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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. You can also follow KPR News on Twitter.

Here's a look at area news headlines from the Associated Press, as compiled by the KPR News Team.

The former representative says a second Trump presidency would be an "existential threat" to democracy: "There's simply no defense, no excuse for putting that power back in the hands of Donald Trump."

UPDATE: School Lockdown Ends After Peaceful Standoff ResolutionKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas City, Kansas standoff between police and a suspect in an aggravated robbery has ended peacefully after the suspect surrendered. The incident Friday prompted the lockdown of a nearby Catholic school as a precaution. It ended around 4 pm, when the man gave himself up. Police say they received a report of a burglary around 11 am and later chased a suspect into a home, sparking the standoff. The nearby Resurrection Catholic School was locked down as a precaution. A statement on the school's website said teachers were made aware of the situation but no information was immediately given to the students. Police helped direct parents to a location where they could pick up their children, a few hours before the standoff ended.==================Kansas Senator No Longer Top GOP Member of Agriculture CommitteeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Senator Pat Roberts is no longer the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, but he's pledging to remain a strong advocate for farmers, ranchers and rural areas. Roberts said Thursday that he'll retain a seat on the Agriculture Committee. He also remains on the Finance Committee, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Roberts says he's also expecting to become the ranking Republican on the Senate Rules Committee. He sees the position as important to opening up debates on issues such as the federal budget deficit. The new ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee is Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who has more seniority than Roberts and had to give up the top GOP spot on the Appropriations Committee.================== Kansas A-G to Seek Anti-Gang LawTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt plans to ask legislators to approve a new law he says will help prosecutors fight gang activity. The Republican attorney general and former state senator says the recommendation for a new anti-racketeering law is a product of a gang task force he assembled in 2012. The proposal would let prosecutors go after gangs for alleged patterns of criminal activity as well as single criminal acts. Schmidt says it would be another way to tackle what he calls the rising presence of street gangs in Kansas. The 2013 legislative session begins January 14.================== Kansas City Chiefs Split with General Manager PioliKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Scott Pioli is out as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. The team announced in a statement Friday that the two sides have "mutually parted ways" after four seasons marked by poor personnel decisions and failed coaching hires. The Chiefs fired coach Romeo Crennel on Monday after going 2-14, matching the worst record in their 53-year history. Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said at the time other changes could be made, and indicated Pioli's future could be determined by their next coach. The Chiefs are nearing a deal with Andy Reid to replace Crennel. The team and the former Eagles coach have been negotiating at length for the past couple of days.==================Reid Arrives in KC, Nears Deal to Become Chiefs Head CoachKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid has arrived in Kansas City and the Chiefs are close to making an announcement that he will become their new head coach. Reid and the Chiefs have reportedly agreed to a deal giving the longtime Eagles coach broad authority over football decisions. His deal Friday came hours after the Chiefs announced they had parted with general manager Scott Pioli after four tumultuous seasons. Reid would be inheriting a team that was 2-14 and matched the worst finish in franchise history, but that also had five players voted to the Pro Bowl. It's expected that Reid would pursue longtime Packers personnel man John Dorsey, one of his close confidants, to work with him as general manager.==================Kansans Injured in Scottsdale Collision Involving Pedi-Cab SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say a driver is suspected of being impaired after a collision in Scottsdale involving a pedi-cab and a car that injured two Kansas tourists. Scottsdale police say 27-year-old Joseph Spano was arrested on suspicion of DUI, endangerment and aggravated assault. His age and hometown wasn't immediately available Friday and police didn't know if he had a lawyer yet. Police say Cody A. Clark and Michael D. Tysver, both from Great Bend, Kansas, were riding in the pedi-cab and remain hospitalized with head and spine injuries. Friends say both 21-year-old men were in Arizona for Thursday night's Fiesta Bowl involving Kansas State University. The pedi-cab's driver was treated and released from the hospital. He told police he was transporting the Kansas men to their hotel when the accident occurred about 3 am Friday.==================Kansas Daredevil Dies in Leap from 393-Foot TowerMATFIELD GREEN, Kan. (AP) — Friends are mourning an eastern Kansas man who died in a leap from a 393-foot communication tower when his parachute failed to open in time. The Emporia Gazette reports a funeral is scheduled Saturday in Topeka for 50-year-old Frank Hubbell, one week after his death. Chase County Sheriff Richard Dorneker says Hubbell died at the scene from the trauma of the impact. The accident happened in a rural area about seven miles east of Matfield Green. Hubbell's brother Bill told The Gazette his brother had done about 150 so-called BASE jumps. BASE stands for Building, Antennae, Span, Earth. Hubbell was from Tecumseh. The sheriff said he was not aware of any other instance of someone jumping from the tower.================== Kansas Chamber Names New Communications DirectorTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The influential Kansas Chamber of Commerce has created a position to oversee its communications and special events and promoted a staffer internally to fill the new job. Chamber CEO Officer Mike O'Neal announced Thursday that Emily Mitchell will serve as director of communications and special events. Mitchell has been the organization's executive assistant since April 2011. She is a Kansas State University graduate. The chamber's clout grew with the 2012 elections, which saw conservative Republicans retain their majority in the Kansas House and topple moderate GOP leaders in the Senate. Also, O'Neal is the departing House speaker, having decided not to seek re-election to the Legislature last year.==================Kansas Group Will Seek to Broaden Liquor SalesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A group that wants Kansans to be able to buy liquor at grocery stores and convenience stores says it will try again to persuade state lawmakers to change state law. Currently, Kansans can buy most liquor only in retail liquor stores, except for 3.2 beer and wine coolers. Uncork Kansas, a coalition of convenience stores, grocery stores, and chambers of commerce, says it plans to introduce a bill to change state law as early in the upcoming legislative session as possible. The Wichita Eagle reports the Kansas Chamber of Commerce announced earlier this week that it will support the effort. But Spencer Duncan, executive director of a group called Keep Kansans in Business, said changing the law would hurt existing stores, especially in rural Kansas.==================Mapping of BNSF Railroad Tracks to Be ModernizedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Employees of a Topeka company will be working for the next year to convert 32,000 miles of railroad maps from outdated paper documents into a modern online computer system. Topeka's Bartlett & West will use 100 temporary employees to convert the maps of BNSF Railway Company track and the railroad's land possessions into a geographic information system. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that railroads are often hampered by having to update maps by hand. Some of the maps date to the 1800s. The GIS system will create interactive maps that can be used to get directions or look up information about a particular property. Bartlett & West says the temporary employees will work two shifts in an effort to complete the project in a year.================== Largest Kansas Wind Farm Now Fully OperationalWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The largest wind farm ever built in Kansas is now in full commercial operation. BP Wind Energy and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power said Thursday the $800 million Flat Ridge 2 Wind Farm generates 470 megawatts of electricity. Flat Ridge 2 is spread over a 66,000-acre site that spans parts of Harper, Barber, Kingman and Sumner counties in south-central Kansas. The companies say the farm uses 294 turbines each with the capacity to produce 1.6 megawatts, generating enough electricity to power more than 140,000 average American homes. Power generated from the facility will be exported to Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. The project created more than 500 jobs at the peak of construction. About 30 permanent jobs have been created to monitor and maintain it now that it's online.==================Kansas Man Pleads Guilty in Painkiller DeathCOLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — A southeast Kansas man who sold a powerful painkiller patch to another man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in the buyer's death. The Cherokee County News-Advocate reports 35-year-old David Tirrell, of Scammon, will be sentenced in February for involuntary manslaughter. He was initially charged with felony murder but pleaded to the lesser charge Wednesday under an agreement with the Kansas attorney general's office. Tirrell admitted selling a Fentanyl patch last July 24 to 22-year-old Jordan Krokroskia. The younger man was found dead the following day at his Baxter Springs home. An autopsy showed he died from Fentanyl intoxication. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid roughly 100 times more powerful than morphine. Assistant Attorney General Amanda Voth declined to say how Tirrell obtained the patch, citing an ongoing investigation.================== Topeka Thief Makes Off with $32K Worth of JewelryTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who gained the trust of clerks at a Topeka jewelry store by posing for weeks as a shopper turned out to be a thief. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the owners of Calhoun's Jewelers posted a $1,500 reward on Thursday, one day after the suspect bolted from the store with $32,000 worth of earrings. One pair alone was valued at $12,000. Co-owner Curt Calhoun says the man began visiting the store before the holidays and even came in on New Year's Day. On Wednesday, Calhoun says, a clerk was showing the man several sets of earrings when the suspect scooped them up and ran out. The incident was caught on surveillance video. Authorities hope someone will recognize the man and come forward.================== Driver Unhurt in Accident at Kansas Grain ElevatorSTAFFORD, Kan. (AP) — A truck driver is unhurt but a central Kansas grain elevator is closed for a few days after an accident that left a tractor-trailer buried in corn. The Pratt Tribune reports the accident happened Wednesday afternoon at the Dillwyn elevator, located along railroad tracks in rural Stafford County. Manager Paul Eisenhour says the semi hit a loading chute on the side of the elevator. The chute was ripped away, allowing the corn inside the elevator to pour out. The driver managed to escape from the cab as the grain engulfed his rig. The Dillwyn elevator is owned by Kanza Coop. It remains closed for cleanup and repairs. Eisenhour expects it to reopen on Monday unless an engineer has to come in to check the structural integrity.==================K-State Looks to Future After Fiesta Bowl LossLiving in the moment served Kansas State well this season. The seventh-ranked Wildcats rose to number 1 in the BCS standings, won the Big 12 title and reached the Fiesta Bowl. But after finishing the season with a loss to number 5-ranked Oregon on Thursday night, Kansas State can finally turn its attention to the future. That means life without quarterback Collin Klein, linebacker Arthur Brown and the rest of a senior class that helped to engineer another massive turnaround in Manhattan. Coach Bill Snyder will have to fill plenty of holes on both sides of the ball, and the Wildcats will surely be picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big 12 next season. But then again, that's where they were picked to finish this season.