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Kansas to Appeal Sex Offender Registry RulingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas authorities say they'll appeal a state district court's decision ordering them to remove a child molester's name from the offender registry. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Thursday he will fight for the integrity of the state's offender registry law. He says his office will also appeal a ruling that allowed the plaintiff anonymity. Schmidt says the registry is designed to protect the public, particularly children. Shawnee County Judge Larry Hendricks ruled Tuesday that Kansas law ostracizes offenders and requires them to remain registered longer than necessary. But his ruling applied only to the man who sued the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Johnson County sheriff's office over ending his registering requirement. Nearly 11,600 people are now on the state registry for crimes involving sex, drugs or violence.=============Kansas House Committee Chairman Running for Insurance PostTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The longtime chairman of the Kansas House Insurance Committee is seeking the Republican nomination for insurance commissioner. Representative Clark Shultz of McPherson said Thursday he's thought about running for the office for several years. But he said he's intended to wait to run until three-term Republican incumbent Sandy Praeger planned to retire. Praeger isn't expected to seek another four-year term next year. Shultz said one of his main goals as commissioner would be attracting new insurance companies to Kansas. Shultz is the fourth declared Republican candidate, with the GOP primary set for August 2014. No Democrat has publicly announced plans to run. The 56-year-old Shultz has served in the House since 1997 and has been chairman of its Insurance Committee for nine years. He's also chairman of its rules committee.=============KCK Utility Addresses June Electrocution DeathKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City, Kansas Board of Public Utilities says work on scores of downed power lines prevented it from quickly responding to a similar call in June about line at a city park, where a man was electrocuted. BPU spokesman David Mehlhaff issued a statement Wednesday explaining why it took more than 11 hours to respond to the downed power line at Rosedale Park after the June 15 storm. Twenty-seven-year-old Nicholas Moeder of Shawnee was electrocuted on June 16 as he played disc golf in the dark with a friend. The Kansas City Star reports that the BPU says it received 553 service calls that evening, including three that reported the downed wire in Rosedale Park. The utility says the storm left 2,277 customers without electrical service.=============Lawrence Man Shot to Death; 2 Suspects ArrestedLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence police are investigating the shooting death of a 51-year-old man. The man was killed Wednesday evening at a home in Lawrence. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the man lived at the home with his son. Two suspects, a man and a woman, were later arrested in Topeka. No further details were immediately available.=============Group Says Farm Bill Eases Rules for Coal-Fired Power Plant ConstructionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. House-approved farm bill contains a provision that environmentalists say would ease rules for building a coal-burning power plant in southwest Kansas. Environmentalists have won federal court decisions requiring an environmental review before Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corporation can build a $2.8 billion, 895-megawatt plant near Holcomb. Bill Griffith, energy chair of the Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club, told The Lawrence Journal-World that a section of the House's farm bill would essentially negate that requirement. Griffith says he isn't sure how the provision was slipped into the the farm bill. Sunflower Electric spokeswoman Cindy Hertel says she had no knowledge of the provision. The House-approved farm bill moved to the Senate, which has a separate farm bill. A conference committee is expected to consider differences between the versions.=============EPA Grant Will Fund Cleanups in KCMO, KCKKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City, Missouri and neighboring Kansas City, Kansas are sharing a $600,000 federal grant for cleaning up polluted sites. On Thursday, Sly James, mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, and Mark Holland, mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, announced the start of the One-KC Brownfields Coalition, which is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. The $600,000 grant is intended to help the two cities assess environmental contamination on so-called brownfield properties, which are contaminated industrial sites. The mayors said in a release that the two-state project aims to improve about 25 brownfield industrial properties and neighboring areas, transforming some into community gardens or new businesses. The program is expected to continue for three years.=============Participation in Kansas Rural Program GrowsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — More Kansas counties are signing up to participate in a 2011 state program aimed at luring new residents to rural counties with declining populations. Grant and Gray counties in southwest Kansas have recently voted to participate in a student loan program where new graduates can receive assistance in retiring college debt. The two counties were among 23 counties added to the state's Rural Opportunity Zone program created by Republican Governor Sam Brownback. The program offers student loan repayment and an income tax credit for new residents moving to participating counties that have lost at least 10 percent of their population over the past decade. Chris Harris, director of the program in the Kansas Department of Commerce, says Kansas averages one new application for the student loan program each day.=============KU Medical Center Receives $10 Million BequestKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former dean at the University of Kansas Medical Center and her husband left a $10 million gift to the medical center and university libraries when they died last year. The university's endowment association announced the gift Thursday from the estate of Stata Norton Ringle, a former dean of the School of Allied Health at the medical center and her husband, David Ringle. The couple lived in Leawood. Stata Ringle was a faculty member and administrator at the medical center from 1962 to 1990. David was a research physiologist for the Midwest Research Institute. The university says the gift will be divided between student scholarships at the School of Health Professions, the Clendening History of Medicine Library and the Kenneth Spencer Research Library.