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Several of the artworks in the exhibition are coming to the U.S. for the first time. "He never saw a wall that he couldn't envision covered with a large Tintoretto," says co-curator Robert Echols.

Kansas House Panel Endorses Concealed Carry BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has endorsed a bill expanding the number of public buildings where people with concealed-carry permits may bring firearms. The Federal and State Affairs Committee also amended the measure Wednesday to allow local school boards and state university and college presidents to designate employees who can carry concealed weapons inside their buildings, even if their institutions don't generally allow it. The committee's voice vote sent the bill to the House for debate. Kansas now prohibits concealed firearms in most government buildings. The bill would let the state, cities, counties and townships ban concealed guns in their buildings only if they had electronic equipment and officers at public entrances to check for weapons. Public institutions of higher learning could still exempt themselves from the requirement for four years.================== Kansas Panel Examines Teacher Bargaining Rights BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has heard conflicting opinions about the merits of a bill that would narrow the topics for negotiation in teacher contract talks. Proponents told the committee Wednesday that school districts need more flexibility in contract negotiations. They said the changes would give school boards and administrators more options in assigning teachers and organizing schools. But educators say the changes would be demoralizing to public school staff members and damaging to classroom learning. Opponents include the Kansas National Education Association, which calls the measure part of a broader attack on teachers and their profession. The bill would reduce the number of issues that teachers could negotiate with local school boards. For example, teachers could still negotiate such things as pay and sick leave, but not performance evaluations.==================Two Found Dead in Northeast Kansas ParkSHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Two women have been found shot to death along a trail in a suburban Kansas City park. Shawnee police called Johnson County Med-Act around 2:30 pm Wednesday to verify that two bodies found along a trail in Gary Haller Streamway Park were dead. The trail is part of a 17-mile system of walking and bicycle trails that runs from the Kansas River south through the cities of Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe, Med-Act spokeswoman Angela Fera says the emergency medical services crew found two women in their 50s with gunshot wounds to the head and obviously deceased. She says it appears the bodies had been on the trail for some time. Fera says police didn't say who found the bodies.================== Kansas Insurance Regulator Backs Medicaid ExpansionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger says she supports an expansion of the state's Medicaid program encouraged by the federal government's overhaul of health care. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Praeger said Tuesday that Kansas is hurting poor residents by not expanding Medicaid coverage for the needy and disabled. The federal health care law promises to pay for most of the expansion. Praeger already has broken with many fellow Kansas Republicans, including Governor Sam Brownback, over the 2010 federal health care law. The insurance commissioner has praised the overhaul as a step toward universal access to health care. A resolution expressing opposition to expanding Medicaid is pending in the Kansas House. Brownback has not taken a position on the issue, saying he will leave it to the Legislature.================== Kansas Supreme Court Hears Appeal in Student's DeathTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A defense attorney is asking the Kansas Supreme Court to order a new trial for a man convicted of raping and killing an El Dorado teenager who led a secret life as an Internet porn model. Capital appellate defender Debra Wilson argued during a Wednesday hearing on behalf of Israel Mireles. He received a life sentence for the 2007 death of 18-year-old Emily Sander in an El Dorado motel room. Wilson said jurors should have been instructed they could find that Mireles was so intoxicated after leaving a bar with Sander that he could not have formed the intent to kill her. The state contends evidence that Mireles intended to kill the Butler Community College student was overwhelming. Sander was also known as Internet model Zoey Zane.==================Kansas Gov's Office Taking Internship ApplicationsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's office is taking applications from college students for internships in his office and some state agencies. The application deadline is March 15. The internships are open to college juniors and seniors, as well as graduate students and law students. Brownback's office says the goal is to give the students hands-on experience in state government. Not all of the internships will be paid positions. The administration typically has had from 15 to 20 interns in the past. Agencies that have had interns include the departments of Commerce, Revenue and Transportation. Information about the program is available on the governor's website.