================== 1 Dead, 1 Wounded in Suburban KC ShootingGLADSTONE, Mo. (AP) — One man is dead, another was shot in the stomach and the suspected gunman was still at large in a Kansas City suburb after an early morning shooting. The Kansas City Star reports police responded to a shooting at a Gladstone apartment complex Friday morning and found a 23-year-old man suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital where he died. While police were investigating that shooting, they were told about a second gunshot victim in another building. They found an 18-year-old with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to a hospital and was in surgery later Friday. Police say they were looking for the gunman, who was with another man.================== Ex-Church Vicar Pleads Innocent to Sex Assault ChargesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former church vicar in Topeka pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting two young brothers. Thirty-two-year-old Hugh Denton Cranford, a former vicar at Faith Lutheran Church, will be tried starting May 6 on three charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child younger than 14. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Cranford, a native of Kingwood, Texas, pleaded not guilty on Thursday. The mother of the two boys, who are now 7 and 9, testified that her husband and Cranford were friends and the family attended Faith Lutheran. She said her sons played with Cranford and he stayed overnight in their home. Cranford, a student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, began his vicarage at Faith Lutheran in July 2011. He was suspended by the seminary in June 2012.==================KC Man Sentenced in Barbershop KillingKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One of two suspects in a botched barbershop robbery that left a Kansas City barber dead has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Jackson County (Missouri) prosecutor's office says 22-year-old Georgio White was sentenced Friday to 20 years for second-degree murder, 15 years for attempted robbery and six years for armed criminal action. All of the sentences will run concurrently. White and another man were charged in the fatal shooting of 53-year-old Joe Jackson in November 2011. An off-duty police officer found Jackson dead inside the barbershop where he worked. A witness said White shot himself in the arm when he shot Jackson. Officers followed a trail of blood to a nearby apartment, where they arrested White and 24-year-old David Waters. Waters faces a court hearing January 18.==================Salina Woman Sentenced in Young Son's DeathSALINA, Kan. (AP) _ A Salina woman was sentenced to about 13 years in prison for second-degree murder and not intervening to stop her boyfriend from abusing her 14-month-old son before his death. Twenty-one-year-old Brittney Betzold was sentenced Friday for failing to protect her son over several days while bruises on his body got worse. Prosecutors said Clayden Urbanek was beaten between September 26 and October 4, 2011 while he was being watched by Betzold's boyfriend, Antonio M. Brown. They say Betzold never physically abused her son but did nothing to help him and left him in Brown's care while she was at work. The Salina Journal reports that Brown is scheduled to go to trial in February on a charge of first-degree murder.================== Toddler Ejected, Fatally Injured in Maize CrashMAIZE, Kan. (AP) — A 3-year-old boy has died and his 9-month-old sister is hospitalized with serious injuries following a two-vehicle collision in south-central Kansas. The Wichita Eagle reports the crash between an oil tanker truck and a minivan driven by the children's mother happened around 12:30 pm Thursday in Maize. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says both children apparently were riding in car seats. The little boy was still in his car seat when he was thrown from the minivan. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The sheriff says investigators believe the minivan ran a red light and was hit by the tanker truck, which was carrying very little oil. The minivan was pushed into a utility pole, and the truck tipped onto its side. The children's mother was also injured.================== Attorney: Kansas Law on Sperm Donors OutdatedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An attorney who's trying to prevent a Kansas sperm donor from having to pay child support for a girl who was ultimately conceived says a state law dealing with artificial insemination is outdated. Lawyer Ben Swinnen of Topeka noted Thursday that a national group proposed in 2002 that states adopt laws saying no sperm or egg donor is legally the parent of a child conceived through artificial reproduction. Kansas law says a sperm donor is not considered a child's parent if a doctor is involved in the artificial insemination. Swinnen represents 46-year-old Topeka resident William Marotta, who donated sperm to a lesbian couple in 2009. No physician was involved, and the state filed a lawsuit in October to try to force Marotta to pay child support.================== 5 Governors Speak Out on Lesser Prairie Chicken DesignationDENVER (AP) — Governors of five states that are home to the lesser prairie chicken say they're disappointed the federal government has proposed listing the bird as threatened. However they said they're encouraged that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service isn't proposing listing the lesser prairie chicken as endangered. A final decision on a listing is expected this fall. Some ranchers, wind farms and others have worried that listing the bird as threatened could hurt their operations by leading to more regulations on the bird's habitat. The governors of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas released a statement Thursday saying that conservation efforts by their states, along with commitments from industry leaders and landowners, to address risks to the bird should support a decision not to list the species as threatened.================== EPA Gives Kansas Regulatory Pass on 2011 FiresWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal environmental regulators have given Kansas a little more breathing room to comply with air quality regulations. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency granted its request to exclude four days from April 2011 when calculating air quality data that is averaged over three years. In a rare move, the EPA agreed with state regulators that prescribed burnings in the Flint Hills and drifting smoke from wildfires in Texas and Mexico on those four days skewed the data. The decision is important — particularly to Wichita and its surrounding counties — because the EPA could impose more stringent local regulations for non-compliance. That affects such things as the type of gasoline sold to pollution control equipment Kansas industries would have to install.================== Report on Nebraska Pipeline Route Goes to GovernorLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state evaluation of TransCanada's route for the Keystone XL oil pipeline through Nebraska has been sent to the governor. The office of Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman said in a news release Friday that he has 30 days to review the more than 2,000 pages before making his decision. His decision will be shared with the U.S. State Department, which has federal jurisdiction because the pipeline begins in Canada. The State Department recommendation will go to President Barack Obama, who has the final say. TransCanada's pipeline is designed to carry tar sands oil from Canada across Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The company also has proposed connecting it to the Bakken oil field in Montana and North Dakota.================== Kansas Silent Film Fest to HIghlight Classic StarsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Charlie Chaplin is among the classic movie stars who will be featured during the 17th annual Kansas Silent Film Festival. The free festival takes place February 22 and 23 in White Concert Hall at Washburn University in Topeka.Several short Keystone comedies produced by Max Sennett will be featured. Kansas City film historian Denise Morrison will provide introductions for the films and give an overview of the artists and the era of the silent films. Some films will be shown on 16mm film, while others may be projected digitally, due to the rarity of actual film material. Musical accompaniments will be provided mostly by organists or a five-piece chamber ensemble.================== Salina Zoo Adds New Species: Sichuan TakinSALINA, Kan. (AP) — The Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina is home to a new animal, a Sichuan Takin. Officials at the zoo say the 4½-year-old male takin is the first of its species at any zoo in Kansas. Peter Burvenich, curator at the zoo, says it will be at least two to three years before the zoo considers getting a female takin to start a breeding program. KSAL reports that the animal had been in quarantine for 30 days but is now on public display. Takin are native to Tibet and China. They live in the same bamboo forests as the giant panda and are closely related to goats and sheep, although they are larger.==================Police: Rockhurst University Guard Fatally Shoots Man KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police in Kansas City say a university security officer shot and killed a motorist who threatened him and others with a gun. Officers responded Thursday afternoon to a report of an injury accident and shooting on a street beside the campus of Rockhurst University. They found a wounded man in his mid-20s. He died a short time later at a hospital. Witnesses told police the man got out of a car after being involved in a two-vehicle accident and pointed a gun at several people who tried to help him. Police say the man also pointed the gun at the Rockhurst security officer, who then shot the suspect. The suspect's name has not been released. Rockhurst is a Jesuit institution located a few blocks from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.================== Wichita Man Sentenced in Girlfriend's DeathWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man who stabbed his girlfriend to death in a store parking lot was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. Forty-year-old Eric Avila was sentenced Thursday for killing 35-year-old Alina Burkman at a south Wichita Kmart. He pleaded no contest in November to second-degree murder and kidnapping in the March 8 death. Wichita police said Avila and Burkman fought after being evicted from a nearby hotel. Police say Avila suffered stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, but the wounds were apparently self-inflicted. The Wichita Eagle reports Avila's attorney said the two loved each other but were both addicted to drugs.==================Number 25-Ranked K-State Dives into Start of Big 12 Men's Basketball PlayKansas State coach Bruce Weber was asked whether he thinks his number 25-ranked Wildcats are ready for the start of Big 12 play, and his answer didn't exactly fill anybody with confidence. "I don't think you know until you get there," he said. Weber has already gone through an up-and-down non-conference slate, getting blown out by Michigan and Gonzaga before upsetting then-number 8 Florida. So perhaps it's no surprise that Weber doesn't know exactly what to expect from Saturday's game against number 22-ranked Oklahoma State. The game could play a big part in how the Big 12 shakes out. The sixth-ranked University of Kansas is the heavy favorite, but the league is wide open after that. Kansas State and Oklahoma State are among a handful of teams hoping to challenge the Jayhawks.==================Standoff Prompts Lockdown at KCK Catholic SchoolKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas police were engaged in a standoff with a criminal suspect in an aggravated robbery for several hours, prompting a nearby school to go on lockdown before parents eventually were allowed to pick up their children. Police say they received a report of a burglary around 11 am Friday and later chased a suspect into a home, where he was still holed up at 3 pm. A statement on the school's website said teachers were made aware of the situation but no information was immediately given to the students. Police were helping direct parents to a location where they could pick up their children Friday afternoon.**this story has been updated. Please see above.

