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The attack in the city of Dadeville came as people were gathering to celebrate a 16th birthday. Authorities have offered little information about a suspect, about the victims and about what happened.

Tips from a top chef to beat holiday cooking stress

A months-long recall effort to oust lawmakers considered pro-Chinese has failed in the self-governing island's legislature.

Brownback: State's Bid Process Was OpenWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback says he will cooperate with the FBI if he is contacted about a reported investigation into allegations about the awarding of contracts to privatize the state's Medicaid program. Brownback told The Associated Press Tuesday that he believes the allegations are mostly a smear campaign. The Republican governor says he has directed state employees to cooperate fully if they are contacted by the FBI. Brownback says he hopes the FBI does contact people because Kansas went through an open bidding process in awarding the contracts. Several news outlets including the AP have reported the existence of an FBI probe into the activities of Brownback confidante David Kensinger and his Topeka firm, Parallel Strategies, which he and two former Brownback staffers formed last year.===============4-Hour Standoff in Salina Ends with 2 in CustodySALINA, Kan. (AP) — Two people are in custody after a four-hour standoff in Salina. Salina police chief Brad Nelson says the standoff began about noon Monday when police received a report that two people wanted on outstanding felony warrants were inside the home. When officers arrived, the two refused to come outside. After unsuccessful negotiations, police fired tear gas into the home about 4 pm, and a 25-year-old woman wanted on drug charges came out. A 29-year-old man was taken into custody at the back of the home. He is wanted on Saline County drug charges, interference with and felony battery of a law enforcement officer. He is also wanted in Sedgwick County for two counts of aggravated assault with a deputy weapon and theft. No injuries were reported.=============== KS Supreme Court Delays Genetic Testing in Sperm Donor CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is delaying a decision on whether a Topeka man who provided sperm to a lesbian couple must undergo genetic testing. The justices issued an order Friday saying the testing should be delayed while they study the issue. William Marotta asked the court in March to direct a district court judge to block the state's request that he undergo paternity testing. The state is seeking to require Marotta to pay child support for a child who was born to the couple after he donated his sperm. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Marotta's attorney, Benoit Swinnen, said Monday the two-paragraph order requires all parties to wait while justices consider the request. Shawnee County District Court Judge Mary Mattivi has twice ordered the genetic testing to proceed.=============== Kansas Appellate Courts to Get New Clerk in JuneTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An official from Indiana's judicial system will be taking over next month as the new clerk for both the Kansas Supreme Court and the Kansas Court of Appeals. The state's high court says Heather Smith will start work in Topeka on June 9. She will replace Carol Green, who has been clerk since 1991 and is retiring June 6. Smith is deputy clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court. In that job, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the clerk's office. She also played a key role in planning several technology projects. In Kansas, she'll be responsible for planning and overseeing the day-to-day administrative work of the state's two appellate courts.===============GOP Senate Leader Endorses Change in V-A LeadershipWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate's top Republican says a leadership change may help resolve what he calls "dysfunction" at the Department of Veterans Affairs, following allegations of corruption and avoidable deaths at the veterans' hospital in Phoenix. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says the tenure of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is "embarrassing" and that the agency is in "a stunning period of dysfunction." McConnell isn't calling for Shinseki to step down, but says a change in leadership "might be a good thing." The White House says President Barack Obama remains confident in Shinseki. Two Republican senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Jerry Moran of Kansas — have called for Shinseki to resign amid claims that up to 40 patients in Phoenix may have died because of delays in care.===============Short Police Chase Ends on KU CampusLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence police say a brief car chase ended with the arrest of a wanted man on the University of Kansas campus. Sergeant Trent McKinley says the chase began Monday afternoon when officers tried to stop a stolen car. 6News Lawrence reports that the pursuit lasted only three blocks before the car went through a parking lot and tried to drive down a flight of stairs on the campus. The car was impaled on the stairs and the driver fled toward Memorial Stadium. Officers arrested a 33-year-old Lawrence resident a few minutes later. He was taken to a Lawrence hospital for an undisclosed medical issue. McKinley says the suspect has been jailed for several crimes since 2003 and he was facing other charges when he was arrested.=============== Earnhardt Jr. to Visit with Topeka StudentsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. plans to visit a Topeka high school this week ahead of Saturday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway. Earnhardt, who drives the number 88 car sponsored by the National Guard, will talk to students and sign autographs at Seaman High School on Thursday. Members of the Kansas National Guard are also expected to be on hand for the afternoon event. Earnhardt won at Daytona to start the 2014 season and is 19 points back of teammate Jeff Gordon in the point standings heading into the weekend at race in Kansas City, Kansas. The race is the first night NASCAR Sprint Cup event to be held at the track since it opened in 2001.