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Here are the headlines for our area, as compiled by KPR news staffers.By the way, today (TUE) is KPR's 68th birthday! Help us celebrate by making a pledge. Thanks!

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

JD Vance and Tim Walz debated on Tuesday in the last scheduled debate of the election. The sparring was mostly collegial but a number of points on key issues require additional context or corrections.

James Comey's actions, the report said, were "extraordinary and insubordinate," and none of his explanations amounted to a "persuasive basis for deviating from well-established department policies."

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is one of the first hemp fiber processors in Kansas, and wants the investment to benefit both the tribe and the environment. The new products include insulation and compostable cutlery.

Here's a summary of the day's Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press.

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

Man Jumps to Safety from Burning Shawnee HomeSHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A man is recovering from injuries suffered after jumping from the second story of a burning home in suburban Kansas City. Neighbors said the injured Pennsylvania man was visiting his in-laws at their Shawnee home. When the fire started around 7 p.m. Tuesday, he was upstairs with his wife. Shawnee Fire Marshal Capt. Corey Sands says smoke filled the house. Because the windows were nailed shut, the man had to use an ottoman to break the glass. Broadcaster KCTV reports that the man broke his jaw and suffered cuts in the 15-foot jump. Firefighters rescued the man's wife, and her parents both made it out safely. Sands says it appears the fire started in the basement. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.==============================New Faces Lead KS Legislative Education PanelsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Veteran conservative Kansas legislators with diverse backgrounds but similar mailing addresses will be at the center of education debates during the 2013 legislative session, one that is expected to renew discussion on policy issues long relegated to the back burner. Sen. Steve Abrams and Rep. Kasha Kelley, both Arkansas City Republicans, were tapped earlier in December to lead their chamber's education committees. Abrams brings nearly 20 years of elected education leadership, including a stint on the State Board of Education, while Kelley brings experience serving as vice chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. Education lobbyists aren't surprised by the choice of Abrams as committee chairman given his background, while Kelley's selection is a bit of an unknown considering she's never served on the committee since being elected in 2004.==============================New KS House Speaker Reverses Merger of PanelsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Incoming Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick has reversed a decision to merge the chamber's Elections and Local Government committees. The Stilwell Republican announced earlier this month that the two committees would be combined, with Olathe Republican Scott Schwab as chairman. Merrick says he now believes there will be enough work for both panels in the 2013 session, which begins Jan. 14. Schwab retains his chairmanship of the Elections Committee. Republican Steve Huebert (HYOO'-burt), of Valley Center, will continue to chair the Local Government Committee.==============================New State Senators Majority on Budget PanelTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — New members of the Kansas Senate will have a majority on the chamber's Ways and Means Committee and a key role in drafting budget legislation. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce of Hutchinson says new members expressed strong interest in budget issues. Republican leaders appointed three GOP senators-elect new to the Legislature to the 11-member committee: Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth, Jeff Melcher of Leawood and Michael O'Donnell of Wichita. Four House members who won Senate seats this year will also serve on Ways and Means: Tom Arpke of Salina, Jim Denning of Overland Park, Dan Kerschen of Garden Plain and Larry Powell of Garden City. Andover Republican Ty Masterson will chair the committee. The Democratic members are long-time Sens. Laura Kelly of Topeka and Marci Francisco of Lawrence.