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The fired FBI director came loaded for bear at his congressional testimony and seemed to leave lots of bread crumbs for investigators, like a Justice Department special counsel, to pick up on.

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UPDATE: Kansas Governor Signs 'Hard 50' BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has signed legislation revising the Kansas law allowing convicted murderers to be sentenced to at least 50 years in prison. Lawmakers approved the measure this week during a two-day special session. Brownback signed it Friday and delivered it to the secretary of state's office. The law will take effect September 12 when it is printed in the Kansas register, the state's official digest for legal notices, which is published each Thursday. The measure provides for juries rather than judges to determine whether a defendant convicted of premeditated, first-degree murder gets the "Hard 50" sentence. Kansas judges have traditionally made the decision, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year in a Virginia case that juries must do so.=============Kansas Court Revives Suit Filed by Ex-House SpeakerTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Court of Appeals has reinstated a 2010 lawsuit over a state budget-balancing move filed by then-House speaker Mike O'Neal as a private attorney for businesses, insurance funds and trade groups. Friday's ruling by a three-judge panel sent the case back to Shawnee County District Court for a trial. The lawsuit alleged that the Legislature exceed limits in the state constitution in diverting regulatory fee revenues to general government programs in 2009. The lower court said the complaining parties didn't have legal standing to sue. The appeals court disagreed. The lawsuit received an unusual amount of attention at the time because of O'Neal's involvement. Democrats filed a complaint against the Hutchinson Republican, but a House investigating committee dismissed it.=============Kansas Childhood Poverty Group Releases ReportTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A panel appointed by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is recommending several strategies for reducing childhood poverty, including strengthening marriages, improving educational opportunities and reforming welfare-to-work programs. The Governor's Task Force on Reducing Childhood Poverty released its report Friday, calling its recommendations a starting point for policymakers. The report urges more targeted use of public funds to reduce high school dropout rates, help low-income residents get off government assistance and provide counseling to couples before marriage. Task force members noted the recommendations follow traditional strategies for reducing childhood poverty. They said federal and state government efforts have historically been unsuccessful. The Republican governor created the task force in November 2012. It was chaired by Phyllis Gilmore, secretary of the state Department for Children and Families.=============SE Kansas House Representative Bideau Dies at HomeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick's office says southeast Kansas Representative Ed Bideau has died at his home in Chanute a day after the Legislature ended a two-day special session. Rachel Witten, spokeswoman for the speaker, says Friday that the 62-year-old Bideau died Thursday. She declined to give a cause of death, citing family privacy. Information about funeral services was not available Friday. Bideau was an attorney in Chanute and was elected to the House in 2012. He previously served in the House from 1985 to 1988 before leaving office to establish his law practice. According to his official campaign website, Bideau graduated from Chanute High School and Neosho County Community College. He earned business and law degrees from Washburn University in Topeka. He was elected county attorney in Neosho County in 1976.=============UPDATE: Suspect Charged with Trying to Kill KS DeputyEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — A man captured after a four-day search across southern Kansas has been charged with attempted capital murder in the shooting of a Butler County sheriff's deputy. Forty-one-year-old Jan Tracy Kilbourne made a first appearance Friday afternoon in Butler County District Court. The Wichita Eagle reports that his court-appointed lawyer did not object when the state requested he be held on $1 million bond. Kilbourne had been sought since early Monday, when the deputy was shot in the shoulder during a traffic stop near Augusta. The deputy is recovering at home. Wichita police found Kilbourne around 3 am Friday in a car outside a home. He was arrested without resistance. The Butler County prosecutor cited Kilbourne's previous criminal convictions in asking for the high bond. Kilbourne declined to speak in court.=============4 Arrested in NW Kansas Methamphetamine BustHAYS, Kan. (AP) — Four people are behind bars following a drug bust in a northwest Kansas county where officers reported seizing more than 2.5 pounds of crystal meth. KAYS-AM reports that officers from Ellis County and the cities of Hays and Ellis executed search warrants Thursday at four homes in the two communities. The warrants were part of a continuing investigation of drug trafficking in the area. Authorities did not place a value on the methamphetamine, but the drug can sell for several thousand dollars a pound. Three men and one woman were booked into the Ellis County jail. Officials expect charges to be filed later.