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A struggling economy and slow earthquake response add up to a tough election for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for the past 20 years.

Our list of the best songs, albums and mixtapes by Southern rappers is a celebration that recenters the South as a creative center of hip-hop and honors the region for all that it has given to us.

================================ Kansas DA'S Probe of Private Legislative Meetings Likely to Stretch into AprilTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A spokesman says a northeast Kansas prosecutor's investigation into private meetings of Republican legislators with Governor Sam Brownback is likely to continue into next month. Lee McGowan, chief of staff to Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor, said Thursday that Taylor's staff is still interviewing some of the 90-plus lawmakers invited to seven meetings in January at the governor's residence. Taylor, a Democrat, launched his investigation in February. Brownback, a Republican, met with GOP members of 13 legislative committees, but spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said Brownback is confident the gatherings didn't violate the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Many lawmakers who attended the events said they were social gatherings, not business meetings. The Kansas attorney general's office also confirmed Thursday that it is providing legal representation to lawmakers who request it.================================== KS House Panel Prepares to Discuss Immigration IssuesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A committee in the Kansas House expects to debate proposals next week for cracking down on illegal immigration. Chairman Steve Brunk, a Bel Aire Republican, says the Federal and State Affairs Committee will take up immigration issues on Monday. Brunk said the panel will start with a proposal to require government contractors to check the immigration status of their workers using the federal E-Verify database. Also before the committee are bills making it a crime to knowingly harbor an illegal immigrant; requiring applicants for government assistance to prove they're in the U.S. legally; and directing law enforcement officers to check the status of some people they stop. Meanwhile, business groups are promoting a bill to create a program for placing illegal immigrants in hard-to-fill jobs.==============================KS Senate Delays Vote on Redistricting BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bitter split among majority Republicans has prompted the Kansas Senate to delay a vote on a bill redrawing the boundaries of its 40 districts. The Senate spent three hours yesterday (WED) debating a redistricting plan favored by the chamber's moderate GOP leaders. Legislators must redraw their districts this year to account for changes in the state's population over the past decade. Conservative Republicans believed the proposal favored GOP moderates facing challenges in the August party primary elections. Conservatives blocked a vote, and the Senate returned the measure to committee. The plan put four conservative Senate candidates in districts with other conservatives, rather than with moderate incumbents they want to challenge. Backers of the plan said they drew the lines logically without worrying about where candidates live.=================================Kansas Losing 400 T-Mobile Call Center JobsLENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Northeastern Kansas is losing 400 jobs as T-Mobile closes some of its call centers around the country. The customer care call center in the Johnson County community of Lenexa is one of seven the company announced Thursday it will close by the end of June. T-Mobile says the employees will have the option of transferring to one of the 17 remaining centers. KMBC-TV reports the 400 Lenexa workers are among 980 T-Mobile employees in Kansas. The company's nearest remaining call centers are in Wichita and in Springfield, Missouri.================================= Ex-Mail Carrier Admits Not Delivering Kansas MailTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 77-year-old former mail carrier has admitted in court that she failed to deliver thousands of pieces of mail on her 115-mile northeast Kansas route. Dixie Bontrager, of Whiting, pleaded guilty to mail theft Thursday in federal court in Topeka. Bontrager told The Associated Press last month she didn't believe she had stolen mail, but simply failed to deliver it. She also said that much of the undelivered mail consisted of advertising. In her plea deal, Bontrager admitted that agents searched four nonworking vehicles on her property in 2010 and found 496 first-class items and more than 2,700 standard mail items dating back to 2002. They also found periodicals and telephone books. Bontrager was fired from the Holton Post Office in November 2010 after 30 years on the job.================================= 2nd Officer in Fixed Ticket Case Off Police ForceLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A second Lawrence police officer suspended for allegedly fixing traffic tickets for a University of Kansas athletics department employee is off the job. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Police Chief Tarik Khatib confirmed the officer's departure Thursday but declined to give details. Lawrence officials have said another officer, who resigned last month, had a long friendship with the athletics employee and fixed at least six traffic tickets in exchange for Kansas basketball tickets. At least twice, that officer asked the second officer for help. The individual whose tickets were fixed is now in federal prison for his role in a broader ticket scandal in the athletics department. In all, seven people were convicted in the thefts of more than 17,000 Jayhawk basketball tickets and at least 2,000 football tickets.