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The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is expected to drop their report on Dec. 21. It's a public document, but book publishers are poised to get the report into your hands.

For the more than 350,000 Americans each year who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, the prognosis is not always an optimistic one. But quick action with CPR and a defibrillator can be key.

Better read the fine print of your health insurance policy. An unlucky woman in Minnesota learned her policy was woefully skimpy only after she fell while walking her dogs, and faced a $19,000 bill.

Prosecutors are seeking 33 years for Tarrio. Also set to be sentenced later this week are Tarrio's codefendants: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola.

Most Kansas Senate Committees to Convene Under New ChairmenTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Most committees of the Kansas Senate will have new leaders when conservative Republicans take control of the chamber in January. A GOP leadership committee on Tuesday appointed chairmen for the Senate's 13 standing committees. Eleven will be new after conservatives ousted moderate Republican leaders in this year's GOP primaries. All committees are chaired by Republicans, who outnumber Democrats in the chamber 32-8. The chairmen will assume their jobs when the 2013 session convenes in January. The newcomers include Ty Masterson, of Andover, who will lead the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, and Steve Abrams, of Arkansas City, who will chair the Senate Education Committee. The holdovers are Les Donovan, who chairs the Assessment and Taxation Committee, and Pat Apple, of Louisburg, who heads the Utilities Committee.===================KS Revenues Could Get a Boost from "Fiscal Cliff" Negotiations Failure TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials acknowledge that the state could gain some revenues if the federal government goes over the "fiscal cliff" but they say the boost isn't likely to come close to offsetting any potential problems. The state's income tax codes are largely tied to the federal tax codes. If President Obama and Congress can't reach an agreement to avoid automatic tax increases and spending cuts, some tax changes will result in Kansans paying more in taxes to the state. Republican Governor Sam Brownback's administration had no firm revenue estimates as of Tuesday. Spokesperson Sherriene Jones-Sontag said the administration is not preparing for a boost in tax revenues. State Senator and Topeka Democrat Laura Kelly said economic problems caused by going off the fiscal cliff outweigh any revenue boost.===================Kansas Governor Will Seek to Merge Juvenile, Adult CorrectionsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback says he wants to merge the state's troubled juvenile justice agency with the Kansas Department of Corrections. Brownback said Monday he'll issue an executive order for the merger after the legislative session begins in January. Unless lawmakers reject it within 60 days, the order will take effect July 1st. Brownback says taking a social-services approach to juvenile justice has failed Kansas for decades. He fired the top two officials of the Juvenile Justice Authority in March. Two legislative audits issued since July criticized the agency, suggesting it doesn't do enough to keep offenders and staff safe. Brownback praised acting Juvenile Justice Commissioner Terri Williams for making improvements but said the audits demonstrate the need for change.===================Dept. of Defense OKs Funds for Fort Riley Middle SchoolFORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — The Geary County school district will receive $35.2 million in federal funds to build a new middle school at the Army's Fort Riley. The Department of Defense said Tuesday the new building will replace an existing school on the northeast Kansas Army post. The new school will have room for up to 720 students in grades six through eight. An additional $6.7 million in non-federal funds will be used for the project. Groundbreaking is scheduled for January and the school is expected to be ready for classes in 2014. The Geary County school district, located in adjacent Junction City, has seen an influx of students over the past decade with the arrival of thousands of soldiers and families assigned to the Army's 1st Infantry Division.===================Judge: Boeing Division Sale Lawsuit Will Go to TrialWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled a trial is necessary to decide claims brought in a lawsuit by two unions arising from Boeing's 2005 sale of its commercial aircraft operations in Kansas and Oklahoma. The lawsuit was brought by the International Association of Machinists and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. In a 49-page decision Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Monti Belot rejected requests by both sides for summary judgment, although he did side with Boeing on some minor claims. Among issues to be decided is the meaning of "layoffs" as it relates to early retirement and retiree health care benefits stemming from the sale. Belot ruled that the question of whether Boeing breached its collective bargaining agreements should be decided through trial.