during World War I as a fireman aboard the USS Missouri.

Changes to Kansas Motor Vehicle System DelayedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state agency has put fixing problems with its motor vehicle system on hold, as a software vendor implements new changes in the Kansas law. The laws that go into effect January 1 will change truck and permit fees and allow county treasurers to sell permits to access state parks. The software used by the state is provided by Minnesota-based 3M Company. Department of Revenue spokeswoman Jeannine Koranda told the Topeka Capital-Journal that changes are made every year to adjust for new laws passed by legislators. The state's motor vehicle system has been plagued with problems as it changed to a new 3M system, which resulted in long lines and delays as residents tried to register their vehicles. The company has been working with the state to resolve the issues.==================US Drought Worsens After Weeks of Improvement ST. LOUIS (AP) — A new report shows that the nation's worst drought in decades is getting worse again, ending an encouraging five-week run of improving conditions. The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that 60.1 percent of the continental U.S. was in some form of drought as of Tuesday. That's up from 58.8 percent the previous week. The portion of the lower 48 states in extreme or exceptional drought — the two worst classifications — also rose, to 19.04 percent from last week's 18.3 percent. The stubbornly dry conditions intensified in Kansas, the top U.S. producer of winter wheat. The latest update shows that while 77.5 percent of that state remains in extreme or exceptional drought, the amount of land in the most-dire classification rose nearly 4 percentage points to 34.5 percent.==================Topeka-Area Dairy Farm Files for Chapter 12 BankruptcyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas dairy farm says it has filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy because continued drought and heat reduced the amount of quality feed and increased stress for the operation's 55 cows. Iwig Family Dairy issued a news release Wednesday saying its output was further compromised by higher fuel and energy costs. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the dairy operates out of Tecumseh, just east of Topeka, and has been run by the Iwig family since 1910. It started dairy production, bottling and retail services in 2005. The dairy will have 90 days to create a reorganization plan to provide for payment to its creditors. The company says it will continue its operations and pay its employees, with its retail locations in Topeka, Tecumseh and Lawrence to remain open.==================Cherry Tomatoes Recalled in Kansas and MissouriNORWALK, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa fruit and vegetable distributor is recalling several lots of cherry tomatoes after the grower notified the distributor that Salmonella was found in random sample testing by the Food and Drug Administration. Capital City Fruit of Norwalk, Iowa says the recalled cherry tomatoes from Rio Queen Citrus are packaged in one-pint containers as Capital Brand Clamshell Cherry Tomatoes. They were shipped to retail stores from November 14 to November 18 and sold in stores in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. No illnesses have been reported. Capital City Fruit on Wednesday says it asked retailers to remove the product from their store shelves. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.==================Judge Set to Rule on Suit in Topeka River DeathTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Shawnee County judge says he plans to issue a decision next week in a lawsuit involving the death of two Topeka men who drowned when their canoe capsized in the Kansas River in 2007. The Topeka Capital-Journal reportsthat District Judge Larry Hendrix said Tuesday he plans issue a memorandum decision in the lawsuit by Jim Bryant against the city of Topeka and state of Kansas. Bryant is the father of 25-year-old Joshua Bryant, who along with 30-year-old Richard Heyroth drowned on August 5, 2007, after their canoe capsized after going over a spillway in Topeka. Two other men on the float trip also fell into the water, but survived. Bryant claims authorities failed to adequately warn boaters of the approaching danger posed by a low-water weir.==================Hay Thefts Increase Amid High Prices, Drought in KansasEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — Frustrated farmers in a south-central Kansas county are coping with a rash of hay bale thefts. KAKE-TV reports that Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet has ordered his deputies to patrol rural roads, aiming to halt what's become an almost daily crime. Herzet blames the thefts on the severe drought, which has tightened supplies of hay and driven up prices. Butler County farmer Orville Carver says that someone cut the lock to his gate and stole nearly $500 worth of hay. Carver says the economy has something to do with the crime, but it doesn't justify stealing from others. Authorities and some farmers have set up deer cameras, hoping to catch the thieves. Herzet is also encouraging farmers and ranchers to move hay from their fields closer to their homes.