===================================UPDATE: Oklahoma Woman Convicted in 2002 Topeka Double Slaying TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An Oklahoma woman has been convicted of fatally shooting her ex-husband and his fiancée as they slept in a Topeka duplex in 2002. A Shawnee County jury deliberated just 90 minutes Thursday afternoon before finding 52-year-old Dana L. Chandler, of Duncan, Oklahoma, guilty of two counts of premeditated first-degree murder. Prosecutors say Chandler was angry with her ex-husband, 47-year-old Mike Sisco. They said she drove to Topeka from Denver, where she lived at the time, after learning Sisco planned to marry 53-year-old Karen Harkness. The couple's bodies were found in a basement-level bedroom in Harkness's home. The defense described a lack of physical evidence as "overwhelming" and argued that police bungled the investigation. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that sentencing was set for June 1.===============================Wounded Topeka Soldier Dies of InjuriesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A soldier who was left mostly paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Afghanistan has died of his wounds, less than five weeks after he arrived home in Topeka. Yesterday (WED) Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka confirmed the death of 27-year-old Sergeant Jamie Jarboe. Jarboe was stationed at Fort Riley in 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan in February 2011. He was on foot patrol there last April when a sniper's bullet penetrated his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. The married father of two had more than 100 surgeries and was due for more after his February 17th return to a hero's welcome in Topeka. Jarboe was a native of Frankfort, Indiana. He was assigned to 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division.===============================KS Democrats Keep Abortion Foe Off Caucus BallotWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Democratic Party has determined that anti-abortion activist Randall Terry is not a bona fide Democrat and won't be awarded any delegates from the party's April 14th Kansas caucuses. The founder of Operation Rescue is seeking the Democratic nomination for president. Yesterday (WED), Terry's supporters were setting up Kansas campaign headquarters in Wichita. But Kansas Democratic Party attorney Joe Sandler says the party's delegate selection rules only recognize candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to the party's goals and objectives. He says Terry also missed two state deadlines and submitted his application only a few days ago. The state party issued a statement saying Terry's name won't be on the caucus ballot. Terry says he meets legal and party requirements to be a candidate.===============================Topeka Made Offer of Settlement in Housing LawsuitTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal magistrate's pretrial order shows that the Topeka housing manager rejected a settlement offer the city made late last year in a federal discrimination lawsuit she is pursuing. The order also shows that Corrie Lynn Wright is seeking more than $397,500 in the case filed last July. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn Vratil issued the order Friday setting legal ground rules for the case and indicating it would go to a jury trial as scheduled August 27 in Topeka. The lawsuit contends the city denied Wright a promotion she was promised. The city denies it discriminated or retaliated against Wright. The pretrial order also said the city proposed a settlement for an undisclosed amount, but Wright rejected it and didn't counter with an offer.===============================Miami County Votes Against Contraceptive FundsPAOLA, Kan. (AP) — The Miami County Commission has decided once more to forgo government money for contraceptives. Yesterday (WED), commissioners revisited an earlier decision not to seek the government contraceptive funds. About 75 people attended the meeting, and audience members spoke on both sides of the issue. The Kansas City Star reports that the board voted 3-2 against taking the funds. The commission also voted 3-2 earlier this month to delete about $9,000 from the county's annual grant request from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The grant money has subsidized the cost of contraceptives for low-income women for years. Without the funds, about 150 to 160 women will be without that assistance after July 1.===============================KS Appeals Court to Hear Cases in Johnson CountyOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Judges from the Kansas Court of Appeals will travel to Overland Park next month to hear cases at Johnson County Community College. The college says three-judge panels will hear arguments on cases from throughout the state on April 17 in the Nerman Museum for Contemporary Art. The public is invited to watch the sessions, scheduled from 9am to 11:30am and from 1pm to 3pm. Appeals court members sit in three-person panels at locations across the state. Each panel typically takes up 30 appeals during a two-day period each month.============================== KCK Woman Accused of Leaving Kids in Car at CasinoPLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A Kansas City, Kansas woman has been accused of leaving three children alone in a car in 40-degree weather while she gambled in a casino. WDAF-TV reports that Katrina Denise Roades is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Police said Roades left the children, ages 9, 8 and six months, in a parked car while she went into the casino on March 3. A security officer found one of the older girls wandering in the parking lot. The child led the officer to the family's car, where he found the other children. Police believe Roades was inside the casino for about an hour and a half. Roades also faces a trespassing charge because her name was on voluntary self-exclusion list designed as a tool for compulsive gamblers.