===============FBI Finds Synagogue Directions in Suspect's HomeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Evidence recovered from the home of a southwest Missouri man accused of killing three people outside two Kansas Jewish facilities last month indicates he researched directions to synagogues and kosher places to eat. Avowed white supremacist Frazier Glenn Cross is charged with shootings in April outside the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas, and at Village Shalom senior care facility nearby. Killed were 69-year-old William Corporon, his 14-year-old grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood, and 53-year-old Terri LaManno. Returns from an FBI search warrant served on the 73-year-old's rural Aurora, Missouri, home on the day of the shootings list items that were seized, including a copy of "Mein Kampf," three boxes of ammunition and a T-shirt with a swastika symbol. Cross's attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.===============Car with Body Inside Owned by Missing Wichita ManMAIZE, Kan. (AP) — Police say a car found with a decomposing body inside belonged to a Wichita man missing since February. The car was found Monday morning at a Maize apartment complex when police were called to investigate a bad smell. McPherson police said Monday the car belonged to 54-year-old Adam Sabri, who co-owns a sports bar in McPherson. The body has not been positively identified because it was badly decomposed. Neighbors told Wichita media outlets the car had been in the same place for months but the back windows were so darkly tinted that it was impossible to see inside. The body was found in the backseat. Residents said they began to notice a strong smell in recent days as temperatures reached 100 degrees.===============Defense Raises Cyber 'Snooping' Claim in Porn CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The president and CEO of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children wants a federal court to quash a subpoena for his testimony in a Kansas child pornography case. John Ryan made the request Tuesday in the federal prosecution of 56-year-old Walter Ackerman of Lebanon, Kansas. Ackerman is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren has scheduled a hearing May 19-20 on a defense motion to suppress pornographic emails Ackerman is accused of sending. Prosecutors say Internet service provider AOL uses a filtering process to detect child pornography and sends files to the National Center, which then notifies law enforcement. Ackerman's lawyers argue the practice amounts to cyber "snooping" resulting in illegal searches.===============Natural Gas Storage Firm to Upgrade Kansas SiteCONWAY, Kan. (AP) — Environmental regulators say officials at natural gas liquids storage facility in central Kansas have agreed to spend $2 million to reduce air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday the settlement with Mid-Continent Fractionation and Storage in Conway resulted from a 2012 inspection. The company has agreed to install and operate a new vapor collection system that reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. EPA says the upgrade will bring the company into compliance with the Clean Air Act and cut emissions by more than 15 tons a year. The agency says volatile organic compounds may cause wheezing and breathing difficulties during outdoor activities, aggravate asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses.=============== Foundation Donates $50,000 to Help Baxter SpringsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two organizations are getting $25,000 each from the Kansas Health Foundation to help residents in the Baxter Springs area recover from an EF-2 tornado that damaged 100 homes and 12 businesses. The Joplin Globe reports the American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter and the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas are getting the funds to help the community bounce back from the April 27 tornado. The money will be used to provide food, shelter, clothing and emotional support for those affected by the storm. Monday's announcement followed a weekend announcement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the tornado didn't do enough damage to meet the requirement for disaster funding.===============Exodus Continues from Tornado-Stricken KS Town Despite Innovative ReconstructionGREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) — After a mammoth tornado wiped out most of Greensburg, Kansas, in 2007, supporters of clean energy seized on an unusual opportunity to rebuild a town from the ground up with the latest green technology. They came up with a sustainable-power dreamscape: wind turbines to power hundreds of homes, futuristic buildings with environmentally friendly features and a gleaming new school that runs on less than half the water of its flattened predecessor. But the reimagining of Greensburg has failed to provide what it needs most: people. The storm sent half the town packing, accelerating an exodus from rural Kansas that had been underway for decades. Those who stayed now acknowledge that the reborn town is serving a population of only about 800 and is still looking for answers.===============Armenians Viewing Kansas Hazard Training EventsEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A delegation from the Republic of Armenia is visiting Kansas to observe a state training exercise and receive instruction on responding to bio hazards. The events are part of an ongoing exchange between Armenia and the Kansas National Guard through a program administered by the National Guard Bureau. On Tuesday, the delegation was in Emporia to watch a bio hazards training exercise involving local first responders and the Kansas National Guard's 73rd Civil Support Team. The Armenians travel next Wednesday to the state's Crisis City training center in Salina for classroom instruction on responding to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards.The visit has been coordinated by the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University.