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Here are the headlines for our area, as compiled by KPR news staffers.

Afghanistan is a mountainous land where mountain climbing is rare among men and virtually nonexistent among women. An American is now preparing young Afghan women to scale the country's highest peak.

Supporter: Brownback to Seek Re-ElectionLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A top political supporter confirms that Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will seek a second term next year. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the first-term Republican governor recently sent a message to supporters seeking to raise funds for the 2014 campaign. David Kensinger, who heads Brownback's political action committee, said Friday that the governor "is actively raising funds and mobilizing grassroots supporters." Kensinger noted Brownback has not made a formal announcement yet but says he is a candidate for re-election. Brownback's message says that under his administration, Kansas has gone from a projected budget deficit to a surplus. The governor also says he has cut taxes and increased jobs in the private sector. The message goes on to say, "Now is the time to protect and build on our achievements."================Brownback Seeks to Fill Kansas Court of Appeals SeatTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback is taking applications to fill a new position on the Kansas Court of Appeals, the first to use a new process signed into law this spring. The vacancy is for a 14th judge to serve on the court. The new law changed the way judges on the Court of Appeals are appointed and approved. The governor will make an appointment which must be confirmed by the Kansas Senate, similar to how federal judges are appointed. The Senate will have 20 days once it convenes in January 2014 to approve the selection. Previously, a nominating commission screened applicants for court openings and sent one name to the governor for approval without legislative oversight.================State of Kansas Unemployment Rate Rose in MayTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new report says the Kansas unemployment rate edged higher in May, but the state also saw modest growth in private-sector jobs over the past year. The state Labor Department says the jobless rate stood at 5.7 percent last month, up from 5.6 percent in April but down from 6.1 percent in May 2012. The report also says private companies employed about 14,400 more workers last month than in May 2012, an increase of 1.3 percent. The biggest percentage increase over the year was 5.4 percent in professional and business services. Employment grew by 8,300, reaching nearly 161,000 last month. Manufacturing firms also added 3,000 jobs, increasing employment over the year by 1.8 percent. The department says workers have seen their hours increase consistently for several months.================Doctors File Lawsuit over Anti-Abortion LegislationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas doctors have filed suit in state court challenging a sweeping, new anti-abortion law set to take effect in July. Dr. Herbert Hodes and his daughter, Dr. Traci Nauser, filed their lawsuit Friday in Shawnee County District Court. The two doctors perform abortions at their Overland Park health center. The filing came one day after Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit over portions of the same law. The lawsuit from Hodes and Nauser seeks to invalidate the entire law. It blocks tax breaks for abortion providers, prohibits their involvement in public school courses and spells out what information they must provide to women before performing abortions. The doctors contend the law violates their rights to equal legal protection under the Kansas constitution.================ Police: 3 Missing Topeka Children Found SafeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Topeka say three young siblings have been found unharmed along a trail about 20 hours after their parents reported them missing. Captain Jerry Stanley says in a statement the two girls and their brother were found "safe but hungry" around 7:15 pm Thursday, playing in a creek along the Shunga Trail. That's just a few miles from the home where their parents reported them missing shortly before 11 pm Wednesday. Stanley says a citizen spotted the children and called police. The children were identified as 13-year-old Stephanie Witten, 12-year-old Seth Witten and 10-year-old Michelle Witten. Police had said throughout the search they did not suspect foul play. No Amber Alerts were issued.================ Kansas Company Planning Move to KCMOKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A.B. May Company, a Leawood-based heating and air conditioning service company, is planning to use tax incentives to move its headquarters and 165 employees to Kansas City, Missouri. Documents filed with the Kansas City Council show the firm wants to spend $11.7 million to renovate a vacant store. City officials say the company expects to grow to 295 employees within 10 years. The Kansas City Star reports that the city council is being asked to approve up to $12 million in Chapter 100 bonds for the move. That would give A.B. May a 50 percent tax break on real and personal property taxes over 10 years. The firm also would receive $5.9 million from the Missouri Quality Jobs program over nine years and $200,000 in development tax credits.================ Minimum-Security Lansing Inmate RecapturedLANSING, Kan. (AP) — A man who walked away from a minimum security job at Lansing Correctional Facility has been recaptured. The Kansas Department of Corrections reports 43-year-old Paul Cohagen was caught Thursday evening in Leavenworth County. Prison officials did not release more details of where or how he was found. Cohagen was reported missing Monday. He was a plumber at the prison, which allowed him to leave the minimum security area to go to the prison's main campus. Cohagen is jailed for an August 2011 burglary in Osage County. He was scheduled to be released in November. He has several prior felony convictions in Shawnee County for burglary, forgery and theft.================ Kansas Gets First Public Natural Gas PumpWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The first compressed natural gas pump for public use in Kansas is now open in Wichita. The $1 million station was officially opened Thursday at the CNG Services in Wichita. It was designed by Midwest Energy Solutions of Kansas City, Kansas. Michael Batten, president of Midwest Energy, said it is the first in Kansas for the public. But Batten expects the number to grow rapidly because natural gas costs less and provides better gas mileage than other fuels. The Wichita Eagle reports that the natural gas comes from Black Hills Energy's regular gas lines. A compressor condenses the gas from 60 pounds per square inch to 3,600 pounds per square inch and dispenses it from what looks like a gasoline pump.