Kansas House Panel Advances Tax Plan to Rival Brownback'sTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has approved a plan from its Republican chairman to cut sales and income taxes. The proposal approved Tuesday by the Taxation Committee rejects key elements of GOP Governor Sam Brownback's plan for following up on individual income tax cuts enacted last year. The proposal from Chairman and St. Marys Republican Richard Carlson allows the state sales tax to fall to 5.7 percent in July, as scheduled by state law. Brownback wants to keep the sales tax at its current 6.3 percent rate to stabilize the budget while pursuing further income tax cuts. The governor wants to phase in fresh cuts in income tax rates over four years. Carlson's plan is less aggressive. The committee's voice vote sends the measure to the entire House for debate.============= Kansas Senate Democratic Leader Outlines Tax Proposals TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The top-ranking Democratic member of the Kansas Senate says the party will push to decrease the state's sales tax and to provide additional tax relief for the poor. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said Tuesday that Democrats will propose expanding tax legislation before the chamber for debate this week. Hensley shared details with The Associated Press. One proposal would allow the sales tax to drop to 5.7 percent in July, as scheduled. Republican Governor Sam Brownback wants the sales tax to stay at 6.3 percent rate to stabilize the budget as he pursues individual income tax cuts. Also, Democrats will try to preserve a tax break for homeowners targeted by Brownback. Hensley said Democrats want to restore tax breaks eliminated last year for renters and people using child care.=============Kansas Senate Advances Bill on Judicial SelectionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate has advanced a bill changing the way judges are chosen for the state Court of Appeals. The measure would give the governor the authority to appoint judges to the court, subject to confirmation by the Senate. It would abolish a special commission that now screens applicants for the Court of Appeals and submits the names of three finalists to the governor, who makes the appointment without Senate confirmation. Senators gave the measure first-round approval Tuesday. The bill has already cleared the House, and Senate passage on a final vote expected Wednesday would send it to Governor Sam Brownback. The Senate previously approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the governor new authority to name judges to the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.=============New Coalition Pushing for Kansas Medicaid ExpansionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new coalition is promising to lobby Kansas officials to expand the state's Medicaid program even if legislators pass a resolution declaring that they're opposed to it. The Kansas Medicaid Access Coalition had a news conference Tuesday to launch its pro-expansion campaign. The coalition includes more than 30 groups representing consumers, health care providers and religious organizations. Medicaid provides health coverage for the needy and disabled. The 2010 federal health care overhaul encourages states to expand their programs by promising to pay almost all of the cost. Many members of the Republican-dominated Legislature opposed the federal overhaul championed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. GOP legislative leaders are skeptical the federal government will keep its funding promises. A resolution declaring opposition to expanding Medicaid is pending in the House.=============Kansas Sheriff's Deputy, Suspect Shot After ChaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County sheriff's deputy who was shot after a car chase is in stable condition after undergoing eye surgery. Sheriff Jeff Easter says the 33-year-old deputy was shot Monday night after a chase that ended near Potwin in Butler County. A man the car also was shot and is in critical condition. A woman in the car was arrested. Easter says the deputy tried to stop the car for traffic violations and it sped off, reaching 120 mph. Eventually, the deputy found the car abandoned and was shot as he searched for the suspects. Several agencies responded to help with the search. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper eventually shot the man and arrested the woman. The two suspects are both from Gardner.=============Kansas County Sets Vote on Law Enforcement FundingHAYS, Kan. (AP) — Voters in a northwest Kansas county will decide May 14 whether to approve a half-percent sales tax to repair and expand their jail, courthouse and law enforcement building. The Hays Daily News reports that Ellis County commissioners set the date for the special election Monday. Revenue from the tax would also fund a new EMS-rural firefighting building. For residents of Hays, the tax would not be new. A half-percent sales tax for construction of a sports complex expires at the end of this month. Officials say the Ellis County jail is designed for 30 prisoners but has an average daily population of 50 inmates. The jail houses some inmates from other counties. Current estimates show the projects funded by the tax would cost between $12 million and $13 million.=============Emporia Anticipating Good News from Hostess DealEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) _ The announcement that Hostess plans to sell its Twinkies and other snack cake brands is expected to be good news for Emporia. Hostess announced Tuesday that it will sell its cake products to two investment firms. The transaction includes five production plants, including the Dolly Madison plant in Emporia. Kent Heermann, president of the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, says the sale means the Emporia plant could reopen within weeks. He says talks will begin soon on when the plant might reopen and how many employees would be hired. But he says the new company would have five plants instead of 11, so that bodes well for Emporia. The Emporia Gazette reports that when the plant closed in November, more than 500 workers lost their jobs.=============Mediators, Court Date Set for Kansas School CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys involved in a Kansas school finance lawsuit have chosen the dean of Pepperdine University's law school and a Topeka attorney to serve as mediators to settle the case. The attorneys told Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss on Monday that law school dean Deanell Tacha and Topeka attorney James Steven Pigg will mediate the case. Tacha is the former chief judge of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Nuss also announced that the court would hear the appeal of a lower-court ruling on the case on October 8 in Topeka. The state is appealing a January ruling by a three-judge panel in Shawnee County that legislators must increase the state's annual spending on schools by at least $440 million.============= Kansas Legislators Jump into Business Tax FightTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have jumped into a tax dispute over refineries and fertilizer and cement plants, but critics worry that helping the business's operators could pinch local governments. A bill before the Kansas House revises a state law governing how counties value machinery and equipment in complex manufacturing plants for tax purposes. Business groups are watching the legislation, which cleared the House Taxation Committee last week. Supporters contend the bill would ensure that machinery is valued consistently statewide, preventing prevent counties from overtaxing it. Critics contend the measure will take millions of dollars' worth of property off state and local tax rolls — forcing local governments to cut services or raise levies on homes and other business property.============= Kansas House Approves Bill to Boost KDOT, Turnpike TiesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has approved a bill that supporters say is an attempt to encourage cooperation between the Kansas Turnpike Authority and the state Department of Transportation. The 81-41 vote Monday sent the measure to the Senate. Some House members fear that the bill is a step toward a merger and diverting revenues from the 236-mile turnpike to other uses. But the measure stops far short of Governor Sam Brownback's proposal for a merger of the transportation agencies. He contends such a merger would reduce costs. The bill would expand the specific authority of KDOT and the Turnpike Authority so they can provide administrative services to each other. Also, the two agencies could work jointly on roads connecting to the turnpike.============= Kansas Mental Health Advocates to RallyTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Mental health advocates plan to rally in Topeka this week for increased funding for services throughout Kansas. Thursday's event is sponsored by the Kansas Mental Health Coalition. Shawn Sullivan, state secretary of aging and disability services, plans to take part in a morning gathering at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. In the afternoon, Governor Sam Brownback is scheduled to address the advocates in the Statehouse. Rally participants are pushing for the governor and legislators to restore money that was cut from mental health services.=============Kansas Air Guard Tests Tornado Response SkillsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — With vehicles strewn across roads, members of the Kansas Air National Guard turned Topeka's Forbes Field into a disaster area to test emergency response skills. The four-hour exercise Tuesday was to see how well members of the 190th Air Refueling Wing would respond to the aftermath of an EF-2 tornado striking the base south of Topeka. Airmen and emergency response units were called shortly after 9:30 am to respond to the tornado, which simulated damage to property and human casualties. Captain Joe Blubaugh, executive officer for the 190th, said the airmen practice tornado drills every year to test preparation and response skills. Tuesday's drill simulated a small tornado that damaged a few buildings but spared the air wing's KC-135 refueling aircraft parked on the tarmac.