===============Woman Dies in Drive-Thru Lane of KS BankCHANUTE, Kan. (AP) — A southeast Kansas woman died after she was hit by a car in a bank's drive-thru lane. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 83-year-old Gloria Pefley died Monday at the Bank of Commerce in Chanute. The patrol says Pefley got out of a car she was riding in and walked in front of the vehicle. The vehicle hit Pefley and then struck a pickup truck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car and two people in the truck weren't hurt. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the accident.===============Basketball Used in 1936 Olympics Offered for SaleOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas sports promoter is looking for someone interested in buying the ball that was used in the first Olympic gold medal basketball game. The undersized, deflated ball that's stitched together like a volleyball has been in Canada since a player's wife slipped it under a blanket after the 1936 championship game in Berlin. The U.S. team took the gold with a 19-8 win over Canada in a game played outside in a downpour, but Canadian player Jimmy Stewart wound up with the ball used in that game. The Kansas City Star reports Overland Park promoter Keith Zimmerman is trying to sell the ball on behalf of Stewart's son, Jimmy Jr. The 75-year-old Windsor, Ontario, resident says none of his family members were interested in it.===============Workers Find Baby in Closet of Wichita ApartmentWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 1-year-old Wichita boy has been placed with his grandmother after maintenance workers found him in a closet while his parents were out of their apartment. KWCH-TV reports that the workers were fixing the apartment's air conditioner around 11 am Tuesday when they noises from behind the closet door. Police Lieutenant Alan Prince says the baby was thirsty and had a wet diaper. Prince said the mother returned after a 30-minute trip to take the baby's father to work. She told officers she had putting the sleeping boy on a mattress inside the closet during such trips for about two months. The mother has not been arrested. Prince said authorities will work to get her the information and help she needs.===============Oklahoma Wildfire About 90 Percent ContainedGUTHRIE, Okla. (AP) — Forecasters are warning of critical fire conditions as crews battle a wildfire that has scorched more than 4.5 square miles in central Oklahoma. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for western and central Oklahoma until 10 pm Tuesday. Forecasters say temperatures could surpass 100 degrees with low humidity and gusts up to 45 mph. Guthrie Fire Chief Eric Harlow says firefighters have contained about 90 percent of the blaze after winds died down overnight in the city about 35 miles north of Oklahoma City. Harlow says the wildfire has destroyed at least 10 homes and left one person dead. Forecasters say parts of Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Utah are also at a high risk of wildfires Tuesday.=============== Missouri Man Sentenced to 14 Years for 1992 RapesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the rapes of two young women in 1992. Forty-nine-year-old Keith Harris was sentenced Monday for raping the 18- and 19-year-old women. Harris was arrested in December 2012 in Platte County, after his DNA profile matched evidence from the 1992 case. The Kansas City Star reports that the two victims told police they met Harris at a bar in Kansas City, Kansas and agreed to ride with him in his semi-trailer truck. They said he stopped in Kansas City and raped them while threatening them with a knife. Harris was sentenced to seven years each on two counts of rape. The sentence will run consecutively.===============Plane Lands Safely in Salt Lake After Reports of Smoke OdorSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Airport officials say a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver has landed safely in Salt Lake City after a pilot reported the smell of smoke in the cockpit 20 minutes before landing. Salt Lake City International Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann says there are no indications of any fire on Southwest Flight 1291 on Tuesday morning and the smell of smoke dissipated by the time the plane landed. Gann says the plane taxied to the gate and passengers disembarked from the plane as normal. She says crews are checking the aircraft as a precaution. No delays have been reported at the airport. Flight records show the plane flew from Kansas City, Missouri around 7 am and made a stop in Denver an hour later, before flying to and landing in Salt Lake City around 10 am.===============Kansas City Woman Wins $2.5 Million Missouri LottoJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City woman who won a $2.5 million Missouri Lotto prize says she plans to retire early. The Missouri Lottery announced Tuesday that 64-year-old Patricia Roscher won the April 12 drawing after buying a ticket at a QuikTrip in Pleasant Valley. Roscher is a financial analyst with a credit card company. She chose to take the $1.25 million lump-sum. She says she and her partner of 18 years also plan to buy a new home. Lottery officials say Roscher is the 225th player to win a Lotto jackpot and the 401st person to win at least $1 million in a Missouri Lottery game. The QuikTrip will get $5,000 for selling a winning ticket.===============Chiefs Could Be in Market to Trade Draft PicksKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey would love to hear his phone ringing on draft night. One year after picking first overall, Kansas City will be waiting until number 23 to make its first selection this year. It's also the only selection the franchise has in the first 86 picks, which is why Dorsey made it clear he's entertaining offers to move down and acquire more. If that doesn't happen, expect Kansas City to address one of its most glaring holes, wide receiver. The Chiefs have struggled to find a playmaker to stretch the field, and with that position arguably the deepest in the draft, it's a good bet that's where they'll go. Oregon State's Brandin Cooks and LSU's Odell Beckham Jr. are two possibilities.