================================ Teen Charged in Boy's Death HospitalizedSALINA, Kan. (AP) _ A Kansas teenager who pleaded guilty in the death of his 9-year-old stepbrother has been referred to a psychiatric hospital. Ryan Velez of Assaria pleaded guilty in September to unintentional but reckless second-degree murder in the shooting death of his stepbrother, Kaden Harper. Velez had been certified to stand trial as an adult. The Salina Journal reported that Velez was referred to Larned State Hospital on Wednesday. His lawyer, Mitch Christians, said Larned is better equipped to deal with Velez's mental health needs than prison. A sentence report recommended Velez be admitted to Larned. His maximum stay will be about 10 years, the maximum prison sentence he could have received. The Associated Press generally doesn't identify minors accused of crimes until they've pleaded guilty or been convicted as adults.===============================Wichita City Council Member Fined over Email MessageWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission has fined a Wichita City Council member for using his government computer to send an e-mail supporting a friend's campaign. The commission fined Michael O'Donnell $500 this week. O'Donnell had agreed to a consent decree acknowledging that his actions violated state ethics law. The Wichita Eagle reports that the e-mail at issue was sent by O'Donnell to 39 people on October 4 during a council meeting. It was an invitation to a political fundraiser on behalf of his friend, state Sen. Garrett Love, a Republican from Montezuma. On Wednesday, O'Donnell expressed contrition for violating the ethics law. His lawyer also contended O'Donnell had not been trained on what he could and could not do on his city-issued computer.===============================Event Features Free Entrance to KS State ParksWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism will hold open houses at state parks at the end of this month. The free events are scheduled March 31 from 10am to 6pm at all state parks. The agency says the open houses will offer visitors a chance to see facilities and recreation opportunities. Staff will also be demonstrating the department's new system for streamlining park reservations throughout the state. The Outdoor Reservation Management System goes online on April 17.==============================KS Hospitals Eligible for Medicaid Incentives TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Twenty-three Kansas hospitals will share more than $10 million in Medicaid incentive payments for moving toward electronic health records. The Department of Health and Environment says the incentives will be distributed over three years, with the first payments being made today (THUR). The hospitals are being rewarded for taking steps to improve medical coordination and improving services for patients. Along with the hospitals, KDHE says 10 medical professionals will share about $212,000 for participating in the electronic records program.==============================SCL Health to Relocate from Lenexa to Denver AreaBOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The faith-based, nonprofit SCL Health System says it plans to move its headquarters from Lenexa to Colorado, creating 750 new jobs in the Denver area over the next four years. The company says that of those jobs, 550 full-time positions will be in Broomfield, Colorado. SCL Health System employs more than 8,000 people in Colorado. The move puts headquarters employees closer to those facilities and to Denver International Airport.================================ Students Use Spring Break to Teach Senior CitizensWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Wichita area students have been using their spring break to help others and that includes teaching senior citizens how to play video games. Students volunteered this week at the Andover Senior Center, where they helped residents master a Wii video game that mimics bowling. The center bought the video game system with a grant from the Butler County Department on Aging. Students from Maize, Goddard, Derby, Rose Hill and Wichita are making the trek to Andover this week to help out with the Wii training and spring cleaning at the senior center. The Wichita Eagle reports that nearly 300 area students are volunteering this spring break at 33 nonprofit organizations, and that they've also been helping out at a food pantry and at a shelter.===============================Garden City to Host Rail SummitGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — Garden City will host Amtrak and BNSF representatives next month for a discussion about the future of an Amtrak route that runs through the area. City Manager Matt Allen told the Garden City Commission this week that the meeting is scheduled for April 10. The Garden City Telegram reports that Allen said the objective of the summit is to discuss issues relating to the future of Amtrak's Southwest Chief, Amtrak's passenger rail route that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles daily, passing through Kansas. Amtrak uses BNSF Railway lines. Because of dispute over rail maintenance, Amtrak is considering an alternate route that would go south from Newton through the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico.===============================Stockton Gets New, Regional AirportSTOCKTON, Kan. (AP) — A new, regional airport with a 5,000-foot runway is set to open next month in northwestern Kansas. Paving on the runway of Rooks County Regional Airport has been completed, and the opening is scheduled for April 5th. Rooks County officials say a parking lot and taxiway will be added, and construction of a hangar is also planned this summer.