Search results for

Author Zadie Smith says she'll miss being young. In this week's Wild Card, Smith opens up about having enough time and growing older.

These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!

Here's a commercial-free summary of KPR news headlines, as heard on the radio. This summary, free from pop-up ads and embedded videos, is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today. This summary is generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated through 7 pm.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for most of eastern Kansas through Tuesday morning, with up to two inches of snowfall possible in many areas.

Months after the controversial arrests, one case ended with a plea deal and at least three have been dismissed. And attorneys say Florida's cases face a tough road — even if they make it to trial.

Kansas Voters' Limbo Shows Hitch in Registration LawTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Nearly 15,000 Kansas residents who registered to vote are having their voting rights held up under a new law requiring voters to prove U.S. citizenship. The law took effect in January and aims to keep immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally and other noncitizens from casting fraudulent ballots. Critics say its enforcement in Kansas and a handful of other Republican-dominated states disenfranchises voters who haven't produced a birth certificate, passport or other acceptable proof. The voters in limbo in Kansas are enough to swing a close statewide race. The American Civil Liberties Union is threatening a federal lawsuit. Secretary of State Kris Kobach promises Kansas will keep enforcing the law. He says the state is lenient in allowing people to fill out registration forms but present papers later.==================Wichita Lawmaker to Resign After Special SessionWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A longtime Kansas House member says he'll resign from the Legislature at the end of next month's special session. Democrat Nile Dillmore told The Wichita Eagle on Thursday the decision is tied to his planned October retirement from his regular job with a Wichita credit union. The 65-year-old lawmaker says it's time for him to seek "some other things to do." Dillmore was first elected to the House in 2000. After a federal court-ordered redrawing of the state's political boundaries last year, he defeated Republican state Representative Brenda Landwehr of Wichita to retain his seat. He serves on the House Appropriations, Taxation and Elections committees. Lawmakers convene their special session September 3 to rewrite a law allowing judges to sentence convicted murderers to at least 50 years in prison.==================Immigration Debate Heated at Kansas Lawmaker's ForumTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas congresswoman's town hall meeting grew heated as the discussion turned to immigration, and a pastor found himself shouted down for suggesting compassion for immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the Reverend Jason Schoff faced shouts of "They're illegal" when he spoke during Wednesday's event at a Topeka hotel hosted by 2nd District Republican Lynn Jenkins. Jenkins discussed her support work by GOP leaders in the U.S. House on an alternative a bipartisan Senate proposal offering a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants. Schoff is director of Latino outreach for Mission Adelante, a Kansas City, Kansas church and mission group assisting immigrants. He told Jenkins that he's concerned "about the human condition" in immigration. He also said Kansas businesses need immigrant workers.==================Kansas Anti-Abortion Groups Disagree over Concealed Carry ImplicationsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas anti-abortion groups are distancing themselves from comments from another abortion foe suggesting the state's new concealed carry law could increase the threat of shootings outside a Wichita clinic. Mark Gietzen, chairman of the Kansas Coalition for Life, said in a recent release the threat of shootings at South Wind Women's Center in Wichita was enhanced by the Republican-led Legislature's adoption of a conceal-and-carry law. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Gietzen says an influx of advocates with concealed guns around the clinic means homes could "continuously be in the line of fire." Operation Rescue and Kansans for Life say while they're working with KCFL to get Wichita to rezone the site of the clinic, they don't agree with Gietzen's comments, which they say aren't appropriate for the re-zoning effort.==================Judge Sides with Abortion Opponent in Kansas CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has found in favor of a Kansas abortion opponent accused of sending a threatening letter to a Wichita doctor who was training to offer abortion services. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten summarily ruled Thursday that Angel Dillard's 2011 letter to Dr. Mila Means was not a "true threat." The Justice Department had filed the civil lawsuit against Dillard under a law aimed at protecting access to abortion services. The Valley Center woman wrote to Means saying she would have to check under her car every day because someone might place an explosive under it. Dillard has argued that the letter was constitutionally protected speech. Marten ruled the government supplied no evidence that actual violence against the doctor was likely or imminent.==================GA Recognizes Kansas Concealed Carry LicensesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas residents with concealed carry permits will now be allowed to carry their weapons in Georgia. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Wednesday that Georgia has become the 33rd state to honor permits issued in Kansas. Schmidt said Georgia's decision came after Kansas lawmakers passed new gun legislation this year. The law recognizes all valid out-of-state permits when a non-resident permit holder is traveling in Kansas. The new Kansas law also requires people with concealed carry permits who move to Kansas to obtain a Kansas-issued license to legally continue carrying concealed guns. The changes took effect in July. There are more than 67,000 active Kansas concealed carry permits.