Using artificial intelligence to identify congressional districts where independent candidates could win, an organization called the Independent Center is aiming to disrupt the two-party system.

The vote split the Kansas delegation.

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

The ban gives Gov. DeSantis a key political victory among Republican primary voters as he prepares to launch a presidential candidacy built on his national brand as a conservative standard bearer.

Analysis: Kansas Debate over Taxes Remains VolatileTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators reconvene this week facing a decision about Governor Sam Brownback's plan to stabilize the budget by canceling a scheduled sales tax decrease. The political climate appears to be as volatile as the state's recent weather. The Senate has embraced the Republican governor's plan to keep the sales tax at its current rate of 6.3 percent, as well as his proposal for cuts in personal income tax rates to follow up on reductions enacted last year. The House wants to let the sales tax drop to 5.7 percent in July as planned, with less aggressive income tax cuts. Some Republican legislators believe a compromise is possible. But several key legislators also said GOP lawmakers could remain at odds and the Legislature could adjourn without passing a tax bill.============ Advocates for the Disabled Back Kansas Governor's Plan for In-Home ServicesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Advocates for the developmentally disabled are supporting Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's plan to divert projected savings from the state's Medicaid program to in-home services for the disabled. But they said Monday that they'll also push the state to develop a long-term plan for eliminating the state's waiting list for in-home services. Kansas overhauled its Medicaid program, which covers health care for the needy. The state turned most of the program over to private insurance companies and is projecting greater than anticipated savings. Advocates for the disabled said during a news conference that they see Brownback's plan to use $8 million in savings for the state on in-home services as welcome progress. Legislators reconvene Wednesday to finish work on the state budget for the fiscal year beginning in July.============ Kansas Delegation to Host Legislative ForumDERBY, Kan. (AP) — South-central Kansas lawmakers plan to hear questions and comments from the public on the state legislative session. The final forum has been scheduled for Monday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Derby City Hall. Democratic Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau of Wichita is the chair of the south-central delegation and will moderate the forum. The Kansas Legislature has been in recess since April 5. Legislators will return to Topeka on Wednesday for the closing days of the session.============ Kansas Governor Continuing Higher Education TourTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback is continuing his statewide tour aimed at building support for protecting cuts to the Kansas higher education system. The Republican governor will make stops Monday in Manhattan at Kansas State University, meeting with students and faculty. He will be at Fort Hays State University on Tuesday, along with a stop to the University of Kansas School of Medicine's Salina campus. Brownback wants legislators to keep funding for the state's universities, community colleges and technical schools stable in the 2014 budget. Legislators are going the opposite direction with the House seeking a 4 percent cut and the Senate a 2-percent cut to higher education. The governor also wants to keep the state's sales tax rate at 6.3 percent instead of reducing to 5.7 percent as scheduled in July.============ Documents: Evidence Flimsy in Suburban KS Drug RaidLEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) — A Leawood couple is relieved to know why Johnson County sheriff's deputies raided their home last year, but they are upset that the raid was based on what they call flimsy evidence. Deputies stormed Robert and Adlynn Harte's home last April looking for evidence the couple was growing marijuana. The couple wasn't charged and the sheriff's department refused to say why their home was targeted. The Hartes sued for information last year, and the records were released last week. The raid was based on Robert Harte buying hydroponic equipment. Investigators also found a cup of a leafy green substance in the couple's trash. Tests showed it was not marijuana. The Kansas City Star reports that a lawyer for the sheriff's department declined to comment because of potential litigation.============ Investigation: Mullinville Broke Open Meetings Law RulesMULLINVILLE, Kan. (AP) — The Kiowa County Attorney says Mullinville's city officials need to take classes on the state's open meetings law. County Attorney Scott James says the council violated the law by firing a newly elected city council member from his job in the city's public works department during a closed session. He has asked Mullinville's mayor, city clerk, four council members and the city attorney to take the classes. James says last month's firing of Rob Roberts was a technical violation of the law. He says tempers flared during the closed session and city officials forgot to follow the open meetings law. The Hutchinson News reports that the officials must receive training by December 31.