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Trump not only won in the Electoral College, but he won so big that he expanded his coalition with historic demographic shifts.

Jessica Pegula is seeded No. 6 and Emma Navarro is seeded No. 13. Both women are New York natives.

KS Legislative Panel Reviews School SafetyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state official says Kansas schools are becoming better prepared to respond to natural and man-made disasters but will need more resources to keep improving. Bob Hull, director of the Kansas Center for Safe and Prepared Schools, told lawmakers Thursday that shrinking federal grants have limited the state's ability to help schools prepare for tornadoes or violent intruders. Hull says that schools are conducting more drills and risk assessments. But he adds that more money is needed to build safe rooms and provide crisis training. Hull made the remarks to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Kansas Security. Its chairman, Senator Jay Emler, says the center has enough funding to get through the next calendar year, but funding beyond that is uncertain. The center receives $50,000 from the state annually.================Key KS Abortion Rights Figure Retiring in SpringOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri plans to retire this spring after years at the center of the abortion debate. Peter Brownlie announced his plans Thursday, without setting a specific date for his departure. He's been the top administrator of the Planned Parenthood chapter since August 1999. During his tenure, his organization challenged anti-abortion laws enacted by Kansas legislators and was the target of a lengthy criminal case in Johnson County that was dismissed last year. Kansas legislators are still pondering additional changes, and Planned Parenthood still has federal lawsuits pending over anti-abortion laws enacted in 2011 and 2013. But Brownlie said in an interview before his announcement that he believes the organization's most difficult legal and legislative battles are behind it.================Kansas NAEP Scores Flat in 2013TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new report shows Kansas students continued to score above the national averages in tests of math and reading exams, though state gains were mixed. The results Thursday on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress are viewed as a report card for how well United States students are performing on key subjects. The tests are administered every two years. Kansas Department of Education officials say the state's fourth-grade math score was 246 on a 500-point scale, unchanged from 2011. The eight-grade score was 290, unchanged from 2011. The national average was 241 in fourth-grade math and 284 in eighth-grade. The reading score for fourth-graders was 223, down from 224 in 2011, while the eighth-grade score was 267, unchanged since 2003. The national averages were 221 and 266, respectively.================Westar to Purchase Energy from Oklahoma Wind FarmTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Westar Energy plans to purchase 200 megawatts of electricity from a northern Oklahoma wind farm expected to begin operating in late 2016. The Topeka-based utility announced Wednesday that it had reached purchase agreement with Virginia-based Apex Clean Energy. Westar already has about 700 megawatts of electricity from renewable resources. Apex plans to start building the 18,000-acre wind farm in 2015. The site is about six miles south of Arkansas City, where city manager Nickolaus Hernandez says the project is expected to boost the local economy. Westar is the largest electric utility in Kansas, with about 700,000 customers.================ Lawrence Man Charged in Wife's Shooting DeathLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Police say a Lawrence man charged with fatally shooting his 61-year-old wife did so because of her "ongoing health concerns." The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 67-year-old Larry Hopkins appeared Wednesday via video from the Douglas County Jail to be charged. He faces one count of first-degree murder in Tuesday's killing of Margaret Hopkins. District Court Judge James George set bond at $150,000 and asked Hopkins if he had anything to say. Hopkins responded that even if he was released on his own recognizance, he had no place to go. A statement that prosecutors released Wednesday provided no details about the health issues that police allege played a role in the shooting. If convicted, Hopkins faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.================ Restaurant Owner Charged with Harboring ImmigrantsKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The owner of two Chinese restaurants in Kansas and Missouri has been charged with harboring immigrant workers who were in the country illegally. A criminal complaint filed Wednesday in federal court names Wei Liu, owner of Wei's Super Buffet restaurants in Olathe and Kansas City, Missouri. Liu made a first appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court on charges of knowingly employing, transporting and housing workers in the country unlawfully. His wife and four other people are also charged. Court records do not indicate any attorneys. A federal investigator says agents began surveillance in 2011, checking labor reports and interviewing managers of apartments that were rented for workers. Authorities said some of the workers were found Tuesday living at the homes of some of the defendants.================ KC Plant Will Build 2 New Harley-Davidson CyclesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harley-Davidson says it will build two new lightweight motorcycles at its Kansas City plant, beginning next year. The new Street 500 and Street 750 models are the company's first lightweight models since the 1970s. The Kansas City plant will build them for U.S. buyers. The bikes for international customers will be built in India. The Kansas City Star reports that the bikes are designed to be agile for driving in urban areas and are aimed at younger customers. They will cost between $6,700 and $7,500. The company says production at the Kansas City plant will start late this year or early in 2014. The extra work at the Kansas City plant will be handled by seasonal employees.