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NTSB: Kansas Plane Drifted Left Before CrashingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says six eyewitness have reported that a small plane drifted to the left side of the runway after taking off from a Kansas airport, then made a steep left bank before crashing into a flight training facility. NTSB investigator Josh Lindberg said Friday that the plane had undergone two maintenance test flights without problems. A cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder were on the aircraft, but investigators have not been able to access the crash site yet to recover them. Lindberg says investigators have not yet been able to get into the 30-foot hazard zone near the building where most of the wreckage is located due to safety concerns.====================Kansas Tax Collections Fall $23M Short in October TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas says its tax collections in October fell $23 million short of expectations. The state Department of Revenue reported Friday that the state had collected $417 million in taxes, or 5.2 percent less than the $440 million anticipated. Since the start of the current fiscal year in July, tax collections have been nearly $47 million less than anticipated, a 2.6 percent shortfall. The state expected to collect more than $1.81 billion in taxes and took in $1.77 billion. Budget Director Shawn Sullivan called the yearlong shortfall "manageable" and said Gov. Sam Brownback's administration is looking for budget savings. The department said part of the shortfall in October was caused by higher-than-expected refunds to taxpayers who overpaid on 2013 taxes on investment income.====================Kansas Urges Judge Not to Rule on Gay Marriage KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas attorney general's office has argued that a federal court should not weigh in on the state's gay marriage ban until the Kansas Supreme Court has reviewed it. Assistant Attorney General Steve Fabert on Friday urged U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree not to issue a preliminary injunction preventing Kansas from enforcing its ban. Crabtree was hearing arguments after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of two lesbian couples. The couples were denied marriage licenses in Douglas and Sedgwick counties after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five other states seeking to preserve gay marriage bans. The Kansas Supreme Court has a separate petition from the attorney general's office after a judge allowed gay marriages in Johnson County. Crabtree did not rule Friday.====================Kobach Predicts 50 Percent Turnout in Midterm VoteTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach predicts turnout for Tuesday's elections will be about 50 percent, even without more than 20,000 people on a suspended voters list because they haven't provided proof of citizenship. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Kobach on Thursday predicted about 872,000 people will vote out of about 1.74 million registered voters. The prediction is based in part on the pace of advance voting and high interest in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. Kobach's Democratic challenger Jean Schodorf says the prediction probably is accurate, but notes it's lower than in previous midterm elections. Turnout in 2006 was 52 percent, and in 2002 it was 53 percent. Kobach's numbers indicate a little less than 9 percent of all registered voters already have cast ballots through advance voting.===============================Majority of Early Voters in Kansas are RepublicansTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - More registered Republicans have cast early votes in Kansas than voters affiliated with other parties in the state. GOP officials are trumpeting the data as a signal that Governor Sam Brownback and U.S. Senator Pat Roberts will be re-elected Tuesday. Democrats and independent Senate candidate Greg Orman's campaign say many Republicans are breaking with the party's top nominees. Recent polling has suggested close races between Roberts' and Orman, and between Brownback and Democratic challenger Paul Davis. Nearly 153,000 people had voted as of Thursday. Of those, 54.2 percent were registered Republicans, 30.6 percent were Democrats and 14.9 percent were unaffiliated. Among the state's 1.74 million registered voters, 44.6 percent are Republicans, 24.5 percent are Democrats and 30.2 percent are unaffiliated. Libertarians comprise less than 1 percent of either group.===================================Judge Holds Hearing in Kansas Gay Marriage SuitKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - A federal judge is set to hear a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging Kansas' ban on same-sex marriage. The hearing Friday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Kansas City, Kansas, is on the ACLU's request for an order to force Kansas to allow gay marriages. The ACLU filed the lawsuit for two lesbian couples who were denied marriage licenses in Douglas and Sedgwick counties after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five other states seeking to preserve gay marriage bans. The ACLU is seeking a temporary injunction to bring Kansas into line with 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals precedents in other cases. Kansas voters in 2005 overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage.=====================================Police: Hutchinson Man Killed in AccidentHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Hutchinson police say a worker at a recycling company has died after being struck by a piece of machinery. Officers say Thursday's death of 29-year-old Joshua Tacy of Hutchinson is being treated as an industrial accident. The employee of MidWest Iron & Metal was taken by an ambulance to a Hutchinson hospital with trauma injuries from which he later died. Police say Tacy was struck by machinery used to load metal into train cars.