==================SE Kansas Mayor Resigns Following Turmoil with City CouncilBAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) — A southeast Kansas mayor who has been embroiled in disputes with city council members over personnel moves has abruptly called it quits. The Joplin Globe reports Baxter Springs Mayor Jenifer Bingham resigned on Tuesday. She was replaced by Mike Kaufmann, who was told Tuesday afternoon by the city attorney that he had to go to City Hall and sign payroll checks. Kaufmann says he wasn't expecting to be promoted, but he looks forward to returning stability to city government. Bingham ruffled feathers in April when she named replacements for the city clerk and police chief, both of whom were longtime employees of the city. The City Council rejected the appointments and Bingham put the clerk on paid suspension. The council later took action to restore her to her position.==================Judge Upholds Woman's Conviction in Highway DeathsLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Douglas County judge has upheld the conviction and sentence of a Washington-state woman who killed two highway workers while driving south of Lawrence in 2007. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that District Judge Paula Martin ruled earlier this month that Ramona Morgan's court-appointed attorney committed some errors, but nothing bad enough to affect the jury's decision. Morgan had argued she received ineffective counsel and that her 26-year sentence was excessive. Witnesses testified at Morgan's 2008 trial that she drove around a pilot car twice in a U.S. 59 work zone on September 11, 2007, and the second time struck and killed two workers. Law enforcement officers had to puncture her pickup truck's tires after a chase to get her to stop. Her earliest possible parole date is 2030.==================Kansas Supreme Court Disbars Former Navy AttorneyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has disbarred a former Navy lawyer who was convicted during a court martial in 2007 for mailing secret information about Guantanamo Bay detainees. The justices issued a ruling Wednesday rejecting efforts by Matthew Diaz, who was licensed to practice law in Kansas in 1995, to have his license reinstated so he could practice law in New York. The Office of Judicial Administration had recommended that the justices suspend his law license for three years starting in 2008, which would have made him eligible to get it reinstated immediately. Messages left for Diaz and his attorney weren't immediately returned. Diaz is living in New York. He earned his law degree in 1994 from Washburn University in Topeka and was admitted to practice law in Kansas.==================Cigarette in Potting Soil Blamed for KC House FireKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Investigators in Kansas City have traced a fire that left a home in ruins to a cigarette someone put out in a container of potting soil. KCTV reports that the cigarette and the potting soil smoldered for at least four days before igniting last week and setting the house on fire. No one was injured, but the flames quickly spread through the house and the roof. Investigators reported their findings this week. Authorities say it's a good reminder that potting soil is flammable. Tricia Roberts is an education specialist with the fire department in nearby Overland Park, Kan. Roberts says potting soil looks like dirt, but it actually contains a large proportion of organic matter, such as peat moss, that easily catches fire when it dries out.==================Kansas Officials Tout Weekend Pheasant HuntOAKLEY, Kan. (AP) — Seventy pheasant hunters joined Governor Sam Brownback and other state officials over the weekend for the second annual Governor's Ringneck Classic in northwestern Kansas. The city of Oakley hosted the event, with hunters taking to the fields near surrounding communities. Brownback began the hunt in 2011 as a way to promote tourism and expand the Kansas economy. Among those taking part were state Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Secretary Robin Jennison and former Kansas City Chiefs player Bill Maas. Brownback's office says hunting contributes some $400 million annually to the Kansas economy. Proceeds from the hunt benefited the Northwest Kansas Classic Conservation Foundation, Logan County Health Care Foundation, the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center and the group Pheasants Forever.