================VFW Picks Kansas City for 2018 National ConventionKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Veterans of Foreign Wars will hold its 2018 national convention in Kansas City, choosing its home community over 11 other cities that were in the running. The Kansas City Star reports that officials of the Convention and Visitors Association announced the booking Thursday. The gathering is expected to draw more than 10,000 people, with an estimated impact of $6.5 million for the local economy. The VFW has its national headquarters just a few blocks from the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. The 2018 convention will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the war's end, and officials of the museum and the VFW are working together on commemoration events.================GE Selling Kansas Subsidiary to Tennessee FirmOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — General Electric is selling its Kansas-based air filtration business to Clarcor Incorporated of Franklin, Tennessee for $265 million. The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday that Clarcor expects the sale to be complete by the end of the year. The air filtration business is based in Overland Park, Kansas and is part of GE's Power and Water division. It supplies air filtration systems and filters for gas turbine generators and other industrial processes. The business has about 700 employees worldwide, with plants in Missouri, the United Kingdom and China, and generates about $230 million a year in revenue.================Authorities ID Body Found in Missouri River as KS ManPLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) — A body recovered from the Missouri River near the tiny town of Waldron northwest of Kansas City has been identified as 35-year-old Christopher Rielly, who had not been reported missing. The Platte County Sheriff's Office says Rielly was most recently from the Leavenworth area. No cause of death has been determined. Rielly's body was pulled from the river September 12. The Sheriff's Office says records of his fingerprints were used to confirm his identity.================Few Pheasants Available as Season Begins SaturdayGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas pheasant hunters aren't likely to see many of the birds when the season begins this weekend. State wildlife experts say drought during most of the nesting and brooding season, combined with an already-low breeding population, will make it difficult to find birds this season, which begins Saturday. Kurt Hudson, Kansas natural resource officer, says recent moisture could improve next year's harvest. But he told The Garden City Telegram that this hunting season is "going to be pretty bleak." The state wildlife agency says the best chance of hunting success will be in the southeastern part of the state.================Massage Parlor Worker to Plead in Sex Trafficking CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A massage parlor worker has told a federal judge she plans to plead guilty for her role in a sex trafficking scheme linked to Asian massage parlors in Wichita. A document filed Thursday by the lawyer for Xiuqing Tian notifies the court of her plans to plead guilty ahead of a trial scheduled to begin next week. The move would leave massage parlor owner Gary Kidgell and his wife, Yan Zhang, as the remaining defendants to face jurors. They're 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 finding ads in a Chinese-language newspaper in New York, Chicago and San Francisco offering "massage parlor hiring" in Kansas.================KCMO Mastermind of Tax Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man who was the mastermind of a nationwide tax fraud conspiracy that attempted to receive nearly $96 million in illegal refunds has pleaded guilty and will spend 13 years in federal prison under a deal with prosecutors. Gerald Poynter, also known as Brother Jerry Love, was facing 66 charges in a 72-count indictment that also named 13 co-defendants. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City Thursday to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by filing false tax returns and one count of filing a fraudulent tax return. Prosecutors say his scheme involved the fraudulent use of 1099-Original Issue Discount forms, typically used by tax filers who pay taxes on income from bond investments. Ten others also have pleaded guilty in the scheme.================Kansas Woman Charged with Embezzling from BankWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former assistant branch manager has been charged with embezzling $346,000 from the Wichita bank where she worked. The U.S. attorney's office says 43-year-old Lisa Marie Evans, of Wichita, was indicted Wednesday on one count of embezzlement by a bank employee. The indictment alleges she stole the money between 2011 and 2013 while employed at Southwest National Bank. Court records do not list a lawyer for Evans, and the U.S. attorney's office said it did not know if she had hired one. No working phone listing for her could be found. Evans has been summoned for a first court appearance on November 25. The charge carries maximum penalties of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The government is also seeking a forfeiture judgment.================Couple Donates $1 Million to Kansas State UniversityMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Texas couple has donated $1 million for Kansas State University's new College of Business Administration building. The university says Rand Berney and his wife, Patti, of Southlake, Texas, donated the money for the new 140,000-square foot building, which is expected to open in July 2016. Rand Berney is a native of Phillipsburg and graduated from Kansas State in 1977. He is retired from ConocoPhillips, where his last position was senior vice president of corporate shared services. Berney is on the executive committee of the dean's advisory council for the College of Business Administration, is an executive-in-residence for the college and is vice chairman of the Kansas State Foundation.