=====================================Two Charged in Holdup at Northeast Kansas BankOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Two Missouri men with long criminal histories are charged with robbing a northeast Kansas bank where authorities say one employee was dragged by the hair and others suffered minor head injuries. A federal criminal complaint filed Friday charges 53-year-old Clifton Cloyd and 54-year-old Steven A. Watts, both of Kansas City, Missouri, with one count each of bank robbery and using a firearm in a robbery. Both are in custody and do not have lawyers. The holdup occurred Wednesday at a Bank of America branch in Overland Park, Kansas. Both suspects were quickly apprehended. The Kansas City Star reports both men were paroled from Missouri prisons in 2012. Watts' record includes a previous conviction for second-degree murder, and Cloyd has served numerous sentences on drug, assault and firearm charges.=====================================Squirrel Blamed for Knocking out Power in Emporia EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A squirrel is being blamed for an hour-long power outage in Emporiathat left Emporia State University and thousands of customers temporarily in the dark. The Emporia Gazette reportsa little more than 3,000 customers of Westar Energy and Lyon-Coffey Electric lost power when a squirrel came in contact with electrical equipment on a transmission line around 9:50 a.m. Thursday. Westar spokesman Shane Batchelder says most of the affected customers had service back by 11 a.m. The outage happened while Ken Carter, a former basketball coach upon whom the movie "Coach Carter" is based, was giving a lecture to students. The Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series speaker paused for only a few seconds before continuing his lecture.=====================================Roberts Raises Fears About Terrorists in KansasLEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) _ Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts is raising concerns that President Barack Obama may try to place terrorist suspects at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. And Roberts is vowing to stop it, if re-elected. Roberts received hearty applause Thursday in Leavenworth while pledging to keep terrorists out of the Kansas prison. Obama has not recently mentioned Leavenworth as a destination for prisoners now held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The senator denies he's fear-mongering in an attempt to gain an advantage in a tight election against independent challenger Greg Orman. But he also alleges that Orman can't be trusted to stand up to Obama. Anti-abortion and pro-gun groups also have been coming to Roberts's defense by raising fears about Orman. Orman has said the criticism indicates Roberts is part of the problem in Washington.===============================Primary Opponent Urges Kansans to Support RobertsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas U.S. Senator Pat Roberts is getting a somewhat reluctant endorsement from his former Republican primary challenger, Milton Wolf. In a message posted Thursday on his campaign Facebook page, Wolf urges his supporters to set aside their differences with Roberts and vote for the Republican incumbent in next Tuesday's election. Roberts is in a close race with independent candidate Greg Orman. Wolf criticized Roberts as out-of-touch during the primary. But his Facebook message says Roberts' election could be the deciding factor on whether Republicans take control of the Senate, which he says could put other "solid constitutional conservatives" in positions of power. If Roberts is re-elected, Wolf writes that he will "hold his feet to the fire" and continue to "see to it that Kansans have alternatives to failed leadership."=================================Bill Snyder Endorses Roberts in Senate RaceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University football coach Bill Snyder has endorsed Senator Pat Roberts for re-election and is appearing in a new television ad for the three-term Republican incumbent. Roberts's campaign launched the statewide spot Thursday, just five days before the election and with Roberts locked in a tight race with independent candidate and wealthy Olathe businessman Greg Orman. Snyder is highly respected and has largely remained aloof from politics. His 6-1 Wildcats are the only unbeaten team in the Big 12 and are generating buzz because they're ranked ninth for a national football playoff spot. Snyder describes Roberts in the ad as a good friend and "as good as it gets for the state." Orman has argued that Roberts is part of the gridlock in Washington.==============================KCP&L Seeks Nearly 16% Rate IncreaseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kansas City Power & Light Co. is seeking a 15.8 percent increase for about half of its Missouri customers. The utility said Thursday that it needs the increased revenue to pay for environmental upgrades at its coal-fired plant in La Cygne, Kansas. KCP&L officials say the $121 million annual rate increase would cost the average residential customer about $14 more a month. The company said the federally required installation of scrubbers at the La Cygne plant cost $1.21 billion. The Kansas City Star reports if the current request is approved, the affected KCP&L customers will be paying more than 50 percent more for power than they did a few years ago. The rate increase for La Cygne would probably not go into effect until September 2015.================================Inauguration for Baker President PostponedBALDWIN CITY, Kan. (AP) - The inauguration of Baker University's new president has been postponed so the school can deal with the death of a student. President Lynne Murray was supposed to celebrate her inauguration at 11 a.m. Thursday, but that and related events were canceled after she learned of the death of sophomore Sione Maumau. Murray gave brief remarks at an all-university prayer service Thursday morning, stressing that classmates and teammates didn't have to deal with their grief alone. Maumau came to Baker from Boulder, Colorado, to play football. He was a member of the university's speech choir and a resident assistant in the school's dorm system. Baker spokesman Steve Rottinghaus says no decision has been made about when or if Murray's inauguration would be rescheduled.