================== KBA Investing $375K in Medical Device CompanyOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bioscience Authority is investing $375,000 in an Olathe company that develops medical devices. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the authority's executive committee approved the equity investment for Novita Therapeutics on Monday. Novita has received a total of $900,000 in equity investments from the KBA in 2011 and 2012. It's based at the headquarters of the Bioscience Authority, which is an autonomous agency created by Kansas lawmakers to nurture and invest in emerging biotechnology. Among Novita's medical products being developed are devices to aid in dialysis treatments and treat brain aneurysms. A Novita official says the company aims to provide the authority with a return of five to 10 times its investment.================== State Closes 10 Taco Tico Locations for Unpaid TaxesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state has closed 10 Taco Tico fast-food restaurants and seized their assets for failure to pay $400,000 in taxes. The Kansas Department of Revenue closed six of the restaurants Tuesday in Wichita, and one each in Topeka, Derby, Dodge City and Arkansas City. The state says the restaurants' owner, Ajax International Group, owed $434,939 in state sales taxes from June 2011 through October 2012. An attorney for the owner of Ajax International told The Wichita Eagle that the company will try to reopen the restaurants Wednesday. Attorney Bill Zimmerman says the two options are either to get on a payment plan or declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Taco Ticos in Augusta, Newton and El Dorado are not corporate restaurants and remained open.==================Lawrence Approves Agreement for Sports ComplexLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence city commissioners have approved agreements for a city-owned recreation center and tax abatements for a larger project that will include athletic facilities for the University of Kansas. The commissioners Tuesday night approved a development agreement for a $25 million Rock Chalk recreation center. And they approved an ordinance to give a 100 percent property tax abatement for the next 10 years for the larger project, which includes privately owned athletic facilities for the university. The commission approved the property tax abatement even after its key advisory board on economic development failed to recommend it earlier Tuesday. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the larger Rock Chalk Park project will include track and field, soccer and softball stadiums for the university.================== State to Take Over Operation of Nature CenterGALENA, Kan. (AP) — The state says it will take over the operation of a southeast Kansas nature center. The Kansas Wildlife, Parks & Tourism announced Tuesday it will begin running the Southeast Kansas Nature Center in Galena, pending approvals from the center's board and Galena City Council. The Joplin Globe reports that the state already is advertising for a director. Mike Rader, of the parks department, says services and operations at the center will not change much, unless the new director proposes new programs. The center currently is funded mostly by donations and run by volunteers. Supporters say it is the only area in Kansas that still contains part of the Ozarks. The state also operates a nature center in Junction City.================== Salina Baby Dies at Wichita HospitalWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Salina police are investigating the death of baby girl as a possible case of child abuse. The baby's name and age have not been released. KAKE-TV reports the child was brought Monday from Salina to Wichita's Wesley Medical Center. She died Tuesday afternoon. Doctors called Wichita police after X-rays showed the baby had 13 broken bones in various stages of healing. The Salina Police Department has taken over the investigation.==================Authorities Identify Fugitive Shot by Kansas FarmerWELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have identified a 42-year-old Iowa fugitive who was fatally shot by a farmer in south-central Kansas. Sumner County Sheriff Darren Chambers says Joseph L. Lamasters, of Creston, Iowa, was wanted in that state for a probation violation stemming from drug charges. KSN-TV reports that Kansas authorities began searching for Lamasters after he left his ID at a Kansas Turnpike tollbooth Monday, apparently to retrieve money to pay the toll. That's when authorities learned he was wanted in Iowa. Lamasters ran into a wooded area and was spotted later Monday afternoon by a farmer. The farmer says he opened fire after Lamasters jumped out from a pile of feed sacks and threatened to kill him. The sheriff says it was self-defense and he does not expect the farmer to be charged.