================Wyandotte County Settles Air Pollution DisputeKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Wyandotte County officials have reached a settlement with the Sierra Club over allegations of excessive air pollution from two area power plants. The agreement, which Wyandotte County approved Thursday, requires that the Quindaro Power Plant generating units stop burning coal by April 16, 2015, and that the Nearman Power Plant add controls to meet negotiated emissions limit for air emissions by September 1, 2017. The Board of Public Utilities and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County say in a release that the Sierra Club in 2012 alleged that emissions from the Nearman and Quindaro plants exceeded levels allowed under air permits for each plant. Wyandotte County and the BPU disputed the allegations. The agreement has to be approved by a federal judge before becoming final.================ Lee's Summit Getting Google High-Speed FiberLEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (AP) — Another Kansas City suburb has signed on to receive Google Fiber, the search giant's high-speed Internet service. Lee's Summit is the ninth Kansas City area city to reach an agreement with Google Fiber since the service was first introduced to the area in 2012. Google Fiber plans to construct a high-speed broadband network that can transmit up to one gigabit of data per second, which is almost 100 times faster than conventional home broadband. The Kansas City Star reports that the Lee's Summit City Council on Thursday approved three agreements that cover installation and operation of the fiber optic network in the city. There is so far no indication when the service will be available to Lee's Summit residents.================Northeast Kansas Man Shames Son with Roadside SignWATHENA, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas man who made his 9-year-old son stand by a highway with a sign admitting he lied about stealing says he had to take a hard line. The St. Joseph News-Press reports the boy's two-hour stint drew strong reactions from people driving along U.S. 36 in Wathena on Friday morning. Some honked or pulled over to shake the father's hand. Others called it child abuse, and one man pulled the sign from the boy's hand before the father retrieved it. The sign read, "I like to steal and lie about it!" The father says he devised the punishment after the boy lied about stealing video games and a console from a neighbor's home. He called his son "a wonderful kid" but says he needed to learn a lesson.================ KC Man Faces Federal Dogfighting ChargesCLINTON, Mo. (AP) — A 42-year-old Kansas City man faces state felony charges related to dogfighting. Henry County Prosecutor Richard Shields said in a release Friday that John P. Dulley Jr. is charged with 12 counts of keeping dogs with the intent to fight. Shields says each felony is punishable by up to four years in prison. Shields says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals assisted the sheriff's department in March in seizing about a dozen dogs from a rural Henry County farm. Several seizures related to the same investigation were conducted at other locations in Missouri as well as in Kansas City, Kansas and in Texas. Online court records don't list a lawyer for Dulley, and a phone listed for him had been disconnected.================ Computer Glitch Causes Transaction Problems at Worlds of FunKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some customers at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City are seeing unexpected and expensive charges in their bank statements. Officials at the amusement park say a computer problem caused some customers to be charged multiple times for the same transactions last weekend. KMBC-TV reports that one customer was charged 37 times for food, for a bill over $900. Another customer said she was charged 38 times for a $38 lunch, costing more than $3,000. Worlds of Fun officials say they were told of the problem Wednesday and are working with banks to reverse the charges. The company will pay for any overdraft fees or other expenses customers incurred because of the problem. Anyone who fines erroneous charges is asked to call Worlds of Fun at 816-454-4545.================ City of Wichita to Settle Lawsuit in Girl's DeathWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The city of Wichita plans to settle a lawsuit filed after a 12-year-old girl was hit and killed by a police patrol car. Officials say the city will pay the parents of Suhani Bhakta $300,000 to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. The girl was killed in February 2012 when she was hit by the patrol car as she ran across a road near her home. A Kansas Highway Patrol investigation verified that the officer was speeding in a 30 mph zone and was not using lights or a siren. Police said the officer was following policy and a sports utility vehicle may have obstructed his view. The settlement is on the consent agenda for the Wichita City Council's meeting next Tuesday.================ Man Tries to Set Another on Fire, Ignites HimselfWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say an unknown man burst into another man's apartment and tried to set the tenant on fire while he was taking a bath. The Wichita Eagle reports that the attacker instead set himself ablaze and was seen fleeing the victim's apartment around 5 am Thursday. The 38-year-old tenant told police he didn't know his assailant very well and isn't sure why he would try to set him on fire. Police spokesman Lieutenant Doug Nolte says police think the suspect is a man in his mid-20s who forced his way into the apartment with a gas can, lighter and some combustible materials. Investigators were looking for a man with burns to his hands and torso.================ Wichita Seeks Grant for Rail ExtensionWICHTA, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas and the city of Wichita are seeking a federal grant to move up plans to extend rail passenger service between Wichita and Oklahoma City. The Wichita Eagle reports that the state and the city of Wichita are asking for $12.7 million in federal grant funding to complete planning for the possible extension of Amtrak's Heartland Flyer line to Wichita and nearby Newton. The project would then connect the Wichita area with the Southwest Chief line, closing a 185-mile service gap from Oklahoma City to Wichita. The grant project includes $3 million in matching funds from the Kansas Department of Transportation that are contingent on $2.3 million in matching funds from Oklahoma. A decision on the grant is expected in about three months.