============ After Record Lows in 2012, Tuttle Creek Lake RecoveringMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says recent precipitation brought Tuttle Creek Lake back to its normal elevation. Brian McNulty, the corps' operation manager, says the lake was at its normal elevation of 1075 feet by the end of the day Friday. The Manhattan Mercury reports that's more than 10 feet above the lake's level last fall. Last summer, water levels dropped because of lack of moisture. By July, the lake got so low that many marinas became unusable and boating hazards such as trees and stumps were exposed. McNulty says now lake users just need the temperatures to warm up. The water is still too cool for good crappie fishing and it's been too cool for many people to camp at the lake.============ Kansas Seeks Applicants for Child Support PanelTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is looking for divorced parents who've paid or received child support to serve on an advisory committee. The group would recommend changes in the guidelines that judges use to determine how much one parent must pay a former spouse. The state's highest court is publicly asking people to submit applications for appointments to the Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee. The court is looking to fill four community member positions. The advisory committee works to make sure that the rules on child support in Kansas are based on sound economic data and take into account the varied circumstances facing families. The four members will help analyze of national trends in spending on children and recommend changes for review by the Supreme Court.============ KS Shows Big Gains in Casino Revenue ReportATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Commercial casinos in the U.S. have made it almost all the way back from the hard times of the Great Recession. The American Gaming Association says revenue at non-Indian casinos hit $37.3 billion last year, just under the all-time high reached in 2007. The biggest gains came in Kansas, Maryland, Maine and New York, each of which opened new casinos in 2012. New Jersey saw the biggest decline, down 8 percent from 2011. Employment at the casinos was down less than 1 percent, to 332,000 jobs. There were 513 commercial casinos last year, 21 more than a year earlier. The report does not include Indian casinos, which won $26 billion from gamblers in 2011, the most recent year for which figures are available.============Tiger, Mountain Lions Seized from Kansas PropertyATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas man is in custody after a menagerie of wild cats was seized from private property in northeast Kansas. Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie says one tiger, two cougars, three bobcats, two lynx, one serval and two skunks were taken Sunday from land belonging to a relative of the suspect. Laurie says the animals were living in inadequate enclosures and were infrequently fed. Staff with the Humane Society of the United States and the Kansas City Zoo helped sedate and move the animals. They've been taken to animal sanctuaries in Texas, Florida and Kansas. Laurie says the owner became combative during the seizure and was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was arrested on suspicion of multiple charges, including interference with law enforcement and disorderly conduct.============Kansas Jehovah's Witness Saved by Blood SubstituteKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City man is recovering at home after his life was saved by a transfusion of a blood substitute. Mark Watkins, who is a Jehovah's Witness, collapsed on April 15 while at church. Doctors determined he was bleeding to death internally. Because his religion prohibits blood transfusions, University of Kansas Hospital trauma surgeon Charlie Richart contacted a Massachusetts firm that creates a product called Hemopure. The Kansas City Star reports that Hemopure is a blood substitute that includes purified cow hemoglobin. Richart had to get a special compassionate care dispensation from federal officials to use Hemopure because it is not approved for use in the U.S. Watkins received six units on April 17-18 and went into surgery April 19. He went home from the hospital Friday.============ Man Dies AfterJumping into Pond Following ChasePARK CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man who drowned after jumping into a pond while trying to evade police has been identified as a 30-year-old from Arkansas City. Officials say Jeremy Horton jumped into the retention pond Saturday night near Park City and drowned after refusing orders to come out. Divers pulled Horton from the water after about 45 minutes but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead. Wichita police Lieutenant Doug Nolte says police were called after Horton began acting strangely at a Rusty Eck Ford and refused to leave. He ran from officers and his vehicle eventually became disabled after he drove into a field. Horton then jumped into the pond.