===================Kansas 7th in Nation for Agricultural ExportsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new government report shows Kansas ranked seventh in the nation last year as an exporter of agricultural products to other countries. Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service on Tuesday cited a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pegging the total value of the state's 2011 farm exports at $5.3 billion. That's up 7 percent from the previous year. Wheat was the top Kansas export, accounting for 29 percent of the state's total farm exports and 14 percent of the nation's wheat exports. The value of exports increased for wheat, corn, pork, beef and veal, hides and skins. It declined for other categories. Kansas was second in the nation for wheat exports and third for beef exports.===================UPDATE: Kansas Schools to Continue Individual Decisions on JROTC CreditsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas schools will continue to decide individually whether to allow students to knock out a physical education requirement by participating in junior ROTC. On Tuesday, the Kansas Board of Education rejected a new rule that would have given students one PE credit for completing two years of junior ROTC. Kansas students are required to earn one physical education credit to graduate. Material provided to the board says 20 Kansas schools offer junior ROTC. But some give no physical education credit for the program, while others offer JROTC students a half or full PE credit. Advocates said the change would have made it easier for students to fit JROTC into schedules already packed with required classes. Opponents argued physical education and junior ROTC have different goals.=================== KCK Police Seek Help in Identifying BodyKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Kansas are asking for the public's help in identifying a man found dead in burning vehicle over the weekend. Firefighters made the discovery around 11 pm Saturday while extinguishing the flames. Police said Monday the man's death is now being investigated as a homicide. The victim is believed to have been 40 to 60 years old, with a full set of upper dentures and partial lowers. The vehicle is described as a red, 2012 Lincoln MKT crossover registered to Avis rentals. The cause of death has not been released.================== Carbon Monoxide Cited in Hotel IncidentGREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) — A south-central Kansas hotel has reopened after carbon monoxide exposure sent more than 30 people to a hospital where they were treated and released. Sunday's incident caused a brief evacuation of the Best Western Inn and Suites in Greensburg. Kiowa County Sheriff Kendal Lothman said Monday that several children had got out of the hotel swimming pool with dilated eyes and difficulty breathing. Lothman says the children had been exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide believed to result from a water heater failing to vent properly. Guests were allowed back in their rooms later Sunday, but the pool area remains closed until the problem is fixed. Hotel manager Ron Wright said Monday he was thankful nobody was seriously hurt.================== Push Continues for Statewide School Anti-Bullying PolicyWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A group of activists is planning to renew efforts to lobby the Kansas Legislature to expand the definition of bullying and cyberbullying because of ongoing problems in a south central Kansas school district. The Wichita Eagle reports that parents from the Wichita area and State Board of Education member Walt Chappell are pushing the issue to modify a bullying law passed in 2007. The law requires districts to implement anti-bullying plans but doesn't dictate how districts should handle or track reports of bullying. Calls for the legislation were prompted by bullying incidents in the Haysville district. Parents say they want districts to make sure students are safe. Critics say the bullying proposal would increase the paperwork and burden for schools as they deal with bullying incidents.================== Reminder: Texting Whereabouts of Deer Illegal in KansasPRATT, Kan. (AP) — Kansas wildlife officials are reminding hunters that it's against the law to exchange text messages on the whereabouts of deer and other game that might be headed their way. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says the law has been around in various forms for years. Officials say hunters are probably aware that they can't use two-way radios to give other hunters a heads-up about the location of a game animal moving in their direction. But that law, which prohibits the use of a radio or other mechanical device, includes cellphones. The department says a text is the same as a phone call under the law, so don't do it.