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More than $6 billion in federal funding has been routed through a firm that manages defense contracts, making the agreements subject to less federal scrutiny and transparency.

New data show the advantages they have, especially with the unpopularity of President Trump.

Tax Cut Bill Passes House, Despite Critics' MisgivingsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas House has approved a sweeping package of tax cuts, sending it to the Senate despite misgivings that it costs too much and favors the wealthy over poor residents. Supporters say the plan approved Wednesday is a step toward tax relief and job creation. Critics say some provisions favor the wealthy and businesses. Others say Kansas can't afford the plan, estimated to cost between $375 million to $425 million. It's the second plan approved by the House in two years to cut income taxes. Last year plan's never got a vote in the Senate. And on Wednesday, a Senate committee endorsed a separate income tax plan offered by Republican Governor Sam Brownback with minor changes. House Speaker Mike O'Neal says he's confident some form of tax relief will pass.===================================Kansas House Panel Settles on Congressional District Remapping Plan A Kansas House committee is narrowly backing a congressional redistricting proposal that would split the Kansas City area between two U.S. House districts. The Redistricting Committee approved the proposal Wednesday on a 12-11 vote, with House Speaker Mike O'Neal breaking a tie. O'Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, drafted the plan and serves as the panel's chairman. The vote indicates the proposal probably will go to the House for further debate. However, O'Neal said he'll hold another committee meeting Thursday to see whether another plan garners more support. His plan divides Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area, keeping part of it with neighboring Johnson County in the 3rd District. But some of the county's urban neighborhoods would be placed in an expanded 1st District, grouping them with western Kansas communities more than 400 miles away. ===============================Kansas Senate Panel Delays Votes on Remapping PlansTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee has delayed voting until Friday on two bills redrawing state legislative districts. The Reapportionment Committee had been scheduled to take final action Wednesday on the measures. But Chairman Tim Owens, an Overland Park Republican, noted the committee needed to wrap up hearings on the measures first. One bill adjusts the boundaries of state Senate districts to account for changes in population over the past decade. The other bill follows a bipartisan plan for a new map of Kansas House districts. The House has already passed the measure, and — if tradition holds — the Senate will approve it without making changes.============================ State Computer Project Delay Could Affect Voter ID Law ImplementationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A delay in a major Kansas computer project is complicating Secretary of State Kris Kobach's effort to have a proof-of-citizenship rule in place for new voters ahead of this year's presidential election. A law taking effect January 1, 2013, will require people registering to vote for the first time in Kansas to prove their citizenship. Kobach wants to move the effective date of the rule to June 15. The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee learned Wednesday that a key phase of a $40 million upgrade of the Department of Revenue's computers won't be ready until at least August 1. Many senators have said if that phase is completed they can be sure the department can transfer electronic copies of documents used to prove voters' U.S. citizenship to election officials.================================ Suspect Held on $10M Bond in Topeka SlayingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A suspect has been arrested and is being held on $10 million bond in the death and sexual assault of an 8-year-old Topeka girl. The suspect was booked into the Shawnee County jail late Tuesday in the death of Ahliyah Nachell Irvin. Matt Patterson, senior assistant district attorney, told The Topeka Capital-Journal that the suspect appeared before a judge Wednesday and an attorney was appointed for him. The Shawnee County court clerk's office said formal charges were still pending as of early Wednesday afternoon. Police found the child's body early Tuesday in the same southeast Topeka apartment complex where family members reported her missing about 45 minutes earlier. Authorities have not said how she was killed or exactly where in the apartment complex she was found. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday.=================================== 50 from DeSoto High School Band Trip Treated for Food PoisoningPITTSBURGH (AP) _ Fifty students and chaperones from DeSoto High School in Kansas have been treated for food poisoning symptoms at a western Pennsylvania hospital after they stopped on their way home from a band trip to New York when they became ill. A spokeswoman for Excela Frick Hospital says 40 students and 10 chaperones have been treated at the hospital in Mount Pleasant, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania and New York state health departments are investigating where the band ate. The group ate somewhere in New York before 164 of them headed home on three buses early Wednesday. Those sickened have been treated and have begun their return trip home.