============= Lawrence Police Unit Taking Aim at Unruly PartiersLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas students say a special Lawrence police detail set up to curb dangerous behavior among partiers downtown is unfairly targeting them as a way to raise revenue for the city. But police say the special patrols that began August 14 are meant to protect students and the rest of the public from problems typically associated with alcohol consumption. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the special detail has cited more than 180 people for offenses ranging from possession of alcohol by a minor to using a fake ID. Fourteen have been arrested, including several for driving under the influence. Sergeant Trent McKinley says it's unclear how long extra officers will be assigned downtown, but he says it's not a permanent unit.=============Report: More Kansas Wheat Graded Top Quality in 2013WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Newly released sampling data from 51 Kansas counties show slightly more of this year's wheat graded as top quality. The National Agricultural Statistics Service said Friday in its annual wheat quality report that 85 percent of the samples graded as No. 1 wheat, compared with 83 percent last year. About 14 percent of the samples graded as No. 2 and 1 percent graded as No. 3 or below. Protein content for the Kansas crop statewide was 12.2 percent, down slightly from 12.4 percent a year ago. Southwest Kansas had the highest levels with samples averaging 13.2 percent protein. Data from 16,143 samples found an average test weight of 60.9 pounds per bushel. Last year's crop averaged 61.1 pounds per bushel.=============Kansas Court of Appeals to Hear Cases in ManhattanMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Judges of the Kansas Court of Appeals will hear arguments in four cases in Manhattan as part of Kansas State University's observance of Constitution Day. The panel will convene in the Student Union on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787. On the docket are the denial of tenure for a University of Kansas professor; a prosecutor's appeal of an order granting a new trial in a Salina murder case; and two cases involving the rights of people stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The arguments will be heard by Court of Appeals Judges Patrick McAnany, Anthony Powell and Steve Leben, as well as Riley County District Judge David Stutzman.=============Kansas Deputy Arrested After Inmate ComplaintWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County detention deputy is accused of stealing an inmate's debit card and using it to buy $50 worth of items at a store. Sheriff Jeff Easter said Friday the deputy was arrested the previous day on suspicion of theft and criminal use of a financial card. The deputy bonded out of jail and is now on administrative leave. Easter says an investigation began when the inmate complained that his $50 debit card was missing after he had been transported to a work release facility August 22. Surveillance video from a store shows a uniformed detention deputy using the card about eight hours after the inmate's transfer. The case will be presented to prosecutors within a few days for a decision on charges.=============Trial Set for Ex-Wastewater Manager for Lying on ReportsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has set a fall trial date for the former Hays wastewater manager charged with lying about nitrogen levels in the city's discharges. Court records show the case against 57-year-old Charles L. Blair was scheduled Thursday to go before a federal jury on November 5. A four-count indictment charges Blair with making false statements about nitrogen levels in effluent at the city's wastewater treatment plant. Three counts relate to statements made in discharge monitoring reports. One count charges him with lying to agents of the Environmental Protection Agency when he said he had provided accurate levels for the report. Blair has denied lying. He is free on a $10,000 bond after a brief court appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Wichita.============= Leavenworth VA Hospital Adding 2 BuildingsLEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The Eisenhower VA Medical Center in northeastern Kansas is expanding to meet new needs and standards. The Leavenworth Times reports that construction is underway on a $2.75 million women's health clinic. Meanwhile, bidding on a construction contract for a stand-alone, 27,000-square-foot nursing home closed Thursday. Jim Gleisberg, a spokesman for the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, says the medical center already offers health services for women. But the number of female veterans has grown, Gleisberg says, and the new, 4,700-square-foot clinic will be able to serve more women. The Eisenhower VA Medical Center also has an existing Community Living Center, as the nursing home is called. But it's located on the third floor of a building, and current standards call for such facilities to be on the ground floor.