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The redbelly snake has been removed from the Kansas threatened species list. (Photo credit: Suzanne Collins, Center for North American Herpetology)SALINA, Kan. (AP) - Despite scientific recommendations against it, a Kansas commission voted to remove a snake species from the state's threatened species list. The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission voted 6-1 on Thursday to remove the redbelly snake from the list. The vote came after developers in northeast Kansas complained the species' threatened status had caused costly delays in development projects. State lawmakers threatened during the last session to remove the species themselves, or to end the state's threatened and endangered species program. The Wichita Eagle reports that Robin Jennison, Wildlife and Parks secretary, said he feared lawmakers would impose more limitations on his department if the snake was not removed from the list. The snake will be considered a "species in need of conservation," which provides little protection from habitat destruction.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback kicked off his re-election campaign Tuesday morning by saying he'd work to create 100,000 new private-sector jobs in the next four years. At a rally in Overland Park, he said he would continue his policy of low tax rates to attract employers to the state. After presenting the platform, which he called "Road Map 2.0," the governor shrugged off questions about the state's shaky economic recovery. ("We've had great growth in this state, and we're going to continue to invest in that private sector job growth and personal income growth.")Federal data show that Kansas jobs grew at a sluggish 3.5 percent since Brownback took office. Nationally, the average is 6.1 percent. A Rasmussen poll released today (TUE) showed the governor currently trailing his Democratic opponent Paul Davis by ten points.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Federal data shows that political and special interest groups spent nearly $17 million in Kansas starting in September in the nationally watched race between Republican Sen. Pat Roberts and his independent challenger. Online records of the Federal Election Commission show the three-term GOP incumbent benefited more from the outside spending than independent candidate Greg Orman. Roberts won re-election. Groups spent nearly $10 million on activities supporting Roberts or opposing Orman. They spent about $6.8 million supporting Orman or opposing Roberts. This year's election was the first time Kansas saw such significant spending. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down limits on such spending in January 2010, but such groups reported almost none during the competitive Republican primary won that year by Jerry Moran, who had an easy general election race.

Source: Gallup Poll (Image credit: The Huffington Post)KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A new Gallup poll shows Kansas is the only state in the nation to see a significant increase in its uninsured rate this year, while states that adopted parts of the Affordable Care Act have seen the largest declines. The Kansas City Star reports that the adult uninsured rate in Kansas rose from 12.5 percent last year to 17.6 percent during the first half of this year, giving it the seventh-highest uninsured rate in U.S. Missouri's uninsured rate remained essentially flat, with 15.2 percent uninsured in 2013 and 15.1 percent uninsured this year. Research director Dan Witters did not offer an explanation for the growth in Kansas uninsured. A spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services says the ACA was directly responsible for the state's spike.

U.S./Mexican border near Tecate (Photo via commons.wikimedia.org)WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Senator Pat Roberts says drug cartels are enticing Central American immigrants to come to the United States to work for their operations here. The Kansas Republican made the claim Monday at the annual convention of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association. He says the cartels spread false information that President Barack Obama's 2-year-old directive granting work permits to certain immigrants brought here illegally as youths would also allow Central American children to stay in the country. Many of the 66,000 Central American immigrants currently arriving in the country are between the ages of 16 and 22. Roberts says those immigrants become drug "mules" to expand the cartels' drug operation in the United States. He estimates the number will grow to 100,000 if the U.S. doesn't respond.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican congresswoman Lynn Jenkins has maintained her big fundraising lead over Democratic challenger Margie Wakefield in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas. Finance reports filed last week by their campaigns show Jenkins ended June with nearly $2 million in cash on hand for her campaign. Wakefield had less than $236,000. Jenkins also raised almost three times as much in cash contributions from April through June, $382,000 compared with $135,000 for Wakefield. The biggest advantage for Jenkins was with political action committees. She raised nearly $255,000 from PACs, compared with less than $20,000 for Wakefield. Jenkins is seeking her fourth two-year term. Wakefield is a Lawrence attorney. Jenkins faces Joshua Joel Tucker of Pittsburg in the August 5 GOP primary, but he raised only about $6,800 during the last quarter.

Under the new Farm Bill, farmers may get less money for conservation. For 27 years, the popular Conservation Reserve Program has transformed small parcels of land, contributing to cleaner water, more habitat for migrating birds and less soil erosion. But the program has been enrolling fewer acres in recent years and it’s not just budget cuts that could make it smaller still. Harvest Public Media’s Amy Mayer filed this report from Iowa.The USDA has announced a general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program from late May (5/20) through mid-June (6/14).Harvest Public Media is a reporting collaborative of Kansas Public Radio and other public stations across the Midwest. Find more stories at HarvestPublicMedia dot org.

(Mug Shots of Franklin County Sheriff Jeffry D. Curry and Franklin County Sheriff's deputy and public information officer Jerrod W. Fredricks.)OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — An eastern Kansas sheriff and deputy have been charged with felony interference with law enforcement operations following a five-month investigation. Franklin County Sheriff Jeffry Curry and deputy Jerrod Fredricks were arrested Wednesday by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Curry is also charged with misdemeanor official misconduct. State and county authorities did not disclose details of the KBI investigation or the charges, saying more information would be released at the men's first court appearances on March 6. Curry and Fredricks were taken for their safety to the Wyandotte County jail. The jail's website showed both released later Wednesday — Curry on a $3,000 bond and Fredricks on a $1,500 bond. Neither man has a listed phone number. The case is being prosecuted by the Shawnee County district attorney.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new report says enrollment is down this fall at the 19 community colleges in Kansas. The report for the Kansas Board of Regents says statewide community college enrollments are down 3.82 percent, which is a drop of 3,095 students from last fall. The total number of students at the colleges was 77,829 when classes started.The largest decline was at Kansas City Kansas Community College, which lost 911 students from last fall, a 12.77 percent drop to a total 6,575 student population. The biggest school, Johnson County Community College, saw a drop of 3.7 percent. Two area schools are bucking the trend: Flint Hills Technical College and Manhattan Area Technical College saw gains of 11 and 10 percent, respectively.The Board of Regents' head count is based on the first 20 days of the fall semester. Enrollment may go up as students sign up for a second eight-week schedule and for online courses.

Texas blues-rock guitarist and singer Johnny Winter is in Lawrence tonight (WED) for a film screening and a concert at the Lawrence Arts Center as part of the Free State Festival. The evening begins with a screening of the new documentary film “Johnny Winter: Down and Dirty”...part of the commemoration of his 70th birthday this year. Winter and filmmaker Greg Oliver will be on hand to discuss the film. That will be followed by a free concert. Johnny Winter spoke with KPR's Tom Parkinson last week about his music and his long and legendary career. He talked about his early years as a working musician. Winter started performing with his brother Edgar before the age of 10. A screening of the film “Johnny Winter: Down and Dirty” will happen at 6:30 tonight (WED) at the Lawrence Arts Center followed by a free concert at 8:30. More information at LawrenceArtsCenter.org.