==================Evaluation Sought in Kansas Sperm Donor CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A lawyer representing a 3-year-old girl who is at the center of a sperm donor child support case is seeking input from a psychologist. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Wednesday that Jill Dykes wants a Shawnee County judge to order a psychologist to evaluate the child and offer a recommendation. Dykes made the request in a motion filed Monday. A Topeka man says he signed a contract waiving his parental rights and responsibilities when he answered an online ad from a lesbian couple seeking a sperm donor. But because no doctor was involved in the artificial insemination, the state sought to hold him financially responsible when the women split and the birth mother sought public assistance. The birth mother's former partner is seeking the right to co-parent the girl.================== Kansas State Parks Offering Open HousesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Just in time to start thinking about getting outdoors again, Kansas is offering free admission and special activities at all 21 state parks on Saturday. The Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says the open houses will include camping at offseason prices and the opportunity to reserve cabins and campsites for the season ahead. Hours and activities on Saturday will vary from park to park. At Cedar Bluff, there's a free hot dog feed starting at 11:30 am, while courtesy boat inspections will be offered at Crawford, Milford and Tuttle Creek. Elk City will have a one-mile nature hike and a fishing derby for kids. And several parks will have presentations or instruction on archery, fishing and other sports. Information about Kansas state parks is available on the department's website.==================Hundreds Attend Benefit for Former KC RestaurantKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate a Kansas City restaurant that was destroyed in an explosion at a benefit for its former employees. More than 1,200 people attended the benefit Tuesday for JJ's restaurant, a Country Club Plaza restaurant destroyed February 19 by the explosion. One employee was killed and 15 other people were injured. About three dozen restaurants contributed to Friends of JJ's Benefit and several Kansas City artists performed. Part of the event's proceeds will go to the Megan Cramer Foundation for the Arts. Cramer, a server at JJ's, died in the explosion. Other proceeds will help the injured and workers who lost their jobs. Owner Jimmy Frantze said he was overwhelmed by the response. He has not said if he will rebuild the restaurant.================== 74-Foot Screen to Debut at KC's Union StationKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A movie screen billed as the largest in the region is making its debut at Kansas City's Union Station. Union Station officials say they'll open the 74-foot Extreme Screen Theatre at 9 pm Thursday with a special advance showing of Disney's 3D film, "Oz The Great and Powerful." Starting Friday, when the film opens nationwide, five daily show times will be offered. The five-story-high screen is part of a renovation that transformed the movie theater into a 3-D digital theater. The screen was trucked to Kansas City from Canada.================== 20 Years Later, I-70 Killings Still UnsolvedINDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A central Indiana police chief is still hoping for a break in the unsolved killings of six people two decades after that multistate crime spree. Cumberland, Indiana Police Chief Michael Crooke was an Indianapolis homicide detective when 26-year-old Robin Fuldauer became the first victim in April 1992. She was slain at an Indianapolis shoe store. Crooke retired from the Indianapolis police force in 2004, but he tells The Indianapolis Star that he continues working on the case and hears from someone about once a month about the killings. Four of the six killings were in strip malls along Interstate 70: two in Missouri and two in Indiana. Two other victims were slain at a Wichita bridal shop near Interstate 35. All six victims were killed by the same .22 caliber weapon.================== Wichita Man Pleads Guilty in Good Samaritan's DeathWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A Wichita man pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of a man who was trying to break up a fight. Twenty-two-year-old Christopher Cervantes was scheduled to go on trial this week for second-degree murder. Instead, he pleaded guilty Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter in death of 30-year-old Bradley J. Wellbrock. Wellbrock was killed in January 2012 after intervening in a dispute between a man and a woman. Cervantes's attorney said the stabbing occurred during a brawl involving two groups of people. Cervantes will be sentenced April 24.==================Family Still Hoping to Solve 2008 Olathe HomicideOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The family of an Olathe woman whose burned body was found in 2008 is still hoping someone will come forward to help solve the case. Tammy K. Cochran's body was found on March 5, 2008 near a boat ramp close to the Kansas River. Her family says she was strangled before her body was burned and police are investigating the death as a homicide. A reward of up to $18,000 is still available for tips that help solve the case. Her family says Cochran struggled with drug addiction but was trying to turn her life around when she was killed.