=============U.S. Senate Committee Advances NBAF FundingWASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Senate committee has endorsed spending $404 million in the next fiscal year to construct a new federal research lab at Kansas State University. The action Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee sends the spending request for the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility to the full Senate for passage. The House has already approved $404 million for the project, part of the Department of Homeland Security's budget for 2014. Kansas Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, both Republicans, announced Thursday's development on the funding. The $1.25 billion lab will research deadly animal and livestock diseases, replacing an aging facility at Plum Island, New York. The state of Kansas is matching the federal funding by authorizing $305 million in bonds, as well as $35 million from the Kansas Bioscience Authority.=============Kansas Court Records Sealed in Killer's ReleaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Shawnee County judge has sealed court records in the case of a man who was committed to a mental hospital after killing a woman in 2001 and has since been moved to a Topeka facility. Lee McGowan, senior assistant Shawnee County district attorney, told The Topeka Capital Journal that Judge Evelyn Wilson on Wednesday ordered court records sealed in the case of Hal Bates, who was committed to a mental hospital after beating 85-year-old Elizabeth Cowperthwaite of Topeka to death in 2001. McGowan is contesting a Pawnee County judge's order earlier this year releasing Bates to a Topeka nursing facility for mental health. McGowan says Wilson sealed the court records after an attorney representing Bates filed a motion seeking to close court proceedings regarding Bates's move to Topeka.============= 70 Foreign Military Officers Visit Kansas CapitalTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials met with 70 foreign military officers as part of a program teaching them about the state's government and its court system. The officers' visit Thursday included a tour of the Kansas Statehouse. The officers are students at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Officers who study at the 119-year-old college frequently become high-ranking military officers or civilian officials in their nations, and 26 graduates have become heads of state. The 65 nations represented this year include Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Korea, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Uganda. Secretary of State Kris Kobach spoke to the officers before they toured the Statehouse. The officers' itinerary also included a tour of the nearby Judicial Center and the Kansas Museum of History.=============KC-Based Hallmark Plans Staff Cuts in CanadaKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hallmark Cards says it's eliminating about 300 positions at its distribution center and main office in Canada. The Kansas City Star reports that the cuts will start in January. About 230 positions will be cut in Hallmark's Canadian headquarters, consolidating some operations into U.S. operations. About 75 distribution center jobs in Toronto will be eliminated. Hallmark spokeswoman Julie O'Dell said Wednesday that about 1,000 Hallmark jobs will remain in Canada. The Kansas City-based greeting card company also says it's converting about 315 temporary and on-call workers from Hallmark employees in Kansas City to employees of Guidant Group, a business process outsource company. The outsourcing is effective August 26.=============Marines Keeping IT Center in Kansas CityKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. Marine Corps has decided to keep its information technology center in Kansas City. The Kansas City Star reports that Kansas City beat out New Orleans for the center's offices, and the decision announced Wednesday extends the Marines' commitment to Kansas City beyond its current lease, which expires in 2017. Senator Claire McCaskill says in a release the Marines have agreed to negotiate for a longer commitment, and the decision keeps more than 400 civilian jobs in the area. The 250,000 square-foot IT center houses hundreds of software developers and information technology professionals who support Marine Corps computer functions. The total workforce is about 450 people, most of whom are civilians.=============Oklahoma Man Killed in Cattle Pen at Creekstone FarmsARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Arkansas City police say an Oklahoma man died while working inside a cattle pen at Creekstone Farms. Emergency crews who responded to a call of a man hurt by a cow early Thursday found 57-year-old Richard Gates of Blackwell, Okla., unresponsive in the cattle pen. He died later at South Central Regional Medical Center. Police say Gates was inside the cattle pen trying to move cattle when he was knocked down and injured by other cattle. An autopsy will determine his cause of death.=============Leavenworth Man Charged in Shooting DeathLEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Leavenworth man is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of another man while they were riding in a pickup truck. Twenty-six-year-old Justin M. Driscoll appeared in court Wednesday after being charged in the Saturday death of 30-year-old Dick Mathis. Police say Mathis was shot when a gun discharged and a bullet hit him in the chin. He was one of four men — including Driscoll — riding in the truck when the shooting happened. Driscoll and another man took Mathis to a hospital, where he died. The Leavenworth Times reports the criminal complaint alleges reckless behavior was a factor in the shooting. In court Wednesday, Driscoll's attorney asked for more time before a preliminary hearing is scheduled. A status hearing was scheduled for August 16.============= 4 SW Kansas Bank Employees Facing Federal ChargesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Three southwest Kansas women are facing federal charges accusing them of embezzling more than $100,000 from a bank where they worked and staging a robbery to cover it up. A fourth woman is accused of embezzling money with two of the others for more than two years after the July 24, 2010, staged robbery at Western State Bank in Ulysses. A federal indictment unsealed Thursday charges Ulysses residents 32-year-old Amber Gutierrez, 32-year-old Hattie Wiginton and 28-year-old Ashley Cravens with two counts of embezzlement by a bank employee and one count of bank robbery. Wiginton also is charged with making a false statement to the FBI. And 59-year-old Linda Wise of Ulysses is charged with one count of embezzlement. The women remain free and are scheduled for initial appearances July 31.============= Judge: Disclosure of Abuse Claims Did Not Violate OrderWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ruled that former cadets who sued a Kansas military school didn't violate a protective order when their attorney disclosed in a filing that 339 students had complained of being beaten, hazed, harassed or abused over the past five years. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Gale ruled Wednesday that the confidential list was properly filed under seal, while the public motion referenced only the number. But the judge said portions of deposition transcripts from some witnesses that the plaintiffs publicly filed as exhibits violated the court's protective order. He ordered those exhibits immediately sealed. Gale also found that the failure to redact the name of a cadet accused of being a sexual offender was inadvertent. He says the issue is moot because a redacted version was later filed.