==============================Pittsburg Tech Education Center Moves AheadPITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Plans for a regional technical education center for southeast Kansas are progressing. The Pittsburg Education Foundation on Thursday announced it bought a building to house the education center. The building currently houses Fort Scott Community College carpentry, masonry and woodworking courses. The Joplin Globe reports the foundation paid $890,000 for the building. Several schools in southeast Kansas will use the Southeast Kansas Career Technical Education Center of Crawford County for training in such areas as careers as welding, construction, culinary arts, nursing and auto technician training. A committee will now start working on plans for the building expansion and begin the bid process. Plans for the center began about two years ago when industries and businesses complained about a lack of well-trained employees in the area.===================================Wichita Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal CrashWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Wichita man has pleaded guilty in a drunken-driving car crash that killed his passenger. 56-year-old Melvin Day pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Thursday in connection to the March death of 54-year-old Kevin Donn Sr. Donn died after the car slammed into a tree. Witnesses tell police the vehicle was speeding when the driver swerved to avoid crashing into a mail truck. A Sedgwick County District Attorney spokesman says Day's blood alcohol content level was nearly 3.5 times higher than the legal limit of 0.08 at the time of the crash. Day is scheduled to be sentenced in December.========================Hutchinson Worker Killed in AccidentHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - Hutchinson police say a worker at a recycling company has died after being struck by a piece of machinery. Officers say the death of 29-year-old Joshua Tracy of Hutchinson is being treated as an industrial accident. The employee of MidWest Iron & Metal was taken by an ambulance to a Hutchinson hospital with trauma injuries from which he later died. Police say Tracy was struck by machinery used to load metal into train cars.========================Sheriff: Kansas Man Wanted for Meth ManufacturingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Authorities in northeast Kansas are searching for a man who they say has possessed and manufactured drugs. The 38-year-old from Mayetta has eluded arrest by Jackson County authorities since a warrant was issued for his arrest in August. He faces charges of possessing methamphetamine and conspiring to manufacture a controlled substance. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office says five people wanted on related drug charges were captured in September. Deputies believe the man is staying on the Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation near Mayetta or in the Topeka area.========================================2 More Plead Guilty NW Missouri Bank RobberyKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Two more Iowa men pleaded guilty to robbing a small northwest Missouri bank after which the money was left in a tree. The St. Joseph News-Press reports 28-year-old Travis Davis, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, pleaded guilty Thursday to bank robbery for his role in the March 21 theft at Citizens Bank & Trust in Burlington Junction. Court records show 27-year-old Donald Kestner Jr., also of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, pleaded guilty Tuesday to bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime. In October, 27-year-old Torrence O'Neill, also of Mount Pleasant, pleaded guilty to bank robbery. A witness saw the men leave the bank and followed them until authorities arrested them. A few days later, more than $12,000 taken from the bank was found in a tree in southern Iowa.=================================Kansas Man Sentenced for Fatal WreckWICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas man has been sentenced to two years in prison for causing a car crash that killed a 6-year-old girl. Twenty-year-old Raudel Sandoval Jr. was sentenced Thursday. He pleaded guilty in August to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2012 crash that killed Feodora Two-Hatchett. She was riding in the back seat of her mother's car when Sandoval's car hit the vehicle. He was driving 70 mph in a 35-mph zone. Sandoval told police he was speeding to dry his vehicle after leaving a car wash.================================Railcar Refurbishing Company Going to HutchinsonHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A railcar refurbishing company plans to establish a plant in Hutchison, creating about 150 jobs in the next three years. Mervis Railcar, a division of Mervis Industries, announced Thursday that it will invest about $35 million in Hutchinson. Company CEO Adam Mervis says Hutchinson was chosen for the plant because of its location and railroad connections, a strong work force and an education system able to train workers for skills needed at the plant. The company will refurbish railcars for oil, fuel, agricultural and other industries. The Hutchinson plant will be the only one in the country able to refurbish trains of 100 or more cars. Most of the 150 workers will be welders. The plant will include four buildings and more than 20,000 feet of railroad track.===============================Fort Hays State VP Named President at North Dakota SchoolFARGO, N.D. (AP) — An administrator from a university in Kansas is the new president at Valley City State University. The North Dakota Board of Higher Education on Thursday named Tisa Mason to take over the job. She has spent the last six years as vice president of student affairs at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Mason succeeds Steven Shirley, who left to become president of Minot State University. Mason has previously served as dean of student life at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and adjunct professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. ===============================Ohio Police Seek Suspect in Former KSU Football Star's DeathCLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland police are searching for a man accused of killing a former Kansas State University football player outside a nightclub on October 11. A Cleveland police spokeswoman could not say Thursday whether 26-year-old David Garrett was a bystander or was targeted when he was shot. An aggravated murder warrant was issued earlier this month for 30-year-old Barry Blevins of East Cleveland for the killing. Police say Blevins fired into a crowd outside the nightclub after a fight started inside and Garrett was shot in the chest. Garrett earned all-Big 12 honorable mention honors as a defensive back in 2010 and 2011. He graduated from Thomas W. Harvey High School in Painesville, east of Cleveland. He played for an arena football team in Kansas City in 2013.