================== KU Seeks $30M for New Medical BuildingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is asking the state for millions of dollars to help construct a $75 million medical building at its Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Steve Stites, a medical center official, plans to meet with Governor Sam Brownback to discuss the proposed education and training facility. The university is asking the state to provide $30 million in bonds over 10 years. It also wants the state to release $26 million of a federal refund related to payroll taxes. The university's budget request also includes nearly $3 million for improvements at the School of Medicine's Wichita campus. Last month, Brownback said a general increase in funding for higher education is unlikely but additional dollars for specific projects at the universities could be available.================== Burglaries Rise in Dodge CityDODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — Dodge City police say the western Kansas city is seeing a big increase in burglaries. Police responded to 52 burglaries at homes, businesses and vehicles in November. That's a 60 percent increase over November of last year. Police Chief Craig Mellecker says the crimes are happening across the city. He says it's not clear what is prompting the increase but he added that such crimes increase around the holidays. The Dodge City Daily Globe reports that Mellecker also says drugs often play a part in property crimes.================== Garden City Officials: Recent Fires May Be RelatedGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — Garden City law enforcement and fire officials are working to determine if five fires in the last month are connected. The Garden City Telegram says that the fires have all been reported since November 9. No one has been injured in any of the fires. Two of the fires were at vacant mobile homes. Garden City police Sergeant Michael Reagle says an 8- and 11-year-old are considered suspects in those cases but no arrests have been made. The other three fires involved fires being set to trees, grass and fences. Reagle says it's unclear if those fires are related to the other two incidents. Police have no leads or suspects in those fires.================== McPherson Will Continue Police Chaplain ProgramMCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — McPherson city officials say they plan to continue a police chaplaincy program despite a complaint from a national group that it violates the constitutional requirement for separation of church and state. Mayor Thomas Brown said Monday that discussions with the city's attorney led him to believe the program is constitutional. The city was contacted last week by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The Wisconsin-based group said a McPherson resident complained about the program. McPherson officials say chaplains will be allowed to offer counseling to officers and be present when families are notified of tragedies. The Hutchinson News reports that the program has not yet begun. Brown says the city will consider some of the issues raised by the foundation to be sure it complies with the law.================== Kansas Education Officials to Provide Cursive Instruction UpdateTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Cursive handwriting is on the agenda again during this month's Kansas Board of Education meeting. On Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Education will provide the board with a range of possible recommendations on the issue of teaching cursive. Last month, the board heard a report that interest in teaching the subject has begun to wane. A survey found 90 percent of state school districts are teaching cursive writing, generally beginning in third grade. Teachers typically spend from 15 minutes to an hour a day instructing students on cursive script. But nearly 23 percent of districts responding said teaching handwriting is not a high priority, and about 6 percent said they anticipate eventually reducing the amount of class time spent on it.==================Newspaper: Beef Tenderizing Method Has RisksKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A newspaper report says the beef industry has been using a mechanical meat tenderizing process that may increase the risk of E. coli exposure. The Kansas City Star said in a series of articles published this week that the newspaper spent a year investigating various aspects of the U.S. beef industry, looking at the largest beef packers, as well as feedlots and animal drug companies. The tenderizing method, which results in so-called "bladed" or "needled" beef, has been around for decades and involves injecting marinades into meat. The industry says the practice is safe, but food safety advocates say it can drive pathogens like E. coli deeper into the meat, requiring more cooking to destroy the E. coli. Beef industry officials respond that E. coli illnesses have declined recently.