============= Wichita Planning Sports, Entertainment ComplexWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita is planning a multimillion dollar sports and entertainment complex that it hopes will draw tournaments and visitors from across the country. Final details are not complete but developers say work could begin late this summer on the GoodSports complex, with opening sometime next summer. The Wichita Eagle reports the last obstacle for the $122 million sales tax and revenue bond project will go before the Wichita City Council August 6. The council is expected to approve a special sales tax to finance a highway interchange that will be a key entrance for the complex. The first phase will be anchored by GoodSports Fieldhouse, a 65,000-square-foot facility. Efforts also are underway to attract retailers to the area.============= Zoo in Garden City Addressing USDA IssueGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal regulators have given Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City a year to fix a problem with open and unattended gates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates zoos, says the zoo has to find a way to have the gates attended at all times when the zoo is open, or to have them be self-closing. Zoo director Kathy Sexson said Wednesday the primary concern is animals escaping, or people or animals getting into the zoo and causing problems. The Garden City Telegram reports the zoo hasn't budgeted for the proposed changes, which could cost several thousand dollars. Sexson said the zoo will seek grants or other funding to offset the cost, and also might adjust other projects already budgeted.============= Canadian Oil Company Hosts Iola Open HouseIOLA, Kan. (AP) — A Canadian company planning to build a 600-mile oil pipeline from Illinois to Oklahoma is coming to eastern Kansas to discuss the project. Enbridge Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, hopes to begin construction early next month on its Flanagan South pipeline. The company has scheduled a series of open house sessions this week in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. The Iola session is Thursday at the North Community Building from 5-7 pm. Attendees will be able to review project maps and meet with Enbridge employees in an informal session. Enbridge officials say they expect to receive an expedited permit review from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The company's existing Spearhead pipeline runs parallel to the Flanagan South route, with pump stations in place at Linn and Humboldt.============= Key Arts Panel Approves Eisenhower Memorial DesignWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has voted to grant general approval to architect Frank Gehry's design for a planned national memorial honoring Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington. The commission overseeing civic art and architecture in the capital reviewed Gehry's core imagery of Eisenhower on Thursday. The members voted 3-1 to approve the general layout. Gehry has proposed a memorial park with statues and images of Ike as president, as World War II hero and as a young boy from Kansas. The park would be framed by large metal tapestries depicting the Kansas landscape of his boyhood home. The commission suggested that Gehry remove two smaller side tapestries and use only one as a backdrop. That would reduce the number of huge stone columns holding them up.

GOP Group Backs Democrat for Kansas Elections PostTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A group of dissident Republicans has endorsed Democrat Jean Schodorf in her campaign against Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Schodorf had a news conference Tuesday outside the Statehouse to publicize her endorsement by Traditional Republicans for Common Sense -- a group of former lawmakers. Schodorf is a former moderate GOP state senator from Wichita who switched parties after losing her seat to a conservative challenger in 2012. She was among the founding members of Traditional Republicans for Common Sense but no longer belongs to it. The group has also endorsed independent candidate Greg Orman for U.S. Senate, and many of its members back Democrat Paul Davis for governor. Kobach said the group's move isn't surprising and said it is as little a Republican group as he is a Democrat.==============================Outside Political Groups Blanketing Kansas AirwavesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A new study confirms what anyone watching television in Kansas recently probably knows: political ads in the hotly contested race between Republican incumbent Governor Sam Brownback and Democratic challenger Paul Davis are flooding the airwaves. Spending by campaigns and political groups is about seven times more this election than in 2010, when Republicans easily swept all statewide offices in Kansas, according to a report released Wednesday. The non-partisan Center for Public Integrity estimates $2.2 million has been spent on television ads for statewide offices - or about $1.11 per eligible Kansas voter - so far this election cycle. The center counted a total of 8,967 ads, many of them repeats of the same ad. The governor's race alone has consumed $2.1 million of that spending.==============================Voter Mulling Options in Kansas Senate DisputeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The lawyer for a disgruntled Kansas Democratic voter says he's considering his options as he faces a delay in getting a court to hear his lawsuit to force the party to name a new U.S. Senate nominee. Attorney Tom Haney said Tuesday that voter David Orel of Kansas City, Kansas, was surprised by a state Supreme Court decision sending Orel's petition to Shawnee County District Court. Orel filed the petition last week after the Supreme Court allowed Democrat Chad Taylor to have his name removed from the November 4 ballot in the race against Republican Senator Pat Roberts. The Supreme Court said Tuesday more evidence must be gathered in Orel's lawsuit. Taylor's move was seen as helping independent candidate Greg Orman and putting the Kansas race in the national spotlight.==============================Kansas GOP Criticizes Davis Campaign Event at Justice's HomeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Republican Party is criticizing a campaign event for Democrat Paul Davis in the governor's race because it was being held at a state Supreme Court justice's home. The barbecue Tuesday night was organized by Richard Green, a retired high school teacher and the husband of Justice Carol Beier. Beier says she was not involved in organizing the event and did not attend. Neither Davis nor lieutenant governor candidate Jill Docking were expected to attend. The Kansas GOP said holding a campaign event at a sitting state supreme court justice's home is inappropriate. A Davis spokesman said the GOP is resorting to what he called "manufactured outrage."=============================Perry to Headline Fundraiser for BrownbackWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is getting some fundraising help from his colleague in Texas. Texas Governor Rick Perry will be in Wichita on Wednesday for a rally at the Republican Party headquarters followed by two private receptions for donors. Brownback is locked in a surprisingly close race with Democratic challenger Paul Davis. The two Republican governors have had a close relationship for years. Both are former state agriculture secretaries, and Brownback endorsed Perry's 2012 campaign for the GOP nomination for president.