================ Report: Wheat Harvest Moving Slowly as Fields DryWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest snapshot of the Kansas winter wheat harvest says while farmers are waiting for fields to dry in south-central Kansas, harvest activity is moving slowly in central sections. The industry trade group Kansas Wheat reported Thursday that the Mid Kansas Co-op in Galva began taking in wheat Wednesday night. Test weights have been averaging about 60 pounds, but it's too early to estimate yields or make comparisons to last year's crop. At the Valley Co-op in Winfield, manager Rick Kimbrel reported that although harvest began last week, rain slowed harvest until Wednesday. With just 1 percent in, early test weights are averaging 60 pounds. One field was getting about 50 bushels an acre. The Andale Farmers Co-op had taken in about 10 loads of wheat as of Thursday.================ Investigators Examining Heater in Kansas Plane CrashTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Investigators have examined a heater as they search for the cause of a plane crash in Kansas that killed four people. The heater was found in the wreckage of the eight-passenger plane that crashed May 11, 2012, near the town of Chanute. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a factual report this week about the crash that killed the plane's pilot and three others. One woman survived. The Tulsa World reports Friday that she informed investigators that the heater produced a "terrible smell." The plane was flying from Tulsa and was en route to a Christian youth rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, when it crashed last year. The NTSB has not yet issued a probable cause report about the crash.================ K-State Earns $600K State Department GrantMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. State Department to bring international engineering students to campus. The university's engineering extension program will use the grant to bring 20 students from 13 countries to Kansas this summer to study environmental stewardship. The five-week program will start in July and conclude in August with a trip to Washington. Students will tour several sites throughout Kansas, including the Manhattan zoo, Konza Prairie Biological Station, a nuclear power reactor and a hydroelectric dam in Lawrence. A condition of the program requires exposing the students to American culture. Activities designed to teach them about Kansas and the United States include a river float trip and July 4 fireworks.================ KSU Researcher Gets $113K to Study Mosquitoes & MalariaMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas State University researcher is getting $113,000 over two years to help fight malaria. Biology research associate Bart Bryant has been awarded the National Institutes of Health's National Research Service Award Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship. The fellowship includes research and mentoring and education components. Bryant works in a laboratory that focuses on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases, particularly malaria. He says the work is aimed at understanding how malaria interacts with mosquitoes and why mosquitoes are immune. The hope is that by understanding how the immune system works, the researchers can eliminate parasites in mosquitoes and possibly find a cure for malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.================ Planned Parenthood Sues over New Kansas Abortion Clinic RequirementsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Planned Parenthood clinic and its medical director are challenging parts of a new Kansas abortion law that takes effect next month. The Overland Park clinic and Doctor Orrin Moore filed suit Thursday in U.S. District Court. They argue that new requirements spelling out the information that clinics and doctors must give patients before performing abortions violate their free-speech rights. Planned Parenthood objects to a section of the law requiring its website to link to a state website containing what it says is the government's viewpoint on abortion. It also objects to a requirement that patients receive information that an abortion will terminate the life of what the new law calls a "whole, separate, unique, living human being." The lawsuit names four Kansas officials as defendants.================Dish Abandons Sprint Acquisition EffortsSatellite TV operator Dish Network is officially abandoning its efforts to acquire Sprint Nextel. The Englewood, Colorado company filed regulatory documents Friday formalizing the retreat it announced earlier this week. The move leaves Sprint free to accept what it considers a superior offer from Japan's Softbank. Dish and Softbank were competing to acquire the wireless carrier since April. Sprint opted for Softbank's $21.6 billion offer for 78 percent of the company, versus Dish's $25.5 billion bid for all of Sprint. In the Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Dish said it has abandoned its efforts and plans to redeem $2.6 million in outstanding senior debt. Dish previously said it will continue to focus on its bid for Clearwire, a wireless network operator in which Sprint has a majority stake.================Leaders of 6 Kansas Universities Receive RaisesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The top administrators at the six public universities in Kansas will see their salaries increase in July, but private dollars will cover the increases. The state Board of Regents approved the higher salaries Thursday but specified that each university's fundraising foundation will provide the extra money. The largest increases of $60,000 each went to Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz and University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. Regent Fred Logan of Leawood said the boosts bring their salaries closer to those of presidents at comparable universities. Schulz's salary will be $460,000, or 15 percent more than it is now. Gray-Little's will rise almost 14 percent, to nearly $493,000. Other raises ranged from 2.4 percent for Pittsburg State University President Steve Scott to 4.7 percent for Emporia State University President Michael Shonrock.================ St. Louis County Town Adopts Funeral Protest RestrictionsTWIN OAKS, Mo. (AP) — Another St. Louis, Missouri-area town has adopted an ordinance aimed at keeping funeral protesters at a distance. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Twin Oaks in west St. Louis County is following the format established by nearby Manchester and since adopted by other communities. The ordinance approved by Twin Oaks trustees on Wednesday prohibits protests within 300 feet from an hour before through an hour after a funeral or burial service. The ordinances are aimed at protests by groups such as the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church, which often protests at funerals of soldiers.

Here are the headlines for the KPR listening area, as curated by KPR news staffers.

Here are the headlines for our area, as compiled by KPR news staffers.

After flames destroyed 1.3 million Joshua trees in Mojave National Preserve, biologists began replanting seedlings. But many have died, and now another fire has torched more of the iconic succulents.