=============Salina Man Sentenced for Selling Designer DrugWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Salina coffee shop owner has been placed on a year's probation in federal court for selling a designer drug that mimics the effects of marijuana. The U.S. Attorney's office said Monday that 44-year-old Erick Srack had pleaded guilty to introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce. Srack admitted selling bags of what was labeled "Aromatic Potpourri." The substance was intended for smoking as a recreational drug. Srack was also prosecuted in Kansas courts. He was sentenced in October 2011 to 30 months in state prison for selling illegal drugs from his coffee shop, The Grind.============= Galena Puts $7.5 Million Bond Issue on BallotGALENA, Kan. (AP) — Galena residents will vote in June on a proposed $7.5 million bond issue for the city's schools. The Galena Board of Education voted Monday to put the issue on the June 4 ballot. If approved, the project would add classroom space at Spring Grove Elementary and Galena High School and add space at both schools to serve as tornado shelters. Other improvements would include a new high school gymnasium, lockers rooms, a concession area, a fitness room and a walking track. The Joplin Globe reports that figures provided by the district show the bond issue would add $128 a year to the cost of a $100,000 home.=============Water Returning to Arkansas RiverWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Recent snow and rain are bringing much-needed water to the Arkansas River. The city of Wichita was able to raise the Lincoln Street dam 1 1/2 feet during the weekend. Wichita officials say the dam will slowly be lifted as the river gets more sustained flows. Scott Lindebak, Wichita's storm water division manager, says the river's flow rate increased to 146 cubic feet per second after Saturday's rain. A month ago, the rate was 45 cubic feet per second. The Wichita Eagle reports regular flow is 200 cubic feet per second. Lindebeck says once the flow sustains its normal level for a week, the city will raise the dam completely. Raising the dam too quickly endangers wildlife downstream.=============Knife Rights Movement Gaining SupportAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that would legalize switchblade knives. Across the country, knife rights advocates are portraying their cause as a Second Amendment issue. New federal rules will allow pocketknives on airplanes. And similar switchblade bills are making progress in Tennessee, Kansas, Indiana and Alaska. But the author of the Texas bill says he wants to make a different point about gun control. Representative Harold Dutton, a Democrat from Houston, says only dangerous weapons should be prohibited. His staff prepared an analysis of the bill noting that switchblades are banned while assault rifles are not.============= Murder Charge Filed in Dodge City StabbingDODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Garden City man is charged with second-degree murder in a fatal stabbing in Dodge City. The Ford County Attorney's Office on Monday charged 52-year-old Alfredo Gasca-Aldama with reckless second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Jesus Ortiz. Gasca-Aldama is being held on $250,000 bond. Dodge City police say both men were taken to a hospital Saturday night suffering from stab wounds. Ortiz later died. Gasca-Aldama was arrested after being treated for his wounds. Police have declined to release information on the circumstances surrounding the stabbings. It was not immediately clear if Gasca-Aldama had an attorney.=============KC Among Top Metros for Energy-Efficient BuildingsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The two-state Kansas City metropolitan area has been ranked in the top 25 nationally for having the highest number of federally certified energy-efficient buildings. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that Kansas City tied for 23rd place with Portland, Oregon. The EPA says 82 buildings in the Kansas City area met the Energy Star certification last year. On the Kansas side, they include schools in Olathe, Overland Park, Kansas City, Lenexa, Shawnee and Leawood. Schools in Blue Springs, Lee's Summit and Kearney, Missouri also made the list. Other Energy Star-certified buildings include the Kansas Speedway racetrack and the federal courthouses in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. The EPA estimates the buildings saved $14 million in energy costs and avoided emissions equivalent to electricity use in 29,000 homes.=============Kansas City Plans Downtown YMCA, Closure of 3 OthersKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City could have a big, new YMCA downtown by early 2016 but three smaller neighborhood YMCAs will be closed. David Byrd, chief executive of the Greater Kansas City YMCA says two other regional YMCAs will be renovated and operation of another facility will be transferred. Kansas City hasn't had a large downtown YMCA since 1981 although a smaller Y opened in 1989. The Kansas City Star reports the new plans are for a 100,000-square-foot YMCA downtown, while facilities in eastern Kansas City and Atchison, Kansas will undergo extensive renovations. The three Y's to be closed next month are in Independence, Raytown and Kansas City, Kan. And the operations of the Miami County YMCA in Osawatomie, Kansas will be transferred to the school district, which owns the building.=============Water Releases into the Missouri River to Be IncreasedOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The amount of water released into the lower Missouri River will be increased this month, as expected, but will be less than the amount usually released in March, affecting shipping on the river. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says winter runoff into the river above Sioux City, Iowa, will be 80 percent of normal this year. The corps announced in a conference call Tuesday that the amount of water will be increased from about 14,000 cubic feet per second to between 23,000 to 28,000 cubic feet per second starting Monday. But that amount will provide only enough water for a minimal channel 8-feet-deep and 200-feet-wide. A normal navigation channel is 9-feet-deep and 300-feet-wide, so barges likely will not be able to carry full loads this spring.=============Kansas City Ex-Minister Arrested in New OrleansNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The FBI says a former minister wanted in Kansas City, Missouri on molestation charges has been arrested in New Orleans. Spokeswoman Mary Beth Romig said Monday that 48-year-old George Spencer is accused of child molestation and forcible sodomy against a girl at the Greater Works CME Church, where he was an associate pastor. She says he was arrested Friday by the FBI New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force, which got information about his likely whereabouts from the bureau's Missouri office. Romig says Spencer is awaiting extradition to Kansas City, where he will be formally charged on the warrant in February by Jackson County (MO).============= Wichita Man Charged with Murder After Police ChaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 34-year-old Wichita man is charged with first-degree murder in a fatal accident that occurred while he was fleeing from police. Keith Ritz was charged Monday in the death of 38-year-old Venancio Perez. Police allege Ritz was fleeing in a stolen pickup truck when he ran a stop sign last Tuesday in south Wichita and hit a pickup driven by Perez, who died at the scene. The murder charge accuses Ritz of unlawfully killing Perez while fleeing from or trying to elude an officer. Ritz remains in Sedgwick County jail on a $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 25. Ritz told the judge Monday that he would try to hire his own attorney.============= Teen Suspect in Slaying of Colorado Girl to Enter PleaA teenager charged with abducting and killing a 10-year-old Colorado girl is due in court to enter a plea. Eighteen-year-old Austin Sigg is charged with the October 5 disappearance and slaying of Jessica Ridgeway in the Denver suburb of Westminster. He is to appear in court Tuesday. Part of Jessica's body ultimately was discovered in a field. Other remains were found in Sigg's home. Investigators say Sigg told them after he turned himself in that he wanted to plead guilty. Sigg cannot be sentenced to death because he was 17 at the time of the crime. He faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years if convicted. Jennifer's father and several other relatives live in the Kansas City suburb of Independence.============= Ballwin, MO Adopts Funeral Protest LawBALLWIN, Mo. (AP) — Another Missouri town has adopted an ordinance placing limits on funeral protests. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that aldermen in Ballwin on Monday approved a law prohibiting picketing or engaging in other protest activities within 300 feet of a funeral or burial service. Manchester, Clayton and several other cities have adopted similar ordinances in recent months. The laws are in response to groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, which often protests at the funerals of soldiers.