============Kansas Man Admits Possessing Child Porn ImagesKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A northeastern Kansas man will be sentenced in August after admitting he possessed more than 12,000 images of child pornography. The U.S. Attorney's office says 45-year-old James Christmas of Olathe pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of possessing child porn. Prosecutors said the investigation began when Christmas's estranged wife alerted Olathe police in September 2010 that she found child porn on his computer. Besides the 12,000 images, investigators also reported finding 26 videos of child porn. Christmas faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at his sentencing August 12.============2nd Kansas Teenager Charged in Fatal ATV AccidentKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 18-year-old Prairie Village woman is the second person charged in connection with an ATV crash that killed a 17-year-old student late last year. The Kansas City Star reports Taylor Marie Sheets turned herself in Saturday. She is charged as a juvenile in Miami County District Court with involuntary manslaughter-DUI in the death of Tyler Rathbun, a 17-year-old senior at Shawnee Mission East High School who died in the crash outside of Paola. Sheets was released from custody Saturday after posting $15,000 bond. It wasn't clear Saturday if she had obtained an attorney. Another 18-year-old, William Mahaffy Sutherland of Overland Park, is charged with aggravated child endangerment and unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcohol. His attorney didn't return a call seeking comment.============ Kansas Woman Killed After Falling Out of Party BusKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 26-year-old Kansas City, Kansas woman has died after falling out of a so-called "party bus" on Interstate 35 and being struck by three other vehicles. The Kansas City Star reports the victim has been identified as Jamie N. Frecks. The Kansas Highway Patrol says she fell out of the emergency door of the party bus around 9:50 p.m. Saturday as it was northbound near the Southwest Boulevard exit in Kansas City, Kan. Frecks was one of 16 passengers on the bus. The Highway Patrol says two of the vehicles that struck her after she fell out did not stop. Nobody else on the bus was injured. The crash report doesn't identify the company that operates the bus, which was driven by a 49-year-old Basehor, Kansas woman.============Country Stampede Extends Kansas Lease Through 2017MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The Country Stampede annual music and camping festival will remain at a northeast Kansas state park through 2017. KJCK-AM reports that festival officials announced Monday an extension of their lease with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Country Stampede takes place the last full weekend in June at Tuttle Creek State Park, about four miles north of Manhattan. Some of country music's biggest stars have performed since the first festival was held in 1996. This year's Country Stampede takes place June 27-30. Headliners will include Trace Adkins, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean and the Pistol Annies, featuring Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.============Cool Temperatures Slow Corn Planting, Wheat DevelopmentWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Cool temperatures and wet fields are stalling corn planting in Kansas and slowing development of the state's winter wheat crop. Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that just 17 percent of the planned corn is now in the ground. That is two weeks behind average. The weather is also slowing wheat development. The reports says just 3 percent of the crop has headed, about three weeks behind normal. Forty percent of the wheat crop is rated in poor to very poor condition. Of the rest, 33 percent is rated fair, 24 percent is in good condition and 3 percent is rated excellent. Producers are still feeding supplements to cattle herds because pasture growth has also been slowed by the cool weather.============KU Mum on McLemore Coach Payment AllegationsLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas athletic officials are reviewing allegations that the former AAU basketball coach of Ben McLemore received cash payments aimed at steering the player to a sports agent. AAU coach Darius Cobb told USA Today that he received $10,000 in two payments from Rodney Blackstock. Blackstock is the founder and CEO of Hooplife Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina. The university issued a statement saying the information was being reviewed and declined to comment further on Monday. Cobb says that he tried to act in the best interest of McLemore and his family by using Blackstock as a middleman with agents and financial advisers. McLemore, a red-shirt freshman, has declared for the June NBA draft.============Missouri Soldier Sentenced to 50 Years for MurderFORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 22-year-old soldier from western Missouri has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing a man while he was home for his wife's funeral. Army Specialist Justin Cannon, of Peculiar, Missouri was sentenced to 50 years in prison with eligibility for parole for killing 24-year-old Michael Griggs of Raymore. The Kansas City Star reports Griggs's body was found in Truman Lake on August 1, 2011. Police said Cannon thought Griggs had been having sex with the soldier's wife. Cannon was on his way to jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia on July 27, 2011, when he learned his wife, Amber Cannon, 16, had died at a Grandview motel of a drug overdose. The eight-member military panel on Thursday found Cannon guilty of murder without premeditation.