==============================Driver Accused of Trying to Run Down KC OfficersKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A driver accused of trying to run down two officers in Kansas City has been captured on the Kansas side of the metro area. Kansas City police say the incident began a few minutes after midnight Wednesday when officers walked toward a vehicle parked in an alley. When the vehicle headed toward the officers, the officers fired several shots. The officers then pursued the car until losing sight of it. Kansas City, Kan., police spotted the vehicle a short time later. Police say the driver stopped without incident, was arrested and transported to an area hospital to be treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound.==============================Deferred Maintenance Backlog Down at KS CollegesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The list of needed repairs at Kansas' public universities is declining amid increased spending and low bids from contractors scrambling for work. The Lawrence Journal World reports that nearly 40 percent of regents' university buildings were built during the 1960s and 1980s when there was huge higher education growth. With those buildings now aging and requiring major repairs, the Kansas Legislature approved funding in 2007. Federal stimulus money also was used for repairs. But from 2008 to 2011, the repair estimate grew to $904 million from $825 million. Finally this year brought good news. Kansas Board of Regents director of facilities Eric King says the deferred maintenance backlog is coming in at about $800 million. Regents Vice Chairman Fred Logan of Leawood says the story is "really positive."==============================KS Conservatives Open to Keeping Sales Tax As IsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Chamber of Commerce and some conservative Republican legislators are open to canceling a scheduled decrease in the state sales tax. But they'll only support the idea if lawmakers also follow up this year's aggressive income tax cuts with another round of reductions. GOP conservatives want to phase out state income taxes. A first round of income tax cuts has left the state with a projected budget shortfall of $295 million. That's led to speculation that Governor Sam Brownback will propose keeping the state's current 6.3 percent sales tax in place. Brownback has not ruled out the idea. The sales tax is set to drop to 5.7 percent in July because of a promise from legislators when they boosted the tax in 2010 to bolster the budget.==============================KS Town to Defend Ban on Open Carry of FirearmsPRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — Officials in a northeast Kansas community are pledging to fight a legal challenge to a local ban on the open carry of firearms. The Libertarian Party of Kansas went to court last week seeking to prevent enforcement of open-carry bans by Prairie Village, Leawood and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports Prairie Village officials announced Monday that the Johnson County community will "vigorously defend" its authority to enact gun control measures. Officials for nearby Leawood and the Unified Government have not yet commented. The Libertarian Party's lawsuit contends the Prairie Village code conflicts with state law and the Kansas Constitution. The filing also alleges that Kansas communities that ban open carry of firearms are violating citizens' constitutional rights.==============================Taxes, Conservative Wins Are Top Stories in KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback's tax cuts and the conservative majorities he now enjoys in the state House and Senate have been picked as 2012's top stories in Kansas. The Associated Press surveyed its newspaper editors and broadcast news directors for their choices. Pushed by the conservative Brownback, Kansas lawmakers approved massive income tax cuts in 2012 that supporters insisted would stimulate the state's economy. Then in August, Republican conservatives ousted moderates in the primaries, paving the way for easy November wins and setting Brownback up with can't-lose majorities for the upcoming legislative session. Other stories getting attention in the survey included the heat wave and drought that gripped the state, the botched rollout of the new computer system for handling driver's licenses, and Kansas State's return to prominence in college football.