==============================Palin Campaigns in Kansas for Pat RobertsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is coming to Kansas to stump for Senator Pat Roberts' re-election campaign. A person familiar with the Roberts campaign told The Associated Press that Palin will be at a pancake breakfast in Independence on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information publicly. Palin's appearance is part of a week of events featuring Republican heavyweights. Roberts is locked in a competitive race with independent candidate and Olathe businessman Greg Orman. Former GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole was stumping Monday and Tuesday for Roberts. Arizona Senator John McCain had an event Wednesday in Overland Park, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is expected to be in Wichita on Monday.==============================KU Students Raise $1,800 for Records RequestLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - A student seeking records about the financial relationship between the University of Kansas and the Koch brothers has raised the $1,800 the school required to fulfill her request. Schuyler Kraus, president of the Students for a Sustainable Future, filed the Kansas open records request last month. She wants to know about the financial relationship between Art Hall, the executive director of the university's Center for Applied Economics, and billionaires Charles and David Koch. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the university told Kraus it would cost $1,800 to provide the information because the request covered more than 10 years and would require the work of several offices. The American Association of University Professors donated $1,000 to Kraus and other donations helped her raise the rest of the money.==============================Kansas State Lands $50 Million Federal GrantMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Kansas State University has been awarded a $50 million federal grant for a global food security project. The award was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Kansas State will use the funds to establish a Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification. The government's Feed the Future program funds labs at colleges and universities nationwide to research ways to improve food production and nutrition around the world. Kansas State's new lab will identify technologies to help small farmers in West Africa and South Asia improve land, water, soil, crop and livestock management while also improving yields and sustaining natural resources. Kansas State has three other Feed the Future labs, focusing on sorghum and millet research, applied wheat genomics and the reduction of postharvest loss.==============================KS Budget Division Asks Agencies to Evaluate EfficiencyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Division of Budget has told seven state agencies to evaluate whether they can operate more efficiently. The results of the evaluations are to be presented to the budget division in the first two weeks of October. The governor's spokeswoman says the evaluations aren't related to projections that the state faces a $238 million budget shortfall by the end of June 2016. She says the state officials look for opportunities to better use taxpayer money, no matter how much money the state has. Budget Director Shawn Sullivan will work with the agencies over the next few months to determine if state services are being delivered as efficiently as possible and whether there are any duplicate programs.==============================Federal Government Sues Kansas Bitcoin BusinessLEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) - The Federal Trade Commission alleges in a lawsuit that a Kansas bitcoin company bilked more than 20,000 customers out of up to $50 million. The FTC alleges that the Leawood-based company, Butterfly Labs, told consumers that computers could generate bitcoins but didn't deliver the computers or sent worthless equipment. The FTC said Tuesday the federal court in Kansas City issued a temporary restraining order that shutdown the business. The company said in a statement that it would fight the federal action and accused the government of wanting to shut down the company. Bitcoins are a way to buy and sell some goods and services instead of using dollars or other government mon=============================Topeka Council Delays Vote on Public NudityTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Topeka residents can still legally walk around nude in the city, for now. The Topeka City Council voted on Tuesday to send to committee a proposal to make public nudity a misdemeanor offense. The issue arose after a man was seen walking nude in south central Topeka near an elementary school earlier this year. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the issue was sent to committee after councilman Richard Harmon suggested restricting public nudity only near schools and day cares. The proposed ban wouldn't apply to children under 10 or breastfeeding women. Violators could face up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine of between $1 and $499. Public nudity is not banned by state law or Topeka ordinance, though state law prohibits it in the context of sexual arousal.==============================Tank Crushes Worker at Wichita WorksiteWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A worker is dead after a Wichita industrial accident in which a 6-ton tank shifted unexpectedly and fell on him while he was sandblasting it. The man, whose identity hadn't been released Tuesday afternoon, was under a tarp outside Boardman working on the tank when it fell onto him at 2 p.m. Wichita police say the man was a subcontractor at the steel plate fabricator. Sgt. John Ryan says it's rare for the tanks, which fall several times a year, to injure workers because most of the time people are able to get out of the way. Emergency crews and family members arrived shortly after the incident, but police were withholding the victim's name until other relatives were notified.==============================Eisenhower Memorial Panel to Vote on Gehry DesignWASHINGTON (AP) - Members of a federal commission planning a memorial near the National Mall to honor the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower are voting on how to proceed after years of controversy. The Eisenhower Memorial Commission met last week but didn't have enough members present. So they are holding an electronic vote by the end of the day Wednesday on how to proceed. Architect Frank Gehry has presented a revised design for a proposed memorial park after objections from critics and Eisenhower's family. The revised design eliminates two large, metal tapestries on the sides of the park. One long tapestry would remain as a backdrop, depicting the Kansas landscape of Ike's boyhood home. The memorial commission is deciding whether to proceed with Gehry's design. Eisenhower's family has called for a simpler design.