============= Korean War Chaplain to Receive Posthumous Medal of HonorWASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama will award a posthumous Medal of Honor to a Korean War Army chaplain credited with ministering and providing medical assistance to fellow soldiers under heavy fire during combat. The award ceremony for Captain Emil Kapaun is scheduled for April 11. Members of his family will attend. The White House says Kapaun, a Roman Catholic priest from Kansas, exhibited "extraordinary heroism" while serving with the 3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during a battle with communist forces in 1950. Kapaun stayed behind to help the wounded even though he knew he would be captured. Kapaun died at the prisoner of war camp hospital seven months after he was captured by the Chinese.============= KC Worker Killed in Blast at Excavating CompanySHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A 23-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man is dead after an explosion at a Johnson County, Kansas excavation and tree removal company. Shawnee Fire Marshal Corey Sands says his department received a call around 9:30 a.m. Monday about an industrial accident at Rieke Grading. When fire crews arrived they found Nicholas Jerde dead and evidence of an explosion. Sands says Jerde was using an acetylene torch to open frozen valves on a vacuum truck when it ignited vapor inside the truck's tank. The Occupational Safety Health Administration was called to investigate the incident.============= Judge Hears Sentence Dispute in Kansas Ticket SchemeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The new attorney for a former University of Kansas athletics consultant is seeking a shorter sentence for his client in a $2 million ticket scalping conspiracy. The attorney told a federal judge Monday that Thomas Blubaugh deserves less than 46 months because of conflicting provisions in his plea agreement over whether he had provided "substantial assistance" to investigators. But a federal prosecutor countered there was no conflict in the plea deal he struck with Blubaugh. Blubaugh was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. through wire fraud, tax obstruction and interstate transportation of stolen property. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot did not immediately rule after hearing testimony from Blubaugh's former attorney, Stephen Robison. Belot wanted Robison to testify after Blubaugh claimed he did a poor job.=============San Francisco 49ers Announce Trade of QB Alex Smith to Kansas City ChiefsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers made their trade of quarterback Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs official on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the two sides agreed to it. The 49ers will receive the Chiefs' second-round pick, 34th overall, and a conditional choice in next year's draft, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not disclosed. Smith must still pass a physical for the trade to be completed. The 28-year-old Smith struggled much of his career in San Francisco, but blossomed the past couple seasons under new coach Jim Harbaugh and is considered an upgrade for Kansas City. The Chiefs are expected to release incumbent quarterback Matt Cassel.=============KU, K-State Favored as Big 12 Men's Hoops Tourney OpensKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Kansas and Kansas State University tied for the regular-season Big 12 men's basketball title, but that doesn't mean they feel very good about themselves entering the league tournament. The Wildcats lost a road game against Oklahoma State on Saturday, while the Jayhawks were routed by Baylor a few hours later in a game that would have given them the outright title. It's likely that performances in Big 12 tournament could be unpredictable. West Virginia and Texas Tech open Wednesday night at Sprint Center, with the winner advancing to play KU. The winner of Texas-TCU gets the Wildcats on Thursday. The other two quarterfinals Thursday are Oklahoma-Iowa State and Oklahoma State-Baylor. The tournament champion will be crowned Saturday night.============= Matt Brown Fired as Men's Basketball Coach at UMKCKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri-Kansas City has fired men's basketball coach Matt Brown after six seasons and with the program poised to leave the Summit League for the Western Athletic Conference. Brown was 64-122 with the 'Roos, including an 8-24 record this season. The longtime assistant to current University of Michigan coach John Beilein had just one winning season in Kansas City. He had one year left on his contract. The Roos' season ended Sunday with a 69-58 loss to North Dakota State in the quarterfinals of the Summit League tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. UMKC, which has been playing Division I basketball since 1987, has already announced plans to join the WAC next season. It has been a member of the Summit League since 1994. The Roos have never qualified for the NCAA tournament.

Kansas Agency Posting Tax Guidance Ahead of New LawTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Revenue is posting guidance regarding two provisions of the state income tax law ahead of changes that take effect in January. Spokeswoman Jeannine Koranda says that the guidance lets accountants, tax attorneys and residents know how the agency will be interpreting inconsistencies within the law. One of the items deals with how the taxpayers will be able to use itemized deductions to reduce their tax liability. Koranda says the revenue department will ask the 2013 Legislature to make changes to the law to codify the guidance. The new income tax changes eliminate the individual income tax for about 190,000 qualifying businesses, including limited liability companies and sole proprietorships. In addition, the overall rate for individual taxpayers will decrease effective with their first paycheck in January.==================== Kline Lawyer Wants Probe of Research AttorneysTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Phill Kline's attorney alleges that the court record in an ethics case may have been tainted by a research attorney fired for posting disparaging Twitter comments about the former Kansas attorney general. Tom Condit wrote a letter to the disciplinary administrator for the judicial branch, asking for a review of all research attorneys working for judges and justices to determine whether there was bias among the group. Sarah Peterson-Herr was fired on November 19, four days after she posted comments about Kline as he appeared before the Kansas Supreme Court over alleged misconduct during his investigation of abortion providers. A court spokesman declined to comment about Condit's letter or what action, if any, the disciplinary administrator would take to address the concerns.==================== State Christmas Ornament to Be Presented MondayTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will unveil its official Christmas tree ornament during a ceremony at the governor's mansion in Topeka. The ceremony Monday night at Cedar Crest will also include the lighting of a 9-foot-tall Scotch Pine donated by Windy Knoll Tree Farm near Derby. A 14-foot Scotch pine from Country Christmas Trees in Wakarusa was lit Friday at the State Capitol. Last year, Governor Sam Brownback's administration kept the live trees outside after deciding state fire codes did not allow the trees inside the buildings. The Wichita Eagle reports the administration determined this year that a living tree is allowed inside Cedar Crest because it is a private residence. And the administration decided a live tree was allowed inside the Capitol because it has the required sprinkler system.====================High Court Rejects Appeal over Insanity DefenseWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is refusing to consider whether a criminal defendant has a constitutional right to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. The justices on Monday rejected an appeal from convicted killer John Joseph Delling of Idaho, one of four states that bar defendants from claiming that they were legally insane, or unable to appreciate that what they did was wrong. The other states are Kansas, Montana and Utah. Delling was convicted of killing two college students during a trip across the west in 2007. Delling suffers from acute paranoid schizophrenia and says he was in the grip of severe delusions when he killed the two men and wounded a third. Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor said they would have heard the case.====================Kansas Plots Teacher Evaluation CourseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas teachers and administrators are working with the state Department of Education to develop an evaluation system to measure their performance. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the evaluation system, called the Kansas Education Evaluation Protocol is a pilot program being used in about two dozen districts statewide. It is part of the state's efforts to comply with the requirements of a federal waiver it received under the No Child Left Behind Act. All school districts will have to implement some system of evaluation by the 2014-15 school year. Some may use the KEEP system, while other districts could use programs already in place. State officials say the next step will be linking the evaluation system with student performance. A commission of teachers and administrators are working on that transition. ====================Topeka Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Fatal 2011 ShootingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man will serve 33 years in federal prison without parole for shooting a liquor store clerk on Christmas Eve 2011. Federal prosecutors say 45-year-old Matthew Daniel Myers was sentenced Monday for one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Myers pleaded guilty in August to the federal firearms charge in a deal that included dismissing state charges of murder and robbery. Myers admitted that he shot 41-year-old Matthew Hill at a Hudson Liquor store in Topeka. He demanded money from Hill, who tried to retrieve a .38-caliber pistol from a drawer. Myers hit Hill with a crowbar, seized the pistol and shot him three times. A surveillance camera captured the shooting.