===============================Kansas Man Rescued Near Maui Beach Dies at HospitalWAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — A 57-year-old Kansas man found unresponsive in the ocean off Maui had died at a hospital. Maui police say Michael R. Higgins of Lenexa was spotted at about noon Wednesday in water off Keawekapu (kay-ah-way-KAH'-poo) Beach Park in Kihei (ki-HAY'-eye). Maui emergency responders administered CPR on the beach. Higgins was taken in critical condition to Maui Memorial Medical Center. Life-saving measures attempted at the hospital were unsuccessful and he died. An autopsy was scheduled.===============================Magical Playoff Ride Comes to End for Royals FansKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City baseball fans were mostly taking in stride the end of a month-long playoff run capped with a Game 7 World Series loss to the San Francisco Giants. There wasn't much Royals attire on display Thursday morning at local convenience stores and diners as life moved on for a city that had been gripped in playoff fever for the first time in three decades. Retired Kansas City police officer Eric Weir talked over coffee at a Hy-Vee cafeteria about how the Royals would be better next year if they get another starting pitcher and a power hitter. Quik Trip clerk Katie Snelling said there seemed to be fewer people passing through the doors Thursday, and many customers seemed sad about the loss.===============================Chiefs Prepare for Jets Despite InjuriesFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for their game at home Sunday versus the New York Jets even as Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith and star running back Jamaal Charles are both dealing with injuries. Smith injured his shoulder in last week's victory against the St. Louis Rams but head coach Andy Reid says Smith is expected to be ready to play on Sunday. Charles was added to Wednesday's weekly injury report with a back injury but the team says he will also likely be ready to play in the Jets game. Meanwhile, Jets coach Rex Ryan joked after practice Thursday that he might go with "that Bumgarner guy" as his quarterback this week. Ryan was referring to San Francisco Giants star left-hander Madison Bumgarner, who pitched a record 52 2-3 innings during the postseason in leading the Giants to the World Series title over the Kansas City Royals. But it's more likely that Ryan will be sticking with his own lefty, Michael Vick, to start Sunday against the Chiefs.

Kansas Senate Minority Leader Calls for Early Court NominationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate's top Democrat is calling on Republican Governor Sam Brownback to name a new state Court of Appeals judge early to give lawmakers more time to vet the nomination. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said Friday that he wants Brownback to nominate the judge by August 9. The deadline set by state law is August 29. Brownback has called a special session for September 3 to rewrite a criminal sentencing law following an adverse U.S. Supreme Court decision. With lawmakers in session, the Senate will be legally required to consider the appointment. Hensley said lawmakers won't have time to properly vet the nominee if the governor waits. Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said the governor will act as quickly as possible but shouldn't face an artificial deadline.====================Judge Dismisses Lawsuit from Close Kansas House RaceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit arising from a close Kansas House race last year and the losing incumbent's attempt to contact voters whose ballots were set aside. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten ruled Thursday that a change in state election laws this year made the case moot. Former state and Topeka Democrat Rep. Ann Mah wanted to keep the lawsuit alive to review new issues about contacting voters after balloting. Mah lost her bid for re-election last year by 21 votes out of almost 10,800 cast. After the initial vote count, Mah sued successfully to learn the names of voters whose ballots had not been counted, so she might them help correct flaws. Lawmakers rewrote state law to prevent other candidates from making such a move in the future.====================Toxic Algae Warnings Issued for Some State LakesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Public health officials have issued more warnings about toxic blue-green algae in Kansas lakes. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Thursday that nine lakes are now under public health warnings. A public health warning indicates water conditions are unsafe and prohibits wading, skiing and swimming. Lakes currently under that status include Colwich Memorial Park Lake in Sedgwick County; Harvey County East Lake and Harvey County West Lake; Hiawatha City Lake in Brown County; and Lake Warnock in Atchison County. Also included are Logan City Lake in Phillips County; Memorial Park Lake in Barton County; Riggs Park Lake in Sedgwick County; and South Park Lake in Johnson County. A less restrictive advisory for Atchison County Park Lake allows boating and fishing there, but strongly discourages direct water contact.====================Obama Picks Kansas Supreme Court Justice for Federal Appeals CourtTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — President Barack Obama has nominated Kansas Supreme Court Justice Nancy Moritz to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The White House announced the Democratic president's nomination Thursday, and it immediately drew support from Republican U.S. Senator Jerry Moran. Moran called Moritz "highly qualified" and said he intends to vote for her confirmation. The 53-year-old Moritz has served on the state's highest court since 2011, having been appointed by outgoing Democratic Governor Mark Parkinson. She previously spent seven years on the Kansas Court of Appeals. The Denver-based 10th Circuit court handles cases from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. Obama also announced that he's nominating Kansas City-area attorney Daniel D. Crabtree for a U.S. District Court judgeship in Kansas. Moran also endorsed Crabtree's nomination.