==================3 Kansas Children Endure Bombings in Gaza Strip WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A divorced Palestinian man accused of illegally moving his three young children from their Kansas home to the Gaza Strip insists they are safe. Ahmed Abuhamda was charged in Kansas with aggravated interference with parental custody after he took his children overseas earlier this year amid a custody dispute with their American mother. He told The Associated Press in an interview that while he believes the family is in no real danger, as a Muslim he has taught his children that everybody has to die one day. Nine-year-old Jannah Abuhamda told AP in a phone call from Gaza that she can hear the barrage of bombings as she plays with her Barbie dolls in her father's home. Such talk only heightens fears for the children's safety from their mother, Bethany Gonzales, in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park. Their father moved the children to the Middle East in February. ================== Kansas Man Sentenced to Life in Prison Under Jessica's Law NESS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former Ness City man who was convicted in August of raping someone under 14 years old has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports 37-year-old Benito Cardenas was convicted in Ness County of rape and aggravated sodomy under Jessica's Law. He was sentenced Tuesday to life on each of the two convictions, with the sentences to run concurrently. The crimes happened in Ness City in September 2010. Cardenas was living in Dodge City at the time of his arrest in April 2011. Also Tuesday, prosecutors filed aggravated escape and felony theft charges against Cardenas, who escaped from the Ness County Jail after his conviction and was later apprehended in Trego County.================== Man to Face Trial in Girl's Stray-Bullet DeathWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man accused in the stray-bullet killing of a sleeping 8-year-old girl has been ordered to stand trial. Twenty-four-year-old Zachary Gaston is charged with first-degree murder in the September 4 killing of Kimbra Moore at a mobile home park. KFDI-FM reports a Sedgwick County judge ordered Gaston to go on trial following a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Police have said the gunfire followed an early-morning dispute in a nearby parking lot between a group of four men and a man in a stolen car. Gaston is accused of shooting at the car while chasing it into the mobile home park. A police officer testified Tuesday about noticing a bullet hole in the side of Kimbra's mobile home and going inside to find the little girl dead in her bed.================ 2 Bins Collapse at NW Kansas Grain ElevatorOAKLEY, Kan. (AP) — No injuries were reported but a lot of corn is on the ground after two grain bins collapsed at a northwest Kansas elevator. The Hays Daily News reports the exterior walls of the two concrete bins at one end of Frontier Ag's elevator annex in Oakley gave way around 2:30 pm Tuesday. Emergency personnel said all employees were accounted for. Frontier Ag grain marketing manager Ben Brandvik says each bin could hold about 25,000 bushels when full. He said the far end of the elevator was not very full when the walls crumbled, although a witness reported seeing a large of amount of spilled corn. Brandvik says insurance adjusters are surveying the damage to determine when it will be safe to start cleanup efforts. The cause of the collapse is under investigation.================== Reno County Tightens Aerial Fireworks RestrictionsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Reno County officials have approved new restrictions on fireworks that prohibit any fireworks that emit flaming balls or shoot sparks more than 6 feet. The commission on Tuesday also voted to ban aerial luminaries, or sky lanterns, and shortened by one hour the hours fireworks may be sold or discharged. The Hutchinson News reports the new rules are the same as those recently passed by the Hutchinson City Council. County commissioners briefly considered an exception for some rural residents but chose not to after hearing from Hutchinson Fire Chief Kim Forbes. Forbes says the regulations let people get a permit for a "commercial public" fireworks display if it is supervised by someone holding a fireworks operator's license and have $500,000 in liability insurance.================== KU's Dole Institute to Host Post-Election ConferenceLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas is holding a post-election conference of strategists, journalists and pollsters to analyze the 2012 presidential campaign. The free, public event will take place from 3 pm to 6:30 pm on December 6, and 8:30 am to 10 am on December 7 at the Dole Institute. Campaign officials for President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney will join other political insiders talking about the issues and outcome of the election. Topics will also include how Obama's next term will differ from his first, and what the future holds for the GOP. The Dole Institute of Politics has hosted similar gatherings since 2006 looking at how and why elections are won and lost.