==============================Judge Sets Hearing in Spirit AeroSystems Labor LawsuitKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - A federal judge will hear arguments next month on whether to block aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems from selling off its fabrication operations or laying off workers pending arbitration. U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree on Tuesday set an October 8 hearing in Topeka over the lawsuit filed by the Machinists Union against the Wichita company. The union contends the potential outsourcing would violate its labor contract and cost 1,400 jobs. Spirit argues the grievances filed by the union are premature and provide no basis for an injunction. The lawsuit contends the Machinists gave up the right to strike and accepted pay cuts and smaller wage increases in a 10-year contract negotiated in 2010. It says that in exchange, Spirit agreed to maintain major manufacturing operations in Wichita.==============================Topeka Zoo Adopts Orphaned Black Bear CubTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Topeka Zoo has temporarily postponed a black bear exhibit after adopting a second orphaned cub. The zoo took in a female cub named Valor this month who had been orphaned in Alaska. Zookeepers on Tuesday introduced her to their other cub, Independence. The exhibit tours have been postponed so the animals can get used to each other. It's unclear when the exhibit will reopen. The cubs will live together until they are old enough to meet Sneak and Peak, adult black bears who arrived at the zoo in 1996 from Peoria, Illinois.===============================Wichita Woman Accused in Prostitution Racketeering CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Wichita woman accused of running an escort service as a front for prostitution has told a federal judge she wants to change her plea. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren on Tuesday set an October 8 change-of-plea hearing for 60-year-old Saundra J. Lacy at federal court in Wichita. Prosecutors used a federal racketeering law to indict Lacy in June on 27 counts of racketeering in promotion of prostitution. Her business, Jessie's Primetime Entertainment, had hired at least 20 women as escorts. The indictment alleges Lacy required escorts to carry condoms and to engage in sex at the customer's request. Prosecutors said the escorts typically charged $160 for a half hour and $185 for an hour. Escorts accepted credit cards and offered customers discount coupons.==============================Kansas Woman Sentenced for Death of 4-year-old BoyHIAWATHA, Kan. (AP) - A northeast Kansas woman has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for the beating death of her boyfriend's 4-year-old son. 30-year-old Janice Summerford, of Hiawatha, was sentenced Monday in Brown County District Court. Mekhi Boone died in March 2013, two days after he was taken unresponsive to a hospital. His father, Lee Davis IV, is serving nearly 20 years for second-degree murder and felony child abuse. Prosecutors said Summerford was the father's live-in girlfriend and the little boy's primary caregiver. She entered Alford pleas last month to second-degree murder, child abuse and interfering with law enforcement. An Alford plea does not admit guilty but acknowledges that prosecutors can likely prove the charge.==============================Lion Dies at Sedgwick County ZooWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The Sedgwick County Zoo says a 19-year-old lioness has died. The zoo's executive director tells the Wichita Eagle that the South African lioness named Nemesis died Tuesday. Necropsy results haven't been released, but the director says recent tests indicated her kidneys were failing. Nemesis came to Wichita in 2000 for the opening of the lion exhibit from the Oklahoma City Zoo. She gave birth to 12 cubs, six of which are still at the zoo. She has 24 grand-cubs and seven great-grand-cubs living in zoos across the country.==============================Sentencing Delayed for Kansan in Brother's DeathSALINA, Kan. (AP) - Sentencing for an 18-year-old Kansan who pleaded guilty to shooting his 9-year-old stepbrother to death has been delayed until November 3. Ryan Velez was scheduled to be sentenced Monday for second-degree murder for the June 2010 death of Kaden Harper. Velez was 14 when his stepbrother was killed at their family home near Assaria. The Salina Journal reportsan attorney for Velez needed more time to review reports from Larned State Hospital. Velez had been housed at Larned from 2011 until mid-July, when he pleaded guilty to his brother's death. His stay at Larned was not to exceed 10 years and three months. Because Velez was released before his sentence was complete, he was referred back to district court for sentencing.==============================Former Kansas Man Sentenced for Mortgage FraudKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A former Kansas man has been sentenced in Missouri to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in a $2.7 million mortgage fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney's office says 49-year-old Terrence Matthew Brown must also pay $1.2 million in restitution under the sentence he received Tuesday in federal court. Brown, formerly of Wichita and now living in Texas, was convicted earlier in a conspiracy that defrauded lenders in 10 loans for five properties in western Missouri and northeast Kansas. Prosecutors said the conspirators obtained loans with false information on applications and other documents. Brown bought homes at inflated prices and received more than $200,000 in kickbacks from the excess loan proceeds. All of the loans went into default and the properties were foreclosed.==============================Dodge City Police Investigating Woman's DeathDODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) - Law enforcement authorities say the death of a 30-year-old woman is being investigated as a homicide. Dodge City police and the Ford County Sheriff's Department were called to a Dodge City home Monday afternoon on a report of an injured person. Officers say they found 30-year-old Natasha Pruitt dead at the home. Dodge City Chief of Police Craig Mellecker says the department is investigating the death as a homicide. Police have not said how Pruitt died or released any other information about the case. Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson said in a news release that a 26-year-old Dodge City man was arrested Monday evening on unrelated charges near Hutchinson after a police chase ended when the suspect pulled over and surrendered.==============================Ventura and Royals Beat Indians 7-1CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie pitcher Yordano Ventura blanked Cleveland's punchless offense for seven innings as the Kansas City Royals kept pressure on first-place Detroit in the AL Central with a 7-1 win over the Indians on Tuesday night. The hard-throwing Ventura allowed four singles and threw a 100 mph fastball on his 104th pitch. Kansas City entered one game out of first and with a grasp on one of the league's two wild-card spots. The Royals are closing in on their first postseason appearance since 1985, when they won their only World Series title. At 86-71, Kansas City matched its win total from last season. It's the first time the Royals have had consecutive seasons with at least 86 victories since 1977-78.

The imagery shows the scale of the destruction in parts of Kentucky, Arkansas and Illinois.