================ K-State Bacon Promotion Proving PopularMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University is offering free bacon to lure students to the women's basketball team's home opener Friday against Tennessee State. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that K-State officials initially planned to cook about 75 pounds of thick-sliced bacon. But that amount grew to 300 pounds after the pork promotion blew up on Twitter, Facebook and the Internet. Under the promotion, students with identification will be admitted free to the game and will be rewarded with a "boat of bacon."================ Mennonites Can 20,000 Pounds of Pork for the NeedyHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of volunteers from small towns across Kansas have been helping can pork to send to needy people in the U.S. and a dozen countries around the world. The Hutchinson News reports that a recent two-day meat-canning marathon in Reno County was part of a national Mennonite effort. It started in October in Ohio and will conclude in April in Ontario, Canada. Local Mennonite Central Committee canning committee treasurer Kevin Knepp says community churches donated money to purchase the pork. He says volunteers worked in three shifts to finish canning 20,000 pounds of meat in three days. Meat-canning veteran Melvin Miller says this is the first time in years the local group packaged pork, which was 65 cents a pound cheaper than turkey, the typical protein of choice.================Woman Whose Son Died in DUI Crash Gets ProbationWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita woman has received probation for a drunken-driving crash that killed her 6-year-old son in January. The Wichita Eagle reports that prosecutors and defense lawyers all recommended the sentence for 31-year-old Crystal Ross. Ross pleaded guilty earlier to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence. The charge is punishable by up to 3½ years in prison. Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess agreed to the probation Wednesday but warned Ross that a single traffic infraction will put her behind bars. The accident that killed 6-year-old Cryisol Hall happened January 26 when Ross lost control of her SUV and skidded into a ditch. Ross and her two other sons were injured.================ Pit Bull Surrogate Mother at Sedgwick County ZooWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new litter of African painted dogs at the Sedgwick County Zoo is doing well, thanks to a friendly pit bull. Eight of 11 of the painted dogs born on October 31 survived but their mother couldn't produce milk. The Wichita Eagle reports that after a plea from the zoo for lactating dogs that were close to weaning their own puppies, Sparkles the pit bull became the pups' surrogate mother on Sunday. Zoo officials said in a news release that using a surrogate mother provides a maternal presence that zoo staff couldn't provide.===============K-State Psych Prof Comments on Kimmel Halloween PrankNEW YORK (AP) _ Psychologists aren't amused by the latest round of Halloween prank videos aired by ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel. In what's become an annual prank, Kimmel encourages parents to tell their children that the parents had eaten all of their Halloween candy. The parents are supposed to get the children's reactions on video, and then send it to him so he could show it on his TV show. Predictably, many of the children became quite upset. Two boys are seen breaking out in uncontrolled tears after their father tells them, "It's all gone." One angry girl throws an envelope at her parents. A crying child is told that it's a prank, and responds, "Well, that's not very kind." Kimmel's studio audience laughs at most of the reactions. But Mark Barnett, who's a professor at Kansas State's psychological sciences department, says it's not "harmless fun." He says it's "cruel and potentially damaging." Barnett says, "A child's trust in his parents shouldn't be trifled with." And he says any parent who'd violate that trust "for a big laugh or 15 minutes of fame" is "acting irresponsibly." And Jane Annunziata, a Virginia psychologist who deals with family issues, agrees that it's inappropriate parental behavior.================MO Auditor Office to Review KC Charter School RecordsJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich (shwyk) is sending a team to review attendance records and other issues at a Kansas City charter school. Missouri education officials are investigating academic integrity issues and reports that attendance was inflated at Hope Academy. The charter school is sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Schweich says his office's involvement was requested by the Department of Elementary and Secondary and Hope Academy's board of directors. Missouri law allows the state auditor to review public and charter schools.================MO Education Official Lauds Efforts to Fix Failing SchoolsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's top education official says she's encouraged by the efforts of several groups to work on a long-term plan for unaccredited schools. In a statement released Thursday, Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro highlighted the efforts of a group of school superintendents. They recently unveiled an alternative to a Missouri law that allows students to transfer from unaccredited to accredited districts. Under the superintendents' plan, students in struggling districts could transfer to better-performing schools in their home districts. And after five years of failure, districts could be dissolved and distributed to accredited districts. Missouri's Normandy, Riverview Gardens and Kansas City districts are currently unaccredited. Nicastro says other groups also are discussing the issue of failing schools and that additional ideas are expected to surface in the coming weeks.