============ Riley County PD Increasingly Utilizing TwitterMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The Riley County Police Department has become very active on Twitter, using the social media device for investigations and public relations. Officer Matt Droge of the Riley County Police Department told WIBW that his department has been able to close about a half dozen investigations thanks to tips it received after posting suspects' info on social media. He also said Twitter and other social media can help law enforcement build a positive public perception. Droge says the department has had a Twitter account since 2009, but just actively started using it in the past year. The department also is looking to be more involved on Facebook and Pinterest.============ Study: Thousands of Kansas Youths Involved in Automobile CrashesMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — While seat belt usage drops off dramatically after toddlerhood, new research shows older children are involved in thousands of traffic crashes each year in Kansas. Kansas State University civil engineers worked with the Kansas Department of Transportation and a research program to analyze crash data. They found that children from 4 to 13 years of age were involved in 50,155 crashes in the state from 2004 to 2008. The crashes happen at an age when seat belt usage is less prevalent. According to 2010 observational surveys in Kansas, nearly 97 percent of children under the age of 4 use safety restraints. But only 76 percent of older children — ages 4 to 13 years old — use seat belts. The driver's sobriety is among the factors affecting seat belt usage.============ Drought Might Force Wichita to Idle FountainsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A drought-induced water shortage could force Wichita officials to idle the city's $3.5 million WaterWalk Waltzing Waters fountain system and other fountains throughout the city this summer. City Manager Robert Layton says water use across all city operations is under review. The Wichita Eagle reports city officials are preparing a water conservation plan for residential and commercial users to confront the shortage and prevent even greater deficits. The fountains incorporate 150-foot-high streams of water synchronized to lights and music. They are part of a larger $41 million development agreement between the city and WaterWalk, owned by a local developer. City officials say Cheney Reservoir could dry up by mid-2015 if the drought continues, and the city would no longer have enough water to meet demand if that happens.============ KC Housing Authority No Longer Under Federal ControlKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After 20 years of federal oversight, the Kansas City Housing Authority is now under local control. U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple issued an order last week saying he will continue to monitor the authority for one year but it will no longer be under federal control. Whipple took over control of the authority in 1993, after a lawsuit complained about its financial mismanagement and political meddling. Julie Levin, an attorney for the group that filed the original lawsuit, says Whipple's order recognizes that the housing authority is now well run. The Kansas City Star reports that since Whipple's action in 1993, the agency has renovated or replaced nearly every public housing unit in Kansas City. It also has had stable management for the last 12 years.============ Graham County Takes Another Step Toward Wind FarmHILL CITY, Kan. (AP) — A northwest Kansas county is closer to having its own 70-megawatt wind farm. The Graham County Commission has approved a conditional use permit for the Ringneck Prairie Wind Farm 6 miles south of Hill City. The Hays Daily News reports that details remain to be worked out, but last week's approval of the conditional-use permit, as well as road and payment agreements, means the project is on track. The county's economic development director, Kirk Schweitzer, says road work, pad sites, underground power lines and other steps could be completed in the fall, with towers going up next spring. The wind farm is expected to create eight permanent jobs once it is operating.============ Airbus Mentoring Program to Fly Students over WichitaWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A group of middle school students will get a chance to fly over Wichita this week to mark the conclusion of a mentoring program. The program, called Flying Challenge, culminates Thursday at the National Center for Aviation Training. The agenda that includes flights over Wichita, a robotics lab, a paint lab and a radio controlled airplane demonstration. Flying Challenge is sponsored by the Airbus Corporate Foundation and coordinated by United Way of the Plains. It is designed to inspire students who are at risk of not graduating from high school or pursuing college. It seeks to inspire them to pursue degrees and a career in the aviation industry. The program matches Airbus and Wichita State University engineering students with 80 students at Brooks Middle School in Wichita.