================== KU Launches Online Exhibition of Black PhotographyLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A photo collection featuring images of African-Americans in Wichita from the late 1940s through the 1970s is now available online through the University of Kansas Libraries. The photos were taken by Leon K. Hughes, who began his photography career in 1946 while working in the city's aircraft industry. Hughes became a leading photographer for Wichita's family, church and civic events. He shot marriages, birthdays, graduations and more. The collection offers an inside view of the African-American community. Hughes died in 1978. His widow donated the photos in 2009. The interactive online collection includes more than 1,000 images. Some details about the photos and their subjects aren't known, and curators hope those viewing the images will submit any information they have.==================Number 7-Ranked K-State Working to Recover from DisappointmentMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State couldn't pick a better place to convalesce than Manhattan, Kansas. The home of the seventh-ranked Wildcats is tucked away in the Flint Hills, far enough away from the noise and distractions that come with major college football, and should provide a good place for them to recover from last week's monumental disappointment at Baylor. The Wildcats were ranked number 1 in the BCS standings when they were trounced 52-24 by the Bears. They could still sneak into the national title game, but it's a longshot now. The reality is they're likely playing for a Big 12 title — and nothing more — next Saturday against Texas. The Wildcats (10-1, 7-1) are off this week. They'll return Sunday to begin prepping for the Longhorns.==================Quinn Next Up for Chiefs on QB CarouselKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Quinn is getting another shot on the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback merry-go-round. Coach Romeo Crennel announced Wednesday that Quinn will start Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos, regaining the job he lost when he sustained a concussion against Oakland. Quinn was cleared to play last week against Cincinnati and came on in the second half for the ineffective Matt Cassel, who was the starter early in the season before sustaining his own concussion. That thrust Quinn, a former first-round draft pick, into the starting lineup against Tampa Bay, and when Cassel was cleared to play, Crennel decided to stick with Quinn on a permanent basis. He lasted less than a quarter before getting hurt against the Raiders on October 28.==================Kansas Bioscience Authority Hires New PresidentOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former top executive at Topeka-based Payless ShoeSource has been chosen to head the Kansas Bioscience Authority. Authority officials announced the selection of Duane Cantrell as president and CEO on Tuesday. He'll replace David Vranicar, who became interim president after former president and CEO Tom Thornton resigned under pressure in 2011. The Kansas Bioscience Authority is charged with investing in and nurturing new companies in the biosciences and life sciences fields. Cantrell is currently the managing partner of a retail consulting firm. Before that he spent 26 at Payless ShoeSource, where he was president from 2001-2004. Authority Board chairman Dan Watkins says Cantrell became a candidate after serving as a consultant in recent months. Watkins said Vranicar would stay on with KBA in a capacity to be determined.================== Southwest Airlines to Offer Wichita FlightsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Southwest Airlines says it will begin service in June from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. The Wichita Eagle reports the carrier said Monday it plans to have two daily flights from Wichita to Dallas Love Field, along with two daily flights to Chicago Midway Airport. It also plans one daily flight to Las Vegas. Wichita officials welcomed the announcement as a boon to the city's economic development efforts. Southwest plans to use a 143-seat Boeing 737 for its Dallas and Chicago flights and a 127-seat 737 for the Las Vegas flights. One-way rates are expected to range between $94 and $178. Bob Montgomery, the company's vice president for airport affairs, says the airline may initially use public subsidies to mitigate its risk, but hopes business grows so they aren't needed.================== Survey Establishes Baseline in Kansas Children's StatusTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University researchers have completed a report on baseline data on childhood poverty that will be used in efforts to improve the lives of children, including reducing the number of births to unwed mothers. The data was presented Monday as a new task force created by Governor Sam Brownback begins its work finding ways to reduce childhood poverty in Kansas. The task force includes members of the Republican governor's cabinet, nonprofit organizations and the clergy. The Kansas State report ranked all 105 counties based on 18 indicators, including the percentage of children in poverty, divorce, employment and births to unwed mothers. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a senior fellow from the Brookings Institution says births to unwed mothers was a leading cause of poverty.