KS House Panel's Leader Resigns over School BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The House Appropriations Committee's chairman has resigned from the committee because he says he can't support a school funding plan drafted by the chamber's Republican leaders. Newton Republican Marc Rhoades resigned Monday, just before the start of his committee's hearings on the plan. The proposal seeks to address two flaws in funding for poor school districts identified by the Kansas Supreme Court in a March 7 ruling in a school funding lawsuit. The court said the state must boost aid to poor districts. The fix is estimated to cost $129 million, but the House plan would fund part of that increase by adjusting transportation aid to school districts. Rhoades said even with the offset, the new spending isn't sustainable. He said his resignation allows the bill to move forward.===============Kansas School Funding Solution Proves ElusiveTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — It would seem a simple task. Write a check for $129 million and satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court ruling regarding the constitutionality of school funding. But the process is proving difficult as legislators dive into the 20-year-old school finance formula, scanning about to look at various aspects of how $3 billion in state aid is distributed and whether the money is producing the desired results. Republican Governor Sam Brownback has asked for a clean funding bill before legislators leave town Friday, though he will look at changes to the formula. He wants something in place to meet the court's July deadline for resolving the issue. Legislators are looking a bit broader, but the governor's likely opponent in November says lawmakers just need to write the check.===============Sales, Corporate Taxes Boost Kansas RevenuesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new report says better-than-expected collections of Kansas sales and corporate income taxes helped swell state revenue by $12.2 million more than anticipated in March. Monday's report from the state Revenue Department also says tax collections through the first eight months of the fiscal year totaled nearly $4 billion, about $130 million more than expected. Corporate taxes in March had been projected at $30 million but totaled $47.7 million instead. Sales tax receipts in the month were $7.9 million more than the $155 million that was anticipated. The state's fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.===============Kansas Republican Spat Blunts Redistricting EdgeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas's redistricting experience shows that even when Republicans dominate a state, the outcome is not always preordained. Republican bickering between tea party conservatives and moderates landed the decision with federal judges, who approved a Kansas election map that gives Democrats at least a shot at breaking the GOP stranglehold on the state's four U.S. congressional seats. Republicans hold a nearly 20-percentage point advantage among registered voters in Kansas. There never was a chance that redistricting would make any of districts Democratic-leaning. But the map drawn by judges assigned the city of Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas and often seen as the state's most liberal community, to the district of Republican three-term Representative Lynn Jenkins, giving Democrats hope of being competitive.===============UPDATE: KS Residents Rush to Meet Health Care DeadlineTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Consumers and health care counselors in Kansas are struggling through problems with the federal government's online insurance marketplace ahead of the deadline to sign up for coverage. Kansas residents had until 11 pm Central time Monday to get an application for coverage started under the 2010 federal law, which requires most Americans to have coverage or pay a tax penalty. At the Topeka public library, health care navigators initially had problems accessing the federal marketplace website. Later, they could access the site but found downloading information slow. Katrina McGivern of the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved said navigators were swamped with appointments. The association trained most of the state's approximately 170 navigators. But the Republican-dominated state Legislature still was looking for ways to resist the 4-year-old federal health care overhaul.===============700 Roofers Now Registered in KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state attorney general's office is reminding Kansas residents of a new resource for making sure that roofing contractors are legitimate businesses. Legislators approved the Kansas Roofing Contractor Registration Act in 2013. The law requires every contractor that charges for commercial or residential roofing to obtain a registration certificate from the attorney general's office. The law took effect on July 1 of last year. Attorney General Derek Schmidt says that 700 roofers had registered as of Monday. With the start of the spring storm season, Schmidt urged homeowners needing roof repairs to request a copy of a contractor's registration certificate and check it against an online directory kept by his office. Lawmakers created the registry to help protect consumers from untrustworthy and uninsured roofers.