====================3 Arrested in Fatal Hit-and-Run Involving HorseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say they have arrested a man and two women in a hit-and-run accident that killed a man on a horse. Police on Thursday arrested a 26-year-old man for leaving the scene of a fatal accident and felony obstruction of justice. Two women, ages 19 and 28, also were arrested on obstruction of justice charges. Police say the man was driving and the 19-year-old woman was a passenger when the car hit a horse carrying 49-year-old Lloyd Ferguson and 6-year-old Eddie Caddell on July 5. Ferguson died and the boy is recovering in a rehabilitation hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska. Ferguson's horse had to be euthanized. Police say a tip to Crime Stoppers this week led them to the vehicle involved in the accident.====================Kansas Appeals Court Upholds Lawrence Sidewalk RuleTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Court of Appeals has upheld the constitutionality of an ordinance in Lawrence against obstructing sidewalks following a challenge from a homeless man repeatedly arrested under it. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a three-judge appeals panel ruled in the case of 55-year-old Robert Gilmore. The challenged ordinance bans people from blocking others' movement on sidewalks. Gilmore's attorney had argued that it was too vague. The appeals panel disagreed. Gilmore was charged in 2011 with three counts of blocking sidewalk traffic outside a downtown department store. He's often seen downtown, and his family has said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a boy. A municipal judge acquitted Gilmore. But the city took the case to state courts to get a ruling that the ordinance is constitutional.====================Man Draws 'Hard 50' Sentence in Wichita Woman's Death WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County judge imposed a Hard 50 prison sentence on a man convicted of killing a Wichita woman while he was on parole for another murder in Lawrence. Tyrone Walker was sentenced Thursday for strangling 44-year-old Janis Sanders in June 2011. He had been paroled in February of that year after serving a 12-year sentence for killing 25-year-old Tamara Baker in October 1989. District Judge Joseph Bribiesca imposed the Hard 50 sentence less than a month after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that questioned the constitutionality of such sentences. Bribiesca said the ruling did not apply to Walker's case. Questions about the Hard 50 sentence prompted a special session of the Kansas Legislature, which will convene next month.====================Missouri Officials Report Third Cyclospora Case JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri health officials say they have been notified of a third confirmed case of cyclospora infection. The state Department of Health and Senior Services said Friday the latest report of the stomach bug came from a health provider in the Kansas City metro area. The others were reported earlier this week from Jackson County and Taney County. The state health department said the sources of the Missouri cases have not been confirmed, and it's not clear if they're linked to cyclospora infections in more than a dozen other states. Officials in Iowa and Nebraska have said they believe cases those two states are linked to bagged salad mix. Cyclospora infections are mostly found in tropical or subtropical countries. Symptoms include diarrhea, severe stomach cramps or nausea.====================Kansas Man Shot During Home Invasion SentencedEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who was shot when he and a cousin tried to break into a rural Lyon County home has been sentenced to about five years in prison. Thirty-six-year-old Gary D. Yowell Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to concurrent sentences of 55 months in prison and six months in jail for the Jan. 2 home invasion at a home about three miles north of Neosho Rapids. The homeowner, Ron Sleisher, shot Yowell and then held his cousin, 31-year-old Rodney E. Yowell, of Dunlap, at gunpoint after they broke into Sleisher's house. The Emporia Gazette reports that Sleisher was not charged because his use of force was considered justified under state law. Yowell was sentenced to two years of probation.====================Rain Helping Replenish Kansas Water SuppliesAUGUSTA, Kan. (AP) — The recent spate of wet weather has caused flash floods and other headaches in much of Kansas, but the rain is also replenishing some lakes that communities rely on for water. In Butler County east of Wichita, Santa Fe Lake and Augusta City Lake both dried up amid severe drought two years ago. KWCH-TV reports that Santa Fe Lake is now overflowing. Workers are pumping water into a nearby retention pond. Augusta city Lake is also filling back up. Both lakes help supply water to the cities of Augusta and Mulvane and two rural water districts. Augusta has had mandatory water restrictions in place, but city officials now plan to review them in the fall.====================Wyoming Recognizes Kansas Concealed Carry LicensesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas concealed carry permit holders will now be allowed to carry their weapons in Wyoming. Attorney General Derek Schmidt says Friday that Wyoming has become the 32nd state to honor permits issued in Kansas. The decision is a result of legislation passed by Kansas lawmakers this year. The law recognizes all valid out-of-state permits when a non-resident permit holder is traveling in Kansas. The new Kansas law also requires people with concealed carry permits who move to Kansas to obtain a Kansas-issued license to legally continue carrying concealed guns. The changes took effect on July 1. There are nearly 66,000 active Kansas concealed carry permits.====================Fort Riley to Host Night Out EventsFORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — Fort Riley soldiers and families will gather the evening of August 7 for activities tied to the annual National Night Out. The National Night Out brings law enforcement and citizens together every August to promote anti-crime efforts and public safety. It's observed in neighborhoods and on military bases throughout the U.S. The Fort Riley Police Department says the event has been held at the northeast Kansas Army post for more than 18 years. Post officials say the goal is to promote neighborhood spirit and improve relationships among local law enforcement, the military community and the Geary County school district.