Two federal programs that helped federal student loan borrowers ease back into payments are ending. It will have the biggest impact on borrowers with defaulted loans or borrowers who miss payments moving forward.

The payments startup Fast has raised tens of millions of dollars from venture capitalists, but critics of its CEO Domm Holland say his past in Australia is being overlooked.

Back in September, the Aizuri String Quartet helped KPR kick off our Fall Fanfare Membership Drive on September 22, with beautiful music from the KPR Live Performance Studio.

============================Health Care Compact Legislation Advances in Kansas HouseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill permitting Kansas to join an interstate compact to end federal rules for health care programs has received first-round approval in the state House. The measure advanced on an unrecorded 80-37 vote Tuesday. The bill is expected to pass on final action Wednesday and go to the Senate. It's a protest from the Republican-dominated Legislature against health care policies championed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas have already enacted similar laws encouraging a compact, which would then let states run programs like Medicaid and Medicare as they see fit. The federal government sets rules for the programs for the needy and elderly and provides much of the funding. But the measure is largely symbolic for now, because Congress would have to approve the compact.=================================Kansas School Finance Debate ExtendedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee is extending its discussion of Governor Sam Brownback's proposal to rewrite the formula for distributing state aid to school districts. Friday is the last day in this year's legislative session for bills in certain committees to clear their chamber of origin. Senator Jean Schodorf says the Education Committee won't be able to finish its work on the school finance bill this week, and will request an exception to allow for more debate. Schodorf, a Wichita Republican, says Brownback's plan is complex and has generated a lot of discussion. She says the bill isn't dead, but needs further review. Brownback is proposing to give school districts more authority to raise revenue and spend the dollars with more flexibility.====================================KS House Panel Approves Income Tax BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has approved a plan for cutting individual income taxes, reducing taxes for business owners and keeping a promise to cut the state sales tax next year. The measure endorsed Monday by the House Taxation Committee is an alternative to a tax plan proposed by Republican Governor Sam Brownback. The committee's voice vote sends the measure to the House for debate. The committee modified a plan drafted by Republican leaders in the House. The plan would reduce individual income tax rates for 2013, but not as aggressively as Brownback had proposed. It would also scale back an income tax credit for poor workers by more than House GOP leaders had sought. The sales tax would drop to 5.7 percent from 6.3 percent in July 2013, as scheduled. ============================== KS House Panel Backs Religious Freedom Bill TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has endorsed legislation that backers say would protect religious freedom but opponents believe would allow discrimination based on sexual orientation. Monday's adoption by the House Judiciary Committee on a voice vote sends the bill to the full House. Committee chairman Lance Kinzer, an Olathe Republican, says the bill puts into law the language of Kansas court decisions for determining when government policies place too heavy a burden on practicing religion. It also allows people to sue state and local government agencies if they feel their religious freedoms have been abridged. Critics, including the Kansas Equality Coalition, claim the bill's true intent is to discriminate against individuals based on sexual orientation. ============================== A Tuition Break for Veterans Moves Forward in KS House TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has approved a bill allowing all military veterans to pay the lower tuition rates at state universities normally reserved for Kansas residents. The tuition break already applies to veterans who live in Kansas for two years during their military service and establish a home in the state within 30 days of leaving the military. Veterans save about $4 million in tuition costs a year. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the measure endorsed Monday by the House Education Budget Committee extends the in-state tuition break to all veterans. The bill goes next to the House Appropriations Committee for review. ============================== KS House Panel Postpones Vote on Abortion Bill TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has postponed its vote on a bill aimed at preventing the state from subsidizing abortions even indirectly through tax credits or deductions. Chairman Steve Brunk said he cancelled Monday's meeting of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee to give members more time to draft possible amendments. Brunk, a Bel Aire Republican, expects a vote next week. The committee's approval would send the bill to the full House. The bill also rewrites the state's informed consent law, requiring doctors to provide certain information before terminating a woman's pregnancy. It would require doctors to allow patients to hear a fetal heartbeat. The measure also would prohibit schools from incorporating materials from groups that provide abortions into classes on human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases.===========================Judge Orders Doctor's License Revoked in KS Abortion CaseAn administrative judge has issued an order revoking a Kansas doctor's license over her referrals of young patients for late-term abortions. The judge said Dr. Ann Kristen Neuhaus failed to meet accepted standards of care in performing mental health evaluations on 11 patients, aged 10 to 18, in 2003. The order was made public Tuesday. Neuhaus provided the second opinions that allowed the late Dr. George Tiller of Wichita to terminate the patients' pregnancies. But Administrative Judge Ed Gaschler, who presided over a hearing for Neuhaus, said the care of the patients was seriously jeopardized by her actions. The revocation order will be reviewed by the State Board of Healing Arts, which regulates physicians. Neuhaus attorney Bob Eye did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment. ==================================Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation Convenience Store Seized for Back Tax Debt HOLTON, Kan. (AP) — A convenience store on the Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation in northeastern Kansas has been shut down for what the state says is failure to pay more than $1.7 million in sales tax. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that state revenue agents and Jackson County sheriff's officers began seizing the assets of Kathy's General Store near Holton on Tuesday morning. The Revenue Department says it seized all known bank accounts, on-site cash, business inventory and personal property assets of Kathy's Inc. and owner Kathy L. Kaul Kennedy. Kaul Kennedy has challenged the state's authority to collect various types of taxes on the reservation for more than two decades. Revenue officials say Kathy's Inc. owes roughly $1.35 million from October 2005 to September 2009, and about $375,000 from October 2009 to September 2010.===============================KBA Approves $2 Million in New InvestmentsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bioscience Authority's investment committee approved just under $2 million in new investments. The investments approved Monday come after Governor Sam Brownback withheld part of KBA's annual appropriation of $35 million. KBA leaders say they had plenty of money available to fund the investments.The Lawrence Journal-World reports the committee approved just under $191,000 for Mencuro Therapeutics Inc. in Lawrence, which develop drugs that are an alternative to morphine for pain management. Other investments must still be approved by the KBA's full board during its March 6 meeting. They include $350,000 for the Center for Animal Health Innovation in Olathe; about $75,000 for Aptakon, based in Kansas City, Kansas; and a $1.3 million research and development award for Aratana Therapeutics, based in Kansas City, Kansas.============================Temporary Power Outage at KU Traced to Mouse Power was lost for a short time at more than 10 buildings at the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence on Tuesday. The outage began around 2:10 pm after a mouse caused an electrical short. The university said in a statement that buildings were brought back online gradually, with power being fully restored around 3:30 pm. Buildings affected by the outage included Spencer Museum, Watson Library and the Kansas Union. ============================ England Wins Trans-Atlantic Pancake RaceLIBERAL, Kan. (AP) _ An English runner has won the annual Shrove Tuesday trans-Atlantic pancake race, beating the winner of the southwest Kansas leg of the race by 10 seconds. Eighteen-year-old Devon Byrnes of Olney, England, covered the course in 58.5 seconds to beat 19-year-old Kaela Krueger, who won the leg of the race in Liberal six hours later. Women clad in aprons and head scarves run the course with a pancake in their pan, flipping it at the beginning and end of the race. Shrove Tuesday, widely known in Britain as Pancake Day, is traditionally the last day for merrymaking before the start of Lent. Pancakes were thought to be a good way for Christians to consume the fat and other ingredients they were supposed to give up during the 40 days of Lent before Easter. =========================== Emporia State University Students Launch Fundraiser for Teaching Hall of FameEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) _ Three Emporia State University students are launching a national campaign to honor teachers and help the university's National Teachers Hall of Fame. The university said in a news release Tuesday that the students are trying to raise $1 million in one semester by encouraging people across the country to honor a teacher. The students are Beka Enoch of Manhattan, Holli Schletzbaum of Wichita and Kelsey Cowan of Olathe. They are asking people to record comments about a favorite teacher on the Hall of Fame's website (www.nthf.org) or at the Hall of Fame's museum. The comments should be accompanied by a minimum $1 donation. The money will be used to fund activities at the Teachers Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1989 on the Emporia State campus.============================Headstones Removed from Wichita Cemetery Wichita investigators are trying to figure out who took a half-dozen historic headstones from a cemetery and threw them into a roadside ditch. A Sedgwick County sheriff's deputy came across the headstones Monday. The oldest dated to 1867, and the newest to 1907. Investigators said Tuesday they've determined the stones came from Wichita's Highland Cemetery. Photos of the headstones were released to the media, and people responded with numerous tips. =========================Storms Leave Scattered Damage in KansasWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A line of powerful storms stretching from the Oklahoma border to near the Nebraska state line has left scattered damage to trees and buildings as it raced eastward across Kansas. The National Weather Service received reports Monday afternoon and evening of thunderstorm winds blowing roofs off a barn and an out building in the southeastern town of Caney. The violent weather system also spawned hail in much of the state. In Ottawa County, in north-central Kansas, a 2-inch-deep covering of hail slowed traffic on Kansas Highway 81 around 5pm. Jabara Airport in Wichita reported a thunderstorm gust of 67 mph shortly after 4pm and emergency management officials in nearby Butler County reported a roof torn from a building and cars moved in a parking lot around the same time. ============================== Topeka Zoo's Oldest Female Orangutan Dies TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Topeka Zoo's oldest female orangutan has died at the age of 45. The zoo announced the death of Daisy the orangutan on Monday. It said the cause of death has not been determined but Daisy had been in failing health from chronic sinusitis and kidney disease. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Daisy arrived at the zoo at the age of 5 in 1971. She was a surrogate mother to several newborn orangutans during her time at the zoo. =============================== Goeldi's Monkey Gives Birth at Garden City Zoo GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A southwest Kansas zoo has a new baby monkey. The Garden City Telegram reports the baby Goeldi's monkey was born Sunday at the Lee Richardson Zoo. It's too early to tell the baby's gender. Goeldi's monkeys are small and native to South America. In the wild, they are threatened by deforestation and poaching. The baby's parents average just 14 to 18 ounces in size. And zoo officials say the tiny baby is barely visible as it clings to its mother's upper back. The first-time mother will care for the baby on her own for the first two weeks before allowing the father to help. The family is on view in the Marie Osterbuhr Aviary. ============================== Phony DEA Agents Scamming Kansans HIAWATHA, Kan. (AP) — A sheriff in northeastern Kansas is warning of a new telephone scam from someone claiming to be with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. WIBW-TV reports that several residents of Brown County have received the calls. A caller tells residents that they're targets of an investigation into purchases of diet pills and medications from other countries. The victims are then told they'll be arrested immediately at work unless they wire money to the DEA at a specified address. Victims have told Brown County authorities that they've ordered medications from out of the country in the past. Investigators believe the scammers have somehow got hold of records of those transactions. ============================== Four Arrested in Burglaries of Topeka Storage Units TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Topeka believe they've solved a rash of storage unit burglaries in which more than $250,000 worth of property was stolen. Police announced the arrests Tuesday of two men and two women suspected of breaking into dozens of storage units beginning last October. One of the suspects is charged with 84 counts of burglary and 77 counts of theft. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that detectives executed a search warrant Jan. 4 at a home where they found two stolen vehicles — including a 1968 Chevy Chevelle — and two 26-foot trailers' worth of stolen goods. Other search warrants were executed since then. Police say that so far, they've matched more than $100,000 worth of stolen items with the owners. Detectives continue working with victims to identify more items. ============================== Brad Pitt's Foundation to Help KC Redevelopment KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A foundation started by actor Brad Pitt after flooding in New Orleans will help renovate a closed Kansas City school into affordable housing and a community center. City officials and architects announced the $14 million project for the 103-year-old Bancroft School on Monday. Pitt, a native of Missouri, founded the Make It Right Foundation to help bring affordable housing back to New Orleans after the 2007 floods. BNIM Architects of Kansas City was one of the firms chosen to help with that project. The Kansas City Star reports that the project is only the second project the foundation has undertaken outside New Orleans. Organizers say the entire project will be built to highest environmental standards. Besides housing, it will include space for community groups, including Kansas City police. ============================== I-70 in Eastern Colorado Reopens after Snowstorm DENVER (AP) — About 250 miles of highways in eastern and northeastern Colorado have reopened after a winter storm and high winds prompted authorities to halt traffic. Parts of eastern Colorado remained under a high wind warning or a high wind advisory Monday. The National Weather Service canceled a blizzard warning issued earlier in the day. Nearly 350 miles of highways were closed Monday morning and about 100 miles remained closed in the afternoon. Eastbound Interstate 70 from Denver to Kansas was among the highways that reopened. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center says avalanche danger is high in the northern San Juan Mountains, Steamboat Springs and the Flat Tops Mountains. Steamboat Ski Resort reported a record 27 inches of new snow at mid-mountain in the last 24 hours on Monday. ============================== Downtown Emporia Gains Historic District Label EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — Officials in Emporia are looking forward to the benefits of the designation of the city's downtown as a historic district. The nomination was approved by the Kansas Historical Society on a vote of 11-0 at a weekend meeting. The Emporia Gazette reports that owners of buildings and businesses worked with community groups for more than three years on the project. Casey Woods, executive director of the group Emporia Main Street, says designation of the downtown historic district brings access to new tax credits and other incentives for maintaining and renovating buildings. Woods says the city's marketing efforts will also be helped by the designation. The historic district covers about 18 city blocks, taking in churches, government buildings, former schools and a historic auto garage. ============================== Cessna Moves Sport Aircraft Work to Independence WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Cessna Aircraft has moved work on its 162 Skycatcher from Wichita to its plant in Independence, in southeast Kansas. Yingling Aviation in Wichita has been reassembling and delivering the Skycatcher aircraft after it was manufactured by a company in China. Cessna said Monday work on the two-seat light sport aircraft will be moved from Yingling to the Cessna plant in Independence. Cessna spokeswoman Diane White says Cessna wants to integrate the Skycatcher with its other single-engine airplanes in Independence. She says the plant in Independence has the capacity to do the work and the decision is not a reflection on Yingling. The Wichita Eagle reports that Yingling has laid off six mechanics and moved others to other programs because of the decision. ============================== Kansas Star Casino Nets $21.6 Million in First Few Weeks MULVANE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane brought in $21.6 million in gambling revenue through January. The Kansas Lottery says the total includes several "soft openings" and a demonstration for state regulators before the casino officially opened in late December. The casino near Mulvane expects to open a five-table poker room soon, and will expand to 2,000 slot machines, 45 tables and a 12-table poker room when its permanent casino opens in January 2013. The Lottery says the Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County, which opened February 3, brought in just over $6.8 million in its first week of operation. ============================== Bill Would Allow State to Give Armory to City of Horton TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are considering legislation to complete the transfer of a closed National Guard armory to the city of Horton. The adjutant general closed the armory in the northeastern city in 2010 as part of an effort to reduce the state's portion of the National Guard budget. Units assigned to the armory were transferred to other locations in northeast Kansas. A bill before the Senate Local Government Committee would clear the way for the Kansas Military Board to transfer the property to the city of Horton. The city would acquire the property at no cost, but it would be responsible for upkeep and utilities. The House passed the bill on a vote of 124-0 last week. ==============================Kansas City Man Admits to Killing Missing Wife A former western Missouri firefighter has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of his wife, who disappeared more than three years ago. Thirty-nine-year-old Shon Pernice of Kansas City entered the plea Tuesday in Clay County (MO) Circuit Court. Pernice had been scheduled for trial next week on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Renee Pernice. The 35-year-old nursing instructor and mother of three disappeared in January 2009. Her body has not been found. Kansas City police said she had told her family she was considering divorce before her disappearance. Shon Pernice was a firefighter in the Kansas City suburb of Independence. He has also served in the National Guard and with the Army in Iraq.

These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!

The summer music festivals continue! This week we highlight the Kaw River Roots and Free State Festivals, both in Lawrence, KS Jun 24th - 29th. Featuring music from Split Lip Rayfield, Kirsten Paludan, MoonShroom, Jenna & Martin and much more, plus info about Free State films and music with Director Marlo Angell, and even space for some brand new music releases!

These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today.