===============Kansas Farmers Plan to Sow More Corn, SoybeansWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas farmers are planning to put in more acres of corn and soybeans this season than they did a year ago. Monday's prospective planting report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service offers the season's first glimpse into the major crops Kansas farmers plan to grow. Kansas farmers told the agency they intend to sow 4.4 million acres of corn this spring, up 2 percent from last year. Expected soybean acreage in Kansas is up 8 percent at 3.9 million acres. But farmers plan to devote less land to sorghum, with an expected 2.7 million acres, down 13 percent from last year. A spokeswoman for the Kansas Corn Growers Association notes the figures are simply estimates at this point based on conversations with growers. There is little seed in the ground yet.===============Parents, Teachers Walk for Kansas SchoolsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Despite sore feet and windy weather, five parents and teachers have completed a 60-mile walk from Johnson County to the Statehouse to show support for Kansas public schools. The hikers are part of a group called Game On for Kansas Schools, which is supporting higher state spending for public education. They set out Friday from suburban Kansas City and finished a ceremonial last mile Monday in Topeka. It was the second year for the walk, organized by parents and teachers. They're urging legislators to abide by a recent Kansas Supreme Court decision ordering additional funding for schools without making changes that would hurt the quality of education. The group says that schools have had to reduce spending in recent years, resulting in larger class sizes and fewer opportunities for students.===============Sentencing Delayed for Butler County WomanEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed for a 54-year-old southeast Kansas woman who pleaded guilty in the death of man whose decomposed body was found in her backyard. The Wichita Eagle reports that Susan L. May was scheduled for sentencing Thursday on one count of reckless and second-degree murder in the death of 55-year-old Richard Hrejsa. The hearing was continued after May's attorney asked the court to impose a reduced sentence in the case. Her new sentencing date is April 15. May would have faced up to about 10 years in prison under the state's sentencing guidelines. Hrejsa's remains were found in the open at May's home west of Augusta in October 2013, about a month after authorities think he was killed.=============== Crisis City Training Proves PopularCRISIS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A mock community in central Kansas that provides training on responding to disasters has been expanding thanks to its popularity with emergency crews. Crisis City opened in October 2009 southwest of Salina on property owned by the Air Force. It hosts training drills that simulate various catastrophes, such as an active shooter, a train derailment or a building collapse. The various venues at Crisis City are designed to provide law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and military with hands-on training. Joe Pruitt, program consultant and manager, told The Kansas City Star that Crisis City serves military and civilian personnel from Kansas and other states, including Missouri, Nebraska and Texas. The site is expanding to 155 acres and a new shooting course is already nearly full.=============== Old Kansas Statehouse Dome Copper ReusedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some of the copper from the old Kansas Statehouse dome is being repurposed. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports several artists are using some of the weathered copper that was removed from the dome during renovations to make jewelry and sculptures. The creations are on sale in the Capitol gift shop. Artist Kristen Haug says the artists get the copper in rough-edged sheets, which they then work into their creations. She cuts hers into smaller rectangles or circles, applies lacquer to keep the green color from rubbing off and sets them in sterling silver frames to make jewelry.=============== Kansas Historic Site Hosts Bleeding Kansas PlayLECOMPTON, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Historical Society says an acting troupe of history re-enactors plans to present the play "Bleeding Kansas Characters." The Lecompton Re-enactors plan to portray notable people from the Bleeding Kansas era discussing slavery. The event is set for 2 pm on April 6 at Constitution Hall State Historic Site. Set in a 1850s Kansas territorial town hall political meeting, the dramatization is written by J. Howard Duncan. The April 6 presentation is the fifth in a series, with the final performance scheduled for May 4.=============== Moundridge Manufacturer Acquires Italian PlantMOUNDRIDGE, Kan. (AP) — A central Kansas company has bought an Italian manufacturing company. The Hutchinson News reports that Moundridge-based Bradbury Company, has acquired Industrie Pu. Ma. Bradbury's facility in Tribano, Italy, will include sales, engineering, assembly and equipment testing. The companies of The Bradbury Group, which employ about 600 people, manufacture and supply roll forming and coil processing equipment. The acquisition expands Bradbury's operations into 14 countries.