============= Ex-Kansas Firefighter Pleads Guilty to 3 ArsonsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A former volunteer firefighter in Reno County pleaded guilty to setting three grass fires after prosecutors agreed to drop 11 other charges. Nineteen-year-old Cody Knox, of Arlington, was a volunteer for Reno County Fire District No. 4, which covers Arlington, Langdon, Plevna and Abbyville. The Hutchinson News reports that Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder previously said Knox used a cigarette lighter to set the fires, all of which occurred near Arlington last October and November. At the time of the fires, Knox was studying fire science at Hutchinson Community College.============= Kansas City Airport Will Get Expedited ScreeningKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Security checks at the Kansas City International Airport will soon move more quickly for some passengers. The Transportation Security Agency announced Thursday that KCI will be among 60 U.S. airports that will install its PreCheck expedited screening program, beginning October 1. The expedited screening allows qualified passengers to avoid removing shoes, belt and outerwear such as a jacket. They also won't have to remove laptops or quart-sized plastic bag for gels, liquids and aerosols from their luggage. The Kansas City Star reports that KCI will limit the process at first to Terminal B, which is used by Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines. Delta will start the program in October and Southwest in November.============= KCUR Receives $320K GrantKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The National Public Radio station in Kansas City has received a $320,000 grant so it can take on more reporting projects that get its listeners involved. A news release says KCUR-FM will use the two-year grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation to hire a three-person community engagement team. The former program director for Detroit radio station WDET, Ron Jones, will lead the effort. KCUR also is hiring a reporter and a social media producer. The community engagement team will focus on topics that include the arts, entrepreneurship, neighborhoods and community diversity. The goal is to coordinate community conversations about important issues on-air, online and in person.============= Agreement Reached to Improve Capacity of Redmond ReservoirWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An agreement between Kansas and a federal agency will increase the capacity of the John Redmond Reservoir by nearly 30 percent. State officials say the agreement signed Thursday would alleviate a sediment problem at the reservoir near Emporia. The federally-owned reservoir provides water source the cooling lake at Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant. It currently is 40 percent silted in. The Wichita Eagle reports that the agreement between the state and the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers will raise the reservation's elevation from 1,039 feet to 1,041 feet. And it increases the number of gallons available in storage from 16 billion to 22 billion. The second step to improving Redmond's capacity will be dredging the silt and strengthening the banks of the Neosho River to reduce the flow sediment.=============KC Federal Reserve President Urges Slowdown of Bond PurchasesWASHINGTON (AP) — Two voting members of the Federal Reserve panel that sets interest rates are expressing clashing views over when the Fed should reduce its $85 billion a month in bond purchases. Esther George, president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, suggests that the Fed should slow the purchases after it meets September 17-18. She says she could support an initial reduction of $15 billion a month. Charles Evans, president of the Chicago Fed, says he isn't confident enough that the economy is gaining momentum or that inflation is rising. The Fed's bond purchases have been intended to keep borrowing rates ultra-low Evans spoke before the government issued a subpar August jobs report — a report the Fed will weigh in deciding whether to slow its bond buying. George spoke afterward.=============Man Charged in Derby Death, Attack on Victim's SonDERBY, Kan. (AP) — A man suspected of killing a Derby woman and stabbing her son earlier this week has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Forty-year-old Charles Alfred Beck Jr. was charged Thursday. He is accused in the Sunday death of 44-year-old Lonnie Staggs and attempting to strangle and stabbing her 15-year-old son. The woman's 11-year-old daughter was also in the home but was not injured. Beck was arrested Sunday night in Texas County, Missouri after he turned himself in. During a hearing Thursday, Beck requested a court-appointed attorney. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for September 19. Beck was released August 28 from parole for convictions on drug possession and violating a protection order.============= Researchers Using Overland Park Data to Study Disaster RecoveryROLLA, Mo. (AP) — If a massive tornado ever strikes Overland Park, researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology have created a model that could speed the city's recovery. The researchers gathered data from the Kansas City suburb on water, sewer lines, transportation, communication and electricity. They also worked with meteorologists to determine the average width, direction and path of an EF-5 tornado. Researchers also know the average size of the devastation and collateral damage zones. The model also includes information about the availability of raw materials and the number of skilled workers who would be needed to get Overland Park back on its feet. Next up, the team plans to model what would happen in the St. Louis area if a severe earthquake occurred along the New Madrid fault.