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A Georgia woman declared brain dead is being kept on life support because she is pregnant. It raises complicated legal questions about restrictive abortion laws in Georgia and other states.

Cartagena, Colombia, is set to ban its iconic horse-drawn carriages, replacing them with electric buggies — a move dividing the historic city over tradition, tourism, and animal welfare.

Canada's snap election has been dominated by one politician — who's not even in the race: President Trump.

The legal and logistical obstacles young people face in accessing reproductive health care became more complicated with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, experts say.

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó vowed to form a provisional government that would hold elections and offered amnesty to military officers who help. But there are no reports of new troop rebellions.

Kevin Roose's Young Money follows a group of new college graduates trying to make it on Wall Street in the era after the 2008 financial crash. What motivated them to give up their lives, to work 100-hour weeks and endure sneers when the reputation of big finance was at its lowest? And, most importantly, how did the experience change them?

Brownback: 'Everything' on Table to Fix Budget GapTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback says he is "looking at everything" to fill a projected $279 million budget deficit for this fiscal year, including the possibility of tweaking the state's income tax policy. The Wichita Eagle reports the governor spoke briefly to reporters Tuesday while leaving a meeting of the State Finance Council. He said he wasn't aware before this month's election that the state would hit a budget shortfall this fiscal year, which ends in June. On top of this year's projected deficit, the state faces an estimated $436 million hole for the next fiscal year. The state's nonpartisan Legislative Research Department considers Brownback's income tax policies the primary cause of the state's deficit. The governor didn't say when he would unveil a plan to plug the budget hole.===============================State Postpones Vote on NBAF / Agro-Defense ProjectMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Governor Sam Brownback and top legislative leaders have agreed to delay a vote on issuing bonds needed for the proposed agro-defense laboratory in Manhattan. The State Finance Council decided Monday to postpone issuing $231 million in bonds for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility. Republican Senate President Susan Wagle, of Wichita, told the council final action on the bonds could occur in December. She wants the state's investment in NBAF to be legally capped at $307 million. The $1.2 billion federal laboratory at Kansas State University is planned for research on dangerous animal-borne illnesses. The state initially agreed to invest $105 million and about three-fourths of that bonding authority has been used.==============================4 Directors to Leave Kansas Insurance DepartmentTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Four directors will retire from the Kansas Insurance Department on December 5. The retirements announced Tuesday come as Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger prepares to leave office in January. Department spokesman Bob Hanson says the retirements were all planned. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that directors Marlyn Burch, life division; Neil Woerman, information technology; Steve O'Neil, consumer assistance; and Ted Clark, anti-fraud, will retire. The department has 11 directors. Burch has worked for the department for 53 years, beginning in 1961. O'Neil joined the department in 1987, while Woerman and Clark joined the department in 2003. The department will wait to fill the positions until Ken Selzer becomes commissioner in January.==============================Higher Prices, Plentiful Feed Buoy US RanchersWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Record high cattle prices and plentiful feed supplies are making life a lot easier for cattle producers as another winter nears. It has been a good year out in farm country as the long drought eased somewhat with summer rains. Fall crops have been good, and hay prices have come down some Market analyst Kevin Good of CattleFax tracks the industry. He says that for 15 of 17 years, the size of the nation's cattle herd has shrunk. Producers are now rebuilding. He says ranchers aren't "gouging" consumers and that people need to understand that it has been "a long haul" for the cattle producer. Calf prices are running 40 percent higher this year. Prices for fed cattle are up 23 percent, while retail beef prices are up 14 percent.===============================Suspect in 5 Kansas City Deaths Pleads Not GuiltyKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man suspected of killing five people in a Kansas City, Missouri neighborhood has pleaded not guilty to all charges he faces, including five counts of first-degree murder. Thirty-four-year-old Brandon Howell entered the plea in Jackson County Court on Monday. Prosecutors say Howell brutally beat George and Anna Taylor on September 2, then fatally shot Alice Hurst; her son, Darrel Hurst; and Susan Choucroun outside their homes before fleeing in the Taylors' SUV. Howell was arrested hours later when police found him walking with a loaded shotgun. Besides the murder counts, he's charged with four counts of armed criminal action, first-degree burglary, stealing a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of firearm.