Kansas Seeks Federal Aid for Summer Storm DamageTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is seeking a federal disaster declaration for 47 of the state's 105 counties to help residents and local governments recover from a string of severe storms and flooding. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management said Friday that Brownback sent the letter to President Barack Obama through the Kansas City, Missouri regional office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A series of storms hit Kansas between July 22 and August 16, producing significant damage from high winds and flooding. The storms were blamed on four deaths. Brownback said in his letter that some of the areas received as much as 500 percent of their normal rainfall total for that time of year, resulting in many roads, bridges and other infrastructure being damaged.=============KS Insurance Commish Plans More Meetings on Health OverhaulTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is planning five more town hall meetings in October to discuss the federal health care overhaul. Praeger has had nine sessions this month. She plans two more in Topeka on Monday, one day before the opening of an online health insurance marketplace for Kansas. The marketplace is being run by the federal government under its 2010 health care law. Praeger's additional meetings are set for October 2 in Independence; October 3 in Emporia; October 16 in Garden City; October 17 in Liberal; and October 22 in Kansas City, Kansas. Enrollment in plans offered by the online marketplace runs through March 2014, and many consumers are eligible for federal subsidies.=============Former Kansas Lawmaker Found Dead in NebraskaWAVERLY, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska authorities are investigating the death of a former Kansas lawmaker and athletics official whose body was found beneath a riding lawn mower. The Lincoln Journal Star reported Friday that relatives found the body of 66-year-old Ricky Bowden in a building on his property north of Waverly, Nebraska. Sheriff Terry Wagner says it appears a plastic toolbox blew off a shelf and onto the mower, causing it to fall on Bowden, who was working beneath the equipment. Relatives found Bowden after checking on why he hadn't returned for dinner. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Bowden served for 18 years as assistant executive director for the Kansas State High School Activities Association before retiring in 2011. He also served from 1985 to 1993 as a member of the Kansas Legislature.=============Northeast Kansas Man Charged with Murder over 2012 ShootingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 40-year-old Topeka man has been charged with first-degree murder over the January 2012 shooting of a local developer described as a friend and business partner. Monroe E. Lockhart also faces a felony arson charge in a complaint filed Friday in Shawnee County District Court by District Attorney Chad Taylor. Lockhart already is in custody after being convicted earlier this year of multiple charges for a November 2011 home invasion and the burning of a woman with a heated knife blade. The new case involves the death of Corey Michael Brown. Family members previously told The Topeka Capital-Journal the two were good friends and partners. Authorities provided few details about the crime. Taylor said the arson charge alleges Lockhart destroyed his car to get insurance money.=============Lawsuit Filed in Kansas to Block Science StandardsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An anti-evolution group has filed a federal lawsuit to block Kansas from using new, multistate science standards in its public schools Citizens for Objective Public Education argued in the lawsuit filed Thursday that the standards promote atheism and violate students' and parents' religious freedoms. The group had criticized the standards developed by Kansas and 25 other states for treating both evolution and climate change as key scientific concepts to be taught from kindergarten through 12th grade. The Kansas State Board of Education adopted them in June. The case is the latest chapter in a long-running debate in Kansas over what to teach students about evolution. The lawsuit argues the new standards will cause Kansas public schools to promote what it calls a "non-theistic religious worldview."============= Enrollment Down at Kansas Regents SchoolsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents is reporting a system-wide drop in fall enrollment. The Board of Regents says preliminary fall enrollments are down overall from last year about 1.3 percent, which is about 2,504 students across the state's 32 public universities, community colleges and technical colleges. The regents say enrollment is up at the state's technical colleges, where about 472 more students are enrolled this fall compared to the preliminary count in 2012. Enrollment was nearly flat at the seven public universities, and was down about 3,000 students in the state's 19 community colleges. The University of Kansas reports fall enrollment down about .55 percent, while fall enrollment is up about .83 percent at Kansas State University. Emporia State reports a 2.83 percent enrollment increase.============= Topeka Library Gets $200K Grant for BookmobileTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is getting a $200,000 grant to buy a new bookmobile. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the new bookmobile will be on the streets in May, thanks to a donation from the Capitol Federal Foundation. The donation pays for most of the $253,440 cost of the bookmobile. The 37-foot-long bookmobile will be stocked with a brand-new inventory of books, movies, music and magazines. It will replace one of the library's two older bookmobiles. A second bookmobile is expected to arrive in 2015, and the library is also working on a proposal to buy a third bookmobile. Bookmobiles have been a part of the Topeka library for 70 years and account for about 15 percent of the library's total circulation.=============UPDATE: Kansas Teen Charged in Fatal House FireHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A 14-year-old Hutchinson boy has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with a house fire that killed his mother and 11-year-old sister. Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder charged the boy Friday as a juvenile but says he'll seek to try the teen as an adult. Schroeder told The Wichita Eagle that the boy was not at the house when the fire broke out early Thursday but returned several hours later. Authorities had said they suspected arson in the blaze that engulfed the two-story house. Schroeder says an accelerant was poured in several first-floor rooms. The mother and sister were found in an upstairs bedroom and died later. The boy is also charged with the attempted murder of his father, who escaped the fire without injury.=============KC Police Investigate Possible Murder-SuicideKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police say the deaths of two people appear to be a murder-suicide. Police say they were called to a Kansas City home Thursday night after neighbors heard gunshots. They found a man and a woman dead, both with gunshot wounds. The woman was in her early 20s and the man was approximately 30. Their identities have not been released.============= Restaurant Manager Charged in Immigration CaseOTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — The manager of an eastern Kansas restaurant has been charged with harboring immigrant workers who were unlawfully in the United States. Alex Sanchez Jr., manager of El Mezcal Mexican Restaurant in Ottawa, is named in a nine-count federal indictment returned Wednesday. The charges allege Sanchez paid immigrant workers in cash, failed to maintain employment records for them and encouraged them to live in the U.S. for his own financial gain. He's also accused of providing housing for the immigrant workers in Ottawa. The indictment accuses Sanchez of continuing to employ people he knew were in the country illegally despite being fined and ordered in 2011 to cease the alleged violations. No phone number for Sanchez could be found, and the restaurant's phone has been disconnected. The government is seeking forfeiture judgment.=============Military High Court to Hear Kansas HIV Exposure Case WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The highest court for the U.S. armed forces has agreed to hear the appeal of a Kansas airman convicted of assault for exposing multiple sex partners to HIV at swinger parties in Wichita. The attorney for David Gutierrez said Friday the case will set the standard across the military as to what evidence is necessary to prove someone can cause "grievous bodily harm" after testing positive for HIV. The court in an order Tuesday also agreed to decide whether the airman committed adultery since his wife also joined in the sex parties. Gutierrez was a sergeant serving at McConnell Air Force base when he was sentenced in 2011 to eight years in prison and stripped of his rank. He was convicted of aggravated assault among other charges.=============Conservatives Gather in MO for Midwestern ConferenceST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) — Conservative activists from across the Midwest are gathering this weekend in suburban St. Louis for a pep rally of sorts. The Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday is to feature dozens of speeches and panel discussions on topics such as tax cuts and immigration law changes. Headlining speakers include Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who both ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for president in 2012. Others on the agenda include Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and U.S. Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Mike Lee of Utah. The event in St. Charles is sponsored by The American Conservative Union. It's the only regional CPAC gathering of the year. The group held a national conference in March in the Washington, D.C., area.============= GM Foundation Donates $100K to KC-Area NonprofitsKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The General Motors Foundation has given eight Kansas City area community organizations a total of $100,000 in grants. The Kansas City Star reports that management and union leaders announced the grants during an event at GM's Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas. The recipients are located in Kansas and Missouri. The donations will go to the American Cancer Society; Blue River Watershed; Communities in Schools, Kansas; Harvesters Community Food Bank; Kansas City, Kansas School Foundation for Excellence; Heart of America Stand Down; Make-A-Wish Foundation, Kansas; and United Way. The foundation says it's providing about $1.6 million in funding this year to about 200 organizations in 45 cities where GM operates plants and employees live and work.