============= UPDATE: MO Teacher Accused of Threat Faces Drug Charges MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) — An instructor at Northwest Missouri State University accused of writing on Facebook that he might climb to the campus bell tower with weapons has a different problem after authorities searched his home. The Kansas City Star reports Nodaway County officials said Friday that 57-year-old Matthew Rouch won't be charged with making a terrorist threat. Instead, the prosecutor charged him with producing and possessing marijuana. Prosecutor Bob Rice says an "elaborate growing operation" was found at Rouch's Maryville home. The operation included marijuana plants growing beneath heated lights. The search was conducted after Rouch claimed he was joking in the Facebook post and said all he had was a pellet gun. No attorney is listed for Rouch in online court records. He is being held on $25,000 bond.=============Fed Official Promotes $20M KC Streetcar GrantKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is coming to Kansas City to promote a $20 million federal grant to help build a two-mile downtown streetcar route. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Mayor Sly James announced Thursday that Foxx is scheduled to speak at 9:15 am Friday at Union Station. Plans call for streetcars to start running from Union Station to the River Market area in 2015. The project has an estimated cost of about $100 million. Voters previously approved a 1-cent sales tax increase and property tax increases to help pay for the streetcars. Supporters hope it will be the first leg of a more extensive public rail system. James said in a news release that the grant announcement is worth celebrating "because it sets Kansas City apart from other cities."============= Wichita's Bid for Rail Line Grant RejectedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita lost its first bid for a federal grant to help bring an Amtrak line to downtown but city officials say they'll try again. The city had sought a $12.7 million grant to complete the planning for a possible extension of Amtrak's Heartland Flyer line to Wichita and Newton. The Wichita Eagle reports that the plan would connect the Heartland Flyer with the Southwest Chief line to close a rail line gap between Wichita and Oklahoma City. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Thursday announced 52 grants in 37 states from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, program. Wichita Vice Mayor Pete Meitzner says the city will work with Kansas Department of Transportation to improve its grant application for the future.============= KSU Professor Uses 'The Office' in Economics ClassMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The NBC workplace comedy "The Office" is being used as a teaching tool. Kansas State University director of economic undergraduate studies Dan Kuester says fictional manager Michael Scott and employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company provide numerous examples of economics principles. Kuester worked with two other people to create a website called "The Economics of The Office" containing 35 clips from the show. While it may be useful in some high schools, its primary use is in entry-level college economics classes. To illustrate supply and demand, teachers can play a short clip of office oddball Dwight buying the remaining inventory of a popular Christmas toy, Princess Unicorn dolls. Dwight then sells the dolls at a profit. But more often than not the characters provide examples of what not to do.=============Man Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver Near Lee's SummitLEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (AP) — Police in the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit are looking for the driver of a vehicle that hit and killed a pedestrian. Police say 34-year-old Edward Moody of Lee's Summit died Thursday evening when he was struck while trying to cross Highway 50. Moody was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses said the vehicle was a four-door that was "boxy." Debris found at the scene indicated it was an Oldsmobile Cutlass, Oldsmobile Achieva or Chevrolet Malibu. Police say it would be damaged on the left side front end.=============Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child AbuseSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A former Salina man will serve decades in prison after being sentenced for his second conviction of sexually abusing a young girl. Forty-year-old Shawn T. Vogan was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with a minimum of 40 years. He pleaded guilty in July to aggravated indecent liberties with a child after admitting he abused a girl who was 8 years old when the abuse began. The Salina Journal reported the sentence is to be served after Vogan completes a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years that he is currently serving for the 2009 Sedgwick County rape of a girl younger than 14. Prosecutor Christina Trocheck said the Saline County girl was sexually abused by Vogan before his Sedgwick County conviction, but didn't tell anyone until last year.