===============================Man Accused in 4 Killings, Rape Appears in CourtOTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — Lawyers have argued whether statements made by a Kansas man accused in the shooting deaths of four people, including an 18-month-old girl, can be used against him in an upcoming murder trial. Kyle Flack has been charged with murder and rape after two men, a woman and her daughter were found slain near Ottawa last year. The 28-year-old, who appeared in court Tuesday, has pleaded not guilty. Franklin County prosecutors are seeking to execute Flack for the deaths of 21-year-old Kaylie Bailey and her daughter, Lana-Leigh Bailey. He faces 50 years in prison without parole in the deaths of Bailey's boyfriend, 30-year-old Andrew Stout, and his 31-year-old roommate, Steven White. It wasn't clear when the judge would rule on motions argued on Tuesday. Flack's next court date is in February.===============================KBI Surveying Law Enforcement Agencies on Rape KitsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state's investigation bureau is trying to determine if Kansas has a backlog of untested sexual assault kits. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the kits include swabs and specimens gathered during exams of sexual assault victims. Officials say that across the country, hundreds of thousands of the sexual assault kits remain untested. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation recently sent surveys to all Kansas law enforcement agencies to see if there is a backlog problem. KBI Director Kirk Thompson says the state agency doesn't think there's a backlog issue in Kansas, but wants to be sure that's the case. KBI hopes to begin analyzing the survey's results starting next year. Thompson says that 66 kits are currently awaiting testing at KBI labs.===============================Kansas City Man Sentenced in Water Threat HoaxKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A 70-year-old man who threatened to contaminate water supplies in Kansas and Missouri has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. Manuel Garcia of Kansas City received the sentence on Monday. He pleaded guilty in the case in June. Garcia admitted making three telephone calls to authorities in October 2013 about the fake plot to contaminate water supplies in Kansas City, St. Louis, Wichita and Topeka. An FBI agent recognized Garcia's voice from a 2010 case in which he was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a phone call threatening to bomb the U.S. courthouse in downtown Kansas City.===============================Investors Seek to Develop SE Kansas CasinoWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A group of Kansas investors has proposed a $130 million casino in southeast Kansas, the third project to vie for the license. The Cherokee County Commission on Monday endorsed the project from Castle Rock Casino Resort. The company wants to build a casino with 1,400 slot machines, 35 table games and a poker room with 16 tables. Also planned are a 200-room hotel, three restaurants and a health club and spa. The application deadline is Dec. 18, with the State Lottery Commission to make the selection. Castle Rock says it could open by June 2016, if it wins. Castle Rock says it decided to build in Cherokee County because the proposed resort would sit within a mile of Kansas's borders with Oklahoma and Missouri and just 50 miles from Arkansas.===============================1 Dead in Northeast Kansas Mobile Home FireDENISON, Kan. (AP) - Authorities say a person was found dead after a mobile home fire in rural northeast Kansas. Jackson County (Kansas) Sheriff Tim Morse says the fire was reported Monday night in rural Denison. The mobile home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Firefighters found the body of one person inside the mobile home. The fire is being investigated by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office.===============================Kansas Among States Pushing to Overturn Maryland Gun-Control LawHAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Twenty-one states are asking a federal appeals court to overturn provisions of Maryland's gun-control law that ban 45 assault weapons and a limit gun magazines to 10 rounds. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey led the coalition in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the Fourth U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia last week. The brief says the law violates the Second Amendment right to keep firearms in homes for self-protection. The other states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, and Kentucky. A U.S. District Court judge in Baltimore upheld the provisions in August. The state of Maryland has until December 31 to respond to the filing.===============================Pratt Man Given 2 Life Sentences for MurdersPRATT, Kan. (AP) — A 22-year-old Kansas man was given two life sentences for killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says Bryant Alan Seba of Pratt was sentenced Monday for the shooting deaths of 22-year-old Alexandria Duran and her unborn child in July 2013. He also was sentenced to another 272 months for attempted premeditated murder in the shooting of 28-year-old Brandon Wright, who was paralyzed. Seba will not be eligible for parole for at least 50 years. Testimony at trial indicated people in Duran's house and Seba's house had several racially-tinged confrontations. Witnesses said Seba fired into a crowd of people after Duran and her uncle intervened in a fight that involved Seba, who is white, and Wright, who is black.