================== Kansas Man Enters Alford Plea in Child Sex CaseARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — An Arkansas City man has entered an Alford plea in case involving the sexual abuse of four girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years old. Fifty-year-old Jerry Wayne Mills entered the plea Tuesday on four counts, including one rape charge. He had originally faced 11 charges involving a total of seven victims. With an Alford plea, Mills maintains his innocence but acknowledges the state had enough evidence to convict him. Mills' attorney says he decided to accept the plea bargain to avoid facing several life sentences. The Arkansas City Traveler reports that Mills will be sentenced April 11. Mills remains in the Cowley County Jail on $100,000 bond.================== Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Drug CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas woman was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for her role in trafficking prescription drugs that led to a man's death. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced Tuesday that 61-year-old Connie Edwards, of Ottawa, led a drug trafficking ring that sold drugs to a man who died in May 2009. The man used prescription drugs and a toxic white power that he had been told was methamphetamine. Edwards led the drug ring from November 2007 to February 2012. Authorities began investigating Edwards in 2010 after they were told she let her tenants pay rent in pills and pay for pills with stolen goods. Another Ottawa resident was sentenced to five years of probation and eight others are awaiting sentencing for their parts in the drug distribution.================== Another Missouri Town Restricts Funeral ProtestsWEBSTER GROVES, Mo. (AP) — Webster Groves has joined the list of St. Louis-area towns placing restrictions on protests at funerals. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Webster Groves City Council approved the limits Tuesday. Other St. Louis County towns like Clayton and Creve Coeur have also passed laws restricting protests by groups such as the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church. The Webster Groves measure, passed 7-0, bans picketing within 300 feet of where a funeral or burial service is taking place, as well as one hour before and after the service. Westboro Baptist members often hold anti-gay protests at military funerals and other events.================== Missouri Senator Introduces New Tax Overhaul ProposalJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri senator is rolling out a new proposal to overhaul the state's taxes in an effort to keep pace with neighboring states such as Kansas. A proposal expected to be debated Wednesday in the Senate would gradually reduce the state's income tax rate by 1 percent over five years while gradually increasing the state sales tax by one-half percent over that same period. The plan, from Republican state Senator Will Kraus, of Lee's Summit, is estimated by his office to result in a roughly $600 million state tax reduction once fully phased in. In addition to an overall income tax cut for individuals and businesses, the plan includes an extra tax reduction for lower-income residents. It also attempts to collect taxes from more Internet sales.================== Royals' Hosmer to Replace Teixeira in WBCSURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer will replace the injured Mark Teixeira on the United States team at the World Baseball Classic. Teixeira strained his forearm while swinging off a tee on Tuesday. Hosmer will leave the Royals' spring training complex and meet up with the USA before its exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hosmer received a text message Tuesday night from Tony Clark of the players union, asking if he'd be interested in a spot on the roster.

Florida ends UConn's bid to repeat — again — in Sunday action that saw a memorable buzzer-beater. Meanwhile, South Carolina advances in the women's tournament, which rounds out its Sweet 16 on Monday.

The field of the top 10 races most likely to flip finds Republicans making serious runs at five Democratic-controlled seats and Democrats contending in the other five.

In Sinners, Ryan Coogler creates a bold original vision, and Michael B. Jordan is at the top of his game.

If Dominion prevails in its massive defamation suit against Fox News, a big challenge for the voting tech company will be to demonstrate that it deserves more than $1 billion in damages.

The ex-president left Brazil for Florida a week before his supporters rioted in Brasilia. Analysts say his special diplomatic visa expired Tuesday, leaving U.S. authorities to decide his legal status.

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, a group of volunteer sleuths came forward to assist law enforcement in an unprecedented effort to identify possible suspects.