Feds Investigate Corruption in Kansas National GuardTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Adjutant General's office says federal authorities are investigating possible corruption involving outside medical companies' contracts with the Kansas Army National Guard. Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the adjutant general's office, confirmed the investigation Friday to The Lawrence Journal-World but declined to release specific details. She said the investigation involves concerns of "inappropriate conduct" on medical contracts. The Journal-World reports Watson's statement was in response to questions it asked about allegations that a captain in the Guard's Medical Detachment received gifts from Dentrust, a Pennsylvania company that performs dental screenings and treatment for Guard soldiers. Dentrust is one of three firms that contract with the Guard for those services. In federal fiscal years 2012-2013, it received more than $585,000 under those contracts.===============================Conservative Super PAC Opposes Huelskamp in KS 1st District RaceWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A conservative Republican super PAC seeking to unseat U.S. Representative Tim Huelskamp is spending more than $108,500 in the Republican primary race for the sprawling 1st Congressional District of western and central Kansas. A filing with the Federal Elections Commission Monday shows the Now or Never PAC out of Kansas City, Missouri, is putting money into mailers and other advertising against him. Huelskamp is a tea party favorite known for his criticism of the GOP leadership in Washington. He is seeking a third two-year term. He is challenged in the GOP primary by Alan LaPolice, a Clyde farmer and educator. The PAC money is the latest blow to Huelskamp's re-election bid to this agricultural district. The Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas Livestock Association have also refused to endorse him.===============================Group Joins Crowded Ad Field in Kansas Senate RaceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Washington-area group backing tea party challenger Milton Wolf's bid to unseat Kansas Senator Pat Roberts is spending more than $423,000 on radio and television ads ahead of the Republican primary. The ads from a political action committee tied to the Senate Conservatives Fund also are mixing with the candidates' own statewide spots. Senate Conservatives Fund President Ken Cuccinelli said Monday that Wolf remains the underdog against three-term incumbent Roberts but the fund believes Wolf can win. Wolf is broadcasting his own television ad, noting that the senator's official residence in Dodge City is rental space in a home owned by supporters. The conservative group's ad hits similar themes. Roberts's campaign began a television ad last week blasting Wolf for repeatedly not voting in local elections and state primaries.===============================Ex-US Representative Meyers Endorses GOP Kansas GovernorTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Republican congresswoman Jan Meyers has formally endorsed Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's re-election, six days after being listed among GOP moderates endorsing his Democratic challenger. Brownback's campaign released a statement Monday from Meyers saying that she's pleased with Brownback's efforts to reduce the state's personal income taxes. She also said it's important for Republicans to rally around the governor. Last week, the campaign of Democratic challenger Paul Davis announced the formation of a new group called Republicans for Kansas Values and listed more than 100 names of mostly former GOP office holders who had endorsed Davis. The list included Meyers, who represented the Kansas City-area 3rd Congressional District from 1985 to 1997. But Meyers said the next day that she would never publicly endorse a Democrat.===============================State Receives 14,205 Concealed Carry ApplicationsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Attorney General's Office says the state received the second highest number of concealed carry applications in the last fiscal year. The attorney general announced in a news release Monday that more than 14,205 applications were received between July 1, 2013, and June 30 this year. The highest number of applications in one fiscal year came in last year, when 25,316 applications were received. Attorney General Derek Schmidt says more than 83,000 Kansans currently have active concealed carry permits. The state has received 90,000 applications since 2006. Thirty-six other states recognize Kansas-issued concealed carry permits.===============================Jenkins Holds Big Fundraising Lead in Kansas 2ndTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican congresswoman Lynn Jenkins has maintained her big fundraising lead over Democratic challenger Margie Wakefield in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas. Finance reports filed last week by their campaigns show Jenkins ended June with nearly $2 million in cash on hand for her campaign. Wakefield had less than $236,000. Jenkins also raised almost three times as much in cash contributions from April through June, $382,000 compared with $135,000 for Wakefield. The biggest advantage for Jenkins was with political action committees. She raised nearly $255,000 from PACs, compared with less than $20,000 for Wakefield. Jenkins is seeking her fourth two-year term. Wakefield is a Lawrence attorney. Jenkins faces Joshua Joel Tucker of Pittsburg in the August 5 GOP primary, but he raised only about $6,800 during the last quarter.