==============================It's Dang Cold in Kansas!Sure, it's cold here in eastern Kansas...but it's even colder in the northwestern part of the state. A wind chill advisory is in place for many parts of northwest Kansas. The National Weather Service reports that it felt like 10 below zero around 8 o'clock this (WED) morning in Goodland. Around the same time in Lawrence, the wind chill index made it feel like 2 below zero.==============================KCI Bound Flight Makes Emergency Landing in OmahaOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Kansas City-bound flight made an emergency landing in Omaha, Neb., on Christmas Day. Southwest Airlines says a fuel valve problem forced the crew to declare an emergency last (TUE) night. Officials say the 109 passengers boarded another plane and arrived at Kansas City International Airport about two hours late.==============================Trial Delayed in KS Military School LawsuitWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A jury trial in the federal lawsuit alleging abuse at a Kansas military boarding school has been put off to 2014. Former cadets at St. John's Military School in Salina filed suit in March of this year, alleging higher-ranking students were encouraged to discipline younger ones. The plaintiffs contend the practice led to physical and mental abuse. St. John's has denied the allegations. The trial was initially set for October 2013, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Gale has rescheduled it to March 2014. Defense lawyers requested the extra time to prepare after more former cadets joined the lawsuit. The plaintiffs objected to the request. Attorneys expect the trial to take two to three weeks.==============================Blue Cross Revises Wellness Incentive ProgramKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is revising a wellness incentive plan after six city employees and one Jackson County, Missouri worker were charged with defrauding the insurance giant. The Kansas City Star reports that company medical director Gregg Laiben says the new program will offer a maximum reward of $100 a year and won't rely on self-reporting of physical activity. Federal prosecutors allege the workers falsely claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash rewards by lying about taking part in physical activities. Some defendants are accused of building points toward $250 gift cards by filling out forms in the names of others, including children as young as 1 year old supposedly completing marathons and triathlons.==============================KS Aviation Museum Offers F-4 Simulator FlightsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Aviation Museum is offering a rare opportunity for the public to experience a flight in an F-4 simulator. The so-called F4 experience will be available today (WED) through Sunday at the Wichita museum. Detailed flight controls simulate the real thing. A museum volunteer and F-4 simulator creator Justin Messenger will take museum goers through various options from a quick flight to one the museum touts as challenging even for experienced pilots. The museum is charging $20 for a basic flight that lasts 30 minutes and includes a simulated launch from an aircraft carrier. For $60, the public can experience a so-called immersive flight lasting 90 minutes that includes suiting up in a functional flight suit. ==============================Drive Nets 4,800 Books for Children's HospitalTONGANOXIE, Kan. (AP) — Two northeast Kansas teenagers have helped round up thousands of books for a Missouri hospital where both have been treated for serious illnesses. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Tonganoxie High School seniors Wyatt Maurer and Tyler O'Briant led a book drive earlier this year for Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Their campaign brought in about 4,800 volumes, along with more than $1,100 to buy e-readers and electronic books. Maurer has dealt with chronic kidney disease since birth. O'Briant was treated at Children's Mercy for chronic bacterial and viral infections earlier in high school. The classmates are both on the Teen Advisory Board of Children's Mercy, which has six locations on both sides of the state line. They're planning another book drive in the spring.==============================