UPDATE: Kansas Budget Agreement Unravels Just Before Vote TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An agreement among Kansas legislators over a proposed $14.1 billion state budget has unraveled. House negotiators backed away from the compromise spending plan shortly before their chamber was supposed to vote on it Friday. House Speaker Mike O'Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, then announced that his chamber would not vote before lawmakers adjourned in the evening for their annual spring break. The issue was how to cover $25 million in unexpected costs faced by the state's 286 school districts. The House had proposed diverting money from highway projects, an idea not in Governor Sam Brownback's budget recommendations or approved by the Senate. The budget agreement called for lawmakers to address that issue when they return from their break April 25. But House negotiators wanted senators to reconsider, and senators didn't.======================================Kansas Governor Hopeful About Plan for New Arts GroupTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback is hopeful that legislators will establish a new Creative Industries Commission but says the funding for it must be responsible. Brownback made his comments Friday after House and Senate negotiators agreed on a bill outlining the structure of the new commission. The bill merges the Arts Commission and Film Services Commission, as Brownback has proposed. But lawmakers were considering a proposed state budget that included $700,000 for the new commission for the fiscal year beginning in July. That's $500,000 more than Brownback proposed. Brownback would say only that funding needs to be at a responsible level, without specifying a figure. Brownback has argued that arts programs need to rely more heavily on private dollars. Last year, he vetoed the Arts Commission's entire budget.==================================== UPDATE: Speaker Says Kansas House Won't Debate ImmigrationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Speaker Mike O'Neal doesn't plan to have the Kansas House debate immigration issues this year. O'Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, commented Friday after the House sided with him and blocked debate on an immigration bill. The bill requires companies holding contracts with state or local governments exceeding $5,000 to use the federal E-Verify database to determine whether new employees are in the U.S. legally. The vote was 91-31 against a request from Representative Charlotte O'Hara, an Overland Park Republican, to remove the bill from committee. A proposal to require state agencies -- but not private companies -- to use E-Verify cleared committee Thursday. But O'Neal said he's sure a debate wouldn't be confined to that narrow proposal. Majority Republicans are split, and O'Neal said an immigration debate would be contentious.========================================= Kansas House Blocks Gambling DebateTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ There won't be a debate in the Kansas House over a bill to modify the state's 2007 gambling laws. Members voted Friday against bringing a bill out of the Federal and State Affairs Committee and forcing debate before the full chamber. The vote was 20 short of the required 70 needed to force the debate. The effort was launched by Representative Bob Grant, a Frontenac Democrat, who along with Representative Doug Gatewood, a Columbus Democrat, have sought to make changes in the law lowering the minimum investment required for constructing a casino in Cherokee or Crawford counties. State law requires the investment to be $225 million, which developers have been unwilling to pay because of the economy and proximity of American Indian casinos just across the Oklahoma border.====================================== Judge Sides with ACLU in Kansas Abortion Insurance RulingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ The American Civil Liberties Union has won a legal round in its efforts to overturn a Kansas law restricting abortion insurance coverage. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson on Thursday sided with the American Civil Liberties Union in rejecting the state's request to dismiss a key claim over equal protection of the law. The ACLU contends the Kansas law discriminates against women because men can buy full comprehensive coverage for all their health needs, but women need to buy a separate policy to add abortion coverage. It contends the purpose of the law is to inhibit women from getting abortion care. Robinson said the ACLU might be able to show at trial that Kansas imposed an undue burden by creating a substantial obstacle to a woman seeking an abortion.===============================================Kansas Jobless Rate Holds Steady in FebruaryTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas unemployment levels remained flat in February, with the jobless rate holding steady at 6.1 percent. An economist with the state Department of Labor said Friday the seasonally adjusted rate and overall employment report did not indicate significant change from January. The jobless rate was 6.9 percent in February 2011. The agency said eight of 11 industry sectors reported gains in the past 12 months, with the professional and business services industries adding 11,900 jobs, an 8.2 percent increase. Overall, the economy has added 21,300 private sector jobs. Labor Secretary Karin Brownlee said the February numbers alone suggest a "lukewarm" labor market. But she says the growth over the past year has been healthy. Initial unemployment claims were down in February, as were continuing benefit claims.=========================================$325M Westar Project Enters Critical Stage LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ Westar Energy has temporarily shut down a unit that generates more than half of the Lawrence Energy Center's power to make environmental upgrades. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the work is part of a $325 million effort that started in 2009 to reduce the amount of pollutants coming from the plant. This spring, the utility entered into the heart of the work at Unit 5, which typically generates 64 percent of the plant's 585 megawatts of electricity. Crews are working to complete the construction before Westar heads into the demanding summer season. Work on the pollution upgrades is expected to wrap up in 2013. The project is designed to reduce the fine particle, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions coming from two of the plant's three coal-burning units.=========================================Topeka Man Faces June Hearing in Girl's KillingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A judge will decide this summer whether there is enough evidence to try a 28-year-old Topeka man in the sexual assault and killing of an 8-year-old neighbor girl. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that the preliminary hearing for Billy Frank Davis Jr. is set for June 12 and 13. Davis faces a host of charges, including capital murder, in the March 13 killing of Ahliyah Irvin. The capital murder charge could allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Family said Ahliyah was sleeping when she was snatched from her apartment. Her body was found after a brief search of her housing complex. Later that day, Davis was found hiding in a creek bed. Davis is jailed on a $10 million bond. His attorney's office has declined to comment.