===============================PAC Dollars Boost Yoder's Treasury in Kansas 3rd District RaceOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Contributions from political action committees have helped Republican congressman Kevin Yoder stockpile funds for his re-election campaign in Kansas' 3rd District. A finance report filed last week by Yoder's campaign shows it received $131,000 from PACs from April through June. He also collected more than $110,000 in cash contributions from individuals. He ended the period with more than $2.2 million in cash. Yoder's most active Democratic challenger in the Kansas City-area district is former state Senator Kelly Kultala. She raised $85,000 during the quarter, ending June with nearly $100,000 in cash. Kultala's only PAC contribution was a $250 donation from a committee associated with a payday loan company. She faces retired Lenexa electrician Reginald Marselus in the August 5 Democratic primary. No report was available for him online.===============================Tribe Agrees with Dismissal of Lawsuit over LandWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma tribe has agreed with the government that the last claim in its lawsuit seeking to build a casino on suburban Wichita land should be dismissed. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ordered the Wyandotte Nation to show cause why the court shouldn't dismiss as moot the lawsuit's remaining claim of unreasonable delay. The Interior Department had earlier notified the court that it rejected the tribe's application to take the Park City land into trust so the tribe can build a casino there. Robinson left the decision last year to the Interior Department, but retained jurisdiction to ensure it processed the application in a timely manner. The tribe noted Friday the Interior Department says it could submit a new application addressing accounting issues that formed the basis for the denial.===============================Big 12 Assigns 1st Female Football OfficialDALLAS (AP) — The Big 12 Conference has assigned a female official to work one of its games for the first time in league history. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Monday that Catherine "Cat" Conti will be on the crew for the University of Kansas Jayhawks' season opener at home September 6 against Southeast Missouri State. While calling this a good opportunity for Conti and the league, Bowlsby says Big 12 officiating supervisor Walt Anderson assigned Conti "because she is just a darned good official." Bowlsby says Conti, a Southland Conference official, has paid her dues. KU coach Charlie Weis jokingly said he'll try not to use as many curse words as usual during the game.===============================3rd Re-Sentencing for Man Who Put Children in DryerHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Hutchinson man convicted of putting two children in a hot clothes dryer as punishment will be resentenced for the third time. An appellate court has ordered the third sentencing hearing for Aaron Pritchard, who was convicted of child abuse in 2008 after he put his girlfriend's 2- and 3-year-old children in the dryer when the younger child wet his pants. The boy suffered second-degree burns on his back. The Hutchinson News reports the appeals court found Friday that a district judge did not correct errors made in previous sentences, involving how long Pritchard should be imprisoned. The court agreed with Pritchard's attorney, who argued the maximum sentence allowed should be just over five years, which means Pritchard could be released soon. No new sentencing date was set.=============================== Topeka Child Missing Since Standoff Found SafeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka police say a 2-year-old girl who had been missing for more than 24 hours has been found safe. However, police are still looking for the man who took the girl during a domestic disturbance on Saturday in southwest Topeka. Details of how and where the girl was found Sunday have not been released. Officers were called to the home Saturday afternoon, where a woman said her boyfriend was inside with their nearly 2-year-old daughter. After a nearly four-hour standoff, police entered the home and found no one inside.===============================Ex-Teacher Convicted of Pushing Wife Off CliffROCKLAND, Maine (AP) — A former Maine man has been convicted of bashing his wife's head with a rock and pushing her off a cliff in disputes over an affair and inheritance money. The couple, Charles and Lisa Black, had moved from Kansas to retire in coastal Maine. Before the fall in 2011, they'd argued about how he spent money from a $4 million inheritance from her father and over an affair he had. Prosecutors say 71-year-old Charles Black hit his wife with a rock before pushing her off Maiden Cliff. Both tumbled down the mountainside. He was found guilty Monday of attempted murder and other charges. Charles Black, who now lives in Utah, did not testify. He has said he had no memory of pushing his wife. They have divorced, and she goes by Lisa Zahn.==============================Kansas Man Dies Weeks After Police ChaseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas man has died from injuries he suffered when his car was struck by a stolen truck going the wrong way on Interstate 29 near Kansas City on July 2. Authorities say 38-year-old Benjamin Shively of Overland Park died Saturday at an area hospital. The Platte County Sheriff's office says Shively's car collided with a truck driven by 35-year-old Justin Burkholder of Kansas City near the Kansas City International Airport. Burkholder died at the scene. KCTV5 reports investigators say the truck Burkholder was driving was stolen from south Platte County and there were stolen guns inside the vehicle. Authorities say the chase reached 100 mph as it wound through Platte and Clay counties.