Kansas GOP Leader Defends Plan on Teacher TenureTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick is trying to blunt criticism of a proposal passed by legislators to end tenure for public school teachers. The Stilwell Republican said Wednesday the measure does not strip teachers of their right to due legal process when they face dismissal. The Kansas National Education Association contends the measure included in a school funding plan will eliminate protections against arbitrary firings. The teachers' union called Merrick's comments misleading. The measure would overturn Kansas law says a teacher who faces being dismissed after three years in the classroom has the right to have his or her case reviewed by an independent hearing officer. Merrick's office released a memo from legislative lawyers saying teachers still can have such hearings if they believe their constitutional rights were violated.=============== Police Link Kansas City-Area Highway ShootingsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say they have linked some of the apparently random shootings targeting vehicles traveling on Kansas City-area highways over the past month. Kansas City, Missouri police didn't indicate Wednesday what led them to that conclusion. Federal authorities are helping investigate 13 shooting incidents between March 8th and April 6th, three in which drivers were wounded. Ten of the shootings took place in Kansas City, while the other three were in the suburbs of Blue Springs and Lee's Summit, Missouri and Leawood, Kansas. Police say several other possible victims came forward after hearing about the shootings in the media, but it's unclear how many are connected. They also say victims and witnesses have provided inconsistent statements, making it difficult to get a grip on how many of the shootings are related.=============== AP Source: Kathleen Sebelius Resigning from Top HHS PostWASHINGTON (AP) — A White House official says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning from the Obama administration. The move comes just a week after the close of the rocky enrollment period for President Barack Obama's health care law. Website failures marred the opening weeks of the six-month enrollment period, but the administration rebounded strongly by enrolling more than 7 million people in health insurance plans. Sebelius's resignation could set the stage for a contentious election-year confirmation hearing for whomever Obama nominates to replace her. Sebelius, a former governor of Kansas, has served as HHS secretary since the start of the Obama administration. The official was not authorized to discuss Sebelius's resignation ahead of the formal announcement and requested anonymity.=============== Man Awaiting Retrial in Lawrence Death Released from Jail on BondLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man awaiting a retrial in the 2004 death of his wife has bonded out of jail. The Lawrence Journal-World reports 55-year-old Martin Miller met his $250,000 bond and was released from the Douglas County Jail Wednesday. Miller was convicted in 2005 for the death of 46-year-old Mary Miller. Prosecutors allege he strangled his wife at their home in July 2004 because he was having an affair and wanted to collect $300,000 in life insurance. That conviction was overturned in February when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled the jury instructions in his trial were incorrect. Miller is scheduled to return to court on May 1, when a new trial will be scheduled.===============New Kansas Revenue Projections on HorizonTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A group of Kansas officials and economists will gather next week to study revenue projections for the coming year, determining if the state economy is growing and if tax receipts will keep government afloat. Legislative leaders on Thursday gave differing views of what the projections for the fiscal year that starts July 1 may look like, but agreed that the state faces challenges. Tax collections through March were $130 million above the forecasters' November 2013 estimate. Next week's projections are expected to be revised upward to reflect the growth, which will help legislators finish the fiscal 2015 budget when they return later in April. Legislative staff project the state will maintain positive balances at least through the next fiscal year before budget cuts or revenue increases would be necessary.===============Child Killed When Car Fleeing Police Hits VehicleKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says a young girl died when the van her mother was driving was hit by a car fleeing from police. Authorities say Kansas City, Kansas police began chasing the car after it didn't stop for a routine traffic stop Wednesday night. The driver eventually ran a red light and hit a van, killing the girl and injuring her mother and two other children. The driver tried to flee but was arrested. KSHB-TV reports the victim was a 7-year-old girl. The mother, a 7-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy were seriously injured. The highway patrol is investigating.===============Kansas Firm Indicted in Pollution, False ReportsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors allege a Kansas metal finishing firm dumped untreated wastewater into a city sewer system. A 24-count indictment filed late Wednesday also accuses C & R Plating and its owner, Kevin L. Cline, with submitting fraudulent samples and reports of analysis to conceal the pollution from state environmental regulators. Cline did not immediately return a message left Thursday at his office in Minneapolis, Kansas. The indictment charges the company and its owner with 20 Clean Water Act violations, making a false statement to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, illegally introducing pollutants into the sewer system, among other charges. The wastewater from the firm contained high zinc levels. Treated wastewater from Minneapolis is discharged into the Solomon River via Lindsey Creek and a tributary.===============Highway Patrol's Use of Twitter ExpandsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Highway Patrol troopers say they are pleased how a new emphasis on using Twitter is helping communicate during storms or traffic problems. The patrol formed a group called the Tweeting Troopers earlier this year as a way to quickly spread information to a large audience. Trooper Gary Warner, who admits he was not a Twitter user before the group was formed, says he's been amazed at how popular the tweets have become. He told The Hutchinson News it's not uncommon to have 50,000 to 70,000 views of a tweet, which is often retweeted by others and media. Warner says he's attracted 2,000 followers in four months, and he's excited to discover new uses for the social media tool.