=============== Kansas Extends Testing Amid Computer ProblemsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas education officials have extended this year's student testing period because of persistent computer glitches with the state tests. School districts statewide have reported technical problems with the March rollout of new state assessment tests. Delays have raised concerns that some schools would not complete the tests within the allotted time period. The Wichita Eagle reports because of the computer problems, the schools now have until May 16th to complete state reading, math and science assessments. That's two weeks more than originally planned, The State Board of Education also decided earlier this month that all public schools in Kansas will remain accredited next year, regardless of how they perform on the tests.=============== Hays Works to Conserve WaterHAYS, Kan. (AP) — The Hays City Commission has taken steps to increase water conservation measures for residents and businesses. The Hays Daily News reports commissioners unanimously approved resolutions Thursday to make plumbing more efficient in future construction and remodels. The resolutions the commission approved would also update the municipal water conservation plan and drought response plan and revise irrigation regulations. Commercial properties building new irrigation systems have to have 30 percent of their land xeriscaped, which is landscaping that uses vegetation that requires little water. New business customers using permanent irrigation systems will also need to install irrigation meters.=============== Grass Fire Burns 1,500 Acres in KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a grass fire over about 1,500 acres in northeast Kansas damaged two homes and four outbuildings. No injuries were reported. Shawnee County Sheriff Herman Jones told The Topeka Capital-Journal it's unclear what started the fire Sunday. Fire crews from throughout the city and surrounding area fought the fire through strong winds and dry conditions. The fire was relatively under control by mid-afternoon. The National Weather Service also warned of fire conditions in Kansas on Sunday because of temperatures in the 70s, very low humidity and winds in excess of 25 miles per hour. The conditions were expected to continue at least into Monday.=============== Lawyer: Kansas Woman, 19, Doesn't Deny KillingLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The lawyer for a 19-year-old Kansas woman accused of killing her 52-year-old housemate says his client doesn't deny killing the man. Sarah Gonzales McLinn is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Harold Sasko, who was found dead January 17th after police went to the home the two shared and after McLinn's family reported her missing. McLinn appeared with her lawyer, Carl Cornwell, on Thursday in Douglas County District Court, where a preliminary hearing was set for May 16th. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Cornwell said after the hearing that McLinn has never denied killing Sasko. Cornell says understanding why the crime happened is another matter. McLinn has been in Douglas County Jail on a $1 million bond since being extradited from Florida last month.=============== US 50 Expansion in Dodge Deals with Historic AreaDODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — The expansion of U.S. 50 in southwestern Kansas no longer includes leveling a historic rock formation. The Dodge City Globe reports the U.S. 50 expansion from a two-lane road into a four-lane expressway will use a paved 16-foot median as it passes the Point of Rocks formation, which was once used as a navigational aid for travelers and cowboys along the Santa Fe Trail. The original plan would have leveled the formation. But the Kansas Department of Transportation considered other options after discussions with groups, including the Santa Fe Trail Association. The 16-foot median, which emerged as a compromise solution, involves cutting into the rock formation and covering the face with a false rock retaining wall made to resemble sandstone. Construction is expected to begin in 2018.=============== Wichita Immigration Mural VandalizedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Volunteers have removed two swastikas that were spray-painted onto a Wichita mural that celebrates immigration. On Saturday, volunteers scrubbed off the two swastikas that had been sprayed in black paint onto the mural. The mural, which was painted by a group of high school students on the side of a store, depicts two people wrapped in flags, one an American and one Mexican. The mural reads: "Immigration is beautiful." In early February, vandals also spray-painted the words "KKK," ''welfare" and slur against people from Mexico on the mural. Volunteers removed that graffiti too and added a clear coat, which made the latest vandalism easier to remove. Security cameras have also been installed to catch any future vandalism.