==================== Kansas Deer Hunting Season Opens WednesdayPRATT, Kan. (AP) — The regular firearms deer hunting season in Kansas opens Wednesday. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says on its website the season runs through December 9. Hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Hunters need a deer permit and a Kansas hunting license unless they qualify for an exemption. The department also reminds hunters that they must tag their deer before moving the carcass from the kill site.====================Police ID Teen Killed in Wichita Store HoldupWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita say a 16-year-old boy shot to death by a convenience store clerk on Thanksgiving also robbed the business a week earlier. Authorities identified the boy Monday as Giorgio Rock. Police said he and two others tried to rob KC Gas & Groceries on North Broadway around 7:30 pm Thursday. Investigators said Rock was one of two armed robbers who forced a clerk back inside just after closing time on November 16. They emptied the cash registers and ran off. In the Thanksgiving holdup, police say Rock and a 19-year-old entered the store while another 19-year-old waited outside. Officers said Rock crawled under a counter and pointed a realistic-looking pellet gun at the clerk, who grabbed a handgun and opened fire. Both 19-year-olds are under arrest.====================Topeka Man Arrested in Steak HeistTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man is under arrest after allegedly swiping $150 worth of steaks from a grocery store, then trying to sell them at a nearby hookah bar. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the 43-year-old man was taken into custody Sunday evening outside another bar. He was being held Monday on suspicion of theft, obstruction and disorderly conduct. According to police, employees of Genie Hookah House called authorities saying a man carrying a milk crate full of steaks was trying to sell them to customers. When the customers declined, the man reportedly became upset and hinted he had a gun. Police later found him outside a bar and grill a block away. The steaks were determined to have been stolen from a grocery store.==================== Escaped Prisoner Pleads Guilty in Kansas CaseKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A prisoner who walked away from a halfway house in Leavenworth has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of escape from custody. Timothy Whittington admitted Monday that he left the Grossman Community Corrections Center in Leavenworth on July 19 and reported to work at a convenience store in Kansas City, Kansas. Video footage showed him removing $1,500 from the safe before leaving work. He never returned to the halfway house. Authorities arrested him on July 25. Sentencing was set for March 11. The plea deal included a recommendation for a 20-month sentence. Whittington had been initially sentenced in 2006 to 103 months for possession of a short-barreled shotgun. He had been transferred to the halfway house in April to serve the remainder of his sentence before escaping.====================Old SE Kansas Mining Pit Searched for Missing ManPITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — A 911 call to Pittsburg police has prompted a search of an old strip mining pit in southeast Kansas for a man whose whereabouts are unknown. The Joplin Globe reportsthat a hiker called authorities on Saturday morning saying an adult male had fallen into the pit at Wilderness Park. Police on Monday identified the missing man as 22-year-old Pittsburg resident Mateo Vincent Lorenzo. While the search goes on, investigators are also hoping to hear from anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts. Authorities were sending boats and divers into the pit, which is described as 15 to 20 feet deep. It's one of at least four old pits in the park, which has more than four miles of biking and hiking trails on formerly mined land.==================== Fire Destroys Restaurant in BurrtonBURRTON, Kan. (AP) — The state fire marshal is expected to be in a small central Kansas town Monday to determine the cause of a blaze that destroyed a family restaurant. The Paradise Grill in Burrton was reduced to rubble after a fire Sunday night. Police Chief David Becker says the restaurant had closed about 6 pm and no one was in the building when the fire was reported about 8:30 pm.==================== Westwood Teen Killed in ATV Accident in Miami CountyPAOLA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have identified the Johnson County high school senior killed in a weekend ATV accident in eastern Kansas. The Miami County Sheriff's Office said Monday that Tyler Rathbun, a 17-year-old senior at Shawnee Mission East High School, died early Sunday when the ATV he was on rolled in a field outside Paola. The ATV driver was flown to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and two other passengers were uninjured. The Kansas City Star reports that Rathbun was the top soccer player for the Lancers. He also was offensive player of the year for the Sunflower League and received all-league and all-state honors last season after scoring a team record 22 goals. Shawnee Mission East coach Jamie Kelly says Rathbun's number 14 jersey will be retired.==================== Kansas Wesleyan to Offer Emergency Management DegreeSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina will offer the state's first four-year degree in emergency management, beginning this spring. The first two classes will be offered in the spring semester, with additional classes starting in the fall of 2013. John Burchill, an associate professor at Wesleyan, says the program is already drawing a lot of interest. Burchill expects most of the students to be from the private sector, with about half already working in an emergency management field. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that people in emergency management have at least a bachelor's degree in the field. The Salina Journal reports that's been difficult in Kansas, where only two colleges offer associate degrees. Students in the program will focus on homeland security, victim services or nongovernment organizations.==================== KU Creates Center for Multimedia and TV ProductionLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Storytellers and media producers are being encouraged to use a new center on the fourth floor of the University of Kansas student union. The center is a joint venture between the university's school of journalism and the Union. It provides three video cameras, a "green screen" wall, a control room and other tools. Associate journalism professor Scott Reinardy says the center's activities will be determined by those who use it. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that officials envision as a community news center. Students, others on the campus and Lawrence residents will be able to use the center to tell stories they can't present just on phones or laptops. The center opened in September and an official grand opening is likely this semester.==================== Google Buys Wi-Fi Provider ICOA for $400 MillionNEW YORK (AP) — Google has bought an operator of Wi-Fi hotspots in high-traffic locations such as airports, hotels and fast-food restaurants. Google is paying $400 million for ICOA Incorporated, a Warwick, Rhode Island company, as part of the search company's efforts to diversify its portfolio. ICOA owns or operates Wi-Fi wireless access services in 40 states. It also sells technology for others to run similar Wi-Fi networks under their own brands. It's not Google's first venture into Internet access. The Mountain View, Calif., company is building an ultra-fast wired Internet service in Kansas City, primarily to showcase for what's technically possible and to test new ways to use the Internet. Shares of Google fell $6.07, or 0.9 percent, to $661.90 in morning trading Monday.==================== Kansas Town Hopes to Reopen School as CharterMOUNT HOPE, Kan. (AP) — An associate professor and graduate students at McPherson College want to transform a recently closed school into a public charter school. The Hutchinson News reports that the school being targeted is located in the central Kansas town of Mount Hope. Mark Malaby of McPherson College says that to be financially sustainable, the Mount Hope charter school has to attract students not currently enrolled in the Haven district. That would allow it to bring in additional state aid. The plan calls for a project-based "rural life" charter school. It would serve kindergartners through high-schoolers, possibly with an entrepreneurial focus for Grades 7-12. The hope is that such a school would appeal to families in northwest Wichita, less than 30 minutes away, or to families who are home-schooling children.==================== UMKC Pulls Plug on Derrick Thomas AcademyKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri-Kansas City is pulling the plug on a Kansas City charter school called the Derrick Thomas Academy. In Missouri, charter schools are required to have sponsors, generally universities. Sponsors are tasked with monitoring the progress of the charter schools. If sponsors aren't satisfied, they can decide not to renew a school's charter. And that's what UMKC did this past week. The Derrick Thomas Academy is named after a famed Kansas City Chiefs player who died in 2000. It serves about 950 pre-kindergarteners through ninth-grade students. But UMKC Charter School Center director Phyllis Chase says the 10-year-old school "continues to struggle with governance, organizational and academic performance challenges." It's been placed on academic probation three times in four years. UMKC plans to ensure students complete this school year without interruption.