===============================Ex-Health Insurance Exec Questions Gov's Medicaid Overhaul PlanTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former health insurance executive is raising questions about Governor Sam Brownback's plan to move the state's Medicaid program to a managed-care system. Wendell Potter spoke to advocates for the disabled and testified before a Kansas Senate committee Tuesday about his concerns over the proposal, called KanCare. He is a former public relations specialist for Humana and Cigna. Potter told the advocates that he does not question Brownback's motives for suggesting the changes. But he says there are better ways to serve vulnerable citizens than turning health care over to for-profit insurance companies. Currently, five insurance companies are bidding for three state Medicaid contracts. KanCare is scheduled to take effect January 1. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Brownback officials said Tuesday that KanCare will provide better management of all services.==============================Woman Killed, Man Injured in Vehicle / Pedestrian AccidentKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A woman was killed and a man suffered minor injuries when they were hit by a vehicle in Kansas City, Kansas. Police said the woman and man were walking in the road when they were hit yesterday (TUE) evening. The driver stopped and stayed at the scene until police arrived. The women's identity has not been released.===============================Wisconsin Soldier Based at Fort Riley Dies in AfghanistanHAZEL GREEN, Wis. (AP) — The Department of Defense says a military police officer from southwestern Wisconsin has died while serving in Afghanistan. Thirty-year-old Staff Sgt. Jesse Grindey (GRIN'-dee) of Hazel Green died Monday in Kandahar province. No details of Grindey's death were released. The U.S. Army is investigating. Grindey was a military policeman assigned to the 287th Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion based at Fort Riley. It was his second deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Grindey joined the Army 10 years ago. His stepmother says he had just been deployed to Afghanistan on December 31. Grindey was married and had two children. Funeral arrangements are pending.=========================== Parents Claiming Sons Were Abused at Kansas Military SchoolSALINA, Kan. (AP) _ A Kansas military school is being sued by parents of cadets who say their sons were regularly abused by older students with the blessing of school officials. The Salina Journal reports the federal lawsuit was filed against St. John's Military School last week in Kansas City, Kansas. It claims the school allows older students, called "Disciplinarians," to discipline younger students who step out of line. The parents of four boys claim their sons suffered severe beatings by the Disciplinarians, and when the boys reported the abuse to school officials, the beatings got worse. School President Andy England says he was meeting with legal counsel and the school was doing "due diligence" before responding to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims the school has settled nine similar abuse cases since 2006.=========================== Salina Commission OKs Anti-Discrimination OrdinanceSALINA, Kan. (AP) _ The Salina Human Relations Commission is supporting a proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance. The commission voted Tuesday to recommend that the Salina City Commission make the changes to discourage discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The Salina Journal reports businesses with city contracts that have fewer than four employees and those who do less than $20,000 a year in business with the city would be exempt. Commissioners agreed to recommend the city take a year to make the changes in contracts for goods and services as the contracts come up for renewal. They also will recommend a 60-day period for more public education about the changes before they are implemented.========================================Football Game to Aid Harveyville Tornado ReliefTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Ready for some football? How about if going to a semi-pro game would help families recovering from the Harveyville tornado? The Topeka Thunder will play the West Central Warriors of Belton, Missouri on Sunday afternoon in a benefit for Harveyville. The northeastern Kansas town sustained extensive damage and one death when it was hit February 28 by an EF-2 tornado. The Thunder and the Warriors play in the Central Plains Football League. The semi-pro association has more than a dozen eight-man teams throughout Kansas and Missouri that play a high-scoring, arena-style of game outdoors. Sunday's game will be played at the SportZone complex in Topeka. Donations of money, food, clothing and other items will be accepted for admission.==============================32-Year-Old Man Shot to Death in SE KansasGALENA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in southeastern Kansas have one person in custody as they investigate a fatal shooting. The Cherokee County News-Advocate reports that several people called 911 shortly before midnight Monday reporting a shooting in Galena. Officers found a wounded man at the scene and took him to a hospital in Joplin, Missouri, where he died early yesterday (TUE). He's identified as 32-year-old Justin Eakes. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Department says a 38-year-old man was arrested and held on suspicion of voluntary manslaughter. Charges are expected later in the week. Details about the two men's relationship were being withheld while the investigation continued.==============================Man Convicted in Fatal Shooting, Attempted Robbery in TopekaTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man will be sentenced May 8 for a fatal shooting during an attempted robbery. Yesterday (TUE), a Shawnee County jury convicted Kyree Mashon McClelland of first-degree murder and four other felonies in the August shooting of 32-year-old Timothy James Stone. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that testimony at the trial indicated that Stone was shot during a struggle with McClelland and another man after McClelland had pulled a gun and demanded money. McClelland was severely beaten and had to be put into a medically induced coma to help with recovery from blunt force trauma to the face and head.=========================== KS Lawmaker Faces New Complaints from ActivistTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A longtime Republican activist in Kansas has filed two ethics complaints against a state senator, accusing him of misusing campaign funds and filing a false campaign finance report with the state. Kris Van Meteren, of Ozawkie, filed the complaints yesterday (TUE) against Sen. Dwayne Umbarger, a Thayer Republican, with the state Governmental Ethics Commission. Van Meteren is a reviving a case he pursued unsuccessfully in 2008, but he's also added new allegations. Umbarger called the complaints a waste of taxpayer dollars. He said it's a sign he's likely to face opposition in the GOP primary in August. Van Meteren is questioning about $6,000 worth of expenditures made by Umbarger from his campaign fund from 2004 into 2009, alleging that Umbarger illegally converted campaign funds to personal use. Umbarger disputes the allegations.==============================Expansion Plans Discussed at University of Kansas HospitalWESTWOOD, Kan. (AP) — Patient growth is prompting the University of Kansas Hospital to expand more quickly than planned. In July 2010, the hospital's board approved a plan to open a 32-bed patient unit and build two new floors for future expansion at its Center for Advanced Heart Care in Kansas City, Kansas. The new plan calls for adding 84 beds to the hospital on all three new floors. The hospital's authority board was told yesterday (TUE) that the entire space will be filled in by this summer. Hospital officials say when the $56.7 million project is done, the hospital will ask the state to expand its limit on adult beds to 745 from 620. The hospital plans to hire 200 to 250 employees for the new space.===============================Salina Commission OKs Anti-Discrimination ChangeSALINA, Kan. (AP) — The Salina Human Relations Commission is supporting a proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance. The commission voted yesterday (TUE) to recommend that the Salina City Commission make the changes to discourage discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The Salina Journal reports that businesses with city contracts that have fewer than four employees and those who do less than $20,000 a year in business with the city would be exempt. Commissioners agreed to recommend the city take a year to make the changes in contracts for goods and services as the contracts come up for renewal. They also will recommend a 60-day period for more public education about the changes before they are implemented.===============================Bungled Escape Attempt Leaves KS Teenage Girls All WetWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita say three teenage girls who plotted to escape from a juvenile detention facility instead found themselves being evacuated wearing nothing but towels. The Wichita Eagle reports the girls -- ages 16 and 17 -- soaked a washcloth in a flammable liquid and set it on fire in a vent Monday night. Police Lt. Doug Nolte says they planned to slip out when the center was evacuated because of the fire alarm. When the smoke detector didn't immediately go off, they jumped into the shower to cover their absence. That's when the fire alarm went off. The staff evacuated the 55 girls housed at the facility, including the three in the shower. All were returned to the center after the washcloth was found.=============================== Drought Forces Relocation of Kansas Bison HerdGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — The ongoing drought prompted the state to temporarily move a bison herd from the Sandsage Bison and Wildlife Area near Garden City. The 40 bison were moved to the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge in McPherson County. The Garden City Telegram reports 10 bison were left at the Sandsage area. They'll be fed hay until enough forage grows for them to graze. Tom Norman, area manager for the state wildlife department, says the drought has reduced forage in the Sandsage area. He says normal precipitation is 18 inches per year and the 3,670-acre wildlife area has not been able to recover from years of below-average precipitation. The herd has been consistently reduced since 2002 but pastures still aren't able to keep up with the bison's forage needs.===============================Wichita Grocer Gets 6 Months in Prison for Food Stamp FraudWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita grocery store owner will go to federal prison for his part in a scheme that paid customers cash for less than the value of their food stamps and pocketed the difference. Ahmed Al-Maleki was sentenced yesterday (TUE) by U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten to six months in prison followed by six months of home detention. The owner of Kansas Food Market had pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and food stamp fraud. Marten also found that the loss to taxpayers amounted to $130,000, and ordered Al-Maleki to pay restitution in that amount. Marten said there are consequences to breaking the law. But he also imposed a sentence below advisory guidelines because Al-Maleki's wife speaks no English and cannot drive, making it difficult to care for their five children.