===============================Autopsy Begins on Kansas Woman Found Raped, BurnedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An autopsy has begun on a Kansas woman who died this weekend, days after she was sexually assaulted and set on fire in a park. Sedgwick County spokeswoman Brittany Clampitt said Monday that coroner's officials were investigating, but it wasn't clear when the examination would be complete. Relatives held a memorial for Letitia "Tish" Davis on Sunday evening in Wichita's Fairmount Park, where she was found November 14 with burns on more than half her body and cuts on her head. Cornell McNeal has been jailed and charged with attempted murder and rape. He doesn't yet have a lawyer. Wichita Police said that charges would be amended after Davis died Saturday. The district attorney's office said prosecutors would determine appropriate charges based on the new evidence. =============================== Ferguson Shooting Galvanizes Wichita Protest WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Some activists in Wichita say the police shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri, shows the city's black community needs to become radical again. About 40 people gathered in Wichita Tuesday to draw attention to police shootings in the south-central Kansas community. Rueben Eckels, the deputy director of the Sunflower Community Action, told the crowd the government seems to take action only when people use violence. He says it is time to make change and it has to be radical. Elisa Allen says she wants the Wichita officer who shot her mentally ill brother, Icarus Randolph, held accountable. Police contend he threatened officers with a knife in July but the family says police did not follow proper procedure when they called for help getting him to a treatment facility.==============================Topeka Man Pleads Guilty in Girlfriend's DeathTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man pleaded guilty in the death of the mother of his child at their home. Trevor William Adkins entered the plea Tuesday to intentional second-degree murder of 22-year-old Lacie Atchison. Atchison was originally charged with premeditated first-degree murder after Atchison's body was found at the top of a wheelchair ramp outside their home in September. Officers went to the home when neighbors reported seeing a naked man fighting with another man in the neighborhood. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Adkins also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of battery of a neighbor. As part of the plea, a charge of endangering a child was dismissed. The couple's young daughter was inside the home but was not hurt.===============================Wichita Man Sentenced in Child Porn caseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas man has been sentenced to federal prison after AOL's automatic detection system caught him emailing child pornography. Fifty-six-year-old Walter Ackerman of Lebanon was sentenced Monday to 14 years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing child pornography. Prosecutors say Ackerman possessed more than 750 sexually explicit images of children. AOL Inc. sent information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who alerted authorities. Ackerman's attorney argues the email evidence was obtained through cyber "snooping" in an illegal search and seizure. A federal judge ruled AOL and the center didn't violate the Fourth Amendment.===============================Hunter Sentenced in Kansas Bird Hunting CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Texas man has been sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to violating a federal law protecting birds while he was in Kansas. The U.S. Attorney's office says 52-year-old George Morgan of Gordonville, Texas, pleaded guilty Monday to violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. He was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and $3,000 in restitution to the state of Kansas. Morgan is the last of eight hunters to plead guilty after a meetup in Graham County for a dove hunt in September 2013. They also were sentenced to probation and ordered to pay fines. The federal law classifies mourning doves as migratory game birds.===============================Police: Wichita Paramedic Found with Child PornWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Wichita police have arrested a county paramedic who they say possessed pornographic pictures of girls he met through a program for teens interested in becoming EMTs. A police spokesman said Monday the 23-year-old Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Service employee was arrested over the weekend. He faces charges of indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child and electronic solicitation. Investigators say the illegal activity took place in 2011 and the suspect had photos of the teenage victims on his phone. Police say the suspect has worked for the county since 2010. The county says he has been suspended.===============================Deputy Escapes Serious Injury When Semi Hits CarLEON, Kan. (AP) — A Butler County sheriff's deputy escaped serious injury when a semi-trailer truck hit his patrol car in south-central Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the accident happened Monday morning near Leon on westbound U.S. 400. The westbound truck hit the patrol car while the deputy was helping a stalled motorist. The truck driver was taken to Wesley Medical Center with non-critical injuries. The deputy was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Traffic on westbound U.S. 400 was reduced to one lane while the accident was investigated.