=========================================K-State Student Hits Police Car; Accused of Drunken Driving MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas State University student has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after hitting a police car and another vehicle. The Manhattan Mercury reported that the crashes happened early Thursday. Lieutenant Josh Kyle says an officer saw the 24-year-old suspect drive into a yard. The officer was on foot and attempted to stop the driver. Instead, the officer said the suspect drove through more yards and hit a parked vehicle. Kyle said the officer radioed for back up. The suspect's vehicle eventually failed to stop at an intersection and struck a marked Riley County Police Department vehicle. The officer inside the police car and the suspected drunken driver were treated at a Manhattan hospital and released.==========================================University of Kentucky Freshman Named AP Player of the Year; KU Player Comes in SecondNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis is The Associated Press' college basketball Player of the Year, the first Kentucky player and second freshman to win the award. He received 43 votes Friday from the 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Balloting was done before the NCAA tournament. The 6-foot-10 player from Chicago is the Southeastern Conference's Player, Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 blocks while shooting 64.2 percent. His block total is a school record and third best for a freshman. Thomas Robinson of the University of Kansas was second with 20 votes, and Draymond Green of Michigan State received the other two votes. Jimmer Fredette of BYU won the award last season.========================================Controlled Burn Planned As Part of Nature Project Near HutchinsonHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A few employees at Alcoa Aerospace Center in Hutchinson were hoping to conduct a controlled burn north of the plant to help establish an area of native grass and wildflowers. The Hutchinson News reports that wind would determine whether the burn happens. Production manager Roger Regehr says the idea is to make the field more colorful and nice to look at for people using a quarter-mile gravel walking path. Production at the plant has significantly increased over the past year. Company officials have established several sustainability goals, including completely eliminating waste it sends to the local landfill. Regehr says the controlled burn is necessary to allow flowers in the field to better develop. He says he plans to do a similar project around his home near Inman.==========================================Soldier Suspected in Afghan Killings to Undergo Psychiatric ExamSEATTLE (AP) — The attorney for the soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians says the military is planning to conduct a comprehensive mental health evaluation of his client. John Henry Browne says at a Friday news conference that officials would likely travel to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth to conduct the assessment of his client, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. Browne says the military initiated the evaluation and that it will take place within the next two months. He says it will likely delay the overall legal process involving Bales. Bales has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. The military says he left his base in southern Afghanistan and went on a shooting rampage through two villages on March 11.=========================================Wichita Man Hospitalized after Lightning StrikeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 64-year-old Wichita man has survived being struck by lightning. The Wichita Eagle reported that the man was taken to an area hospital for what are described as non-life-threatening injuries. Dispatchers received the call about the lighting strike at 9:26 pm Thursday. The National Weather Service says the odds of being struck by lightning in a person's lifetime are one in 10,000. Over the last 30 years, the U.S. has averaged 55 reported lightning fatalities per year. The National Weather Service said that only about 10 percent of people who are struck by lightning are killed.=======================================Wrong-Way Crash in Kansas Kills California ManLOUISBURG, Kan. (AP) _ A California man has died after a car he was driving was hit by a vehicle going the wrong way on a divided highway in northeastern Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol identifies the victim as 57-year-old Scott Klein of San Clemente, California. The crash happened around 5:30 am Thursday on U.S. 69 in Miami County, just west of Louisburg, Kansas. The patrol says a van driven by a 45-year-old woman from Drexel, Missouri was heading northbound in the southbound lanes when it hit the car driven by Klein. Troopers said the van crossed a grass median and traveled more than a mile in the wrong direction before the crash. Other motorists had called 911 reporting a minivan driving erratically, but the crash occurred before officers could locate the van. The van's driver had serious injuries.=======================================Trial Begins in Kansas Teen Cheerleader's DeathGREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) _ Prosecutors have begun laying out their case against a Kansas man accused of killing a 14-year-old cheerleader. But his attorneys claim the case is built on circumstantial evidence. Opening statements Thursday in the trial of 38-year-old Adam Longoria offered jurors conflicting views of the strength of the capital murder case. The Great Bend man faces life in prison without parole if convicted of capital murder in the August 2010 death of Alicia DeBolt. Prosecutors told jurors Longoria asked several friends to lie about his whereabouts that night. The cited DNA evidence in his vehicle. His tennis shoes tested positive for gasoline. But the defense tried to cast doubt among jurors by telling them the state's case is not as strong as prosecutors want the jury to think.========================================Former Koch Lobbyist Leads Anti-Obama Ad CampaignWASHINGTON (AP) _ An outside group is blaming higher gasoline prices on President Barack Obama's energy policies, airing $3.6 million in ads in eight key states. The ads attack Obama's recent decision to delay the Keystone XL pipeline from western Canada. The ads aired by the American Energy Alliance seek to undercut Obama's message that he has increased oil drilling and pushed for renewable energy sources. The ads are running in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and Michigan. The organization's president is a former lobbyist for Kansas-based Koch Industries, an industrial firm whose top executives, Charles and David Koch, have been prominent supporters of conservative causes. Democrats say the organization is a "front group for big oil."