==================Hearings Upcoming on Massive Kansas Power LineHAYS, Kan. (AP) — Public hearings are scheduled for a massive power line that will cross the state of Kansas and deliver electricity to Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. The Hays Daily News reports that the Grain Belt Express line will cross Russell and Osborne counties and send 600,000 volts of electricity from wind farms. The Kansas Corporation Commission already has found the project to be in the public interest. The hearings will focus on its location. Besides the hearings, comments also can be made in writing through August 28. The goal of the project is to enable wind farms to be built. So far, developers don't have any electricity to feed into the line. To improve efficiency, the line will use direct current, which carries nearly twice the electricity as an alternating-current line.==================Kansas Among States Receiving Federal Warning on Teacher EvaluationSEATTLE (AP) — U.S. education officials say three states have not fulfilled their promises to bring their teacher and principal evaluation systems up to federal standards. But Kansas, Washington, and Oregon will have one extra year to finish the work. The new teacher evaluation systems were part of the requirements for waivers from the federal education law known as "No Child Left Behind." If the states meet the waiver's requirements, they won't need to have every child meet state academic standards in reading and math by January 2014. So far, 40 states and the District of Columbia have been granted a one- or two-year reprieve from the requirements of the U.S. education law that was passed more than a decade ago.==================Soldier Pleads No Contest in Fatal Kansas ChaseJUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Fort Riley soldier faces up to 41 years in prison after pleading no contest to charges in a fatal, wrong-way chase on Interstate 70. WIBW-TV reports 22-year-old Gary Fisher Nelson, of Junction City, will be sentenced November 12. The Geary County prosecutor's office says Nelson pleaded no contest last week to second-degree murder and reckless driving. Authorities said Nelson intentionally drove the wrong way on I-70 the night of April 3. A sport utility vehicle that tried to avoid a head-on collision went off the highway and rolled over, killing 53-year-old passenger Jake Black of Manhattan. A Highway Patrol trooper continued chasing Nelson at speeds of up to 100 mph before the soldier surrendered after several miles. Investigators said Nelson told them and others he had planned to commit suicide.==================Search of Wichita Home Yields Stolen Identification DocumentsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Detectives in Sedgwick County are trying to contact more than 150 people whose personal documents turned up in a Wichita home. The sheriff's department says the mail, checks, credit cards and Social Security cards were found last week in the search of a 23-year-old woman's home. The woman was arrested on outstanding warrants, and more arrests are expected. Most of the documents were taken from mailboxes or vehicles, and some date back to 2008. The victims mostly lived in one part of Wichita, but the sheriff's office says there are others from throughout Sedgwick County. Authorities advise residents to check their mail every day and to review credit card and bank statements.==================Driver in KC Day Care Crash Likely Hit Wrong PedalKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say a 74-year-old driver probably stomped the accelerator instead of the brake before knocking a parked car into a Kansas City day care last month. The Kansas City Star reports that the driver told police a maroon car pulled out in front of his sport utility vehicle and hit his Range Rover. The driver said he then lost control of his vehicle before knocking a parked Cadillac into the Christian Academy Child Care east of downtown. Three children were injured. But investigators said the Range Rover bore no evidence of a crash with a car other than the Cadillac. Investigators concluded that the primary factor in the wreck was the driver "failing to give his full time and attention to the safe operation" of his vehicle.==================Kansas Officials Seek to Calm Data ConcernsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas education officials are seeking to calm concerns about the student data that is being collected as the state switches to new education standards. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that two Kansas State Department of Education officials answered questions during Tuesday's board meeting. The questions are coming amid the switch to the Common Core educational standards. The new standards replace a hodgepodge of educational goals that had varied greatly from state to state. Education department information technology director Kathy Gosa says information collected includes demographic data and test scores. Much of that data is aggregated without personal identifiers and used to determine state or federal funding. Speaking at the meeting, former board of education member Walt Chappell urged the board to "please stop collecting so much data on children and families."==================Kansas Judiciary Spokesman to Retire in SeptemberTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas court system's public information officer plans to retire next month after more than 32 years in the job. Ron Keefover disclosed his plans in an email to the state Supreme Court, which released it Wednesday. His last day is September 13. Keefover was a longtime courts reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal when he took the newly-created job with the judiciary in March 1981. In his email, Keefover praised the Kansas courts for initiatives aimed at promoting openness, including a policy of allowing cameras and electronic devices in courtrooms.