==================Kansas Supreme Court to Honor Washburn Law ProfessorTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is giving its highest award to a Washburn University law professor who formerly served as the law school's dean and has a long history of helping write legal codes. James Concannon will receive the court's Justice Award for service to the judiciary and the legal profession during a special session Friday afternoon in Topeka. Concannon has been on the Washburn law school faculty since 1973 and served as its dean from 1988 to 2001. Among other things, he serves on committees that review and revise standard instructions for juries and procedures for civil lawsuits. The Supreme Court bestows the award when it feels it has a worthy candidate in a given year.================== Graduation Looms for Fort Leavenworth OfficersFORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Military officials are preparing to graduate the latest class of officers studying at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in northeast Kansas. Nearly 335 officers and government employees, including 46 officers from other countries, will receive their degrees Thursday at Fort Leavenworth's Lewis and Clark Center. The officers began their instruction in February. General David Rodriguez, commanding general of the Army's Forces Command, will be the guest speaker. The 10-month course teaches leadership skills to perform in a variety of military operations. Fort Leavenworth has been educating international officers alongside U.S. officers since 1894.==================Texas Judge Halts Oil Pipeline WorkHOUSTON (AP) — A Texas court has ordered TransCanada to temporarily halt work on a private property where it is constructing part of an oil pipeline designed to carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. The pipeline crosses portions of Kansas. Texas County Court at Law Judge Jack Sinz signed a temporary restraining order and injunction Friday. The injunction went into effect Tuesday after Michael Bishop, the landowner, posted bond. TransCanada says this will not delay its project. Bishop argued the Canadian company defrauded him by taking his land in Nacogdoches County for a pipeline it said would carry crude oil. He argues that tar sands oil is not crude oil and that the company's claims that it is are fraudulent. The judge says there's sufficient cause to halt the project until a hearing December 19.================== 2 Arrested in Unrelated Wichita HomicidesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police are sorting out the details in a pair of weekend homicides that occurred just a few hours apart. The first took place around 9 pm Saturday, when 23-year-old George Vasquez was shot in the head after answering a knock at the front door of a home. A 28-year-old man was arrested after police found him outside arguing with two men who live at the house. Police said Monday they were seeking a motive. A suspect is also in custody the fatally stabbing of a 27-year-old man around 1 am Sunday, after a fight broke out at a party. Police say Tan Nguyen died in surgery at a Wichita hospital. Investigators say the victim was involved in a long-running feud with a brother of the 29-year-old suspect.================== Man Pleads Guilty to Beating Death in WichitaWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man will be sentenced in January after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a beating death after a dispute over ownership of a dog. Nelson R. Glover pleaded guilty Monday in the death of 47-year-old John Tolliver in his home in July. Glover also will be sentenced January 24 for robbery and aggravated battery. Police say Glover and another man beat Tolliver because of dispute between Tolliver and his ex-girlfriend over possession of a dog. The Wichita Eagle reports that the second defendant in the case, Samuel J. Sims, also has pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced January 16.================== Missouri Man Sentenced to Life for Drug TraffickingKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man convicted in a cocaine trafficking operation has been sentenced as a career offender to life in prison without parole. The U.S. Attorney's office says the sentence imposed Monday on 31-year-old Theodore Wiggins was mandatory because of his prior felony convictions for drug offenses. Prosecutors said two of those convictions involved carjackings, including one in which he shot at pursuing officers. Wiggins was found guilty in June of participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and selling cocaine to an undercover officer. Prosecutors say the conspiracy involved distribution of large amounts of powder and crack cocaine in the metro area. Twenty-four people have pleaded guilty to charges related to the operation, including a Raytown man who bought cocaine by the kilogram from suppliers in Kansas City, Kansas.================== Deer Loses Hound Pal to ShelterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The unlikely companionship that developed at a Kansas City cemetery between a stray dog and a motherless doe has ended. The doe, named Ella, and the dog have been at each other's sides in the 43-acre Elmwood Cemetery for the last few months. Cemetery officials said that although it appeared the two had a bond, they were concerned that the dog wouldn't make it through the winter. The Kansas City Star reports that crews from a local animal shelter set up a humane trap with treats and caught the dog Saturday. When people from the shelter arrived to get the dog, Ella the deer was right by the trap that held her pal. Cemetery officials say the shelter will work to get the dog adopted.