=========================================94-Year-Old Salina Flower Shop Worker HonoredSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A 94-year-old Salina flower shop worker is being honored as the oldest still-working Kansan. The Salina Journal reported that George Aden is sure there's a worker who is older than him. But not according to the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Older Kansans Employment Program. They've checked the ledgers, and say he's it. Besides working two days a week at Designs by Cunningham, the retired bookkeeper volunteers at his church and spends time with friends at the Salina Senior Center. Aden says he loves his job and calls the flower shop "a relaxing place." When he decided at the age of 85 that he was done delivering flowers, his employers switched him to processing flowers. Four years ago he cut back to handling just the roses.========================================Kansas Legislators Break Off Talks over Tax CutsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas lawmakers won't agree on the final version of tax-cutting legislation until they return in late April from their annual spring break. House and Senate negotiators suspended talks Thursday on working out their chambers' differences on bills reducing individual income taxes and eliminating the income tax for some businesses. They also remain divided on cutting the sales tax. The lead negotiators for both chambers said the talks are complicated because they want a package that doesn't create budget problems. The House and Senate have approved different versions of Republican Governor Sam Brownback's proposals for cutting income taxes. Lawmakers are set to adjourn Friday and return April 25th to wrap up the year's business.========================================Kansas Lawmakers to Vote on $14.1B Compromise BudgetTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas legislators are preparing to consider a compromise $14.1 billion state budget drafted by negotiators for the House and Senate. The House was scheduled to vote first on the spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Senate planned to take it up before lawmakers adjourned for their annual spring break. Three senators and three House members wrapped up their talks Thursday evening. However, negotiators left some decisions for a budget cleanup bill they'll consider later, such as longevity bonuses for state employees. Lawmakers return April 25 to wrap up the year's business. The measure includes nearly $13 million in spending on social services included by the Senate but not the House. But the budget is likely to cut overall spending about 4 percent.**this story is being updated throughout the day. Please see above. =====================================Kansas Lawmakers to Vote on $14.1B Compromise BudgetTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A compromise $14.1 billion state budget before the Kansas Legislature could set up another confrontation with Governor Sam Brownback over arts funding. The House was to scheduled to vote first on the spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Senate plans to take up the issue later in the day. The measure, drafted by House and Senate negotiators, includes $700,000 for a new Creative Industries Commission, which would merge the existing Kansas Arts Commission and the Film Services Commission. Brownback proposed the merger but recommended only $200,000 in funding. The governor has argued that arts programs need to rely more heavily on private dollars. Last year, he vetoed the Arts Commission's entire budget, making Kansas the only state in the nation to eliminate funding for the arts. **this story has been updated. Please see above.========================================= Kansas House to Vote on Possible Debate of Immigration BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas House members face a decision on debating proposals for cracking down on illegal immigration. The House was set to vote Friday on a request from Representative Charlotte O'Hara, an Overland Park Republican, to remove an immigration bill from committee and debate it. She needed support from 70 of the House's 125 members. The bill would require companies holding contracts with state or local government agencies worth more than $5,000 to use the federal E-Verify database to determine whether new employees are in the U.S. legally. A proposal to require state agencies -- but not private companies -- to use E-Verify cleared committee Thursday, but its future is uncertain. House GOP leaders have said they don't want to debate immigration this year because majority Republicans are split on the issue.**this story has been updated. Please see above.

KS Regents Approve Social Media PolicyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new Kansas Board of Regents policy gives university leaders more authority to remove staff and faculty over comments made on social media. The regents approved the policies Wednesday, the first of their kind by the organization that governs Kansas' system of universities, community colleges and technical schools. The Kansas City Star reports that the policy was formulated in response to a tweet made this fall by University of Kansas journalism professor David Guth regarding a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. Guth tweeted comments hostile toward the National Rifle Association and their opposition to gun control. The policy allows higher education officials to remove staff or faculty who post comments that incite violence or disrupt the learning environment.================Army: 5 of 6 Killed in Afghanistan Crash Were Based in KSFORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — Army officials say five U.S. soldiers based at Fort Riley and one based in Europe were killed in a helicopter crash this week in southern Afghanistan. The Army on Thursday confirmed the soldiers died when their Black Hawk UH-60 went down Tuesday during a mission. One soldier survived the crash. The five Fort Riley soldiers were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings of Heavener, Oklahoma; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua Silverman of Scottsdale, Arizona; Sergeant Peter Bohler of Willow Spring, North Carolina; Sergeant 1st Class Omar Forde of Marietta, Georgia.; and Specialist Terry Gordon of Shubuta, Mississippi. A sixth soldier, based in Vilseck, Germany, was identified as Staff Sergeant Jesse Williams of Elkhart, Indiana.===============KS Gov Names Ex-Lawmaker to Judicial CommissionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Governor Sam Brownback has appointed a former Kansas House member to the commission that screens applicants for the state Supreme Court. Brownback announced Thursday that he appointed former Representative Don Dahl of Hillsboro to the Supreme Court Nominating Commission. Dahl replaces the late Janet Juhnke, a longtime Kansas Wesleyan University faculty member from Salina. Juhnke died in January, and Dahl will serve the remainder of her four-year term, which runs through June. Dahl is a 68-year-old retired U.S. Navy officer. He served as a Republican in the House from 1997 through 2008. The nine-member commission interviews applicants for seats on the Kansas Supreme Court and nominates three finalists for the governor to consider. The governor appoints four commissioners, but five are attorneys elected by other attorneys.