===============Jayhawks' Wiggins Heads to NBALAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins made official Monday what he's been telling folks all along: He's headed to the NBA after his only season with the Jayhawks. The 6-foot-8 forward, who was voted second-team All-America earlier in the day, is expected to go in the top three picks in the June draft. Some believe he could go first overall. Wiggins was the top-rated recruit when he arrived at Kansas, and his brief career was a bit of a roller coaster. He struggled early in the season, caught fire midway through, and then flamed out when it mattered most in an NCAA tournament loss to Stanford. Wiggins only scored four points on 1-for-6 shooting in the third-round defeat. Afterward, he said that he let his team down with his poor performance.===============Train Kills Pedestrian in WichitaWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 45-year-old man has died after he was hit by a train in south Wichita. KAKE-TV reports the accident happened Sunday morning in south Wichita. Police say the train's engineers told officers the man was standing on the tracks and facing the train before he was hit. The man, who was not identified, died a short time after he was taken to a Wichita hospital.=============== PTSD Affects Military Members' FamiliesHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Two Hutchinson middle-school age sisters want people to know that post-traumatic stress disorder can also affect the children of military men and women. Twelve-year-old Kristin Stowers, and her 14-year-old sister, Kaili Stowers, have learned first-hand about PTSD. Their father, Steve Stowers is a U.S. Marine veteran who was diagnosed with PTSD in 2010 after serving in Operation Desert Storm in 1990-91. He recently finished an intensive PTSD treatment program at Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center in Topeka. Kristin and Kaili told The Topeka Capital-Journal that their dad's PTSD affected them, making them more nervous and isolated. Kristin has written an essay about her experience, which Kansas Congressman Tim Huelskamp entered into the Congressional Record last week.===============Polka Lovers Klub of Kansas Officially DisbandsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The dance is over for the Kansas chapter of Polka Lovers Klub of America. President Angie Kaiser announced in the group's March newsletter that the club disbanded because of a lack of new members. She says about $16,000 in the club's treasury has been given to charitable organizations. The club was formed in June 1983 and had about 250 dancers. But most of the members are elderly and it also had trouble finding people to serve as officers. The Wichita Eagle reports that the club's photo albums were donated to the Barton County Historical Society in Great Bend.

Explosive materials have been cleared away at the former Army ammunitions plant near De Soto, paving the way for construction of a new EV battery plant... a lawsuit has been filed by the parents of a 6-year-old who drowned at Oceans of Fun... and the Royals get closer to finding a new home for their stadium. Those stories and more... here.

The singer, songwriter and producer brought his timeless love songs to the Tiny Desk.

The bill would allow customers to pour their own beer from taps.

Under the proposal, the University of Kansas would see a 4 percent budget cut. (Flickr Photo by user Crazybananas)A Kansas House committee has voted to eliminate around $30 million from the state's colleges and universities. That amounts to a 4 percent across-the-board funding cut for fiscal year 2014. Republican Ward Cassidy, from St. Francis, suggested the reduction. Earlier this week, the committee had voted to cut around $15 million from the Board of Regents budget. That proposal was replaced by Cassidy’s motion to cut $30 million, but let universities decide how to do it. He said that his proposal would help them balance the budget.00000184-7fa7-d6f8-a1cf-7fa7bd080000The top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Jerry Henry from Atchison, said the cut would hurt job growth in Kansas and cause tuition increases.00000184-7fa7-d6f8-a1cf-7fa7bd080001The full House will now consider the funding cut as part of that chamber’s budget.

Secretary of Revenue Nick Jordan speaking to reporters. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)Governor Sam Brownback’s administration is urging lawmakers to look at the bigger picture when considering his tax proposal. Supporters of the plan say that its cut in income tax rates will boost the Kansas economy. But the plan is being criticized, because it would eliminate two popular deductions...one for mortgage interest and one for property tax payments. Secretary of Revenue Nick Jordan told reporters today (FRI) that the plan would yield a net benefit for Kansas taxpayers. He says people opposed to the plan are only considering small portions of it.00000184-7fa7-d6f8-a1cf-7fa7b9bf0000Democratic leaders are calling the proposal a tax shift. The top Democrat in the House, Paul Davis, says he believes middle and lower-income families would suffer financially because the reduction in income taxes would not save Kansans as much money as the current tax deductions.