==================US 71 South of KC to Be Renamed I-49KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The director of a coalition pushing for creation of a nonstop highway from New Orleans to the Canada border say Missouri's completion of its portion of the project should build momentum for Arkansas and Louisiana to finish theirs. A 180-mile stretch of U.S. 71 from Kansas City to Joplin will be officially renamed U.S. 49 at noon Wednesday, marking completion of all but about five miles of Missouri's segment. Interstate 49 International Coalition executive director Gard Wayt of Shreveport, Louisiana says his state will be finishing a portion connecting to the Arkansas border in the next six to seven months. In Arkansas, voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November to pay for continued construction of four-lane highways, including a portion of the I-49 project.================== Holiday Train Making Its Way Back to Kansas CityKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A train bringing holiday cheer is winding up its journey through the South and Midwest. The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train began its trip November 23 in Texas. It's already made stops in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Final stops were scheduled this week in Joplin, Missouri on Tuesday; Pittsburg, Kansas on Wednesday; and Drexel, Missouri on Thursday. The trip ends Friday at Kansas City's Union Station, where the train will be on display through Sunday. The train features a specially decorated engine dubbed "Rudy," a gingerbread boxcar, a flatcar carrying Santa's sleigh, plus reindeer and a miniature village. There's also a snow-covered stall filled with model train displays, the elves' workshop and even a little red caboose. Guests get to visit Santa and tour the train.================== NY Services Held for NFL Player in Murder-SuicideDIX HILLS, N.Y. (AP) — Hundreds of mourners attended a wake in New York State for Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and himself. The 25-year-old Long Island native was in an open casket in an auditorium-sized room at the Upper Room Christian World Center church in Dix Hills, 30 miles east of New York City. Police say the West Babylon, New York native shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins and then shot himself on December 1. The couple had a 3-month-old daughter, Zoey. Belcher's mother, Cheryl Shepherd, declined to speak with a reporter when contacted by telephone on Tuesday. Belcher's casket was surrounded by floral arrangements. Poster boards filled with family snapshots also were displayed. Teammates and coaches attended a service for Belcher last week in Kansas City. Belcher's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. ==================January Hearing Set for Former Independence TeacherINDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Authorities will make their case next month for trying a suburban Kansas City band teacher on charges of having sexual contact with a 14-year-old student, sometimes at school. During a court appearance Tuesday, a judge set a January 30 preliminary hearing date for 27-year-old James N. Owens. He is free on bond after being charged last month with one count each of child enticement and child molestation. His attorney, Eric Vernon, declined to comment. Court documents allege that Owens exchanged more than 100 phone calls and more than 1,500 text messages with the girl.================== Kansas Board to Consider PE Credit for JROTCTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas students could knock out a physical education requirement by participating in junior ROTC, under a proposal before the State Board of Education. If approved during Tuesday's board meeting in Topeka, the new rule would give students one PE credit for completing two years of junior ROTC. Kansas students are required to earn one physical education credit to graduate. Generally, a credit takes two semesters to earn. Material provided to the board says 20 Kansas schools offer junior ROTC. But some give no physical education credit for the program, while others offer JROTC students a half or full PE credit. Advocates say the change would make it easier for students to fit JROTC into schedules already packed with required classes. Opponents say physical education and junior ROTC have different goals.**this story has been updated. Please see above for the latest developments.

Public access to most buildings at Michigan State University will be restricted at night, school officials said a little more than two weeks after a gunman killed three students and injured five.

Investigators said in court documents that they believe five of those charged were present at the party on April 15 and "discharged firearms into the crowd," resulting in the deaths of four people.