================================ Oklahoma Prosecutor Seeks Extradition of Kansas InmateJAY, Okla. (AP) _ The Delaware County, Oklahoma prosecutor filed paperwork this week to bring a Kansas inmate to Oklahoma to stand trial for the death of a woman who disappeared in 1996. John Lee Weeks is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Barbara Johnson-Willard, whose remains have not been found. The Oklahoman reports that prosecutors will have 120 days to begin the trial after Weeks is transferred to Oklahoma. Weeks is serving a 44-year sentence at a prison in Lansing on unrelated convictions of aggravated kidnapping, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy. Prosecutors say Weeks and Johnson-Willard were co-workers at Simmons Poultry Processing plant in Jay, Oklahoma. Prosecutor Eddie Wyant says he does not plan to seek the death penalty.==============================President Obama Says Congress Took Wrong Approach on PipelineCUSHING, Okla. (AP) _ President Barack Obama says Congress took the wrong option when it attempted to force quick approval of an oil pipeline from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. In a speech Thursday near the Cushing oil hub in Oklahoma, the president green-lighted the project from Oklahoma to Texas but said more reviews are needed before a pipeline is built over a Nebraska aquifer that provides irrigation and drinking water throughout the Great Plains. The president said Congressional politics nearly kept the country from making an informed decision about the northern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline. He said Democrats and Republicans in Nebraska raised questions about whether the original pipeline route was wise and safe. He said the review exhibits "common sense." Obama says his administration will review future permit applications.================================Jury Gets Case in Topeka Double Slaying TrialTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have argued in closing arguments that an Oklahoma woman was so enraged that her ex-husband was remarrying that she killed him and his fiancée as they slept in a Topeka duplex. But an attorney for 52-year-old Dana L. Chandler of Duncan, Oklahoma countered Thursday that police bungled the investigation into the 2002 killings, describing the lack of evidence as "overwhelming." The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the case is now in the hands of jurors in Shawnee County District Court. Chandler is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the 2002 slayings of Karen Harkness and 47-year-old Mike Sisco. They were found dead in Harkness's home. Chandler was arrested in Oklahoma last July. During the 13-day trial, jurors heard 100 witnesses and viewed more than 1,000 exhibits.

Records: Roberts Missed Most Senate Ag Committee MeetingsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Federal records indicate U.S. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas has attended barely one-third of his Senate Agricultural Committee meetings during the past 15 years. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the three-term Republican from Dodge City was present for 71 of the 201 agriculture committee sessions from 2000 to 2014. Roberts has emphasized endorsements from Kansas farm, crop and livestock organizations during his re-election bid against independent candidate Greg Orman. Orman's camp says the attendance figures show that Roberts is not representing the interests of Kansans. A Roberts spokesman called the senator a "tireless warrior for Kansas agriculture" and said the comment by Orman's people is just an attempt to distract voters from looking into Orman's "liberal, dishonest record." The ag committee is responsible for farm, nutrition and forestry issues.=============================Hospital Officials Say Patient Does Not Have EbolaKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas Hospital officials say preliminary tests show a patient who arrived Monday with Ebola-like symptoms does not have the deadly disease. Chief medical officer Dr. Lee Norman said Tuesday the man is believed instead to have another tropical disease common in central and western Africa, although doctors haven't determined which one. Norman says the patient was serving as a medic on a ship off Africa's west coast when he became ill about a week ago and flew back to the U.S. He says the ship services the oil industry, and that the medic had treated a number of people with tropical diseases, including typhoid. The man, who lives in Kansas City, Kansas, is being treated in an isolated room at the hospital with its own air-handling system.=============================Brownback: Kansas Preparing for Potential Ebola CasesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback says the federal government is not doing a good-enough job protecting the country against the Ebola virus, requiring the state to step up to protect Kansans. Brownback had no specifics Tuesday about what more the federal government should do. Nor did he offer details about what Kansas is doing, other than to say that health officials are meeting over the issue. Brownback says the state plans to make statements and issue advisories this week. Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer says Kansas has a hazards plan, but offered no details on how it would deal with Ebola. Brownback says the federal government's response is too casual and is not as intense as needed at the U.S. border or in west African countries where Ebola is originating.