===============================Man Sentenced for Role in Heroin Trafficking RingKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man was sentenced to 30 years in prison without parole for participating in a drug trafficking ring that led to a man's death. Federal prosecutors say 48-year-old Matthew Davis was sentenced Monday for distributing heroin, cocaine and other drugs in the Kansas City region for more than 10 years. Joshua Webb died in 2002 from heroin given to him by the drug ring. Davis and a co-defendant, 34-year-old Timothy Kirlin were convicted of conspiracy in April. Kirlin was sentenced last week to life in prison. Prosecutors say Kirlin obtained heroin and cocaine in Dallas and Davis distributed the drugs. The Kansas City Star reports that Davis previously pleaded guilty to abandoning the corpse of his girlfriend, Amber McGathey, when she died of a drug overdose in 2004.===============================Woman Pleads for Not Reporting Teen ProstituteKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has pleaded guilty to not reporting that a 17-year-old girl was working as a prostitute. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said in a news release that 25-year-old Brittany Morris of Winfield pleaded guilty Monday to misprision of a felony. Prosecutors say Morris and the girl were arrested after meeting two undercover officers at a hotel near DeSoto for prostitution. Officers learned the girl was only 17 and had worked with Morris as a prostitute in New Orleans, Wichita and Kansas City. Morris and the girl advertised sexual services on the internet. Sentencing is set for February 18, 2015. Attorneys recommended a sentence of between eight and 14 months in federal prison.===============================Capital Murder Suspect Seeking to Change His NameTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man whose capital murder conviction was overturned because of ineffective counsel is seeking to change his name, which prosecutors said will have no impact on his upcoming retrial. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Phillip Delbert Cheatham Jr. has filed court documents seeking to change his name to "King Phillip Amman Reu-El," and is scheduled for a hearing next month before a judge who will decide whether to grant the change. Cheatham was convicted in 2005 of killing 38-year-old Annette Roberson and 42-year-old Gloria Jones in 2003. The 41-year-old is charged with capital murder, with two alternative counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the deaths of Roberson and Jones and attempted first-degree murder of Annetta Thomas. His trial is scheduled for early next year.===============================Kansas Sorghum and Soybean Harvest Nearly FinishedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The latest government farm snapshot shows the fall harvest is wrapping up in Kansas. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 90 percent of the sorghum and 96 percent of the soybeans have now been cut in the state. The sunflower harvest is 86 percent finished. Winter wheat is faring well so far despite the recent cold temperatures. The agency rated the state's wheat condition as 6 percent excellent, 55 percent good, 35 percent fair and 4 percent poor About 95 percent of the winter wheat has emerged.===============================KC Prepares for Holiday Lighting TraditionKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Kansas City Royals left-fielder Alex Gordon will flip the switch that lights up Kansas City's Country Club Plaza on Thanksgiving night. Gordon will be accompanied by Kansas City GM Dayton Moore. The annual event attracts tens of thousands of people to the upscale shopping and dining district, where several blocks of buildings will be outlined in holiday lights through January 18. A local celebrity gets the honor each year of flipping the switch. Musical performances also will be part of Thursday night's festivities.===============================Kansas Jumps to 87-60 Win Over RiderLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — No. 11 Kansas rebounded from an embarrassing loss to Kentucky with an 87-60 victory over Rider on Monday night. Svi Mykhailiuk, the 17-year-old Freshman from the Ukraine, made his first start for Kansas, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds. Wayne Selden Jr. led the Jayhawks (2-1) with nine asists. Xavier Lundy led the effort by Rider (3-2) scoring 13 points.===============================K-State Beats Purdue 88-79 in MauiLAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Marcus Foster scored 24 points and Kansas State held on to beat Purdue 88-79 after blowing most of a big early lead Monday in the opening game of the Maui Invitational. Coming off a disappointing loss to Long Beach State, Kansas State (3-1) attacked Purdue (3-1) early, hounding the Boilermakers into one mistake after another while building a 15-point halftime lead.

Kansas officials say they have fixed a problem that led to thousands of children losing Medicaid coverage... the KU men's basketball program escapes major penalties in an NCAA corruption case... Unified Government in KCK may be in financial peril... residents of Herington face the abrupt closure of their hospital... and Kansas ACT test scores fall. Those headlines and more can be found inside.

Letters containing a suspicious powder substance were sent to lawmakers and other public officials across Kansas...three firefighters were injured in a massive blaze at a pallet warehouse in Kansas City...the Kansas Board of Regents has approved raises for the six state university leaders...and Shawnee County commissioners have approved construction of a mental health unit at the county jail. Details on those stories and more are available here.