============================== Judge Sides with Nebraska Firm in Kansas Gas LawsuitWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has granted a Nebraska gas firm immediate access to 9,100 condemned acres in south-central Kansas at the center of a fight over gas seeping from the company's underground storage facility. Yesterday (TUE), U.S. District Judge Monti Belot issued a preliminary injunction sought by Northern Natural Gas Company prohibiting owners of gas wells on the properties from using them to develop other underground formations. Northern wants to use the existing wells to inject water underground to stem the seepage of gas from storage. It also wants authority to enter affected properties. Belot's order requires the company to posts bonds of $7.8 million. That's in addition to depositing $2.67 million on which property owners can draw until compensation for the condemnation is resolved.========================= KCMO Begins Childhood Reading Proficiency ProgramKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Young Kansas City schoolchildren are the focus of a new program designed to improve their reading skills. Mayor Sly James says the effort to have all children reading at grade level by third grade is the most important economic development in the city. The plan will use social service groups, pediatricians, librarians, health care providers, summer school programmers, youth clubs, ministers, counselors and educators from multiple school systems. The Kansas City Star reports only one-third of the third-graders in public schools in Kansas City's city limits scored at a proficient level or better in 2011. That includes students from all or portions of 11 school districts, plus charter schools. About 30 people have been gathering data, setting baselines and looking for success stories to share with students.=================================Dallas Cowboys Sign Two Ex-Chiefs The Dallas Cowboys have already accomplished two of their primary goals in free agency, upgrading their secondary and getting a veteran backup quarterback. Cornerback Brandon Carr, who was apparently Dallas' top target, agreed Wednesday to a five-year deal, and quarterback Kyle Orton agreed to a three-year deal to be Tony Romo's backup. Both played in Kansas City last season. Dallas also announced the signings of unrestricted free-agent offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau from the Carolina Panthers to a four-year deal, and fullback Lawrence Vickers from Houston for two years. Within hours after free agency began Tuesday afternoon, team officials visited with Carr at Cowboys Stadium.=============================== California Man Sentenced for Dodge City Bank HoldupKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A California man is going to prison for the armed holdup of a Dodge City bank in October 2010. The U.S. Attorney's office says 33-year-old Angel Garcia Aguirre, of Santa Paula, California, was sentenced yesterday (TUE) to 12 years and three months behind bars. Garcia Aguirre pleaded guilty last year to one count each of bank robbery and brandishing a firearm, admitting he and another man robbed a Bank of America branch in Dodge City on October 21, 2010. He said he stood in the lobby while the other man jumped over a teller's counter and grabbed money. Garcia Aguirre was shot and wounded by police the following day when they tried to confront him at a home. Police shot Garcia Aguirre after he climbed out a window and tried to scale a fence.===============================KS Lawmakers Face Votes on Redistricting PlansTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Committees in the Kansas House and Senate are facing critical votes on legislation redrawing the state's political boundaries. The House Redistricting Committee scheduled a debate and a vote today (WED) on a bill adjusting the outlines of the state's four U.S. House districts. The Senate approved a bipartisan plan last month, but Republican Governor Sam Brownback and many GOP legislators don't like it. It would leave Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, the senior member of the state's all-Republican delegation in the U.S. House, with a slightly more Democratic district. The Senate Reapportionment Committee's agenda calls for votes today (WED) on separate bills redrawing state House and Senate districts. Kansas legislators are redrawing their own districts and the four congressional districts to account for changes in population over the past decade.==============================KS House to Take Final Vote on Tax CutsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The first tax bill of the 2012 session is one House vote away from going to the Kansas Senate, where prospects are less than certain. House members will take a final vote today (WED) on the measure that would reduce income tax rates and eliminate the sales tax charged on food. Passage of the bill would mark the second time in two years that the House has voted to cut income taxes. The plan would also phase-out earnings taxes for thousands of partnerships, sole proprietorships and other small businesses. Republican Governor Sam Brownback has pushed cutting tax rates as a top goal of the 2012 session as he seeks to revive the Kansas economy. Critics of the bill say it will leave Kansas government with limited resources in future years. Meanwhile, critics on both sides of the Statehouse aisle are assailing a proposed $14 billion Kansas budget because it would push local school districts to tap cash reserves for higher-than-expected costs. The budget would eliminate $29 million in new money for the state's 286 school districts. Governor Sam Brownback endorsed the spending.