Westar Energy Plant Fire Near Wichita Linked to Transformer Malfunction WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A fire that burned for more than four hours at a Westar Energy plant apparently began when a large transformer malfunctioned. No injuries were reported after the fire Wednesday morning at the plant just east of Colwich. The Wichita Eagle reports more than 20 fire trucks were sent to the plant northwest of Wichita. The fire burned for more than four hours before fire crews were released from the scene. Foam trucks from McConnell Air Force Base were used to help put out the fire. Westar spokesman Nick Bundy says mineral oil used to cool the transformer caught on fire. Two employees at the plant called 911. Bundy says the fire caused no power outages or evacuations. Bundy says no damage estimate was available yet.=====================UPDATE: Kansas Powerball Lottery Ticket Sales Hit $1.1M in 1 Day TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The mammoth jackpot in Wednesday night's Powerball drawing is proving irresistible to thousands of hopeful Kansans. The Kansas Lottery reports that sales of Powerball tickets in the state topped $1.1 million on Tuesday alone, for a total of nearly $1.8 million since Sunday. And that was when the jackpot was estimated at a mere $500 million. On Wednesday morning, officials of the multistate game boosted the estimated payout to $550 million. Kansas Lottery officials were expecting another huge sales day Wednesday. Ticket sales in Kansas end at 8:59 pm Central, one hour before the drawing. A winner taking the cash option of a $550 million jackpot would get $360.2 million before taxes.=====================Ex-Senator Dole Hospitalized for Routine ProcedureWASHINGTON (AP) — Former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas has checked himself into Walter Reed Army Medical Center for what his spokeswoman described as a routine procedure. Spokeswoman Marion Watkins says the 89-year-old Dole is "doing very well" and is expected to leave the hospital Wednesday. Dole's name drew mention as the Senate on Tuesday debated a U.N. treaty promoting equal rights for the disabled. Dole overcame disabling war wounds to forge a 36-year political career. In the early 1990s, he underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer and in 2001 he had surgery to treat an aneurysm. Dole spent 10 months at Walter Reed in 2010 after suffering pneumonia following knee surgery. He was the Republican nominee for president in 1996, losing to Bill Clinton.=====================Investigators: Fires in St. Marys Were ArsonST. MARYS, Kan. (AP) — Investigators in northeastern Kansas are looking for links between recent arson fires at a partly demolished grain elevator and a nearby home. The Manhattan Mercury reports officials have identified two people as "persons of interest" in the St. Marys fires. The first blaze broke out around 2 am Friday at the downtown St. Marys grain elevator owned by Nemaha County Co-op. The fire destroyed the elevator, which was being razed. It also scattered chunks of burning wood for several blocks and caused heat damage to nearby buildings. Late Sunday, another fire broke out at an unoccupied residence about a block from the elevator. Authorities say that fire was also intentionally set. St. Marys is located about 25 miles northwest of Topeka.=====================Topeka, State Win in Lawsuit over Drowning DeathsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Shawnee County judge has ruled the city of Topeka and the state of Kansas were not liable in a lawsuit filed by the father of a Topeka man who drowned when a canoe capsized in the Kansas River in 2007. Jim Bryant, the father of one of two men who drowned, alleged in the lawsuit that authorities did not adequately warn boaters of the danger posed by a low-water weir on the river. Twenty-five-year-old Joshua Bryant and 30-year-old Richard Heyroth drowned when their canoe capsized after it went over a spillway in August 2007. Shawnee County Judge Larry Hendricks on Tuesday rejected Byrant's contention. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the judge ruled the city and state did not show "wanton or gross conduct" regarding the river conditions.=====================Federal Judge Grants Extension in Salina Cleanup Settlement TalksSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has granted an extension to groups trying to reach a financial settlement to clean up contamination at a former Air Force base in Salina. Federal District Judge Carlos Murguia on Tuesday gave the groups until February 15 to finalize the financial settlement for cleaning up the pollution at the former Schilling Air Force base. The deadline had been Tuesday. Soil and groundwater at the base, which was closed in the mid-1960s, is contaminated with the toxic solvent TCE, or trichloroethylene. Several Salina public entities, including the city of Salina and the Salina Airport Authority, filed a federal lawsuit in 2010, seeking a settlement to recoup the cost of cleaning up the pollution. The parties reached a proposed deal earlier and are trying to finalize the details.