===============Top KS Lawmakers Restrict Travel ReimbursementsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislative leaders have taken steps to keep retiring or defeated lawmakers from going to conferences and taking trips at the state's expense. Top leaders of the House and Senate agreed unanimously Wednesday to revise the Legislature's travel reimbursement policies. The suggested change came from House Minority Leader and Lawrence Democrat Paul Davis. The new policy says that if lawmakers don't file for re-election or are defeated, they aren't entitled to state reimbursement of expenses for out-of-state trips. The new policy makes an exception when the outgoing legislator is an officer of a recognized organization or is asked by legislative leaders to represent Kansas at an event. House Majority Leader and Louisburg Republican Jene Vickrey said out-of-state conferences are designed to help lawmakers do their jobs better.===============Conservative Group Endorses Roberts ChallengerWASHINGTON (AP) — A hard-right conservative group led by former Kansas Congressman Jim Ryun is endorsing a Republican who is trying to oust three-term GOP Senator Pat Roberts. The Madison Project says it's backing Dr. Milton Wolf over Roberts. The blunt-spoken conservative was elected to the Senate in 1996 after eight terms in the House and has never gotten less than 60 percent of the vote in his heartland state. The Madison Project has backed challengers to Republican incumbents in Kentucky and Mississippi and says Wolf will provide the necessary leadership. The Associated Press learned of the endorsement ahead of the formal announcement scheduled Thursday. Wolf is a distant cousin of President Barack Obama. A physician and a tea party-backed candidate, he has been outspoken in his opposition to the health care law.===============KS Jobless Rate Declined to 5.1 Percent in NovemberTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas labor officials say the state's unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in November, its lowest mark in nearly five years. The state Department of Labor reported Thursday that November's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 5.6 percent in October. The jobless rate in November 2012 was 5.5 percent. The department said that unemployment was last so low in December 2008. Department spokeswoman Barbara Hersh said about 6,000 Kansans who had been receiving unemployment benefits found jobs in November. Also, the department said about 19,900 more Kansans were employed in private-sector, non-farm jobs in November than in November 2012. The over-the-year growth was 1.8 percent. Governor Sam Brownback said in a statement that the numbers show that 2013 was a good year for the state's economy.===============KS Bomb Plot Case Assigned to Judge Monti BelotWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The case of a Kansas avionics technician accused of plotting to bring a bomb into an airport in Wichita has been assigned to an experienced federal judge known for running a tight courtroom in complex cases. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot will be overseeing the case of 58-year-old Terry Lee Loewen of Wichita. Trial was set for February 18. A grand jury indicted Loewen Wednesday for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted use of an explosive device to damage property and attempted material support to the terrorist group al-Qaida. Belot presided over the 2011 trial of a man accused of lying about his role in the Rwandan genocide. He also oversaw the 2010 trial of the couple who ran a Haysville clinic linked to 68 overdose deaths. ===============Reward Offered for Information in Emporia DeathEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in a homicide in April in Emporia. The Lyon County Crime Stoppers board announced the award Thursday, in an effort to help authorities find 26-year-old Gabino Ruiz-Ascensio. He is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 24-year-old Adrian Peralta. Another person was injured in the shooting. Ruiz-Ascencio is a 5-foot-6 inch Hispanic male who weighs around 165 pounds. He has multiple tattoos including "Ruiz" on his neck, "raza" on his right arm, "fina" on his left arm, "13" on his right hand, three dots on his left hand and "Mexican Eagle" on his right hand. Investigators believe he might be in the Emporia, Dodge City or Arkansas City areas.===============KU School of Law Censured over Master's ProgramLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The dean of the University of Kansas School of Law says the American Bar Association censured the school and fined it $50,000 over a procedural error it committed while introducing a new master's degree program. Dean of Law Stephen Mazza said in a news release Thursday that when the law school launched a new master's of law degree in 2012, officials mistakenly believed that it fell within the scope of an existing master's program. That would mean the new program didn't need the ABA's approval. The bar association's acquiescence process allows it to ensure secondary degree programs do not interfere with law schools' approved programs. The school eventually discovered the error and received ABA acquiescence. Mazza says the censure does not question the substance or quality of the master's program.===============Topeka Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Lawrence DeathLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka woman is facing tougher charges in the shooting death of a 51-year-old Lawrence man. Twenty-year-old Brittny Adams pleaded not guilty Wednesday to premeditated first-degree murder in the July death of Gary Edens. She was charged with second-degree murder before Wednesday's preliminary hearing. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that prosecutors increased the charges after a former Douglas County Jail inmate testified that Adams frequently bragged about killing Edens at his home. She also allegedly told a man who was with her to kill Edens's son but the son escaped injury after a struggle. A detective testified that Adams told him she and the man went to Edens's home while searching for two girls who abandoned her in Topeka and took off with her car.=============== 4 Arrested in Hutchinson Counterfeit Money IncidentsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Hutchinson police say four people have been arrested as suspects in about 20 cases of counterfeit money being used in the city this month. Police Sergeant Tyson Meyers says three men were arrested Tuesday and a woman was arrested Wednesday. He says the three men apparently worked together but the woman's connection to the cases is unclear. The Hutchinson News reports that officers believe most of the counterfeit cash seized so far came from the home of a 37-year-old man arrested Tuesday. They found a scanner and printer at the man's home. So far this month, police have collected more than 50 $5 and $20 bills.