==================Fines Levied After Fatal Blast Levels MO Eatery KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The federal government is seeking stiff fines against a cable company subcontractor after a fatal explosion leveled a Kansas City restaurant. The U.S. Department of Labor released a statement Thursday saying Heartland Midwest was being cited for safety violations after a crew breached a natural gas supply line with an underground borer on February 19. The blast leveled JJ's restaurant near the Country Club Plaza, a busy outdoor shopping area. One restaurant worker died and 15 others were injured. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking $161,000 in penalties against Heartland for violations including failing to provide a workplace "free of recognized hazards." JJ's also faces a proposed $2,000 penalty for having a deficient emergency action plan. Heartland attorney Brad Russell says the company strongly denies the allegations.==================Olathe Police Investigate Report of $10K TheftOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Olathe police are investigating a report of a possible theft of more than $10,000 from an school's parent-teacher organization. The Kansas City Star reports that $10,640 was reportedly taken from PTO funds from Westview Elementary School between August 2010 and the end of June this year. It's the second time this year that PTO funds have been reported missing at a Johnson County school. In April, about $30,000 was reported missing from the PTO at Valley Park Elementary School in Overland Park. Prosecutors have charged the former treasurer of the Valley Park PTO with felony theft. John Hutchison, chief financial and operations officer for the Olathe school district, says school PTOs are independent from their schools and keep their funds funds separate from school district funds.==================Fuel Charge Increase Approved for KCP&L CustomersJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri regulators have approved a request from Kansas City Power & Light-Greater Missouri Operations to raise the fuel charge on electric bills. The Public Service Commission says the increase amounts to about 78 cents a month for residential customers in portions of Kansas City, and $1.29 for those in St. Joseph. They take effect September 1. The fuel adjustment charge allows power companies to recover most of its fuel costs. Charges appear in a separate category on customer bills. The charge is designed to help utilities address volatility in fuel pricing. The change affects about 313,000 electric customers in an area of Missouri that includes Kansas City and St. Joseph.==================KC Councilman Acknowledges Online RelationshipKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City councilman has acknowledged an online relationship with a woman involving suggestive text messages but denies the relationship had anything to do with his decision to help bring an event to Kansas City. Councilman Michael Brooks says in a letter to other council members he's sorry for "the horrible lack of judgment" in becoming involved online with the woman. Brooks's comments followed a report Wednesday by KSHB-TV quoting the unidentified woman as saying Brooks sent her messages that included photographs of his naked torso. She says she shared the photos last year with organizers of an event that was to feature boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Brooks says the relationship didn't influence his decision to help get $15,000 in city money for the event, which was later cancelled.==================Midwest Economic Growth Slows in AugustOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report suggests that healthy economic growth slowed down this month in rural areas of 10 Midwest and Plains states. The overall economic index for the region slipped to 55.8 in August from 57.3 in July but was far ahead of the 47.1 in August 2012. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the monthly survey of rural bankers. He says drought weighed down the economy last year. He says lower farm commodity prices are dampening the current outlook for the farm economy. The index ranges from 0 to 100, with 50 representing growth neutral. A score above 50 suggests economic growth in the months ahead. The index is based on a survey of rural bankers in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.==================Judge Sets Trial Date in Kansas Sex Trafficking CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge in Wichita has scheduled an October trial for three people charged in a sex trafficking scheme linked to Asian massage parlors. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren on Wednesday issued an order scheduling an October 15 trial for Gary H. Kidgell; his wife, Yan Zhang; and employee Xiuqing Tian. They are accused of conspiring to recruit women from around the country to come to Wichita to work at massage parlors, then coercing them into prostitution. Investigators who raided the parlors reported found ads in a Chinese-language newspaper in New York, Chicago and San Francisco offering "massage parlor hiring" in Kansas. The government alleges Kidwell and two co-defendants worked together and shared resources to operate nine Asian massage parlors in Wichita.==================Kansas Bank Teller Derails Unfolding Con GameWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a bank teller stopped a customer from being conned into withdrawing money to prove U.S. banks are safe. Lieutenant Doug Nolte says the ruse was foiled when the 19-year-old customer at Commerce Bank in Wichita explained what he was doing to the teller, who then called 911. The Wichita Eagle reports that the con artists fled, likely after becoming suspicious when their intended victim stayed so long inside the bank. One of the suspects had claimed he was from South Africa where his brother had left him $150,000. He offered to donate money to the victim's church in exchange for withdrawing money. Police want to hear from anyone else who may have been victimized, noting that the scam has been used in the past.==================Inactive Grenade Found in Goodwill DonationsDERBY, Kan. (AP) — Workers at a south-central Kansas thrift store found an inactive hand grenade in a box of donations. The Wichita Eagle reports that workers at the Derby Goodwill Store found the grenade Wednesday. Police Chief Robert Lee says store employees called police and reported finding what appeared to be a hand grenade. Police responded but were unable to determine if the explosive was live, so they called the bomb squad. The store was shut down for about an hour until crews determined the grenade was a dud and disposed of it.