ACLU Seeks to Block KS Voter-Citizenship Move TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is asking a Kansas judge to bar Secretary of State Kris Kobach from starting what the group calls a dual voting system to help enforce a proof-of-citizenship requirement. The ACLU filed a request Friday with Shawnee County District Judge Franklin Theis for a temporary injunction to keep Kobach from imposing a new election policy for the state's August 5 primary. Kobach has said the relative handful of Kansas residents who register to vote using a national form will be allowed to complete full ballots at the polls, but only their votes in congressional races will be counted. The national registration form does not require voters to submit documentation of their U.S. citizenship. The state's registration form does.=============================Budget Cuts Could Affect Army Installations in KS FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Army says budget cuts could mean the loss of thousands of soldiers and employees at Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth. However, fort officials say the report released Thursday is a worst-case scenario and the reductions aren't likely to be as severe as predicted. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the report said Fort Riley could lose 16,000 soldiers and civilian employees, with another 3,600 jobs related to the base also eliminated. The fort currently has about 20,000 soldiers and civilian employees The Army says Fort Leavenworth could lose 2,500 of its 5,004 employees. Fort Riley spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan says the numbers in such reports are speculation, and he does not expect the fort's population to ever drop that low because its troops are needed too often.=============================KS Poll Shows Leads for Democrat Davis and Republican RobertsA new statewide poll in Kansas shows likely Democratic nominee for governor Paul Davis 6 percentage points ahead of incumbent Republican Governor Sam Brownback. The SurveyUSA poll has Davis with 47 percent of the vote to the governor's 41 percent. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a key factor in the governor's race appears to be a movement by registered Republicans away from Brownback. One in four Republicans told pollsters they would likely cross party lines and vote for Davis. The poll also shows Republican incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts comfortably ahead of his primary challenger. Roberts is ahead of tea party backed challenger Milton Wolf 56 percent to 23 percent. The SurveyUSA poll was commissioned by KSN-TV in Wichita.The poll surveyed 2,200 voters in Kansas last week. The margin of error is set at 3.1 percent in the governor's race and 4.4 percent in the Senate race.============================= Kansas Agency Says Coal-Fired Plant Would Meet StandardsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman says the agency believes a new coal-fired power plant in the southwest part of the state would comply with all federal and state air-quality laws. KDHE spokeswoman Sara Belfry made the statement Friday after the Sierra Club filed a new lawsuit with the state Court of Appeals over the $2.8 billion project proposed by Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corporation. KDHE Secretary Robert Moser last month approved changes in a 2010 permit to allow construction of the 895-megawatt plant outside Holcomb. The changes were necessary because of a Kansas Supreme Court ruling last year in an earlier Sierra Club lawsuit. The Sierra Club contends that even with the changes, the plant wouldn't comply with federal clean-air rules.=============================Wolf to Air TV Ads in US Senate Race in KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Tea party challenger Milton Wolf says he's reserved $250,000 in television advertising time for his U.S. Senate race, but Republican incumbent Pat Roberts's camp says it has spent twice that in recent weeks. Wolf announced Friday that he's reserved time on cable and broadcast stations throughout Kansas starting Wednesday and running through the August 5 GOP primary. Spokesman Ben Hartman said Wolf will start next week with an ad his campaign first aired on cable in April. It touts Wolf's work as a Leawood radiologist and notes Roberts's long tenure in Washington. But Roberts executive campaign manager Leroy Towns said that since late May, the senator's campaign has spent more than $500,000 on radio and TV ads. Towns said the Roberts camp will continue to make substantial ad buys.=============================KS Supreme Court Rules KU Hospital Responsible for Unpaid BillTOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the University of Kansas Hospital Authority must cover the cost of treating an injured man who had been awaiting detention on immigration violations. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Alberto Contreras Gonzalez broke his hip in 2006 after jumping out a window at the Wabaunsee County jail facility. He was not under arrest and had not been taken into custody at that time. Contreras reportedly received about $140,000 worth of treatment for his injuries at KU Hospital. Today's (FRI) ruling established that under Kansas law, a county is responsible only for medical bills of prison inmates or people being held in county custody who cannot pay the cost of their treatment. The hospital argued that it provided a service to Wabaunsee County by treating Contreras, and the county therefore should pay for that service. But the court said that because Contreras was not legally in the county's custody at the time of the incident, the county had no obligation to pay.