UPDATE: Joint Chiefs Chairman Speaks at Kansas State UniversityMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) _ The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he wants to increase the national conversation about war veterans and how they're treated and regarded in society. General Martin Dempsey spoke Monday to a large audience of soldiers, faculty and students at Kansas State University. He said he believes the nation has a positive image of its military men and women. But Dempsey says that after many years of war, it's important for veterans and the nation to talk about the role of those who have served, where they fit in society and whether they're regarded as heroes, victims or average citizens. Dempsey's speech was part of Kansas State's Landon Lecture series.=================12 Ex-Lawmakers Seek Return to Kansas LegislatureTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A dozen former Kansas lawmakers are trying to return to the Legislature in the November 6th general election. Most are Democrats, and half of them are former Democratic House members who lost their seats two years ago when conservative Republican Governor Sam Brownback swept into office. The group also includes Dennis McKinney, of Greensburg, who served 16 years in the House and became its minority leader before a two-year stint as state treasurer. He lost the treasurer's race in 2010. McKinney says he thinks voters will find his experience valuable. His Republican opponent in the 117th House District, John Ewy of Jetmore isn't daunted. Ewy says he respects McKinney but has garnered a lot of trust among voters himself as a lifelong resident of the area.==========================Calculation Error Found in State AssessmentsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas education officials say the achievement gap between rich and poor and minority and non-minority students grew less this year than initially thought. The state Education Department issued a news release Monday blaming a mistake in calculating results of assessment tests. The problem arose from how the state dealt with three districts that don't give their older students the standard state exam. McPherson, Clifton-Clyde and Kansas City, Kansas are using different tests after receiving waivers from the No Child Left Behind education law. Scores on the alternative exams were converted for use in calculating statewide results. But students from those three districts were counted twice. The department now says the gap in reading between black and white students grew by 3.1 percentage points, not 7.5 points as initially reported.==========================State of Kansas Sues to Stop Auction of 'In Cold Blood' FilesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas has sued the family of a deceased Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who worked on the 1959 murders that became the subject of Truman Capote's crime novel "In Cold Blood." The lawsuit seeks to block the auction of Harold Nye's case files on the murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb. Attorney General Derek Schmidt wants a judge to order their return and prohibit their sale, publication or distribution. Nye's son, Ronald, of Oklahoma City, gave the materials to Vintage Memorabilia to auction. The auction house is also named as a defendant. Schmidt contends the files belong to KBI and should not be auctioned for personal gain. They include notebooks and crime scene photos never before seen by the public. Ronald Nye did not immediately return a message Monday.========================== Speakers Rally in Topeka for Legalization of PotTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — About 100 people attended a weekend rally in Topeka to support legalizing marijuana. Topeka City Councilman Andrew Gray, a Libertarian, said during the rally Saturday outside the Statehouse that legalizing marijuana would open up a source of tax revenue and make available more diverse pain management options for patients. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Jon Hauxwell, a retired family physician from Hays, said he doesn't support legalizing the drug for young people whose brains are still forming. But he says denying patients access to marijuana for medication is "unconscionable."=================== KGS Rate Increase Request Differs from RecommendationWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The rate increase that Kansas Gas Service is seeking is far higher than the amount staff at the Kansas Corporation Commission has recommended. The gas company is asking for a net increase of about $32 million a year, and KCC staff recommends the company get only $3.6 million. The Wichita Eagle reports that the recommendations are cited in documents filed last week. The gas company's proposal would raise the average customer's bill by $5.68 a month. The KCC proposal would boost those bills about one dollar. KGS spokeswoman Dawn Ewing says the company's still analyzing the KCC staff recommendations but believes its original proposal would result in fair and reasonable rates. The KCC's three commissioners serve as judges in rate cases and will make the final decision by January 14th.========================KDOT Asking for Solutions to Possible Funding ReductionsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ State transportation officials are crossing the state to discuss possible solutions to an expected reduction in funding for highway projects. Kansas Department of Transportation officials visited with local government and community leaders in Salina, Hays, Dodge City and Hutchinson last week. Similar meetings are planned in Olathe, Topeka, Chanute and Wichita before October 11. The officials are discussing how to maintain funding in the face of declining revenue from the federal government and the state's motor fuel tax. The Hutchinson News reports the top three solutions chosen at last week's meetings included increasing the motor fuels tax; levying a tax on alternative fuels and imposing an extra annual registration fee on cars that run on alternative fuels or electricity.==================== UPDATE: Salina Police Officer Maimed in StandoffSALINA, Kan. (AP) _ A Salina police officer who was shot during a standoff last week lost sight in one eye. Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield says Officer Chuck Huen faces additional surgeries after being shot in the right eye during the standoff. Mansfield said the standoff began after officers responded to a report of a possible stolen car and/or domestic incident late Thursday. When they went into the home, they exchanged gunfire with 19-year old Marijon Gadson. Officers retreated and Gadson was later found dead in the basement. Mansfield says Gadson likely was dead for much of the six-hour standoff and it is likely he committed suicide. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is working with area police on the case.===================== Kansas Death Row Inmate Appeals SentenceARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) _ The Cowley County prosecutor says a response is planned to an appeal from a death row inmate convicted in the 2007 murder of a Cowley County student. Justin Thurber of Arkansas City filed the appeal with the Kansas Supreme Court in July, contending that several errors were made during his trial. Thurber was convicted in February 2009 in the death of 19-year-old Jodi Sanderholm, whose battered body was found in January 2007 in the Kaw Wildlife Area. The appeal contends several errors were significant enough to reverse the verdict. The Arkansas City Traveler reportsCowley County Attorney Chris Smith said Friday that the Kansas Attorney General's Office has until April to file a response. He says a hearing on Thurber's appeal before the Supreme Court has not been scheduled.======================== Reservoir Releases Cause Concern Among BusinessesMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas business owners say the release of billions of gallons of water from Kansas reservoirs this summer to support barge traffic on the Missouri River has hurt their reservoir-based businesses. The Army Corps of Engineers says, however, that a congressional mandate requires it to release water from the reservoirs so barges can navigate the Missouri River, which was considerably lower this summer because of the drought. Business owners along Perry, Tuttle Creek and Milford reservoirs, say the releases have dropped the lake levels so low that they can't support their businesses, like marinas. Tuttle Creek reservoir is six to seven feet below normal, and boat slips and docks are 15 feet below their normal spots. Milford State Park also had to shut down a number of boat ramps.=======================Writer and KPR Commentator Donates First-Edition Copy of 'In Cold Blood'TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A first-edition, autographed copy of "In Cold Blood" that was once found at an estate sale will be housed at Washburn University. Tom Averill, the writer in residence at Washburn, donated the book to the university's Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection after it was given to him by a student. The volume is autographed by Truman Capote, who wrote the book about the infamous 1959 killings of the Clutter family in Holcomb. The book is also signed by six Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents and administrators who helped catch killers Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. The book was originally given by Capote to Maxine Manchester, who worked at the KBI from 1959 to 1967. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the value of the book has not been determined.======================= OP Mayor Says Open Carry Won't Change SuburbOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The mayor of the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park doesn't expect to see a lot of people walking around with firearms now that the Kansas City suburb's city council has approved an ordinance allowing open carry in public areas. Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach told The Kansas City Star that Wichita didn't see that happen when it adopted a similar ordinance in July. Overland Park's City Council passed the new law this week. It allows gun owners to openly carry firearms in public places if they keep the weapons in holsters with the safety engaged and within their immediate control. The law applies to all public places except buildings that have signs prohibiting weapons. The ordinance allows any legal gun owner to openly display a firearm in public.=================== Former Topeka Vicar Charged with Child Sex CrimeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A former vicar at a Lutheran church in Topeka has been charged with a child sex crime. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Hugh Cranford faces two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The charges were filed Wednesday in Shawnee County District Court. No attorney is listed for Cranford in online court records. Cranford, of Kingwood, Texas, was a student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He began his vicarage at Faith Lutheran Church in July 2011, but was suspended by Concordia Seminary in June. Seminary president Dale Meyer says the seminary acted immediately upon hearing about the allegations of misconduct. He also says the alleged incidents didn't take place at Faith Lutheran Church or Topeka Lutheran School.=====================Cause of Fort Riley Soldier's Death SoughtOGDEN, Kan. (AP) — Police in Riley County say foul play is not suspected in the death of a Fort Riley soldier at his home off the northeast Kansas post. WIBW-TV reports that a relative found 33-year-old Sergeant Duriel Powell not breathing Friday at his home in Ogden. Emergency medical personnel determined Powell was deceased. Riley County Police Lieutenant Josh Kyle says there were no signs of foul play, and an autopsy will be conducted. Officials with the 1st Infantry Division say Powell was a field artillery radar operator. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team.===================== U.S. Secretary of Transportation to Visit JCCCOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is scheduled to join a panel discussion on job training in northeastern Kansas. The event takes place Monday afternoon at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. Others members of the panel include Kansas Secretary of Transportation Mike King and Matt Rose, chairman and CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The U.S. Transportation Department says the discussion will focus on partnership opportunities aimed at designing job training to match skills with employer needs.