==================KC Police: Overturned Cattle Truck Was SpeedingKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police in Kansas City say a Colorado-bound cattle truck that overturned on Interstate 70 last week was traveling at least 28 miles per hour over the speed limit. The rig was carrying 72 cattle, at least six of which died in the pre-dawn wreck August 9 on a stretch of I-70 known as the Benton Curve. The Kansas City Star reports police said Wednesday the tractor-trailer was traveling at least 73 mph in the 45 mph zone. Police called their estimate of the speed conservative. It was based on measurements from the first skid marks to where the rig stopped. The 41-year-old driver, a Kentucky man, was ticketed for careless driving. His wife was travelling with him and suffered a broken arm.==================Westwood's Only Homicide Remains UnsolvedWESTWOOD, Kan. (AP) — The only homicide in the Kansas City suburb of Westwood remains unsolved, but police say they're continuing to investigate the crime that took place a decade ago. The Kansas City Star reports that the identity of the gunman who killed David "Ray" Ninemire on August 15, 2003, remains a mystery. Ninemire, a 68-year-old father of four and grandfather to 10, was shot and killed during an attempted robbery at the Westwood grocery store where he worked as produce manager. With the 10th anniversary of Ninemire's killing, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office says it's making a renewed push to solve the crime. Becky Crabtree, lead detective on the case, says investigators also have recent leads to follow up on and will revisit previous clues and re-interview witnesses to the shooting.==================MO Man Mistaken for Arkansas EscapeeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A reported sighting of an Arkansas jail escapee's truck in Kansas City turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Thirty-three-year-old Derrick Estell broke out of the Garland County Jail in Arkansas on July 28th. He was believed to be headed into Missouri, and there was a reported sighting last week of a pickup truck he was thought to be driving in Overland Park, Kansas. KMBC-TV reports a nearly identical truck was seen Tuesday in Kansas City. Police went to the scene — but the man they surrounded with guns drawn was Jesse Phillips, the owner of a landscape company in suburban Lee's Summit. Phillips told the station Wednesday that officers quickly realized the mistake. He says the situation was a little stressful, but he could laugh about it 24 hours later.==================KS Inmate Ordered to Trial in Disappearance of OK WomanJAY, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas prison inmate charged with murder in the 1996 disappearance of a woman in Oklahoma has been ordered to stand trial. A judge in Delaware County on Wednesday found there is enough evidence to try 46-year-old old John Lee Weeks of Gentry, Arkansas for first-degree murder in the disappearance of 29-year-old Barbara Ann Johnson-Willard of Jay. Johnson-Willard disappeared in June 1996 and her car was later found in a ravine in Delaware County. Her body has never been found. Investigators say fingerprints and DNA taken from cigarette butts found in the car match that of Weeks. Weeks has pleaded not guilty. He's been in prison in Kansas since 2000 for several convictions, including rape and aggravated kidnapping.==================Derby Church Youth Soccer Coordinator SentencedDERBY, Kan. (AP) — A youth soccer coordinator for a south-central Kansas church has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for a sex crime involving a 5-year-old boy. The Wichita Eagle reports that on Wednesday a Sedgwick County judge ordered 57-year-old Leon James Knabe to serve the 34-month sentence. Court documents say Knabe had asked for probation. Knabe was arrested and charged in October with aggravated indecent liberties with a child. That crime is prosecutable under Jessica's Law, which draws a mandatory life sentence without parole for 25 years. But just before his trial was set to begin in June, Knabe accepted a plea deal that lessened the charge to aggravated indecent solicitation of a child. Prosecutors say Knabe will be required to register as a sex offender for life.==================OKC Thunder Preseason Games Set in Tulsa, WichitaOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder will play a pair of home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena while hosting contests in both Tulsa and Wichita as part of a seven-game preseason schedule leading up to the 2013-14 NBA regular season. Oklahoma City opens its domestic preseason schedule at in Oklahoma City on October 15 with a meeting versus the Denver Nuggets before facing off against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 17 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The Thunder will host its second and final home preseason contest in Oklahoma City on October 20 against the Utah Jazz. The Thunder concludes preseason play with a road contest in Phoenix versus the Suns on October 22, followed by an October 23 meeting against the Chicago Bulls in Wichita.==================Glenn Martin Stadium Demolition Given Go-AheadSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Salina commission has approved plans to demolish a stadium at Kansas Wesleyan University. The Salina Journal reports that the Salina Heritage Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the demolition of Glenn Martin Stadium at Kansas Wesleyan University. Wesleyan wants to tear down the grandstand to make way for a new athletic complex. Wesleyan has been playing its football games at Salina Stadium since 2007 because of the condition of the old stadium, which was built in 1940. The city designated the structure a Heritage Conservation property in 1997 because of its historical significance.

If you’re one of those people who think there can only be one “song of the summer,” and that the Hot 100 provides a clear-cut metric for determining a winner, then this year’s race is a statistical dead heat.