==============================Reward Increased in Disappearance of KS BoyEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — The reward is up to $100,000 for solving the 1999 disappearance of an 11-year-old southeast Kansas boy whose adoptive parents never reported him missing. An anonymous donor who wanted to see closure for the family of Adam Herrman put up a $50,000 cash reward in December. KWCH-TV reports Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet announced Thursday that an additional $50,000 is now offered. Herzet told reporters he personally does not believe Adam is still alive. Adam disappeared from the adoptive family's Towanda home in 1999 but wasn't reported missing until 2008, when his older sister contacted authorities. He remains the subject of a missing person investigation. His adoptive parents, Doug and Valerie Herrman, were convicted in 2011 of continuing to receive state adoption subsidies after Adam disappeared.===============================Manhattan Man Killed in Bike-Pickup CrashMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A 49-year-old Manhattan man has died after the bicycle he was on was struck from behind by a pickup truck. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports Mark M. Jilka died as he was riding the bike on the shoulder of a highway outside Manhattan on Thursday night. The patrol says the pickup truck hit Jilka's bike from behind. Jilka was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The patrol says the pickup driver wasn't injured.==============================Opening of World's Tallest Water Slide DelayedKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The debut of the world's tallest water slide has been delayed for a third time and there's no word on when the Kansas City, Kansas, attraction will be ready for riders. Schlitterbahn Waterpark says Verruckt will not open as scheduled on Sunday. The park's news release, sent Thursday night, offers no explanation for the delay. Problems with the conveyor system that hauls four-person rafts to the top of the 17-story slide forced park officials to cancel two media sneak preview days this week. Guinness World Records certified Verruckt as the world's tallest water slide in April. The ride's official opening date was moved from May 23 to June 5 for more testing, then was pushed back again to June 29.============================= Postal Service Officially Changes St. John NameST. JOHN, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service has conceded to the small central Kansas town of St. John. After complaints from residents, the postal service says the town's name will be changed in its database from Saint John to St John. However, it won't have the period behind the "S-T" because the service's database does not include any periods. That's mostly OK with the residents who started an online petition last week to have the name changed from the spelled-out Saint John to the abbreviated version. They said the incorrect spelling sometimes causes incorrect information or confusion when someone searches for the town on the Internet. The Wichita Eagle reports Senator Jerry Moran's office said Thursday that the name had been officially changed in the postal service's database.=============================Woman Unhurt as Bullet Travels Through MattressSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a Salina woman is lucky to have escaped injury when a bullet fired into her home struck her bed and traveled through the mattress. The Salina Journal reports that the shot was one of two fired into the woman's home as she slept around 11:30 pm Thursday. A house across the street was also hit by a bullet that was found in a closet. Investigators continued looking Friday for whoever was firing multiple shots with a high-powered rifle. Police Captain Mike Sweeney says two rounds entered the rear of the sleeping woman's home. One came through a bedroom wall, struck the headboard and traveled through the mattress and a front wall. That bullet was found on the porch. Officers did not immediately find the second bullet.=============================58 Chickens, 2 Turkeys Removed from Wichita HomeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say charges are possible after 60 birds and four guinea pigs were removed from a home. Animal control officers who went to the home in west Wichita Thursday found the animals in the basement and called police and firefighters for help. Police Lieutenant Dan East said firefighters had to use breathing apparatus while removing the animals because the smell of waste was so strong. All the chickens and turkeys had to be euthanized but the guinea pigs were taken to an animal shelter. KAKE-TV reports that two adults and five children live in the home. The couple told police they had so many chickens because they like fresh eggs. East says the animals had been living at the home for at least two weeks.==============================Man Sentenced in Wichita Fire, Child's DeathWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man who was left his girlfriend's young children alone before a fire broke out at their home was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. Twenty-four-year-old Adrian Johnson was sentenced Thursday for three counts of child endangerment and three felony drug counts. Prosecutors say Ruthie Bell left her three children with Johnson on July 11 while she went to work. Johnson left the children alone, and Bell's 6-year-old daughter, Ja'Kara Dickson, found a lighter and started her clothes on fire, which spread to the house. She died two days later. Her sisters weren't seriously injured. Bell was sentenced Wednesday to probation. The state has custody of Bell's five children but she is trying to regain custody.