===================== Banking Regulator with KC Ties to Speak at Westminster CollegeFULTON, Mo. (AP) — The former president of the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City will speak Monday in Fulton on the future of banking. Thomas Hoenig's 4 pm lecture at Westminster College's Coulter Science Center is free and open to the public. Hoenig is now a director and vice chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the number two job at the independent Washington agency. Hoenig was president of the Kansas City Fed for 10 years before his high-level appointment in April. He joined the bank in 1975 as an economist and was also a vice president and senior vice president. He has been a vocal critic of big banks, and says he favors a restructuring of the country's banking system.====================== Topeka Neighbors Set Up Boxes to Exchange BooksTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Residents in two Topeka neighborhoods are checking out books at Little Free Libraries. It's part of a national project to promote literacy by installing small boxes in people's yards that neighbors can use to take or donate books — all for free. The project is expected to expand in Topeka. Two groups are collaborating to build, paint and install 20 Little Free Libraries in the city by November. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the goal is to eventually have a free library installed in every zip code in Topeka. The effort is being led by Women Empowerment Incorporated and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka. The groups are coordinating the building of the boxes and looking for volunteers to have them placed in their yards.(You can hear KPR's September 14 report on this project at this link.)===================== Oil Rig Scam Defendants Set for First Court DateWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Seven men accused of cheating investors out of $132 million with false promises about companies that leased oil rigs are due in federal court in Wichita. Six of the defendants are from Kansas; the other is from Oklahoma. A federal grand jury indicted them in September on charges including of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. All of the men received summonses for first appearances Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Humphreys in Wichita. First appearances typically involve appointment of legal counsel and bond setting.=====================Sedgwick County Investigates Woman's DeathWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Sedgwick County authorities are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in a ditch. A passerby found the body of 38-year-old Amber L. Kostner early Sunday in a ditch near Campus High School. A 41-year-old suspect was arrested and is being held at the Sedgwick County Detention Center. Investigators said Kostner and the suspect had been living together since late spring. The case will be presented to the district attorney's office for formal charges later this week.====================== Kansas Man Sentenced to Life for Quadruple MurdersKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) _ A Kansas City, Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2009 shooting deaths of four people, including a 3-year-old girl. The Kansas City Star reports that 40-year-old Adrian W. Burks would have to serve 200 years before he could seek parole under the sentence imposed Monday in Wyandotte County District. Burks had pleaded no contest to four counts of first-degree murder in the June 2009 shootings at the Kansas City, Kansas home of 66-year-old James Warren. Besides Warren, the victims were 41-year-old Peggy Castleberry; her 3-year-old daughter, Juanita Castleberry Bess; and 21-year-old Amanda Remmers. Burks and Remmers had a previous relationship, and authorities said he had threatened her before the killings.===================== 2 Killed in Separate Shootings in CoffeyvilleCOFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) — Coffeyville police are investigating two shootings over the weekend that left two people dead and two injured. Thirty-two-year-old James Logan of Coffeyville and 31-year-old Latrell Boyd of Pine Bluff, Arkansas died in shootings late Friday at an apartment complex. A 20-year-old Coffeyville man was treated and released for injuries from that shooting. Early Saturday, a second shooting left 39-year-old Anthony Wilson with non-life-threatening wounds. No arrests have been made. Police are looking for at least two people who are believed to be involved in the shootings. The KBI and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are helping with the investigation.=====================KU Microbiologist Wins National AwardLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A microbiologist at the University of Kansas has won a national award for his research into bacteria cells. Joe Lutkenhaus, a distinguished professor of microbiology, molecular genetics and immunology at Kansas, has been named one of three winners of Columbia University's 2012 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Lutkenhaus won the honor along with Richard Losick of Harvard University and Lucy Shapiro of the Stanford University School of Medicine. Columbia announced the awards last week. Lutkenhaus says his discoveries showed that bacterial cells are more similar to the larger cells found in plants and animals than scientists had known before. Of the 87 people to win the honor for research in biology and biochemistry, 42 have gone on to win a Nobel Prize.