===============Officer Fatally Shoots Man After Wichita ChaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in Wichita say a man shot to death by police had advanced on officers with a knife and did not stop when officers fired stun guns at him. KFDI-FM reports that the shooting of 30-year-old David Zehring followed a chase that began at 2:30 am Thursday after an officer stopped his car for a traffic violation. Police Chief Norman Williams says that Zehring sped off at speeds that reached 75 mph. Sedgwick County deputies joined the chase. The chief said Zehring eventually stopped, got out and approached the officers with a knife. Williams said deputies fired at him twice with stun guns, but Zehring did not go down, leading a police officer to shoot him. Williams said police found more knives and a 16-inch sword in Zehring's car.===============Judge Sets Hearing in Lawsuit over Boeing SaleWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge in Kansas has set a hearing in the lawsuit against Boeing brought by two unions over pensions and retiree medical benefits. The litigation stems from the 2005 sale of Boeing's commercial aircraft operations in Wichita to Spirit Aerosystems. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot on Wednesday scheduled a June 23 status conference in the long-running litigation. The parties are now arguing over what information to exchange during discovery in the case. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace filed the lawsuit in August 2005. The Machinists union joined the lawsuit in January 2007, and the court later consolidated it into the litigation of a similar case brought by several workers.===============Governments Pledge $260K to Draw GOP ConventionKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Four governments in the bistate Kansas City metro area have pledged $260,000 for a campaign to bring the 2016 Republican National Convention to Kansas City, Missouri. Donations of $65,000 apiece were announced Thursday by Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sly James; Jackson County, Missouri Executive Mike Sanders; Mark Holland, mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas; and Ed Eilert, chairman of the Johnson County, Kansas Board of Commissioners. The Republican National Committee last week narrowed the field of cities competing for its presidential nominating convention to six, including Kansas City, Missouri. Thursday's announcement took place in Kansas City, Kansas at Sporting Park, home of Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City. Holland said the site was chosen to solidify the bistate effort to land the convention.===============Kansas Chamber Lobbyist Departs for Energy GroupTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Chamber of Commerce lobbyist is leaving the influential business organization to become executive director of a group that represents the state's oil and natural gas industry. Kent Eckles expects to begin his new position at the Kansas Petroleum Council next week. His new job was announced jointly Wednesday by the chamber and the American Petroleum Institute, the national group affiliated with the Kansas oil and gas group. Eckles has been the chamber's vice president of government affairs for nearly six years. He's been highly visible at the Statehouse, and the chamber considers him its expert on tax issues. The chamber noted that the American Petroleum Institute has been one of its members since 1954.=============== KS Senator Jerry Moran to Receive Science AwardLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Senator Jerry Moran will be honored at the University of Kansas next week for his support of scientific research. The Kansas Republican will receive the Champion of Science award from the Science Coalition, an organization of more than 50 of the top U.S. research universities. The honor is presented to 35 current members of Congress for their support of scientific research. Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little will make the presentation Monday at the Dole Institute of Politics on the Lawrence campus. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, will speak at the award ceremony.=============== Corps: Plenty of Room Available in Missouri River ReservoirsBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers says there's plenty of room in upper Missouri River reservoirs to handle spring runoff. But some groups are urging the corps to step up dam releases sooner rather than later, to guard against devastating flooding like the region experienced three years ago. The corps is holding a series of public meetings in Missouri River states on its plans for managing the river this year. Meetings were held in Bismarck, N.D., and Pierre, S.D., on Wednesday. Officials forecast runoff at 32 million acre feet — 27 percent above average but well below the 61 million acre feet recorded in 2011. Available storage in river reservoirs is about 53 million acre feet. Still, Bruce Engelhardt with the North Dakota Water Commission says "constant vigilance must be maintained."===============WSU Announces $200K in GrantsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State University has announced a total of $200,000 in grants to 11 area school districts for engineering education. The university says in a statement that the money will come from the state's University Engineering Initiative Act. The funds will allow school districts to teach curriculum from a national program called Project Lead the Way. Lawrence Whitman, associate dean of Wichita State's College of Engineering, says it's important to maintain students' interest in science and engineering through the K-12 years.

LMH Health fires its chief financial officer after learning he's a convicted felon... Kansas lawmakers hear about efforts to address homelessness... the judicial branch searches for solutions following a cyberattack... Gardner police investigate the suspicious death of a toddler... KU takes on Texas Tech... K-State hosts Baylor... and the Chiefs defense is playing better than its offense. Those headlines and more, inside. These headlines are updated throughout the day.