==============================Lecompton Celebrating Historic RootsLECOMPTON, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas town is celebrating its place in state history this weekend with the annual Lecompton Territorial Days, including a display of maps dating to the mid-1800s. Events begin Friday evening in Lecompton, located on the Kansas River between Topeka and Lawrence. The town was the site of the territorial capital before statehood and focus of debate whether Kansas would be a free or slave state when admitted to the Union. In 1858, a brawl broke out in the U.S. House over the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution, which was narrowly rejected. A collection of 30 maps of the territory and United States have been digitized. Several of the maps belonged to the Lecompton Historical Society. Other events include a Saturday parade, demonstrations of pioneer life, games, music and food.===============================Orman Opens Campaign Office in ShawneeSHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) _ A northeast Kansas businessman running as an independent for U.S. Senate has opened his headquarters and named a campaign manager. Greg Orman announced yesterday that his new headquarters is in the city of Shawnee. He also announced that the leader of his campaign team is veteran political consultant Jim Jonas.==============================Bids Come in High for KU Basketball Rules Home LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Construction of a center to house the original rules for basketball on the University of Kansas campus will be delayed because bids for the project came in higher than expected. The building will hold James Naismith's rules of basketball, which were purchased by David and Suzanne Booth for $4.3 million in 2010 and donated to the university. Dale Seuferling, president of the Kansas University Endowment Association, says the high construction bids for the $18 million project might require some changes to the building. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the bids were all more than the contract, although no bid was more than 10 percent higher. Seuferling said he expected the final bid to be awarded next month and construction to start in August.=============================Kansas State Trooper Charged with Assault, ThreatsGREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper faces multiple felony charges stemming from a domestic dispute with his wife. A complaint filed Friday charges 37-year-old Darrin Duane Hirsh of Great Bend with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal threat, domestic battery, two counts of witness intimidation and two counts of violation of a restraining order. Hirsh was released on a $50,000 bond after his arrest Thursday night. A first court appearance is scheduled for July 21. It wasn't immediately clear Friday whether Hirsh has an attorney. A phone number listed at his address rang unanswered. The aggravated assault charge stems from a 2013 incident during which he allegedly threatened his wife with a handgun. The patrol says Hirsh is on leave without pay pending an internal investigation. ==============================Ex-Insurance Agent Heads to Theft TrialWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The attorney for a former Kansas insurance agent accused of stealing nearly $2 million from policyholders says the case is expected to go to trial. Kari Schmidt said Thursday that her client, Jason Matthew Pennington, has not reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors. He is charged with 47 counts that include wire and mail fraud and money laundering. Schmidt says she believes his case will be going to trial in August. Pennington's father, James L. Pennington, is also charged. A court notation Thursday listed a change-of-plea hearing for the father July 14. The elder Pennington is charged with four counts of filing a false tax return. His attorney declined comment.==============================Two of NBA's Top Three Draft Picks Are JayhawksFor the first time since 1988, a member of the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team was the overall number-1 pick in the NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins last night (THUR) with that top pick. Teammate Joel Embiid went third overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. Also, Cleanthony Early of Wichita State was taken in the second round by the New York Knicks.============================= New Mexico County in Prairie Chicken LawsuitLOVINGTON, N.M. (AP) — Commissioners in a southeastern New Mexico county have voted to officially join a lawsuit to fight the listing of the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. The Hobbs (New Mexico) News-Sun reports that Lea County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to add the county's name to a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Earlier this month, Lea County was listed in a joint complaint, filed in a federal court in Texas, that includes the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and four other New Mexico counties. Ranchers and oil companies believe the listing will have a negative effect on the ranching, oil and gas industries in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. That's where the chicken's habitat is known. In March, the Obama administration listed the prairie chicken as threatened.==============================Former KS Bank Worker Pleads Guilty to FraudWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former southeast Kansas bank supervisor has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $2.6 million from her employer over a 10-year span. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says 55-year-old Cynthia Bright of Girard pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to one count of bank fraud. She admitted stealing the money while working as operations supervisor at Girard National Bank. Bright used several different methods to steal the funds, including writing checks on her own accounts and altering electronic bank records to show the checks had cleared, even though money would not be taken from her account. Grissom says Bright and the government have agreed to recommend a five-year prison sentence and a restitution order for the full amount of the thefts. Sentencing is scheduled for September 15.=============================Sedgwick County Deputy Sentenced to ProbationWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Sedgwick County Jail deputy accused of trying to have sex with inmates has been sentenced to two years of probation. The Wichita Eagle reports that David Kendall was sentenced Friday. He pleaded no contest in May to six counts of attempted unlawful sexual relations with inmates and one count of making a false information. The crimes under Kendall's plea agreement carry the presumption of probation. The judge said Kendall would have to register as a sex offender and undergo a sex-offender evaluation, and that if it showed he needed treatment, he would have to get treatment. The crimes under the plea agreement involved attempted consensual sex with six different inmates in April and June of 2012. Kendall resigned after the allegations were made against him.===============================Indictment: Wichita Escort Service Front for ProstitutionWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have used a federal racketeering law to indict a Wichita woman on charges of running an escort service as a front for prostitution. An indictment unsealed Thursday charges 60-year-old Saundra J. Lacy with 27 counts of racketeering in promotion of prostitution. The U.S. Attorney's office says prosecutors do not know if Lacy has a lawyer yet. She is in custody and is expected to make a court appearance Friday. The phone at her business, Jessie's Primetime Entertainment, has been disconnected. Prosecutors allege Lacy required escorts to carry condoms and engage in sex at the customer's request. Escorts typically charged $160 for a half hour and $185 for an hour. The business allegedly had as many as 20 escorts who accepted credit cards and offered customers discount coupons.================================Case Against Kansas Abortion Rights PAC DismissedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Federal Election Commission has dismissed an anti-abortion group's complaint alleging that an abortion rights political action committee helped finance the operations of a new clinic in Wichita. The political action committee, Trust Women, announced Thursday it received a notice from the FEC this week dismissing the complaint filed last year by Operation Rescue. The Trust Women Foundation opened a clinic last year in the late Dr. George Tiller's former medical building. Tiller was among a few U.S. physicians known to perform late-term abortions and was murdered in 2009. The separate Trust Women PAC disbanded in May. Operation Rescue alleged that the PAC was improperly funding the clinic's operations. The PAC acknowledged small loans to the clinic. The FEC said loans from the PAC to the clinic would not be illegal.================================KC, Other MO Cities Not Following St. Louis Marriage ChallengeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A spokeswoman for Kansas City's mayor says he would take actions similar to that of his St. Louis counterpart on same-sex marriage — if the city's charter allowed it. Four same-sex couples were married Thursday in St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's office to challenge Missouri's constitutional prohibition against gay marriage. A federal appeals court in Denver ruled on Wednesday that states cannot prevent gay couples from marrying. Joni Wickham, spokeswoman for Kansas City Mayor Sly James, says the city's council-manager form of government prevents James from making unilateral decisions on gay marriage. Slay heads a strong mayor form of government and has the authority to take actions like those Thursday. Officials in Springfield and Columbia say they have seen no signs of similar decisions by their municipal leaders.================================Wichita Medical School Prepares for ExpansionWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita is assessing its facilities as it develops plans for a future expansion. The university hired an architecture and design firm from Kansas City to do the assessment. School officials will use that report to estimate costs of the expansion before asking the Kansas Legislature for additional funding. Dean Garold Minns says he hopes to have the information ready by the September. The Wichita Eagle reports the expansion plans are part of goal to eventually have all 80 students spend all four years of their education on the Wichita campus Currently, some of the students complete the first half of their medical training in Kansas City.============================Joplin to Help Nebraska Tornado VictimsJOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Residents of a southwest Missouri city devastated by a 2011 tornado are reaching out to the northeast Nebraska town of Pilger, which was torn apart by a tornado last week. Joplin residents on Thursday announced a "Joplin Loves Pilger" campaign to help victims of the June 16 tornado in Pilger. The Joplin Globe reports the campaign includes a Facebook page to offer encouragement and an account at Pinnacle Bank in Joplin, with all proceeds to go to the Pilger Community Development Fund. The May 2011 tornado damaged hundreds of homes and businesses and killed 161 people in Joplin. Joplin resident Doug Hunt, who was working Saturday in Pilger, says the campaign is part of his efforts to thank you to people who helped him and his city.

Here's a look at area headlines from the Associated Press, as compiled by KPR news staffers.