Court Rules State Should Increase Aid to Schools TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A three-judge panel has ruled in favor of parents and schools who say the state's formula for funding education is unconstitutional. Parents and school districts had argued the state has failed to live up to its promises to increase elementary and secondary education funding as ordered by the Kansas Supreme Court in 2006. They say schools have had to make cuts that have hurt student achievement. Friday's 245-page ruling from Shawnee County District Court will likely trigger an appeal from the state, though it's unclear how quickly that case would be heard. In the ruling, the judges barred lawmakers from further cuts to per-pupil spending. But the ruling also acknowledged the state would likely appeal its findings. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the state will appeal the decision, according to Kansas attorney general Derek Schmidt. ===================Hawker Beechcraft Plans Wichita FurloughsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Hawker Beechcraft plans to furlough about 240 employees now that negotiations with the government have fallen behind schedule. The Wichita Eagle reports that the furloughs will affect hourly workers on T-6 and AT-6 production and will begin later this month. Hawker Beechcraft spokeswoman Nicole Alexander says the furloughs will likely be in one- or two-week increments and total several weeks throughout the year to match production. The company builds T-6 military trainers to sell to the U.S. government as part of the Joint Primary Aircraft Training Systems contract. The company is currently negotiating with the government for the next lot of airplanes, and negotiations are behind schedule. Each lot is negotiated separately and pricing for the next lot of airplanes is a main piece of the negotiations.===================KBI Seeking Man in Connection with Mayetta Fatal ShootingMAYETTA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas authorities are searching for a man described as a person of interest in a shooting death in northeast Kansas. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that an alert was issued Friday after 29-year-old Kevin Stanley was found shot to death late Thursday at a Mayetta home. Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says the man being sought is listed as a person of interest and is possibly in a dark Chevy pickup with chrome bed rails. Morse says authorities believe he's in the Topeka area. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation joined Jackson County authorities Friday in the investigation. A KBI spokesman says that agency is assisting at the crime scene. Mayetta, a town of about 340 residents, is about 20 miles north of Topeka.===================Kansas Considering New Red Card for Food StampsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas officials are considering replacing the current benefits card for residents who get food stamps with a bright red card. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the current Vision cards have an artistic impression of a sunflower, while a prototype of the new card is red with the "Kansas Benefits Card'' label. The Kansas Department of Children and Families says the existing card would be replaced because the agency has a new vendor. The Vision cards were introduced in the 1990s to allow food stamp recipients to use a plastic card to buy food at stores and for people who get temporary cash assistance. Tawny Stottlemire, of the Kansas Association of County Action Programs, says the proposed redesign could return Kansas to an era when public assistance recipients were unnecessarily stigmatized.===================Kansas Governor Places 2 Trial Judges on Appellate CourtTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has named two Kansas trial judges to the state Court of Appeals. Brownback on Friday announced the appointments of Sedgwick County District Judge Tony Powell and Stevens County District Judge Kim Schroeder to the state's second-highest court. Powell served in the Kansas House for eight years and was a leader among conservative, anti-abortion Republicans before becoming a judge in 2003. He'll fill a vacancy on the appeals court created by the October death of Chief Judge Richard Greene. Schroeder was appointed to the trial court in Stevens County in 1999 by then-Governor Bill Graves, a moderate Republican. He will replace Court Appeals Judge Christel Marquardt, who's retiring. Each came from a separate pool of three finalists named by a statewide nominating commission.=================== Kansas Experiencing Widespread Flu OutbreakTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The flu season has hit Kansas hard this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Kansas is one of 41 states designated as having a "widespread" flu outbreak. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Robert Moser told The Topeka Capital-Journal that KDHE uses several methods to track the illness, including monitoring the percentage of patients seeking health care who exhibit influenza-like illness. The typical peak for flu cases is February, and Moser says the rates in Kansas so far are higher and earlier than what Kansas usually reports. KDHE spokeswoman Barbara Hersh says more than 460 influenza and pneumonia deaths have been reported in Kansas this flu season. During the 2011-2012 influenza season flu and pneumonia contributed to or directly caused more than 1,300 deaths in Kansas.