=============================Tuesday Is Voter Registration Deadline in KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Time is running out for Kansas residents to register to vote in the November 4 elections. The deadline is Tuesday, one day before advance voting begins in some of the state's 105 counties. People can register using a paper form, either printed from the Kansas secretary of state's website or obtained from a county election office. They also can register online through a site operated by the secretary of state and the Kansas Department of Revenue. Applications can be submitted in person to county election offices before the close of business or faxed, mailed or emailed by midnight Tuesday. Kansas residents registering to vote for the first time must submit a birth certificate, a passport or other proof of their U.S. citizenship.=============================Tea Party Group Endorses Roberts in Senate RaceWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A national tea party group that derided U.S. Senator Pat Roberts during Kansas's bitter Republican primary race is now him in the general election. Leaders of the Tea Party Express made the announcement Monday in Wichita. Roberts says he is pleased with the endorsement, saying the tea party activists ``have fire in the belly.'' Roberts won less than 50 percent of the vote in defeating tea party favorite Milton Wolf in the August GOP primary. The three-term Senate incumbent is now in a tight race with independent Greg Orman. Orman's campaign says that Roberts' embrace of what it called extremists like Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express is more evidence that Roberts is part of a broken political system.=============================Dissident GOP Group Grows in Kansas Governor RaceOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - Democratic challenger Paul Davis says a group of dissident Republicans backing him in the Kansas governor's race has grown to more than 500 members. Davis said at an Overland Park community center Tuesday that Republicans for Kansas Values added more than 300 educators, superintendents and local school board members. He also said more former GOP elected officials have joined the group. Davis received national attention in July when his campaign announced the group's founding with more than 100 mostly former GOP elected officials. Kansas Republican Party Executive Director Clay Barker dismissed Tuesday's announcement as insignificant and the re-airing of old Davis campaign themes.===============================GOP Women's Group in Kansas Hosts Former CEOWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard is urging Republicans to support the re-election of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Senator Pat Roberts, saying now is not the time for a protest vote. Carly Fiorina spoke to about 450 people Tuesday in Wichita at an event hosted by Women for Brownback and the Republican House Campaign Committee. She said Americans are losing a sense of limitless possibilities. Brownback touted his own economic tax policies aimed at helping small businesses grow. The governor said the best way to help something grow is to not tax it. Fiorina stepped down from Hewlett-Packard in 2005 amid upheaval about the company's performance following her decision to buy computer maker Compaq Computer.===============================Fatal Shooting of Kansas Teen Ruled JustifiedOTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — A county attorney says police and sheriff's deputies were justified in the fatal shooting of an unarmed eastern Kansas teenager. KSHB-TV reports that Franklin County Attorney Stephen Hunting issued his ruling Tuesday in the death of 18-year-old Ottawa resident Joseph Jennings on August 25. The shooting took place in a parking lot after police received a 911 call about a man waving a handgun and putting the weapon in his waistband. The caller turned out to be Jennings. The responding officers told him to raise his hands. Instead, the county attorney's report says, Jennings pulled a dark item from his waistband and pointed it toward some officers, who opened fire. The item turned out to be sunglasses. Relatives have said Jennings was depressed and may have wanted to goad police into killing him.=============================Apparent Deal in Works in Spirit AeroSystems SuitWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by the Machinists union against Wichita aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems appears headed for an out-of-court resolution. A filing Tuesday in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, indicates the parties have reached a conditional resolution. It notes the union has agreed to withdraw its motion for an injunction to block Spirit from selling off its fabrication operations or laying off workers pending arbitration. The filing indicates the union plans to dismiss its lawsuit. 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. In exchange, Spirit agreed to maintain major manufacturing operations in Wichita. It is unclear from the filing what the conditional agreement entails. A hearing was held last week.===============================Victims in Chicago Plane Crash Were Kansas DoctorsCHICAGO (AP) - A Topeka hospital has confirmed the identity of the victims of a small plane crash in suburban Chicago. Representatives of Stormont-Vail HealthCare say the victims of Sunday night's plane crash included two of its doctors. They were neurosurgeon Tausif Rehman and pulmonologist Ali A. Kanchwala. Stormont-Vail also identified the third victim as Maria Javaid, a cardiologist at the Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Javaid was identified as Dr. Kanchwala's wife. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash but has not yet discovered why the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron crashed in the suburb of Palos Hills shortly after takeoff from Chicago Midway heading for Lawrence Municipal Airport. Local police say the plane crashed in the only vacant lot in a densely populated neighborhood. Witnesses say the plane was circling the area and it appeared that the pilot was looking for a spot to put the plane down where it would not injure anyone on the ground. Barbara Janusz says she thinks the pilot of the twin-engine plane "sacrificed his own life" to save the lives of dozens of residents of the block. =============================Christie Returns to Kansas to Stump for BrownbackWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has made another trip to Kansas to campaign for Republican Governor Sam Brownback's re-election bid. Christie is chairman of the Republican Governors Association. He joined Brownback on Monday at Freddy's Frozen Custard in Wichita where he visited with restaurant patrons. A private fundraising event was scheduled later Monday. Brownback is locked in a tough race with Democratic challenger Paul Davis but Christie said indications from several polls show Kansas voters are swinging toward Brownback as they consider what he called the positive record of Brownback's first term in office.===============================Kansas State Salina Expands Pilot ProgramSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A pilot degree program offered through Kansas State University Salina will expand to the Kansas City area. The university announced Monday that the expanded program will start next year. Students will be able to take flight training from Air Associates in Olathe, general-education classes from Johnson County Community College, and other classes online from Kansas State Salina. The students will graduate with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical technology-professional pilot. New federal regulations require co-pilots to have at least 1,500 hours of flight experience, an increase from the previous 250-hour requirement. But co-pilots with a four-year degree need only 1,000 hours. An informational meeting will be held from 11 am to 2 pm Saturday at Air Associates in Olathe.===============================Court Hears Water Dispute Between Kansas, NebraskaWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is considering how to resolve a long-running legal fight between Kansas and Nebraska over the use of water from the Republican River. The justices on Tuesday appeared to agree with recommendations of a special master who found Nebraska should pay $3.7 million in damages to Kansas for using more than its legal share of the river's water in 2005 and 2006. But they were more doubtful about making Nebraska pay a $1.8 million penalty that exceeds Kansas' actual damages. The justices also seemed skeptical about Nebraska's push to change the formula for measuring water consumption. Nebraska says the formula is unfair. The dispute centers on a 1943 compact that allocates 49 percent of the river's water to Nebraska, 40 percent to Kansas and 11 percent to Colorado.===============================Topeka Will Vote on Future of Heartland ParkTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka residents apparently will vote on the city's plan to buy the Heartland Park racing park. Shawnee County election commissioner Andrew Howell said Monday a petition drive to put the issue to a vote collected more than the 2,132 valid signatures needed to force a vote on the issue. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports city officials will schedule the election after wording and other legal requirements are met. Organizers of the petition drive want to overturn the city governing body's vote to buy the financially troubled racing facility and expand its redevelopment district. They contend it's not a financially good deal for the city. City officials say buying Heartland Park would help address the need to cover about $8 million in STAR bond debt on the property.=============================Hays Medical to Co-Own St. Rose Center in Great BendGREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) - Centura Health and Hays Medical Center plan to become co-owners of St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center in Great Bend. Officials with the organizations announced the decision Monday. St. Rose vice president Leanne Irsik said the arrangement will allow St. Rose to connect its primary and specialty care. She says Centura doesn't have specialty groups close to Great Bend and many patients already use Hays Medical for those medical needs. The Hutchinson News reports that Hays Medical will employ and manage St. Rose staff, while the St. Rose Health Center Board will select an administrator. Centura Health and HaysMed will be equally represented on the health center's board of directors. The agreement is expected to be final this winter.===============================Kansas Teen to Be Tried as Adult in Fatal FireHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ruled that a Hutchinson teenager will be tried as an adult in a fatal fire that killed his mother and sister. Reno County Judge Patti Macke-Dick made the ruling Tuesday in the case of 15-year-old Sam Vonachen, who was 14 when the fire occurred at the family home in September 2013. Prosecutors allege Vonachen set the fire by pouring gasoline throughout the house. His 47-year-old mother, Karla Jo Vonachen, and his 7-year-old sister, Audrey, died. The boy's father escaped the fire. Hutchpost.com reports that Vonachen faced two counts of first-degree murder and other charges in juvenile court. The judge's ruling means the juvenile case is dismissed and new charges will be filed in adult court.