Crudup stars as a fast-talking salesman in the retro-futurist Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! He won an Emmy for his role as a cynical TV executive in the series The Morning Show.

Here are the headlines for our listening area, as compiled by KPR news staffers. Please consider supporting KPR with a tax deductible contribution. Broadcasting from the University of Kansas since 1952, KPR has been named the 2020 Station of the Year by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. KPR has won the coveted top prize a record 19 times, more than any other radio or TV station in Kansas.

Kansas Secretary of State Candidates to DebateTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach is likely to face questions during a televised debate about a proof-of-citizenship requirement for new Kansas voters enacted at his urging. Kobach makes his second televised joint appearance with Democratic challenger Jean Schodorf on Wednesday night from the studio of Topeka public television station KTWU. Kobach is seeking a second four-year term. He successfully pushed the Legislature to enact a 2013 law that requires new voters to provide election officials a birth certificate, passport or other proof of U.S. citizenship. Schodorf voted for the policy as a state senator but says Kobach has poorly administered it. Kobach contends the requirement prevents voter fraud. But the voter registrations of thousands of Kansas residents are on hold because they haven't yet complied.=============================== Senate Candidates in KS Seek to Bolster SupportOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Embattled three-term incumbent Republican Senator Pat Roberts is taking the endorsement of a former governor and seeking votes in the rural west of Kansas, where he needs to win big to fend off independent challenger Greg Orman. Orman is pushing themes centered on dissatisfaction with Washington government, where Roberts has been working for more than 40 years. Orman plans to campaign in Olathe, his home turf and the heart of the more politically diverse and bustling Kansas City suburbs. In this unlikeliest of battleground states, the Senate candidates are entering the final weeks to Election Day by trying to shore up supporters before focusing on undecided voters. Polls show the race is a dead heat.===============================Ex-DA Slams Brownback Ad Using Wichita MurdersWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The district attorney who prosecuted two brothers in a quadruple Wichita homicide is criticizing Governor Sam Brownback's use of the case in a new campaign commercial. Brownback's ad references Reginald and Jonathan Carr, whose death sentences for the December 2000 killings were vacated in July by the Kansas Supreme Court. Former Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston issued a statement Wednesday saying the ad exploits the case for political gain. Foulston says the ad is a "political last ditch effort" to undercut the qualifications and integrity of the Kansas Supreme Court and Brownback's Democratic challenger, Paul Davis. She also says it's disgraceful that the campaign would make the families of the murder victims relive the crime whenever they turn on their televisions. Brownback's campaign did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.===============================Brownback Cites Wichita Murder Case in Final DebateWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback says his opponent, Democratic challenger Paul Davis, would appoint justices to the Kansas Supreme Court who are overly sympathetic to violent criminals. But Davis is accusing the Republican incumbent of trying to exploit a high-profile Wichita murder case to boost his re-election chances. The confrontation came during their fourth and final debate. Also Tuesday, Brownback's campaign released a television ad referencing brothers Reginald and Jonathan Carr, whose death sentences for a quadruple homicide were vacated by the state Supreme Court in July. Brownback has long sought more power to directly appoint justices rather than use a longstanding merit system in which a committee comprised of lawyers and members of the public send up suggestions. Davis says he believes the governor doesn't need more control over judicial selection.=============================== Roberts Ad Protests Housing Guantanamo Bay Detainees in KansasLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Senator Pat Roberts is airing a television advertisement in his re-election campaign in which he vows to filibuster any federal effort to house terrorism detainees at Fort Leavenworth that are now being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Roberts made the statement earlier this month while campaigning for re-election. He's seeking a fourth term in a surprisingly competitive race with independent candidate Greg Orman, a Kansas City-area businessman. President Barack Obama this month was weighing bringing detainees to U.S. federal prisons, such as Leavenworth. Roberts has tried to paint Orman as a Democrat and automatic vote for Obama's agenda, though Orman repeated Tuesday that he opposes bringing detainees to U.S. prisons. Senate Republicans need to gain six seats to capture a majority and weren't counting on having to defend GOP-heavy Kansas.=============================== Orman Outlines College Cost Accountability PlanLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Independent candidate for Senate Greg Orman says colleges that receive federal dollars should be barred from raising costs to students above the rate of inflation. During a press conference at the University of Kansas Tuesday, Orman says college costs are holding back business growth, despite previous government plans to ease the burden of paying for higher education. Orman's plan would cap government lenders' profit margins on college loans at the rate of 10-year Treasury bonds, plus one percent for administrative costs. Orman says the policy would not require additional government bureaucracy. The government already keeps the statistics, but isn't doing anything with them to curb costs, he says. Orman is in a close race with three-term Republican Senator Pat Roberts.