================== Kansas Court Upholds $33M Deal in Gas Royalties CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld a $33 million settlement in a lawsuit from property owners who thought a Texas company wasn't paying them enough for the natural gas pumped from their land. The court issued a unanimous decision Friday against a property owner who thought the 2009 settlement with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation wasn't generous enough. The case began in 1998, when holders of leases for gas in the huge Hugoton field in southwest Kansas sued Anadarko in Stevens County, claiming it had underpaid royalties. The case eventually covered 6,000 royalty owners. But royalty owner Stan Boles objected after District Judge Tom Smith approved the settlement, saying the company should pay roughly $149 million. The Supreme Court said Smith didn't abuse his authority in declaring the settlement fair.===================Number of Kansas Gun Prosecutions Ranked 3rd in Nation in 2012WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. attorney's office in Kansas has filed so many firearms cases that the state ranked third last year among the 93 judicial districts nationwide in the numbers of gun prosecutions. Justice Department statistics show only Puerto Rico and the Western District of Texas had more federal gun prosecutions than Kansas in 2012. Kansas had been first in the nation in gun prosecutions in 2011, but fell to third place in 2012 despite prosecutors filing even more cases. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom told the Wichita Pachyderm Club on Friday that fighting gun violence and protecting the safety of law enforcement officers are among Justice Department priorities. Grissom's office filed gun-related charges against 447 people last year in Kansas, up nearly 85 percent from the average of the four previous years.===================Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Killing GrandmotherEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — A south-central Kansas man has pleaded guilty to killing his grandmother while burglarizing the 69-year-old preschool teacher's home with his girlfriend. The El Dorado Times reports that 20-year-old Jacob Hoyt entered the plea Friday in Butler County District Court. Hoyt was initially charged with premeditated first-degree murder for the December 2011 strangling death of Loyce Cody at her Augusta home. He pleaded guilty instead to first-degree murder in the commission of a felony — in this case, aggravated burglary. Hoyt and Lyndsey Giovinazzo were arrested shortly after the killing while leading officers on a two-county chase in Cody's car. Giovinazzo pleaded guilty earlier to first-degree murder. She was sentenced last month to 25 years to life in prison. For Hoyt, prosecutors recommended a life sentence with a chance for parole after 20 years.===================Kansas Growers Plant Fewer Wheat Acres Amid DroughtWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas growers have planted fewer acres for their 2013 winter wheat crop amid widespread drought conditions and lack of soil moisture. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Friday that Kansas farmers planted 9.3 million acres of wheat last fall for harvest in 2013. That is down 2 percent from the 9.5 million acres planted in the state the previous year. Nationwide, winter wheat seeded for 2013 is expected to total 41.8 million acres, or up 1 percent. But hard red winter wheat, the type grown in Kansas, is down about 2 percent nationwide with just 29.1 million acres seeded. The agency says growers in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas planted significantly more acres. The numbers of wheat acres declined in Colorado, Montana and the Dakotas as well as in Kansas.===================Concrete Gorilla Found in Kansas Park Restored to OwnersOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The mystery surrounding a 300-pound concrete gorilla that showed up in a northeastern Kansas park has been partly solved. Overland Park police said Friday the owners have been identified as residents of nearby Olathe, who reported it stolen from their front yard around December 15. Still unknown is who swiped the statue and took it to Overland Park, where it showed up last weekend by a gazebo in a neighborhood park. The concrete gorilla was so heavy that police brought in a tow truck with a crane to haul it away. Police say the owners are grateful for the statue's recovery but do not want to be identified.=================== Work Begins on Kansas Retail-Museum DevelopmentOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Construction is under way in northeastern Kansas on a massive retail and housing development that will also feature an American Museum of Natural History exhibition hall. KSHB-TV reports groundbreaking on the first phase of the 60-acre Prairiefire project took place Thursday in southern Overland Park. The schedule calls for the first phase to open in October with a Fresh Market gourmet grocery store and an REI store, the first in Kansas and western Missouri for the outdoor and sporting goods outfitter. Additional retail space, apartments and a large space for exhibits from New York's American Museum of Natural History are expected to open in 2014.=================== Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Topeka PoliceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that a Kansas City, Missouri man filed against the Topeka Police Department and Shawnee County District Attorney's Office. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that U.S. Senior District Judge Sam Crow dismissed Donzell A. Jones's lawsuit in which Jones alleged police and prosecutors violated his rights when he was arrested and charged with drug crimes in 2011. The charges were dismissed in 2012. Crow dismissed Jones's lawsuit in December and said Jones didn't comply with the judge's request to fix several deficiencies in his complaint and submit financial information required to proceed without prepayment of fees. Jones had alleged Topeka police illegally detained him and that the district attorney's office did not have reasonable cause when it charged him.===================Kansas Inmate, 92, Released from PrisonTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A 92-year-old Kansas man convicted of murder in a 1992 shooting death has been released from prison. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Joseph Johnson was released on parole Thursday from El Dorado Correctional Facility. Kansas Department of Corrections records show Johnson will live in Shawnee County. The Kansas Prisoner Review Board decided last year to grant parole to Johnson effective January 1. The board said the release was contingent on Johnson going to a structured living environment that could address his medical needs. The state didn't release additional details about Johnson's living arrangements. Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder in the August 1992 shooting death in Topeka of 48-year-old Chang Nam Kim. He had been the second-oldest inmate in the Kansas prison system, behind 93-year-old Francis Patrick Doyle.===================Missouri Man Draws 100-Year Sentence for 2 HoldupsLIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A 28-year-old Kansas City man has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for robbing a pair of fast-food restaurants. Authorities said Daniel Dumond Brown had been paroled for a previous robbery conviction just weeks before the holdups at a Pizza Hut in Gladstone on June 30, 2011, and an Arby's in Liberty three days later. Brown was convicted in November on two counts each of robbery and armed criminal action. On Friday, a Clay County judge sentenced him to 25 years on all four counts, and ordered the sentences to run consecutively. Clay County (Missouri) prosecutor Dan White told KMBC-TV he believes Brown will become eligible for parole in about 45 years. Police said Brown had a gun during the holdups but did not use it.=================== Reno County Inmate Trial PostponedHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Reno County officials have postponed a trial for an inmate accused of trying to kill an employee at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. The Hutchinson News reports that the January 15 trial for 36-year-old DaJuan L. Wilkerson has been postponed and a new trial date has not been set. Wilkerson has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery on a state correctional officer and trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. The charges stem from a July 6 attack on William Kendall, a former prison sergeant who was hospitalized for 15 days with a laceration to the head and jaw fractures. Wilkerson is serving time for a first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in 2001 in Sedgwick County.=================== New Kansas Senate Leader Jokes About Being 'Marxist'TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate's next majority leader says he's an avid Marxist. But Hutchinson Republican Terry Bruce means he's a follower of Groucho, not Karl. Bruce is a fan of the Marx Brothers, and the decor of his new office at the Statehouse hints at his affinity for their classic comedy films from the 1930s. He's displaying a photo of Groucho and two of his brothers, as well as a small poster for their film "Animal Crackers." They're near a photo of President and famed Kansan Dwight Eisenhower. But there may be some internal dissension over Bruce's choice of comedy icons. Chief of staff Peter Northcott is a big fan of the Three Stooges and has two metal signs honoring them in his office.================KC-Area Police Finish 'Kill List' InvestigationLEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (AP) — Suburban Kansas City police say a so-called "kill list" found in a student's planner never progressed beyond jotting down names. Lee's Summit police announced Friday that the department has finished an investigation that began after a student found the list December 7. Police have said that the list had pictures of guns and knives on it, as well as the names of four or five students. Police said an unidentified juvenile confessed to writing the note in another student's planner. Police said previously that the suspect had borrowed the planner and not returned it. The suspect then moved to an out-of-state district. Police plan to submit the case file to the juvenile court, and officials there will determine whether charges will be filed.================Hays 4th Grader Scores Big in Chess TournamentsHAYS, Kan. (AP) — An 8-year-old Hays girl is gaining notoriety for her chess skills. The Hays Daily News reports that Sheena Zeng, a fourth-grader at O'Loughlin Elementary School, won about $2,000 over the Christmas holidays at chess tournaments in California and Nevada. Sheena captured second place, and about $1,800, in her age division at the North American Open in Las Vegas, and won another $364 at the New Year's Open in Santa Clara, California. Her father Hongbiao Zeng is a math professor at Fort Hays State University, where his wife, Michelle, is an instructor in the same department. Sheena is also a U.S. Junior Open champion and has had top four finishes in numerous other national and international competitions.