==================== KC Art Institute Sues over Unfulfilled $5M PledgeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Art Institute has taken a southern California couple to court over an unfulfilled $5 million pledge. Larry and Kristina Dodge say they're facing hard times and can no longer honor the commitment. The Kansas City Star reports that they still owe $4 million. Based on the pledge, a $7 million building was constructed on the Kansas City campus, and the Dodges' names are prominent on it. The art institute pursued them in the California Superior Court of Orange County, winning a judgment. But it is not clear when or if it will ever see the rest of the money. Kristina Dodge calls the organization "ruthless." She and her husband say they even struggle to pay for child care for their 2-year-old triplets.==================== Oklahoma Power Line Access Shortage Hampers Oil ProductionOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Producers trying to recover oil and natural gas from the Mississippi Lime formation and other fields in northwest Oklahoma and western Kansas are dealing with insufficient access to electricity. The Mississippi Lime is a dense rock formation. Oil companies can use electric generators to drill and complete wells there, but The Oklahoman newspaper reports the pumps needed to suck the oil to the surface require vast amounts of power. Western Farmers supplies the electricity needs of more than two-thirds of mostly rural Oklahoma. The utility is building 135 miles of new transmission lines in northern Oklahoma to help meet some of the sudden new power needs, but The Oklahoman says the new lines can't be built fast enough for the oil companies.==================== Cross on Central Kansas Sign Spurs ComplaintBUHLER, Kan. (AP) — The central Kansas town of Buhler is redesigning its seal after a group called the Freedom from Religion Foundation complained that it contained a religious cross. The Hutchinson News reports that the city also will replace a large sign in the city's park that also contained a religious cross. Mayor Daniel Friesen says city officials sought legal opinions from several different sources before making the decision to alter the seal. Residents were informed of the decision in an email Friday. The cross has been part of the city's seal since 1988. The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the city in September. The organization argued that the sign violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The group said including the cross indicated government endorsement of Christianity.==================== Missouri Boy Shot While Discussing Gun Safety with FatherST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — St. Joseph police are investigating after a father accidently shot his 11-year-old son in the cheek while discussing gun safety. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that the boy sustained serious injuries Friday night while cleaning guns and planning a hunting trip with his father. Detective Richard Shelton says "ironically enough" the father and son were discussing gun safety at the time of the shooting. Shelton says the projectile lodged below the boy's jaw. The boy was able to walk to the ambulance. He was taken to a St. Joseph Hospital and then flown to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Authorities will present evidence to the prosecuting attorney for consideration of charges this week. The name of the wounded boy wasn't immediately released.==================== KU Men and Women's Basketball Teams Move Up in National PollIndiana is still ranked number 1 in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll. The holiday weekend tournaments caused a lot of change, with Duke moving up to replace Louisville at number 2. The University of Kansas men were ranked tenth in the national poll. In the women's national rankings, Stanford and Connecticut retained the two top spots. KU's women's team moved up two spots this week, and is now ranked twentieth in the nation.==================== KU Men Lead Field for 2013 Battle 4 AtlantisPARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — The University of Kansas men's basketball team is headlining the field for the 2013 "Battle 4 Atlantis." Seven of the eight teams in next year's field were announced Saturday night after number 5-ranked Duke beat number 2-ranked Louisville 76-71 in the 2012 title game. Joining the Jayhawks are Villanova, Wake Forest, Tennessee, Southern California, UTEP and Xavier. The eighth team will be announced at a later date. The tournament started in 2011 when Harvard beat Central Florida in the championship game. The games are played in the Imperial Arena, a grand ballroom at a Bahamas resort which is turned into a basketball venue.==================== KU Basketball Women Defeat Creighton 58-48OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Monica Engelman and Carolyn Davis had 12 points apiece and the University of Kansas Jayhawks defeated Creighton University 58-48 on Sunday. Davis also had seven rebounds, Angel Goodrich had nine assists and CeCe Harper scored 10 points for the Jayhawks (5-0), playing in their first road game of the season. KU led 30-18 at halftime and by as many as 19 points in the second half. McKenzie Fujan, Carli Tritz and Sarah Nelson all scored 11 points for Creighton (2-2), which lost for the second time this season to a ranked team. The University of Oklahoma won 69-48 in the Bluejays' opener November 10. KU has won 10 in a row in the series between the teams.==================== Manning's 2 TDs Lead Broncos Past Chiefs, 17-9KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Peyton Manning threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and the Denver Broncos rallied to beat the woeful Kansas City Chiefs 17-9 on Sunday for their sixth straight win. Manning hit tight end Jacob Tamme late in the first half and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the third quarter, and that was more than enough to overcome three field goals by the Chiefs' Ryan Succop as Kansas City lost its eighth straight game. Knowshon Moreno added 85 yards rushing for the AFC West-leading Broncos (8-3). Moreno got the start in place of Willis McGahee, who went on injured reserve this week with a knee injury. Jamaal Charles ran for 107 yards for the Chiefs (1-10), who failed again to punch the ball into the end zone. They still haven't scored a touchdown since the first quarter against Pittsburgh on November 12, a span of more than 11 quarters and 173 minutes of game time.==================== Chiefs' McCluster Leaves Game with Head/Neck InjuryKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dexter McCluster left Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos to be evaluated for a head and neck injury. It was unclear when McCluster was hurt, but the injury was announced at the beginning of the second half. McCluster had been active over the first 30 minutes, running twice for 23 yards and catching a game-high four passes for 21 yards. Kansas City chose to go thin at wide receiver against the Broncos. Steve Breaston and Devon Wylie, the best two options to replace McCluster in the slot, were both inactive.==================== Topeka Girl Gets Double Lung TransplantTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 12-year-old Topeka girl has undergone a double-lung transplant in St. Louis. Madison Taliaferro, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 2, underwent the double-lung transplant November 5 at St. Louis Children's Hospital. She has been discharged from the hospital but has to stay in St. Louis, Missouri with her parents, Desiree and Mike Taliaferro, for three months while doctors monitor her progress. Doctors expect Madison to be on medications for the rest of her life to fight against the rejection of her new lungs. At the top of Madison's wish list now is spending the night with her best friend.==================== NE Kansas Woman Stitches a Bit of Political HistoryLEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton will always have a special place in the heart of Leavenworth resident Martha Jones, and on the one-of-a-kind quilt she spent the last two years creating. Jones tells The Leavenworth Times that Clinton was the first of the dozens of current and former politicians from whom she solicited signatures to send back an autographed quilt block. Now, the two-term Democratic president is stitched into one of the 24 patches bearing the political signatures. The one-of-a-kind work also reunites Clinton with his 1996 Republican challenger, former Kansas Republican Senator Bob Dole. Vice President Joe Biden is there, along with Kansas Senator Pat Roberts and Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, both Republicans; and Republican Governor Sam Brownback and the previous Kansas governor, Democrat Mark Parkinson.==================== Wichita State Researcher Focuses on How Cancer SpreadsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita State researcher is focusing on how cancer cells spread and kill. The work of assistant chemistry professor Moriah Beck involves the analysis of something called palladin. The critical protein is produced in large amounts in highly mobile cells. Beck says the goal is to detect and eliminate harmful cells before they have the chance to migrate throughout the body. Scientists from Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, the University of Virginia, Washington University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are collaborating with Beck's team. Beck came to Wichita State last year from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she began her research on palladin and collaborated with the person who discovered the protein. Beck was awarded two grants for her research in 2011.