============= Washburn University Celebrates Namesake's 215th BirthdayTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn University is celebrating the 215th birthday of its namesake and mascot Saturday at the Memorial Union. The Topeka school started in 1865 as Lincoln College but changed its name three years later after receiving $25,000 from Ichabod Washburn. He developed a machine and technique that made wire stronger and easier to produce. The company he and his son-in-law ran was the primary domestic producer of piano wire and the crinoline wire used in hoop skirts. As an abolitionist, Washburn liked what the fledging Kansas school was doing. The school included men, women and an African-American in its first enrolled class. The college also offered scholarships to honorably discharged Union soldiers among others. Washburn lived in Massachusetts and died before getting a chance to visit the campus.============= Kansas Growers to Pay More for Wheat Check-OffWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas growers will soon be paying more for the wheat "check-off" program that supports research and market development. The Kansas Wheat Commission announced Thursday that its board has approved a check-off increase to 2 cents per bushel from the current 1.5 cents per bushel, effective November 1. Commission chairman Ron Suppes says that shrinking government research funding — combined with fewer wheat acres and smaller crops — make it more vital than ever for farmers to invest in their industry. The new Kansas Wheat Innovation Center that opened last December is a $10.3 million research facility that is expected to create new wheat varieties. The industry group says the check-off increase will help pay down debt on the building and fund research at the center.============= Kansas Governor Uses River Trip to Push TourismWAMEGO, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback is hoping that construction of new boat ramps along the Kansas River will draw more people to the waterway and increase its recreational use. Brownback led more than 100 people in canoes and kayaks Thursday on a roughly eight-mile float trip. The paddlers set out at midmorning from Wamego and finished about four hours later at Belvue, where a new boat ramp was dedicated. Pausing on a sandbar, Brownback said Kansans who know the state will be the best salesmen for encouraging more people to use the Kansas River for recreation. The river stretches 173 miles from Junction City to the Missouri border. Last year, the U.S. Interior Department designated it a National Water Trail, one of about a dozen around the country.=============KCMO Statehouse Member Pleads Guilty to Marijuana ChargesCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri House member has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Democrat Jeremy LaFaver of Kansas City, Missouri entered the pleas during a brief court hearing Friday in Boone County. He was fined $200 plus court costs on each charge and paid the penalties before leaving the courthouse. The 33-year-old lawmaker says he made a mistake and is glad the incident is behind him. A state trooper stopped LaFaver last month on Interstate 70 in Boone County for failing to respond to charges in Moniteau County of driving with expired license plates. The trooper reported finding a glass pipe and a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. LaFaver paid a $125 fine in Moniteau County for the vehicle registration charge earlier this week.=============Autism Researchers to Speak at JCCC ConferenceOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Two pioneering researchers in the field of autism are scheduled to speak next month at a two-day conference on the disorder at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. Robert Koegel and Lynn Kern Koegel will make their presentation at noon on October 18 during the conference, titled "Beyond the Diagnosis: Autism Across the Lifespan." The college says the Koegels developed a treatment at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that targets core features of autism to produce rapid and widespread gains in social, communicative and behavioral areas. The conference takes place October 18 and 19, and is co-sponsored by the community college and the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training at the University of Kansas.=============Elderly Couple Killed in Overland Park Car CrashOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A married couple in their 80s has died in a two-vehicle crash in Overland Park. The Kansas City Star reports that the 86-year-old man and his 80-year-old wife died Thursday when their vehicle collided with another car that ran a stop sign. Overland Park police identified the victims as Norman J. Russell and Norma F. Russell. Police say the driver of the other car was not injured, but a passenger in his car had minor injuries.==============Missouri Man Gets Life Sentence for Robbing 2 BanksJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 40-year-old man with a history of robbing banks in Kansas and Missouri has been sentenced to life in prison for two holdups he was convicted of committing last year. The U.S. Attorney's office says Eddie Prince Roberts, of Columbia, won't be eligible for parole under the sentence he received Friday in federal court. Roberts was convicted earlier of robbing Boone County National Bank in Columbia of more than $4,400 in April 2012, and Landmark Bank in Columbia of roughly $8,200 the following month. He was arrested after the Landmark robbery following a foot chase in which he fought with an officer and was shot during the encounter. Roberts was convicted in 1993 of robbing five banks in Kansas. He was also convicted of robbing a Missouri bank in 2000.