==============================Phony World Series Tickets, Merchandise SeizedKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Federal agents have seized phony World Series tickets worth tens of thousands of dollars, along with counterfeit Royals panties and other merchandise. Before the first game of the series between the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, agents for Homeland Security nabbed 126 counterfeit game tickets. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a news release that the tickets had a $43,000 street value. Three people from New York and one from Atlanta are charged in Johnson County, Kansas, with selling fake tickets. Authorities are urging fans who bought bogus tickets to contact police. Other counterfeit items that have been seized include T-shirts, baseball caps, cellphone cases, sweatshirts, and even baby clothes. One person suspected of selling counterfeit T-shirts is facing prosecution in Missouri's Platte County.===============================Sheriff: Kansas Fire Chief Charged with TheftHOLTON, Kan. (AP) — A Northeast Kansas fire chief has been arrested on theft charges after authorities say he embezzled money while acting as treasurer of an area organization. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 45-year-old Ryan White was arrested this week on two felony and five misdemeanor counts of theft. Jackson County (Kansas) Sheriff Tim Morse says the Soldier Fire Department chief stole more than $2,000 from the Soldier Ball Association in 2012 and 2013. White was released from the Jackson County jail after posting bond. He didn't return a request for comment Tuesday by the newspaper. It's unclear if he is still the fire chief. Calls to the Soldier Fire Department by the newspaper weren't returned.=============================== Riley County Police to Test Body CamerasMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Riley County police are moving forward with a pilot program to place body cameras on some officers. The Manhattan Mercury reports that Captain Tim Hegarty announced this week that police will start testing the 11 cameras on November 5. He says Aggieville police officers will wear the cameras on their heads and will activate them manually. The officers will upload the footage at the end of every shift. The department has paid nearly $6,000 to use the cameras for five years. Hegarty says if the pilot succeeds, the body cameras could replace dash cameras on patrol cars. He says the pilot will be evaluated after a year.===============================Wichita Senators Seek to Eliminate Food Sales TaxWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two state senators from Wichita say they want to introduce a plan in the Legislature to eliminate sales tax on food purchased for preparation at home. Republican state Senator Michael O'Donnell says he worked on a similar proposal on the tax code during the 2013 legislative session but the House rejected it. The Wichita Eagle reports O'Donnell is working with Democratic state Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau on a plan that would slowly reduce the sales tax on food over several years. The Kansas Department of Revenue says groceries make up about 15 percent of total sales tax collections, bringing in about $392.5 million each year — most of which goes into the state's general fund. Kansas is currently projected to have a $260 million deficit by the end of June 2016. =============================== Cattle Truck Crashes on I-70ABILENE, Kan. (AP) — A driver was unhurt but multiple head of cattle were killed or injured when a tractor-trailer transporting the animals crashed on Interstate 70 in east-central Kansas. KSAL-AM reports that the accident happened around 3:30 am Wednesday near Abilene in Dickinson County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the semi was westbound when it rolled onto its side and landed in a ditch. The truck was transporting 61 head of cattle. Four died and several others were injured. A veterinarian was among those who responded to the accident. Portions of I-70 were closed while officials worked the scene and rounded up cattle on the road.==============================Junction City Cites Dozens for Cellphone UseJUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — Despite months of advance notice, dozens of drivers in Junction City were cited for improper use of cellphones during the initial week of enforcement of a new law. KJCK Radio reports that police issued 51 citations from Monday through Friday of last week for talking on hand-held cellphones while driving. One person was also cited for texting while driving. Junction City adopted an ordinance in June banning motorists from talking or listening on a cellphone unless it's a hands-free device.Police delayed enforcement until the city put up signs notifying drivers of the law. The signs went up in September, and police issued warnings for four weeks before handing out citations. Drivers may still hold cellphones to their ears in limited circumstances, such as talking to law enforcement in emergencies.===============================Lawrence $75 Million Apartment Complex in JeopardyLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Plans for a $75 million apartment complex near the University of Kansas are in jeopardy after city commissioners declined to allow the developer to reduce the number of parking spaces. City commissioners decided Tuesday to reject a request to reduce parking for the complex by 100 spaces. They cited concerns parking from the apartments would cause problems for the Oread neighborhood near the complex. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a representative for the development firm declined to comment after the meeting but the company has said in the past that an exemption from the parking code was vital to secure funding. The developer wants to build a complex with 237 apartments with 624 bedrooms but only 461 parking spaces. Neighbors urged the commission to reject the parking exemption.