=============== Investigators to Examine Possibility of Link Between KS Earthquake, Oil ProductionLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Geological Survey is investigating whether a recent earthquake in southern Kansas might have been caused by oil production in the area. But KGS interim director Rex Buchanan says it might be hard to ever determine if the 3.8 earthquake Monday near Caldwell was man-made or caused by natural forces. Buchanan says there is no evidence yet to suggest hydraulic fracturing caused the quake. He says it's more common for minor quakes near oil production sites to be caused by the disposal of salt water waste. In Kansas, the salt water waste is disposed of in deep wells. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas production in the state, is also investigating the issue.===============Ex-Worker Sentenced for Stealing from KS FirmLEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A former payroll accountant at a northeast Kansas business has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing nearly $40,000 from the company. The Leavenworth Times reports that 37-year-old Jamie Warhurst was also ordered to pay $34,000 in restitution under the sentence she received Wednesday. Warhurst pleaded guilty last month to 48 counts of forgery and theft. Prosecutors dropped 24 other counts. The former Parker resident was accused of forging and cashing company checks at National Cold Storage while working at the Leavenworth County business in 2010 and 2011. The company reported the crimes in mid-2011, but Warhurst fled to Mississippi, New Mexico, Arizona and finally Utah, where she was arrested earlier this year following an armed standoff.===============2 Critically Wounded in Shooting at Wichita StoreWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say two men were critically wounded in a double shooting at a clothing resale store in eastern Wichita. KFDI-FM reports that Thursday afternoon's shootings at the Flying Pig Boutique apparently stemmed from a dispute between a woman's former and current boyfriends. Police Captain Hassan Ramzah says investigators believe the ex-boyfriend entered the store carrying a shotgun and asked for the current boyfriend. Police say the ex-boyfriend shot the other man's legs, then shot himself in the head. The woman was not believed to be in the store at the time.===============Suspect in Fatal Fire Seeks Competency HearingHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A defense attorney is seeking a mental competency hearing for a Hutchinson teenager suspected of starting a fire that killed his mother and sister. Other motions filed this week seek an independent evaluation of the 14-year-old boy and access to his school records. The boy is charged in juvenile court with two counts of first-degree murder after the September 26 fire at the family's home. He is also charged with the attempted first-degree murder of his father and aggravated arson. The Hutchinson News reports that the request for an independent evaluation is in response to the state's motion to prosecute the teenager as an adult. A hearing on the three motions was set for January 2. A hearing on whether to prosecute the boy as an adult is still unscheduled.=============== Man Seeking New Trial in Kansas Teen's HomicideWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl in 2006 is awaiting a Sedgwick County judge's ruling on his request for a new trial. An attorney for Elgin "Ray Ray" Robinson argued in Sedgwick County Court Wednesday that his client deserves a new trial because he did not have adequate defense during his trial for killing Chelsea Brooks. The girl disappeared from a Wichita skating rink. Her body was found later in a Butler County field. Prosecutors argued Wednesday that Robinson received adequate representation. The Kansas Supreme Court upheld Robinson's convictions for capital murder and other charges in 2012. His current appeal was filed in civil court. The Wichita Eagle reports District Judge Patrick Walters did not say when he would rule.=============== Room and Board Costs Increasing at KS UniversitiesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Room and board at the state's universities will increase next year. The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday approved increases ranging from 3.9 percent at Kansas State to 2.1 percent at Fort Hays State. Regents staff says the increases are necessary to cover anticipated inflation, as well as facility maintenance and improvements. The Lawrence Journal-World reports rates will increase 3.6 percent at Emporia State, 3 percent at Pittsburg State and 2.5 percent at the University of Kansas. The regents staff said Wichita State's plan will cost $10,164 per year but that figure is not comparable with the previous year because of new housing on campus. All the Kansas schools except Wichita State still will be below the $8,737 average room-and-board charge for four-year public institutions in the Midwest.=============== Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing from Co-WorkersKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas woman admits she stole more than $100,000 from three co-workers at a Department of Agriculture office in Kansas City. Forty-nine-year-old Paula Steen of Overland Park pleaded guilty Wednesday in a wire fraud and identity theft scheme. Prosecutors say the former information technology specialist for the Farm Service Agency took at total of about $103,000 from her co-workers. The Kansas City Star reports that Steen admitted one of her victims was legally blind. She allegedly charged $57,693 on credit accounts belonging to that co-worker. She repaid some of that but took another $48,171 from the same worker. As part of her plea bargain, Steen agreed that she should receive a longer sentence because she took advantage of a vulnerable victim.===============Survey: Healthy Growth Likely in Rural Parts of 10 StatesOMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ A new survey of bankers suggests that the economy will grow at a healthy pace in rural parts of 10 Midwest and Western states in the months ahead. The monthly survey's overall index rose to 56.1 in December from November's more moderate 54.3. But any score above 50 suggests growth. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the region continues to benefit from the strength of agriculture and energy businesses. But declining crop prices and the lack of a farm bill are concerning. The index is based on surveys of rural bankers in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. It ranges from 0 to 100, with 50 representing growth neutral. A score above 50 suggests growth in that factor in the months ahead.===============Holiday Train Arrives in KCMOKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A festive holiday train that has chugged through Kansas and other states has ended its journey at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train began its journey late last month in Texas. It's made stops along the way in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. The train arrived Wednesday at Union Station and will be on display through the weekend. It 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 an elves' workshop and even a little red caboose. Guests get to visit Santa and tour the train.

Scientists in the Midwest and Great Plains were poised to start research to cut U.S. reliance on fertilizer imports, keep biofuel farming cost-competitive and tackle a potent greenhouse gas.

Check out these area headlines from the Associated Press.