==============================Anti-Abortion Group Files Complaint Against KS Congressional CandidateWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A national anti-abortion leader has asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo for alleged ethics violations during his re-election campaign. Troy Newman is president of Operation Rescue. Last week, he made public documentation sent to the agency accusing the Pompeo of posting links to campaign material on his House website. Pompeo's office says it has found nothing that rises to a "material failure" to comply with all requirements. What makes the allegations potentially significant is that they come from a prominent anti-abortion leader as Pompeo faces a tough primary challenge from former congressman Todd Tiahrt. Both conservative Republicans are staunch abortion opponents. Abortion itself is not a campaign issue in the race, but anti-abortion forces here have grown into an important voting constituency.==============================Minor Earthquakes Reported in Harper CountyHARPER, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says two minor earthquakes were recorded within hours of each other in Harper County in southern Kansas over the weekend. No injuries or severe damage were reported after either earthquake. The first earthquake was recorded about 7:30 p.m. Saturday. It registered a 3.0 magnitude, with the epicenter about 5½ miles northwest of Harper. The second, registered 3.3 magnitude, was recorded about 6.5 miles southeast of Harper about 7:25 Sunday morning.===============================Lawyers Quarrel over Disclosures in Bomb Plot CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge is encouraging government lawyers to review what he calls "substantial" blacked-out material given to defense attorneys for a man accused of plotting a suicide bombing at Wichita's airport. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot told attorneys Monday he wants to move along as rapidly as possible the case of Terry Loewen, an avionics technician jailed on terrorism-related charges. Belot gave prosecutors 30 days to respond to a defense letter outlining evidence it contends should be disclosed. Loewen was arrested December 13 after allegedly trying to bring inert explosives onto the tarmac at the airport, where he worked. He has pleaded not guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to use an explosive device to damage property and attempting to give material support to al-Qaida.==============================Kansas Man Accused of Trying to Drown 4-Year-OldTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 37-year-old Topeka man is behind bars after being accused of kidnapping a 4-year-old girl and trying to drown her. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the man was taken into custody after police responded at 12:20 p.m. Friday to a reported kidnapping. Topeka police spokeswoman Lt. Jana Harden says witnesses reported a man had taken the girl into the yard of a private home and held her underwater in a swimming pool. A witness was able to get to the girl and take her to safety. Harden says the man and the child are not related. The man was being held at the Shawnee County Jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.==============================Teachers Worry About Decline in Kansas Driver's Ed ProgramsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Driver education instructors say they're concerned about a decline in school programs teaching youngsters how to drive at a time when distractions are growing. The Wichita Eagle reports about 200 members of the American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association met in Wichita last week to discuss trends in driver training. They say one of the more troubling developments is that many schools are ditching their driver's education programs or treating them as an after-school or summer add-on instead of making them an important part of the curriculum. Kansas AAA spokesman Jim Hanni says teenage traffic fatalities have dropped in recent years not because of driver's education, but because of a new state law that doesn't allow drivers to receive an unrestricted license until they are 17.==============================Pipeline Company in Kansas Accident Cited for Past ViolationsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The company responsible for a recent natural gas pipeline accident that spewed a hazardous substance outside a small Kansas town has faced more than $270,000 in federal penalties for problems elsewhere along its pipelines. A section of a Panhandle Eastern pipeline erupted June 19, spraying 1,300 gallons of natural gas condensate over a rural area near Olpe, Kansas, a town of about 550 residents south of Emporia. Natural gas condensate is a mix of natural gas and hydrocarbons, and typically contains toxic chemicals, including benzene, a carcinogen. Federal records show the U.S. Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration fined Panhandle Eastern a total of $272,400 for violations in 2007 and 2012. No injuries were reported. Panhandle Eastern spokeswoman Vicki Granado says the company follows pipeline safety regulations.