===============================School Bus Driver Cited in CollisionLEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (AP) — The driver of a suburban Kansas City school involved in a collision that injured 13 students has been cited for trying to make an unsafe U-turn. Police in Lee's Summit announced the municipal charge against the 50-year-old driver on Wednesday. The accident occurred Monday afternoon as the bus was carrying 20 players from the Raymore-Peculiar High School volleyball team to a match at Lee's Summit West High School. Police said the driver missed a turn and was trying to make a U-turn near the school when the bus was hit on the side by a flatbed truck. The bus remained upright. Twelve students were treated at hospitals for minor injuries and released. A 13th had serious but non-life-threatening injuries and remained hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday.===============================Police: Wichita Pet Cat Killed with ShotgunWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita Police are investigating the death of a cat killed by a shotgun blast. Captain Doug Nolte tells the Wichita Eagle that a 56-year-old woman's pet was killed on Monday night. She found it dead in her driveway. The woman tells police she was arguing with her neighbor before they both returned to their homes. She says she heard a loud bang before discovering the animal's body. Police say they found a shotgun shell on the neighbor's porch. They say the neighbor denied shooting the cat. No arrests have been reported.=============================== Kansas Company Raising Money for Ebola ClinicsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita-based nonprofit is trying to raise $300,000 to send eight solar-powered clinics to western Africa in response to the Ebola crisis. The Wichita Eagle reports Clinic in a Can also will be collecting food locally and money for food to be purchased by aid organizations in Africa. Clinic in a Can was founded by Mike Wawrzewski, a physician assistant, converting shipping containers into medical clinics. The eight clinics to be sent to Liberia are the first to be completely solar powered, which Wawrzewski says is necessary because of the country's weak power system. He says the clinics will be ready to ship in about three weeks if funding is in place. The containers will be packed with personal protective equipment for medical personnel who are treating Ebola patients.=============================== Topeka Police Search for Pair After Fatal CrashTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka police say two people suspected of being involved in a fatal hit-and-run have turned themselves in for questioning. The accident Tuesday evening killed a motorcyclist, whose name has not been released. Two people in the car fled on foot after the motorcyclist was hit. Police said in a news release that an adult man and an adult woman called police late Tuesday and were taken to police headquarters for questioning. No further details were released. The accident occurred on the Sardou Bridge, which was closed to traffic for several hours before reopening early Wednesday.=============================== Judge Rules in Favor of Guard in Inmate LawsuitTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of a former Shawnee County corrections officer who was sued by an inmate who claimed he wasn't protected from another inmate. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that former Shawnee County Jail inmate Armando Ruiz contended former guard Emmanuel Clifton violated his constitutional rights when he failed to protect him from another inmate before a January 2012 altercation. The 60-year-old Ruiz, who now serving time at El Dorado Correction Facility for indecent solicitation of a child, filed a handwritten lawsuit in March 2013 seeking $300,000 from Shawnee County, Clifton and county counselor Rich Eckert. U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia last week ruled in Clifton's favor because video footage showed Ruiz kicked the other inmate first.=============================== Military Converges on Scene of Kansas Jet CrashKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Military personnel are investigating at the site in southeast Kansas where two Oklahoma Air National Guard fighter jets collided during a training exercise. One pilot ejected after Monday's crash about three miles northeast of the Elk County town of Moline. The Oklahoma National Guard said Tuesday that the pilot was taken to a clinic at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, where he was treated for slight injuries and released. The other pilot wasn't injured and landed his F-16 safely at a Tulsa base. Crews are assessing damage. The Guard said more information would be released when the investigation is completed. The pilots are part of an F-16 unit that routinely trains in designated airspace over sparsely populated areas.=============================== Former County Worker to Be Sentenced for TheftFORT SCOTT, Kan. (AP) — A former payroll clerk for a southeast Kansas county will be sentenced in November for stealing nearly $24,000 in public funds. The Fort Scott Tribune reports 29-year-old Angela Timi faces up to 29 months behind bars at her sentencing Nov. 10 in Bourbon County District Court. She must also pay full restitution. Timi worked in the county clerk's office from August 2011 until she was fired in January 2013, when officials announced an employee was being investigated for theft. Timi initially faced 59 charges. Most were dismissed last month when Timi pleaded guilty to misusing public funds and two counts of criminal use of a county credit card. Agents from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation found numerous instances of a county credit card being used for Timi's personal expenses.=============================== Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Missouri Bank RobberyKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An Iowa man has pleaded guilty to his part in a Missouri bank robbery after which the suspects left their loot in a tree. Twenty-seven-year-old Torrence Joseph O'Neill, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Kansas City to one count of bank robbery. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that O'Neill and two other Iowa men were accused of robbing the Citizens Bank and Trust in Burlington Junction in March. A witness who followed the three men helped Nodaway County authorities capture them. A few days later, authorities found the more than $12,000 taken from the bank hidden in a tree in southern Iowa. The other suspects, Donald Kester Jr, of Mount Pleasant, and Travis Davis, of Fort Dodge, have change of plea hearings scheduled for next week.=============================== Grandview Man on Probation Charged in ShootingGRANDVIEW, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City-area man on probation for a 2010 killing has been charged in a separate slaying. The Kansas City Star reportsthat 20-year-old Kelly Lewis of Grandview was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. Prosecutors say Lewis fatally shot 23-year-old Dominique Johnson on Sept. 20. Grandview police found Johnson's body in a parking lot. Witnesses say several people were arguing before Lewis shot Johnson. Lewis was placed on probation in 2012 after pleading guilty to the voluntary manslaughter of Helen Ragan. Authorities say Ragan and her husband were at home watching a basketball game when she was fatally struck by a stray bullet from Lewis. Online jail records didn't list bond or an attorney for Lewis.===============================Woman Pleads Guilty in $3 Million Fraud SchemeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty to a $3 million fraud that forced her employer to declare bankruptcy and close the business. Federal prosecutors say 52-year-old Irene Marie Brooner pleaded guilty Wednesday to bank fraud. She admitted that for more than a decade she took the money from Galvmet Inc., a sheet metal fabrication and steel service center in Kansas City. The company closed in 2014, when it had 18 to 20 employees. Brooner was a controller who managed payroll and accounts at Galvmet. During the scheme, she created 389 unauthorized transactions from the company's bank account to her personal account and increased her net pay on about 108 checks. Brooner was ordered to forfeit her home, a Lexus, jewelry and at least $2.9 million.===============================K-State's Snyder Among Nominees for College Hall of FameIRVING, Texas (AP) — Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is among the 81 coaches and players up for election to the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation on Wednesday released the ballot for the class that will be announced January 9. Former Heisman Trophy winners Rashaan Salaam of Colorado, Ricky Williams of Texas and Eric Crouch of Nebraska are among the 75 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision on the ballot. Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth and Southern California receiver Keyshawn Johnson are also up for election. The NFF tweaked its rules for eligibility a few years ago to allow active coaches, such as Snyder, to be eligible for the election after they turn 75. The 75-year-old Snyder is in his 23rd season at Kansas State. He has a record of 183-91-1.===============================Royals Lose 1st Game of World SeriesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Madison Bumgarner tossed seven brilliant innings, Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer and the San Francisco Giants took Game 1 of the World Series by hammering the Royals 7-1 in Kansas City. Bumgarner allowed three hits and blanked the Royals until Salvador Perez homered with two out in the seventh. Pablo Sandoval had two RBIs for the Giants, who have won their last seven World Series games.==============================World Series Rating for Opener Drops to LowKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A World Series opener involving the San Francisco Giants set a record low TV rating for the second time in three seasons. San Francisco's 7-1 win over Kansas City drew a 7.3 rating and 12.2 million viewers Tuesday night on Fox, according to fast national ratings by Nielsen Media Research. That broke the previous low of a 7.6 rating and 12.2 million for the Giants' 8-3 victory over Detroit in 2012. San Francisco's 11.7 win over Texas in the 2010 opener got an 8.9 rating. The rating for this year's opener began with a 6.9 from 8:05-8:30 pm EDT and peaked at 8.5 in the half hour starting at 9 pm. With the Giants scoring three runs in the first inning and leading 5-0 by the fourth, the rating ended at 5.7 from 11:30-11:41 pm. Still, Fox said Wednesday it expects to win the prime-time night and have its best Tuesday night since February 2012. Fox Deportes averaged 273,000 viewers, a record for Spanish-language World Series coverage.===============================Chiefs' Charles Passes Battery of Concussion TestsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs insisted Wednesday that Jamaal Charles has passed a battery of tests and does not show signs of a concussion, one day after the star running back said he exhibited symptoms in last weekend's win over San Diego. Charles took a blow from Brandon Flowers when he dove into the endzone Sunday. Charles popped up and trotted off the field, and trainers met him on the sideline. He remained in the game. On Tuesday, Charles told ESPN Radio that he saw "light bulbs" a few plays later, and that he tried to avoid going through the league's concussion protocol. After the Chiefs learned of the interview, they put Charles through a battery of tests. The team said he passed all of them.==============================Self, Weber Speak at Wayne McClain FuneralCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — People who gathered to remember basketball coach Wayne McClain say it was like him not to reveal he was ill with cancer. Former Illinois and now Kansas State coach Bruce Weber was among dozens who spoke Wednesday in person or by video during McClain's funeral. University of Kansas coach Bill Self, who hired McClain at Illinois, also spoke. Weber told the more than 1,000 people who gathered for McClain's funeral that he was mad McClain hadn't shared the bad news. But he added "that just wasn't him." Terry McClain said he spoke to his 60-year-old brother regularly but didn't know he was ill until days before his October 15 death. Wayne McClain made his name as head coach at Peoria Manual High School. He won three state championships there in the 1990s.