============= KU Institute Gets Tyrannosaurus Rex BonesLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Paleontologists at the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas are getting a chance to study the bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex. 6News Lawrence reports that the dinosaur's fossils came from a collections museum in St. Louis, which decided it could not keep the collection. State paleontologist David Burnham says it's unclear what age the dinosaur was when it died but that it isn't believed to have been full grown. To determine the age, Kansas paleontologists will search for more remains where the fossil was found in Jordan, Mont. Burnham says the bones also will go on display at the university's natural history museum.============= KU Med Center Gets $3 Million for Alzheimer's Disease StudyKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas Medical Center is planning a $3 million project to study the role of exercise in preventing Alzheimer's disease. The study will be funded by the National Institutes of Health. The medical center is looking for 100 healthy people 65 or older to participate in the trial. Participants who are at a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease will walk on a treadmill regularly for one year. They will then undergo brain scans to determine if the exercise is reducing the risk of getting Alzheimer's.============= Wichita State Hopes to Attract More Online StudentsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State says it's working to improve the university's online learning, with a goal of increasing the number of online students. The university announced in a news release Thursday that it had established the Office of Online Learning and named an interim director. The university's new vice president for academic affairs, Tony Vizzini, says for many degree programs, no adequate online substitute is available for students working with instructors at a research university. He says improved online learning could help students and the university. The Wichita Eagle reports that president John Bardo has said he intends to establish some full degree online programs soon. He also wants the university to attract more students who are 24 or older, and online education is one way to do that.============= Memorial Scheduled for Civil War SoldierHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Seattle woman plans to attend a weekend ceremony at the grave of her great grandfather, who escaped slavery and fought in the Civil War. Janice Lovelace told The Hutchinson News that her great grandfather John Crooms is buried at Eastside Cemetery. But his gravesite didn't have a headstone until recently. Lovelace says she contacted the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War to see if they could help. By Memorial Day, the organization had a headstone in place for Crooms' grave. On Saturday, Lovelace will be in Hutchinson as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War pay homage to Crooms, who died in Hutchinson on July 3, 1922. The poem "When the Boys in Blue Are Gone" will be read at the ceremony.============= Many Protestants Testify for Kapaun SainthoodWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Non-Catholics have been supplying much of the crucial testimony about the Korean War heroics of Emil Kapaun, a Catholic priest from Kansas who's being considered for sainthood. Most of Kapaun's former prisoner-of-war friends are Protestants, and another is a lapsed Catholic who left the Catholic church years ago. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Vatican is sending one of its top sainthood investigators to Wichita this weekend to examine more evidence the church says could solidify Kapaun's candidacy for sainthood. Kapaun, a native of Pilsen in Marion County, died in a North Korean prison camp in 1951. The former POWs tell investigators that Kapaun was killed by the guards not only for rallying them to resist communist brainwashing but for defying camp guards who banned all religious activities.============= 3 Charged in Death of Man Found in Missouri RiverST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A northwest Missouri prosecutor has charged three people in the death of a 38-year-old man whose body was discovered in the Missouri River near Leavenworth, Kansas. Nebraska Game and Park employees who were tracking sturgeon found the body of St. Joseph resident Jason Davies on September 19th. KQTV reports the Buchanan County (Missouri) prosecutor on Thursday charged 39-year-old Robert Jarrell and 48-year-old Martin Rilinger with second-degree murder. Thirty-nine-year-old Dollie Williams is charged with tampering with evidence, accused of cleaning up blood from the crime scene. Court records list a St. Joseph apartment for all three defendants, who did not have lawyers Thursday. Police say in court documents that Davies was hit several times with a baseball bat and a frying pan during a struggle, then dumped in the river.

Check out these staff and wire reports, as compiled by KPR news staffers.

Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan and star in an uninspired reboot of the 1987 thriller — which tries really hard to mount an enlightened case for its existence.

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