====================Missouri River Terminal Acquired by Mississippi CompanyJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions of Jackson, Mississippi has bought the assets of the Wolcott Terminal Facility located in Wolcott, Kansas. Terms of the deal announced this week were not disclosed. EA&E says in a news release that it has marketed neat asphalt products from the terminal since it began leasing the facility in 1992. Located on the Missouri River to the northwest of Kansas City, the Wolcott Facility has a capacity of 176,284 barrels. It is equipped to load product by truck and receive product by barge, truck and rail. The Wolcott Facility also offers sulfuric acid transloading services. EA&E will continue to service all existing sulfuric acid transloading contracts. The facility was previously owned by Tanco Kansas City LLC.====================Kansas Guide Pleads to Criminal HuntingHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A hunting guide has pleaded no contest to criminal hunting charges, admitting that he took hunters and a television crew onto property he didn't have permission to hunt. Thirty-year-old Adam Gilkey of McPherson, who operates High Caliber Outdoors, was fined $250 on Wednesday for an incident that occurred last December near Hutchinson. The Hutchinson News reports that Gilkey was leading a group of eight hunters, including two men who host the show "American Birdhunter," which airs on the Outdoor Channel. The group was hunting a field when the land owner called state wildlife officials to say he hadn't given them permission to be on his land. Charges against the other seven were dismissed. Prosecutors say they were relying on Gilkey to take them to a legal area to hunt.====================Innovative Research Facility Planned in SalinaSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Construction is expected to begin next year on a new research facility in Salina dedicated to studying the science of transporting bulk solids. The Salina Journal reports the project was announced this week after four years of planning. It's a collaboration among Kansas State University, the Chamber of Commerce, the city of Salina, private companies and K-Tron Salina. California-based K-Tron is an international material-handling company. K-Tron Salina donated the land for the 17,000-square-foot Salina project. The Salina Bulk Solids Innovation Center is expected to benefit industries that use and make conveyance systems for such material as sugar, starch, minerals, chemicals and plastic pellets. Businesses and Kansas State students and researchers will work at the center.====================Man Accused of 'Quick Change' ConWASHINGTON, Mo. (AP) — An Ohio man is in custody in Missouri, accused in a "quick change" con for allegedly bilking cashiers at stores out of hundreds of dollars. The Washington Missourian reports that 59-year-old Jay V. Jackson of Cincinnati is charged with two counts of felony stealing. He is jailed on $30,000 cash-only bond. Jackson is accused of staging the con game July 13 at Wal-Mart stores in Washington and Union. Police say he stole $300 at the Washington store and $100 at Union. He is suspected of similar in other areas of Missouri and Kansas. In a "quick change" con, an offer is made to change an amount of money with someone, while at the same time taking change or bills back and forth to confuse the person making change.====================Number of U.S. Oil Rigs IncreasesHOUSTON (AP) — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Incorporated says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by six this week to 1,782. The Houston-based company said in its weekly report Friday that 1,388 rigs were exploring for oil and 388 for gas. Six were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,924 active rigs. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, West Virginia gained 11 rigs, Alaska and Louisiana each gained five, Texas gained three and Ohio gained one. Oklahoma lost eight rigs, New Mexico lost three, Colorado, Kansas and Pennsylvania each lost two and North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming each lost one. Arkansas and California were unchanged. The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.====================Prosecutors Obtain More Time for al-Qaida SentencingKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge has given prosecutors more time to recommend a sentence for a Kansas City man accused of providing financial and material support to al-Qaida. District Judge Howard Sachs on Thursday gave prosecutors until Aug. 7 to file any sentencing recommendations, including whether 34-year-old Khalid Ouazzani should get a reduction based on cooperation. Sachs previously had set a July 31 deadline for the motion. Ouazzani is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a married father of two. He pleaded guilty in May 2010 to bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to support a terrorist group after admitting he gave money to al-Qaida. He also acknowledged swearing an oath of allegiance to the terrorist network in 2008.====================Lawsuit Alleges KC Charter School Owes MillionsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A new lawsuit accuses former board members of a failed Kansas City charter school of running up more than $10 million in debt and ignoring warnings that the school could close because of the financial problems. The lawsuit was filed this week against Derrick Thomas Academy and its seven former board members by Wells Fargo Bank, which is the trustee for several bondholders. The Kansas City Star reports that the lawsuit says the Kansas City school owes bondholders $10.6 million, which was used to buy, renovate and equip the school building. The money also was used to pay a $2.5 million debt to EdisonLearning, which managed the school. The charter school closed in June.

A man has been charged with capital murder and rape in connection with the death of a 5-year-old girl in Topeka...a former Kansas City, Kansas police detective facing corruption charges has been hospitalized...and the state of Kansas is looking for new Medicaid contractors. Details on these stories, and more, are available here.

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Check out the latest Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press, as compiled by KPR news staffers.