==============================Huelskamp and Opponent Report ContributionsFOWLER, Kan. (AP) — Kansas congressman Tim Huelskamp's challenger in the Republican primary matched him in cash contributions from April through June, but the incumbent had nine times the cash on hand when the period ended. Finance reports filed this week show Huelskamp and GOP challenger Alan LaPolice each raised about $109,000 in cash contributions during the quarter. Huelskamp is seeking a third, two-year term representing the 1st District of western and central Kansas. LaPolice is a Clyde farmer and educator. Huelskamp's advantage as an incumbent showed in his cash on hand. He had $800,000 at the beginning of the period and built it up to nearly $835,000. LaPolice began with a balance of $14,400 and ended with almost $91,000. Huelskamp spent about $75,000 during period, while LaPolice spent less than $33,000.==============================Kansas Gets Millions from Federal Treasury ProgramTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A U.S. Treasury Department program brought $31.8 million to Kansas last year, and that number could grow in the future. The Treasury Offset Program helps states collect debts owed by tax deadbeats and welfare cheats. The Wichita Eagle reports Kansas plans to join a part of the program that helps states recover improperly paid unemployment benefits. The program intercepts all or part of federal tax refunds or other federal payments to pay debts to the state. It can also garnish vendor payments, part of federal employees' salaries and capture up to 15 percent of a person's Social Security check. Most of the money Kansas collects through the program is from delinquent child support, which made up $23 million of the $31.8 million sent to the state last year.==============================Task Force Works to Bring Amtrak Back to EmporiaEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A group of Emporia residents is exploring the possibility of returning Amtrak to the northeast Kansas city. The Emporia Amtrak Task Force recently filed for nonprofit status with the Kansas Secretary of State's Office. It's trying to raise funds for an impact study to build a train depot to replace one that was destroyed by fire in 1999. Supporters say Amtrak would improve the city's economic development efforts and provide transportation for the elderly and international students at Emporia State University. They say it also could bring people into the city to shop or visit. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports members of the task force have been talking to Amtrak and BNSF railroad staff, Emporia State University and community leaders. BSNF owns the tracks on which Amtrak's Southwest Chief runs.==============================Kansas Retirement System Hits BenchmarkTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state's pension system has been looking healthier thanks in part to investment gains and legislative changes that boosted employer and employee contributions. The Kansas Public Employees Retirements System's Board of Trustees says the state's pension system reached an important benchmark of 60 percent funded at the end of 2013. The state's pension system improved in part because of a 17 percent investment return last year.==============================Young Kansas Girl Killed After ShootoutLEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — An eastern Kansas police chief says it's unclear who fired the shot that killed a young Kansas girl at the end of a high-speed chase that started after she was reported to be abducted. Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said Saturday initial reports that a 30-year-old man who took the girl from her home fired the shot that killed Cadence Harris might be inaccurate. Platte County, Missouri, police notified Leavenworth police at 7:30 p.m. Friday they were in pursuit of a man suspected of abducting a child. The Kansas City Star reports the chase crossed the Missouri River into Leavenworth, where it ended at a construction site. Kitchens says the man was wounded in a shootout with police and was taken to a Kansas City hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.==============================Oklahoma Man Sentenced in Topeka StabbingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 29-year-old Oklahoma man has been sentenced to six years in prison for repeatedly stabbing a man outside a Topeka grocery store. Anthony Ryan Downing, of Owasso, Oklahoma, pleaded no contest in February to attempted intentional second-degree murder in the on April 6, 2013, stabbing of then 26-year-old Josh Nottingham. At the sentencing Friday, Shawnee County District Court Judge David Debenham denied a defense motion for a lighter sentence. In addition to the six-year sentence, Downing also has to pay restitution of about $100,000. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Nottingham suffered multiple life-threatening stab wounds outside a Dillons grocery store. Downing and Nottingham didn't know each other when the stabbing occurred.

An accidental explosion in southwest Kansas kills a mom, dad and toddler... a high-tech pet food plant opens in Tonganoxie... school meal debt piles up across the state... Kansas courts remain offline due to a security incident... and child advocates question why the state didn't do more to protect a 5-year-old Topeka girl who was raped and murdered. Those headlines and more, here.

Chinese author Fang Fang posted notes online while being quarantined in Wuhan. They became Wuhan Diary. She talks with us about two more of her books now coming to English readers.

Find out what's happening in our area by reviewing these news headlines from the Associated Press, as compiled by the KPR News Team.

These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.

Here's a summary of Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press, as compiled by KPR staff.