================KC Man Sentenced to 22 Years for MurderKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for killing a Kansas City businessman. Andre M. Broadus was sentenced Friday to 22 years in prison in the May 2011 shooting death of 50-year-old David Bledsoe, owner of Bledsoe's Rental. The Jackson County prosecutor's office says in a release that Broadus was convicted in October of second-degree murder, robbery and armed criminal action in Bledsoe's death. Another defendant, Anthony C. Britton was sentenced earlier to 25 years for second-degree murder and other charges in Bledsoe's death. Prosecutors said the two men were trying to rob the business when they shot Bledsoe, who chased the men until he collapsed.================ Interim Kansas Secretary of Administration NamedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has appointed Mark McGivern as interim secretary of the Department of Administration. Brownback named McGivern on Thursday as the temporary replacement for Dennis Taylor, who is leaving to become executive director of the Kansas Lottery. A permanent secretary is expected to be named in the coming months. McGivern currently directs the Office of Facilities and Property Management within the Department of Administration. The department oversees state purchasing, upkeep of state office buildings and computer and phone services for state agencies. Taylor's appointment as head of the Kansas Lottery becomes effective Friday. He succeeds Dennis Wilson, who resigned in November for health reasons.===================KC Chiefs Announce Several Assistant CoachesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — New Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid began filling out his staff Friday, hiring former Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson to be his offensive coordinator and longtime Jets assistant Bob Sutton as the defensive coordinator. Pederson spent the past four seasons on Reid's staff in Philadelphia, while Sutton had stints as the Jets' defensive coordinator and was their assistant head coach this past season. Reid, who was hired by the Chiefs last week, also announced that David Culley will serve as assistant head coach and work with the wide receivers. Matt Nagy will coach the quarterbacks, Eric Bieniemy the running backs and Tommy Brasher the defensive line.=================== Judge to Hear Petition for Custody of Belcher BabyINDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A petition filed by the mother of a Kansas City Chiefs player who killed his girlfriend before taking his own life is scheduled to be considered in a brief court hearing. Cheryl Shepherd, mother of Jovan Belcher, is seeking custody of 4-month-old Zoey Belcher and to be named administrator of her son's estate. A court spokeswoman says the only action expected at Friday's probate hearing is to change the status of the custody petition to contested from uncontested. Belcher fatally shot Zoey's mother, Kasandra Perkins, at their Kansas City home December 1 before killing himself in front of coaches and Chiefs officials outside Arrowhead Stadium. Shepherd, of West Babylon, New York, took temporary custody of Zoey after the shooting. Relatives of Perkins have filed a petition in Texas also seeking custody.=================== SD Jail with History of Escapes Boosting SecurityHURON, S.D. (AP) — A county jail in South Dakota with a history of prisoner escapes is taking steps to beef up security. A man with a criminal history in Kansas and North Dakota escaped from the Beadle County (South Dakota) Jail in Huron on Tuesday by using a makeshift weapon to hold a guard hostage. He was later caught. In 2005, two inmates escaped by bending bars and breaking a window in their cell. One of the men also had escaped in 2003 by scaling a recreation area wall. In 2004, three girls in juvenile detention locked guards inside a cell and escaped. Sheriff Doug Solem tells KELO-TV that the jail recently upgraded its surveillance system and is working to boost staff. The jail also plans more extensive background checks on incoming inmates.=================== Johnson County Library Manager to Take Alaska JobJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Robert Barr, the Information Services Manager for the Johnson County Library, has been chosen as the new library director for the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska. KINY reports that Barr will begin his new duties on February 25.================ Wichita Man Sentenced for Sex with Young GirlsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 49-year-old Wichita man has been sentenced to 17 life terms for having sex with two young girls who were provided to him by their mother. James Lamont Brown will not be eligible for parole under the sentences imposed Thursday by Sedgwick County District Judge Gregory Waller. Brown was already a registered sex offender when he was charged with repeatedly molesting two sisters, then 11 and 12 years old, at a Wichita hotel. He was convicted in November 2011 of nine counts of rape and eight counts of trafficking. The girls' mother has admitted driving them to Wichita from their home in Kansas City, Kansas, to have sex with Brown. The mother is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sex trafficking and child endangerment.