Petersen-Klein Out as KCC DirectorTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The executive director of the Kansas Corporation Commission no longer works for the commission. KCC spokesman Jesse Borjon told The Topeka Capital-Journal that as of Friday, Patti Petersen-Klein is no longer employed by the commission. He did not specify if she was fired or quit. Controversy erupted recently after a consultant's report stated a rift had developed between Petersen-Klein and staff at the KCC, which regulates the electricity, natural gas, oil, telephone and transportation industries in Kansas. Borjon says KCC commissioner Tom Wright made a motion to terminate Petersen-Klein in an open meeting Thursday, but that motion failed. The commission then entered closed session but adjourned without any action. He says Jackie Montfoort-Paige, KCC's director of administration and finance, will be executive director until the position is filled permanently.==============================Detective Who Testified in DEA Beating AppealsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas City, Kan., police detective has filed an appeal after losing a lawsuit claiming he was punished for refusing to conceal a motorist's beating by federal agents. Attorneys for Max Seifert filed a notice of appeal Friday seeking to reverse the summary judgment granted two days earlier to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, the sheriff and an undersheriff. Seifert wants the opportunity to present his claims to a jury. Seifert alleged in his lawsuit he was retaliated against after investigating Drug Enforcement Administration agents involved in a 2003 road-rage incident that left a man with permanent brain damage. His attorneys said in a statement Friday that Seifert's testimony was crucial in that case in proving the agents had "mistreated and beaten a helpless citizen."==============================Teens Charged in KCK Shootings that Left Two DeadKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two teenagers are charged in a fatal shooting at a Kansas City, Kan., apartment building that also left a suspected co-conspirator dead. The Wyandotte County district attorney's office said Friday that Deon Graham and Tiara Harden are both charged with first-degree murder in the killing of 27-year-old Shavar Buckner. The two suspects, both 18, are also charged with aggravated robbery and conspiracy. Police found Buckner and 17-year-old Earnest Stamps shot to death Tuesday morning in a basement hallway. The charges allege the two 18-year-olds conspired with Stamps to rob Buckner. Authorities believe Stamps and Buckner exchanged gunfire during the attempted robbery, leaving both dead. Graham and Harden were being held on $1 million bonds. They did not yet have attorneys.==============================Searchers Recover Body at Kanopolis LakeMARQUETTE, Kan. (AP) — Crews have recovered a body matching the description of an 18-year-old man reported missing while kayaking on Kanopolis Lake. Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz says the body was found Friday morning in the southwest part of the lake. The Salina Journal reports that Derek Wheeler of Salina has been missing since early Tuesday when he set out with two other people in kayaks from Sand Plum Campground. A man fishing from a boat Friday morning noticed something at the shoreline and notified searchers in law enforcement boats. Ploutz says officers confirmed it was a body. The sheriff says Wheeler's family has been notified.==============================Man Working for Third Political Party in KansasMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Manhattan man says he wants moderates of both the Democratic and Republican parties to form a new political party in Kansas. Aaron Estabrook says his proposed political party would give moderates a voice to respond to extremism he sees in the current political parties. Kansas also currently recognizes the Libertarian party. Early this year, Estabrook filed political action committee finance papers for the Moderate Party of Kansas. Estabrook once voted for Republicans and worked for Tim Huelskamp when he was a state senator. But he switched to the Democratic party in 2006, citing the Iraqi war as one reason. The Hutchinson News reports the Moderate Party must collect nearly 17,000 signatures on petitions by June 1, 2014, in order to be recognized as an official party.==============================Site of Superman's Kansas Hometown Up for DebateKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hutchinson officials have agreed to rename their community Smallville for one day in a nod to its claim as boyhood home of one of the world's most recognizable superheros. But while many agree that Superman's hometown is somewhere in Kansas, The Kansas City Star reports there's no consensus that Smallville is in the south-central part of the state. Some fans think Smallville is west of Salina, while others are pretty sure its southwest of Lawrence. The new Superman movie, "Man of Steel," opens Friday. It shows Clark Kent watching a University of Kansas football game on TV and being quizzed as a boy about Sunflower State history. Hutchinson's name change happens June 21, the day Clark Kent is inducted into the Kansas Hall of Fame.==============================Group from Hutchinson Helps Fight Colorado WildfireHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A 10-member contingent from Hutchinson Community College is heading west to help fight Colorado's massive wildfire. KSNW-TV reports that the group is made up of students, former students and instructors in the college's fire science program. They expected to leave for the Colorado Springs area Friday. The group includes Jessica Peters, a Wichita resident and second-year student in the program. Peters said Thursday she knows the dangers but feels it's an honor to have the chance to help. Her assignment will be to help an engine crew fighting the flames that have burned more than 15,000 acres of the Black Forest. Rodney Redlinger, an instructor in the Hutchinson college program, says it's a good opportunity for students to find out if battling wildfires is what they really want to do.==============================Kansas A-G Urges Gov to Veto Lines in KS BudgetTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is urging Governor Sam Brownback to veto provisions in a proposed state budget for each of the next two years. Schmidt said in a statement Thursday that he and county prosecutors object to two provisions that would take funds from his agency. Both Brownback and Schmidt are Republicans. Schmidt opposes a provision diverting $600,000 in fees from applications for concealed carry permits, saying the money shouldn't be used for general government programs. He also opposes a salary cap for state agencies. Brownback has until Sunday to act on the budget bill. The measure authorizes more than $14 billion in spending for each of the next two fiscal years, starting in July. The governor has the power to veto individual line items in budget legislation.