Kansas Governor Calls 'Hard 50' Session for September 3TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has called a special session of the Kansas Legislature for September 3 to rewrite the state's "Hard 50" criminal sentencing law. Brownback made the announcement Friday, two days after Attorney General Derek Schmidt requested a special session. Schmidt's request had bipartisan support from prosecutors and legislators. The law allows judges to sentence some convicted murderers to life in prison, with no chance for parole for 50 years. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision raised questions about the law's constitutionality. The high court ruled last month in a Virginia case that juries must consider whether the facts in a case trigger mandatory minimum sentences. In Kansas, judges weigh the evidence. Schmidt says revising the Kansas law as quickly as possible will protect public safety.====================== 'Hard 50' Sentencing Applies to Pending KS CasesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Legislators and prosecutors seeking a quick rewrite of the Kansas "Hard 50" law believe they can save the tough penalty in pending murder cases with new sentencing hearings for convicted offenders. Defense attorneys are skeptical that the state can apply a new law retroactively. Governor Sam Brownback on Friday called a special session of the Legislature for September 3 to rewrite the law. It allows judges to sentence convicted murderers to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision raised questions about the law's constitutionality. Supporters of a special session argue lawmakers can change the law and apply it retroactively to existing cases. Defense attorneys say such attempts will be challenged.======================Kansas Legislative Leaders to Appoint Study PanelsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislative leaders are preparing to appoint committees to study several issues before lawmakers convene their annual session in January. The Legislative Coordinating Council has scheduled a meeting for Monday afternoon. The council is the Legislature's top seven leaders, including Senate President Susan Wagle and House Speaker Ray Merrick. The agenda includes a discussion of potential study topics, including various budget issues. Legislative leaders typically appoint joint House-Senate committees to review issues and make recommendations ahead of each annual session. But Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff King wants to have a daylong committee hearing on Governor Sam Brownback's next appointment to the Kansas Court of Appeals. Brownback must nominate a new judge by August 29. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation when lawmakers reconvene in January.====================== KS County Officials Voice Confusion Over Delinquent TaxesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some county officials are asking Kansas lawmakers to clarify whether back taxes on personal property follow the property, or should be assessed to its owner. The confusion arises when someone buys property, such as a boat or trailer, and then discovers the previous owner had not paid all the taxes. The state says the unpaid taxes follow the property. But some counties say the original owner should be responsible for paying the delinquent taxes. Kansas officials say state law requires that the tax bill stay with the property. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that many counties do not interpret the law that way. The discrepancy became more apparent when the Kansas Department of Revenue launched a program in May 2012 that allows county treasurers to more easily communicate with each other.====================== Body of Missing Osage County Man FoundLYNDON, Kan. (AP) — The body of a Lyndon man who had not been seen since July 15 has been found. The Osage County Sheriff says in a news release that the body of 67-year-old Raleigh Heskett was found Thursday inside his van. The vehicle was parked in Marion County, about 90 miles southwest of Lyndon. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of his death.====================== Texas Homicide Suspect Caught After Police ChaseBELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas authorities say a suspect in at Texas homicide is hospitalized in Wichita with critical injuries and burns after a police pursuit in south-central Kansas. Kansas Turnpike Authority Lieutenant John Lehnherr says a trooper saw a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Anthony Ford heading south on the turnpike Thursday near Belle Plaine. Ford is a suspect in the stabbing death of a 23-year-old woman in Mansfield, Texas, on Sunday. When troopers tried to stop Ford's vehicle near Wellington, the driver fled. The chase reached speeds of 110 to 120 mph before Ford's vehicle left the road, flipped onto its top and caught fire. Ford is under guard at a Wichita hospital while being treated for his injuries. No one else was hurt.======================Lightning Blamed for Fire at Kansas Middle SchoolGALVA, Kan. (AP) — The crew of a passing freight train is getting the credit for spotting an overnight fire that damaged a middle school in central Kansas. Authorities believe lightning started the fire at Canton-Galva Middle School. Damage was confined to the gymnasium, where flames left a large hole in the roof while charring the walls and floor. Canton-Galva superintendent Bill Seidl tells The McPherson Sentinel that classes are expected to start as scheduled August 22. The building houses fourth- through eighth-graders. The conductor of a Union Pacific train called 911 after seeing the fire around 2:30 am Friday. Seidl says the quick report and the response by firefighters prevented damage that could have included a cave-in.======================EPA Contractor Agrees to Pay $65,450 in SettlementOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A company the Environmental Protection Agency hired to remove lead paint from homes in Omaha, Nebraska has agreed to pay $65,450 for failing to take proper precautions. The EPA says Prudent Technologies of Kansas City, Missouri violated several rules for dealing with lead paint at two properties in Omaha. For instance, the agency says Prudent failed to cover the ground with plastic sheeting and post signs warning about lead paint around the job site. Most of eastern Omaha has been considered a Superfund site by the EPA because of the extent of lead contamination, which can endanger children's health, causing decreased intelligence, slow growth and behavior problems.====================== KU Journalism School Nets Major BequestLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas journalism school has received a $1.36 million bequest from the estate of a Kansas couple. The university's Endowment Association announced Thursday that the bequest from John and Mary Kaiser will be added to a scholarship fund for journalism students that the couple started in 2005. The Lawrence Journal World reports that Mary Kaiser died in January at age 84. Her husband died in 2007 at 79. John Kaiser was a 1951 Kansas journalism graduate. The journalism school has awarded Kaiser Scholarships to nine students since 2005. The new bequest will allow the fund to more than double that number. Each scholarship lasts four years, and some have paid for a student's entire college education, which was the Kaisers' wish.======================Kansas State Gets Grant to Combat Hunger in AfricaMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University has received a $13.7 million grant to help increase food supplies in Africa. The five-year grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development will be used to establish the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet. Both crops are important in dry regions of Africa. Associate agriculture economics professor Timothy Dalton will serve as the lab's director and develop a research network. The effort will involve universities, research centers, industries and non-governmental organizations. The network will work to improve the productivity, disease resistance, and value of sorghum and millet crops in Ethiopia, Senegal and Niger. Researchers also will help train scientists in those countries. Dalton says the goal is to reduce poverty and hunger.======================Body Found in Search for Missing Missouri RunnerLIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — Police in northwest Missouri are investigating whether a body found in a portable toilet near a school is that of a missing Liberty man. Thirty-year-old Chad Rogers is an experienced marathon runner who disappeared after leaving home for a run Monday night. Hundreds of friends and volunteers have searched for him since then. Liberty police say a body was found Friday morning in a construction crew's portable toilet outside a junior high school in the city. They're working with the Jackson County (Missouri) medical examiner for a positive identification and the cause of death. Rogers is a former youth minister at a Jefferson City church. Family members say he's been a stay-at-home dad since moving into his parents' home with his wife and 1-year-old son after returning recently to Liberty.======================Salina Police Find 11 Dogs in Abandoned HomeSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Some of the 11 dogs that were left abandoned in a Salina home are ready for adoption at the Salina Animal Shelter. The shelter has been caring for the four puppies and seven adult dogs since they were found in north Salina on Monday. Animal shelter coordinator Rose Base said renters left the dogs in the house, in the garage and in cages outside when they moved out at least a week ago. No food or fresh water was left with the animals. The Salina Journal reports that the dogs were found when the home owner and utility worker went to the house to shut off electrical service. The adult dogs will be ready for adoption starting Friday. The puppies will be available August 6.======================Wichita 'Dream 9' Vigil Group Begins Hunger StrikeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Supporters of nine immigrant activists detained in Arizona after demanding re-entry from Mexico on humanitarian grounds say the group is now on a hunger strike seeking release. Among those pleading Friday for the group's release were the sisters of 37-year-old Claudia Amaro, a member of the group dubbed the "Dream 9" following their detentions Monday. The former Wichita woman was brought illegally into the U.S. as a child after her father was murdered in Mexico. She lived in Kansas for more than 17 years but returned to Mexico after her husband's deportation. Mohammad Abbollahi, an organizer with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, says the detained activists began the hunger strike Thursday. The supporters spoke during a Friday news conference and prayer vigil in Wichita organized by Sunflower Community Action.======================Kansas City Wants Pension Investments to Avoid Gun StocksKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City (Missouri) Council wants managers of the city pension funds to avoid investing in gun manufacturers. The council's vote on Thursday followed appeals by Mayor Sly James to pass the symbolic act as a response to gun violence in the city. Councilman John Sharp was the only member to vote against the proposal. He said none of the city's four pension funds currently hold stock in companies that make guns. And he says he considered the measure a criticism of lawful gun owners like himself. James said the measure was not aimed at lawful gun owners. The Kansas City Star reports that the resolution asks the boards of the city employees, firefighters, police and police civilian pension systems to consider adopting policies against investing in companies that make guns.====================== Emporia State University Sets Fundraising RecordEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — Emporia State University is celebrating a record year in fundraising, with more than $9.4 million in gifts and pledges during the fiscal year that ended June 1. University officials rang a bell near the football stadium Thursday to mark the achievement. The university is in the midst of a five- to seven-year capital campaign seeking to raise $45 million for scholarships, academic programs and other initiatives. The Emporia State Foundation says more than $13 million has been raised toward that goal. Emporia State is marking its 150th anniversary this year.======================Judge to Rule Soon in KC Charter School CaseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A judge has announced plans to rule by Monday on a Kansas City charter school's bid to stay open. Lawyers for Gordon Parks Elementary made their case Thursday and Friday in Cole County Circuit Court for a permanent injunction. A temporary injunction had allowed it to stay open through the end of classes in late June. Missouri education officials voted in May to pull the school's charter because of poor academic performance. The loss of the charter means a loss of state funding. School officials say their children are making progress even though many live in poverty. Gordon Parks Board President Doug Curry says the state "stacked the deck against Gordon Parks from the start." Gordon Parks had about 240 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.======================Group of Chiefs Fans Hopes to Break Noise RecordKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A group of Kansas City Chiefs fans is organizing an effort to break the world record for the loudest roar at a sports stadium sometime in the upcoming NFL season. The group calls itself "Terrorhead Returns" and says Guinness Book of World Records officials have given final approval for the record attempt, though no date has been set. Organizers say the effort is an attempt to unify the local fan base and revive Arrowhead Stadium's reputation as one of the loudest venues in the NFL. The effort follows a dismal season in which the Chiefs finished 2-14, dealt with the suicide of linebacker Jovan Belcher outside the stadium and saw the firings of head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli.

The Commerce Department says the U.S. gross domestic product grew at just 0.6 percent in the final quarter of 2007. That is the weakest growth rate in five years for the GDP.

Officials say a 6-year-old boy and a man in his 20s were killed when a Palestinian driver rammed a car into a group of people at a bus stop in a largely ultra-Orthodox Jewish settlement neighborhood.

The former U.S. congresswoman (R-Wyo.) and House leader told graduates of her alma mater that America cannot remain a free nation if the truth is abandoned.