=============================ACLU Seeks to Force Kansas to Allow Gay MarriagesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking a federal court order to force Kansas to allow same-sex couples to marry as the group challenges the state constitution's ban on gay marriage. The ACLU filed its request Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, only three days after it filed a lawsuit in Wichita and Lecompton in Douglas County on behalf of lesbian couples who unsuccessfully sought marriage licenses. The ACLU is requesting a preliminary injunction and an order temporarily restraining the state from enforcing its ban on gay marriage. The lawsuit came after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five states seeking to save their gay-marriage bans. The states included Oklahoma and Utah, which are in the same appeals court circuit as Kansas.=============================Contract Talks Between Union, Textron End AbruptlyWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Machinists union official says contract talks with Wichita's Textron Aviation have fallen apart and the company has vowed to outsource work to other states. The Wichita Eagle reports a vote on a new contract was supposed to happen on Wednesday, but on Sunday negotiators for Textron walked out of a meeting when pushed to put in writing that the company would keep jobs in Wichita. Textron is the parent company of Cessna and in March bought Beechcraft and formed Textron Aviation. Machinists District 70 spokesman Frank Molina says the company suggested it wanted to negotiate a single contract for job protection, so stating in writing it would keep jobs in Wichita seemed like a no-brainer. A Textron Aviation spokeswoman did not immediately returns calls Monday seeking comment.=============================Review of Missouri Water Patrol Merger ContinuesOSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) - Missouri lawmakers are gathering more testimony on the wisdom of the decision three years ago to make the Water Patrol a division of the State Highway Patrol. A special House committee planned to hear from the public and a state trooper during a meeting Tuesday at Osage Beach City Hall. It's the second of four scheduled hearings on the 2011 merger. The review follows the May drowning in the Lake of the Ozarks of a handcuffed Iowa man who fell from a trooper's boat. The trooper had arrested 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson on suspicion of drunken boating. Lawmakers now question whether the merger of the Water Patrol and the Highway Patrol overwhelmed troopers while saving the state money. Combining the departments was supposed to save about $3 million a year.=============================2 Injured in Explosion in Southwest KansasJETMORE, Kan. (AP) _ The state fire marshal is investigating an explosion at a southwest Kansas home that left two men severely injured. The blast happened just after 6 pm Sunday in rural Hodgeman County, south of Jetmore. KWCH-TV reports that the two men are a father and son who were flown to a hospital in Wichita, about 140 miles away. Both were in critical condition Monday. The cause is under investigation, but the Hodgeman County sheriff says a propane tank is suspected. The house was destroyed.=============================Kansas State to End Equestrian, Add Women's SoccerMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University plans to drop equestrian as a sponsored sport and replace it with women's soccer. The university announced Monday the equestrian team will compete through 2016. The women's soccer program will start in 2017. The university said fewer than 40 NCAA institutions sponsor equestrian as a sport and only 19 are Division I schools. Athletic director John Currie says Kansas State needs to sponsor 16 varsity programs to remain a Division 1 FBS program. Kansas State is the only Big 12 school without a women's soccer program. In 14 years of competition, the school's equestrian program won five individual national titles and three team Reserve National Championships.=============================ALCS Game 3 Postponed Because of RainKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Game 3 of the AL Championship Series was postponed Monday because of rain. The game was pushed back to Tuesday at 7:07 pm. Game 4 was rescheduled for Wednesday at 3:07 pm and Game 5, if needed for Thursday at 3:07 pm. Kansas City leads the best-of-seven series 2-0. Both managers said they could bring back their Game 1 pitchers on regular rest: James Shields for Kansas City and Chris Tillman for Baltimore of they could remain with the starters who had been slated to pitch Game 4: the Royals' Jason Vargas and the Orioles' Miguel Gonzales. Major League Baseball Senior Vice President Peter Woodfork says: "We want a game we know we can get through nine innings, hopefully play dry baseball, not risk player safety or uncomfortable fans."===============================Dunn Replaced by Johnston on US Women's National Soccer TeamKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Crystal Dunn has been replaced by fellow defender Julie Johnston on the U.S. women's national team after spraining ligaments in her right knee during training. U.S. Soccer spokesman Aaron Heifetz said that Dunn could miss up to four weeks, which would include the first round of World Cup qualifying. The Americans play the first of three games in a six-day stretch against Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday night. They play Guatemala on Friday night and Haiti on Monday night. Johnston, who made her national team debut in February 2013, was among the final roster cuts after a two-week training camp. The National Women's Soccer League's rookie of the year should provide more versatility in the defensive midfield.

Here's an ad-free summary of KPR news headlines. These headlines typically post around 10 am Monday through Friday and are updated through 7 pm. After that, the KPR news crew needs to rest. Thanks for supporting our efforts with your membership.