==============================KS Gov Heads to Paris Air Show Next WeekTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback plans to lead a Kansas delegation to an international air show in Paris next week to promote the state's aircraft industry. The governor's office says Brownback and state Commerce Secretary Pat George expect to spend a week in Paris, starting Monday. They'll be joined by representatives of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition and several Kansas-based aviation businesses. Wichita is an aviation hub, and the state has more than 30,000 aviation workers and 200 industry suppliers. Brownback also is touting the state's tax climate as attractive to aviation. The Republican governor has pushed over the past two years to decrease personal income taxes. Kansas had nearly $12 billion in exports last year, with aircraft sales topping $2 billion.==============================Topeka Police Search for Suspect in Fatal ShootingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Topeka are searching for a shirtless man spotted running from an apartment building where another man was found dead. Officers found 24-year-old Benjamin Jackson inside an apartment Thursday afternoon, where he was pronounced dead. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide.==============================Wichita Boy Wounded by Shots Fired Outside HomeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police believe the shooter who fired on a home and struck a sleeping 4-year-old boy targeted the wrong address. The shooting happened around 3am Thursday. Police say the boy and his mother were asleep in a bedroom of a duplex at the time. The 4-year-old was taken to St. Francis Hospital with a gunshot wound in his back. Police said he was in stable condition after surgery and is expected to recover. Police said five shots were fired from outside the home. A search for suspects continues.==============================Kansas Issues Algae Warning for 3 LakesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health officials are cautioning people to stay out of three lakes where toxic blue-green algae has been confirmed. The Department of Health and Environment issued warnings Thursday for Logan City Lake in Phillips County, Veterans Memorial Park Lake in Great Bend and the Marion Reservoir in Marion County. The agency says people, pets and livestock should not drink or have contact with water in the lakes. Any fish caught in the lakes should be cleaned and rinsed with clean water, and only the fillet portion should be eaten. KDHE says boating and fishing may be safe, but urges people to avoid direct contact such as swimming in the water.==============================Shawnee County Seeks 6-Month Delay of Concealed CarryTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Concealed weapons will not be allowed in public buildings in Shawnee County for another six months. The council commission voted Thursday to seek a delay in a new state law that allows concealed-carry permit holders to bring weapons into public buildings, beginning July 1. The law permitted local governments to seek a six-month delay until January 1, 2014. Before Thursday's vote, Commissioner Kevin Cook said county leaders need time to consider all options. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Earl McIntosh, the 2nd Amendment chairman for the Kansas Libertarian Party, asked the commission not to seek the delay, which he said put people in public buildings at risk. The commission would have to supply adequate security measures for each public property to be permanently exempt from the law.==============================State Sets Meeting for Scale Service CompaniesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Department of Agriculture officials are asking all licensed scale service companies to attend a meeting to discuss the low accuracy rate of heavy-capacity scales. The meeting will be June 27 at the department's Topeka headquarters. Tim Tyson, director of the department's Division of Weights and Measures, said in a letter that large scale accuracy rates are lower than in recent years. Thbe state also has a new policy requiring a third party to place scales on new scale installations. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported this week that state inspectors approved only 19 of the 72 heavy-capacity scales between July 2012 and February 2013. Almost half the scales did not meet state accuracy standards. About 4,000 heavy capacity scales in Kansas weigh agricultural products, scrap metal, recyclables and other materials.==============================Former KC Area Cub Scout Leader Convicted of AbusePLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) — A western Missouri jury has convicted a former Cub Scout leader on several charges of sexually abusing two girls. The Kansas City Star reports that Daryl D. Lemasters will be sentenced in August in Platte County Circuit Court. The 54-year-old Platte City man was convicted Wednesday on four counts including statutory sodomy, sexual exploitation of a minor and child enticement. Lemasters was charged after the Platte County Sheriff's Office investigated allegations in 2011 of sexual abuse against two girls, ages 11 and 9. Jurors recommended a 30-year sentence on each count for Lemasters, who worked with boys in an area Cub Scout pack from about 2000 through 2010.==============================Non-Partisan PAC Wants More Women ElectedLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Members of a political action committee say they want more women to seek political office in Kansas. The PAC, called Kansans Advancing Women, was created last November. One of its creators, Laurel Maslowski of Lawrence, says women have experiences and voices that need to be a bigger part of the political process. Maslowski says the PAC is recruiting progressive female candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. She noted only 39 of the 165 people in the Kansas Legislature this session were women, the lowest number in 15 years. She says the state has a history of electing women to political office and needs to return to that value. 6NewsLawrence reports that Maslowski hopes to recruit both men and women to join the PAC's efforts.==============================

The cyberattack on the Kansas judicial system complicates efforts to run background checks... health officials track new cases of tuberculosis in Olathe... authorities seize a massive amount of fentanyl and other drugs in Wichita... and Lawrence remembers "The Day After," 40 years later. Those headlines and more, inside.

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