===================== Former NFL Players to Meet with Military to Discuss Brain InjuriesFORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas City Chiefs players, including Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Lanier, are heading to Fort Leavenworth for talks with Army officials on traumatic brain injuries. Wednesday afternoon's meeting at the northeast Kansas post is part of an Army-NFL partnership on treating and preventing head injuries in both organizations. Lanier, who played from 1967 through 1977, serves on an NFL player safety panel studying ways to make the game safer. Lanier suffered numerous concussions in his early playing days before converting to a padded helmet and changing his tackling technique. The military has been looking at the impact of traumatic brain injuries as soldiers return from combat.=====================Woman Denied Bid to Withdraw Plea in Kansas KillingEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — A judge has refused to let a southeastern Kansas woman withdraw her guilty plea in last year's killing of her boyfriend's grandmother. Lyndsey Giovinazzo and Jacob Hoyt were both 19 when they were arrested in December 2011 in the death of Loyce Cody. The 69-year-old teacher was found strangled in her Augusta home; her car and debit cards were missing. The El Dorado Times reports Giovinazzo was in Butler County District Court on Tuesday, seeking to change her plea of guilty to first-degree murder. Judge Jan Satterfield rejected the defendant's arguments that she received poor advice from her trial attorney. Giovinazzo will be sentenced December 13. Hoyt, who was Cody's grandson, is scheduled to go on trial December 10.=====================KU Med Gets $100K for Ovarian Cancer ResearchKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas Medical Center has received a $100,000 grant for ovarian cancer research. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the grant is one of 13 announced this month from the Mary Kay Foundation. The foundation for the cosmetics company donated a total of $1.3 million to researchers around the country working on cancers that affect women. The University of Kansas Medical Center said in a release it will use the grant to help develop better technology for detecting and treating early-stage ovarian cancer.=====================Kansas State Researchers Help Sequence Wheat GenesMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University researchers have helped create a genetic blueprint for many of the traits found in the most common type of wheat. Bikram Gill and Sunish Sehgal were part of an international collaboration that sequenced most of the genes of common wheat, also known as bread wheat. Gill is the director of Kansas State's Wheat Genetics Resource Center, and Sehgal is a research associate in plant pathology. Their study appears in the November 29 issue of the journal Nature. Kansas State says researchers anticipate using the information to improve wheat genetically. The goal is to help growers meet the increasing demand for food and feed. The research also could help scientists learn more about a chromosomal driving force in plant genome evolution.=====================Arkansas River Compact Administrators Plan MeetingGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Arkansas River Compact Administration meets in Kansas next week to review operations at the John Martin Reservoir in Colorado. The panel's annual meeting takes place December 6 in Garden City. Also on the agenda are a compliance update, committee reports, and other developments from state and federal agencies. The group administers provisions of the Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact, including operations at the John Martin Reservoir. The compact was negotiated in 1948 between Kansas and Colorado to settle disputes and remove sources of future controversy over water in the Arkansas River.=====================Professional Hunter Pleads to Hunting ViolationKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Tennessee hunter featured in cable television shows admits he illegally killed a trophy deer in Kansas. Fifty-year-old William "Spook" Spann of Dickson, Tennessee pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to killing the deer in Stafford County in 2007 and taking its antlers across state lines. Federal prosecutors say Spann, who is featured on several cable television shows and hunting videos, killed the white-tail deer with an arrow on land owned by another person. His permit allowed him to hunt only on land that he owned. Attorneys have agreed to recommend a sentence of three years of probation. His hunting privileges would be suspended in the U.S. for six months, and an additional six months in Kansas. The proposed sentence includes a $10,000 fine and restitution of $10,000 to the state of Kansas.=====================Kansas Governor Launches Weight-Loss ChallengeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback and members of his Cabinet are taking the lead in a weight-loss contest aimed at encouraging Kansans to fight obesity and adopt healthier eating habits. The Republican governor on Tuesday challenged other executive, legislative and judicial branch employees to field five-member teams that will compete to lose the largest percentage of body weight. The contest will run January 15 through May 15. Brownback says the rising obesity rates in Kansas and the nation pose serious health risks. The governor said he's recruiting four members of his Cabinet to join his team. Prizes will be awarded to the top two state employee teams with the biggest weight losses by percentage. Brownback also encouraged local governments and private businesses to form teams and join the challenge.