Kansas Unemployment Rate 5.9 Percent in AugustTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Despite a drop in the number of unemployment benefits being paid, the Kansas jobless rate remained stuck at 5.9 percent in August. The data released late Thursday by the Kansas Department of Labor shows that the unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in August 2012. Labor Secretary Lana Gordon says the drop in unemployment claims from nearly 132,000 in July to 103,500 in August was an indication of an improving labor market. There were more than 140,000 unemployment benefits paid in August 2012. The unemployment rate has been below 6 percent since January 2012, dropping to as low as 5.5 percent from November 2012 through February 2013. A labor economist says private sector job growth did increase in August, but there were still signs of softness in the market.====================Kansas Voter Rule hits UnaffiliatedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A majority of the prospective Kansas voters whose registrations were put on hold after the state began enforcing a proof-of-citizenship law claim no political affiliation. An Associated Press computer analysis shows that 57 percent of the registrations put on hold since the law took effect in January were from people listing themselves as unaffiliated. Such residents make up only 30 percent of the state's 1.7 million registered voters. Thousands of Kansas residents have registrations on hold and cannot legally vote because they have yet to provide citizenship papers. AP analyzed a state list of registrations on hold as of Aug. 28. The analysis shows that since the rule took effect, such registrations have remained on hold on average for close to four months.====================KS Members of U.S. House Vote to Cut Food StampsAll four Kansas members of the U.S. House of Representatives have voted for a Republican plan that cuts the national food stamp program by $39 million. Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins and Congressmen Kevin Yoder, Mike Pompeo and Tim Huelskamp all supported the plan. It would result in nearly 4 million people losing their benefits under SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Republicans say there's too much waste, fraud and abuse in the program. The bill passed the House with only Republican support.====================President Obama to Visit KC Area Auto PlantPresident Obama will be in the Kansas City area today (FRI). He's visiting an auto plant that makes the Ford F-150 pickup. The president wants to highlight the resurgence of the U.S. auto industry.====================Governor to Host 2nd KS Obesity SummitTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback and top state health officials will host the 2nd annual Kansas Obesity Summit on Sept. 30 in Topeka. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the focus will be on identifying the best strategies to address rising obesity rates, and on the health and economic effects of obesity. Topics include ways to make physical activity part of Kansans' daily life. Speakers will also address an expanded role for employers, insurers and health care professionals in preventing obesity. Brownback held a weight-loss challenge for state and local government employees from January through May as part of his efforts to encourage Kansas residents to get healthier.====================Donation Will Keep Jayhawk Display at KU UnionLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 1,000-piece collection of Jayhawk memorabilia will stay at the University of Kansas Union. James and Mary Ascher of Overland Park, Kan., have donated $130,000 to the KU Endowment so the union can buy the collection. Bud Jennings began collecting the memorabilia in 1939. He donated it to the union four years ago, saying he hoped someone would buy it to help fund his retirement. But when no offers came in, the union said it would auction off the pieces or sell them on eBay. 6News Lawrence reports the Aschers said they wanted to help Jennings while also keeping the collection on the Kansas campus. Kansas spokesman Mike Reid says now that the collection will be permanent, some improvements will be made to the presentation.====================City Gives Cabbies Permission to Charge Vomit FeesMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Manhattan city commissioners have given cab drivers permission to charge a $75 fee to customers who vomit or otherwise soil their vehicles. The city regulates taxi charges and a cleaning fee previously was not an approved charge. Local taxi service owner Richard Gibson says the new fee will cover cleaning and the amount of time a cab is out of service. The Manhattan Mercury reports Gibson brought the proposal to the city commission, which unanimously approved the fee Tuesday. He says customers throwing up are not a big problem most of the time, though it gets bigger on Fake Patty's Day and New Year's Eve. Gibson says cab companies would be a little more understanding if most of the vomiting wasn't caused by overindulgence in alcohol.====================Christians Gather in KS to Discuss HomosexualityPRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — A 23-year-old Wichita man who gained attention with an online lecture about the Bible and homosexuality has gathered 50 people from Christian churches around the country for a program on his perspective that the Bible doesn't condemn homosexuality as a sexual orientation. Matthew Vines says liberal and moderate Christian churches have adopted more gay-friendly stances, but conservative churches remain steadfast against homosexuality. Vines hopes to change that with his message that the Bible doesn't say same-sex orientation is a sin. In 2012 Vines posted his presentation on the topic online. Since then the video has garnered about 600,000 views and been translated into several languages. He says this week's three-day conference in Prairie Village is aimed at giving participants tools to change the minds of conservative Christians about same-sex relationships.====================Man Charged in Death of MO Woman Found in BoxST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A 51-year-old man is accused of causing the death of a St. Joseph woman and dumping her body in rural Platte County inside a box. The St. Joseph News-Press reports Martin Lee Williams was charged Thursday in Buchanan County with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and abandoning a corpse. He was jailed on a $50,000 bond and did not yet have a lawyer. The makeshift wooden box containing the body of 35-year-old Tangela Fisher was found Sept. 6 in a creek bed. Investigators said Fisher had become unresponsive after Williams injected her with an illegal drug. Police also said Williams put Fisher in the box and took it to Platte County. The News-Press reports Williams was on supervised parole from Kansas and was barred from living in that state.====================

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