=====================Attorney: Prayer Group Killing Confession Was FabricatedKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ An attorney for a Kansas City man accused of killing the wife of his prayer group leader says he made up his confession. Twenty-three-year-old Micah Moore was charged with murder in the death of 27-year-old Bethany Deaton after he confessed to Grandview police on November 9. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday but that was delayed at prosecutors' request. Moore's attorney Melanie Morgan made a statement afterward, saying Moore didn't kill Deaton, was distraught over her death and made up his confession after being dropped off at the police station by other prayer group members. Morgan did not address Moore's allegations that he killed Deaton at the request of her husband, his prayer group leader, or that Deaton had been sexually assaulted by members of the prayer group. =====================20 KU Freshmen 'Learning Community' Finish FilmLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A new program at the University of Kansas requires high-ability students who all live near each other to complete a project connected to an introductory general-education course they all take. The Mount Oread Scholars program requires the students to take a special seminar that highlights an aspect of the class. Twenty freshmen who took part in the program this semester were enrolled in an introductory film course. They all live on the same floor of a KU residence hall. Although they weren't film majors, the students were required to produce a movie in a month-and-half. The finished product, "Te' Buffet of Life," will be shown Wednesday at the Kansas Union. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the students say the program taught them a lot about teamwork.=====================Judge Sets Hearing over Meatpacking SettlementWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has set a hearing over a proposed class action settlement in a lawsuit by workers against the Creekstone Farms slaughterhouse in Arkansas City. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren on Wednesday set a fairness hearing on the motion for approval for December 17 at the federal courthouse in Topeka. The lawsuit alleged that Creekstone failed to pay employees for all of the time they worked. Creekstone Farms said it paid for all time worked, including overtime. Under the proposed $195,000 settlement, about $110,000 would be split among the 144 class members. The amount paid each worker would be based on how many overtime weeks the employee worked during the three-year claim period. Most of the rest of the money would go to the employees' attorneys.=====================Ex-NFL Player to Give KSU Commencement SpeechMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas State football captain Nick Leckey is graduating and speaking at the university's December commencement nine years after leaving for the NFL without a degree. Leckey earned a Super Bowl ring in 2009 as a center with the New Orleans Saints. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. But he remained 46 credits short of the college degree he'd promised his mother and his aunt he would finish. After leaving pro football and moving from Phoenix to Kansas City, he began taking classes at Kansas State as a distance student. Now, he's about to receive a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management. Leckey also will give the student commencement address December 8 for the College of Human Ecology.=====================Missouri Body Shop Owner Admits $2M Bank FraudKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The former owner of a northwest Missouri auto body shop has admitted defrauding three banks of more than $2 million. The U.S. Attorney's office says 35-year-old Clint Edward Dukes, of Mayview, pleaded guilty to bank fraud Wednesday in federal court. Dukes owned the now-defunct Dukes Auto Repair in Higginsville from 2004 to 2011. In his plea, Dukes admitted obtaining nearly $3 million in loans from First Community Bank, US Bank and First Central Bank by falsely claiming he had repair contracts with the state. He also used phony paperwork to hide the fact that he was using loans from each bank to pay off previous loans from the other banks. Prosecutors put the total loss to the banks from the seven-year scheme at slightly more than $2 million.=====================Klein, Manziel Lead Walter Camp Award FinalistsNEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o are among the five finalists for the Walter Camp player of the year award. Oregon running back Kenjon Barner and Southern California receiver Marqise Lee are the other finalists. The award will be presented Thursday, December 6. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck won last year's Walter Camp Award.=====================Record Powerball Jackpot Boosted to $550MDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The record Powerball lottery jackpot is now even bigger. Powerball officials say they've boosted the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing to $550 million from the previously posted $425 million. People in Kansas and 41 other states have been snapping up tickets, pushing the payout higher. Record jackpots often encourage players who usually sit on the sidelines to play, and group purchases from work pools increase. The jackpot is the largest ever for the Powerball game and the second largest lottery jackpot of all time, eclipsed only by the $656 million Mega Millions record set in March. **this story has been updated. Please see above.

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