===================== KU Prof Co-Authors Book on Tenure, MotherhoodLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A University of Kansas professor has co-authored a book about raising children while seeking tenure. "Academic Motherhood: How Faculty Manage Work and Family" tells the story of more than 100 women in a range of academic disciplines and institutions. Lisa Wolf-Wendel is a professor of educational leadership and policy studies professor at the University of Kansas. Her co-author, Kelly Ward, chairs the department of educational leadership and counseling psychology at Washington State University. Wolf-Wendel says one issue that makes academia unique is that faculty members only have a certain amount of time in their career to attain tenure. And that time often occurs as they are starting families. The book offers ways for institutions to help, including affordable day care and tenure stop clock policies.=====================Lawrence Building Tied to German-American HistoryLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ The purchase of Lawrence's oldest standing community building is raising interest in the city's German-American history. Last week, the Lawrence Preservation Alliance bought the 1869 Turnhalle building. Lawrence historian Dennis Domer says at least 800 German-speaking residents lived in Lawrence in 1895, when the city had less than 10,000 residents. They had their own newspaper and strong influence in the city for years. The Lawrence Journal-World reports German-Americans began to retreat from their heritage after the start of World War I because of strong anti-German feelings in the country. The community center stopped taking members and eventually the building was sold. The preservation alliance hopes to restore the exterior and ensure the stability of the structure, and then sell it for a commercial venture.=====================Chiefs' Head Coach Sticks with Cassel at QuarterbackKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Romeo Crennel is sticking with Matt Cassel for now. The Chiefs coach reiterated his stance Monday that Cassel will be the Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback when the Baltimore Ravens visit Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday. Crennel made the declaration unprompted in the minutes after Cassel threw three interceptions and the Chiefs turned the ball over six times in a 37-20 loss to the Chargers over the weekend. Cassel has thrown seven picks and lost three fumbles through four games this season, and many fans are starting to call for Brady Quinn to get a shot at the job. Quinn hasn't started a game since 2009 with Cleveland.===================== UMKC to Kick Off New Apparel Line This WeekKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An updated version of the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Kangaroo mascot that was drawn by Walt Disney will be featured on a soon-to-be unveiled line of merchandise. A fashion show is planned to show off the new apparel and accessories during next week's homecoming festivities. The models will include Chancellor Leo Morton, Athletics Director Tim Hall and Board of Trustees Chairman Tom Bloch. Kansas City's zoo had acquired two baby red kangaroos in 1936 when two UMKC students suggested using the animal as the school's mascot. Support for the kangaroo as the school's mascot was cemented when Disney drew the cover image for a school humor magazine. It featured the kangaroo mascot alongside Mickey Mouse. Other homecoming highlights will include a block party.===================== Joint Chiefs Chairman to Speak at Kansas StateMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The nation's top military officer is appearing at Kansas State University to give the latest installment of its Landon Lecture series. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will speak Monday to students and faculty. Dempsey assumed the chairman position in October 2011 after serving briefly as Army chief of staff. Dempsey most recently served as commander of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974. The Landon Lecture is named for Governor Alf Landon, a Republican who was Kansas governor from 1933 to 1937. Landon ran unsuccessfully for president in 1936, losing to Franklin D. Roosevelt.**this story has been updated. Please see above.===================== Wounded Salina Officer Released from HospitalSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A 38-year-old Salina police officer shot in the face has been released from the hospital. Salina police say Officer Chuck Huen was released from an Oklahoma City hospital Saturday, but he will require additional surgeries for injuries he sustained in the shooting late Thursday. Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield told The Salina Journal that Huen was shot by a Salina teen shortly after police entered a house while responding to a report of a stolen car. The shooting led to a six-hour standoff, which concluded with 19-year-old Marijon Gadson, found dead in the basement of the house early Friday. It's unclear how he died. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting.**this story has been updated. Please see above.

Kansas Governor Won't Release Names of Court ApplicantsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback says he won't disclose the applicants for the Kansas Court of Appeals because it would prevent some qualified candidates from coming forward. Brownback issued a statement Thursday amid ongoing criticism that a new selection process for the state's second-highest court is less open than the one it replaced. His spokeswoman said Tuesday that he was considering releasing the names. Under law that took effect this month, the governor will appoint Court of Appeals judges, subject to state Senate confirmation. Under the previous system, a statewide nominating commission led by lawyers screened applicants and named three finalists, with no role for legislators after the governor's appointment. The commission has released applicants' names since 1981. Brownback said potential candidates told him they preferred that their names remain confidential.==============Brownback Criticized over Policy on Court HopefulsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Governor Sam Brownback's critics are not mollified by his latest statement outlining why he won't release the names of applicants for a new Kansas Court of Appeals seat. Brownback said Thursday that releasing the names would discourage some qualified applicants from coming forward. The League of Women Voters of Kansas had pushed the governor's office to release the names. President Dolores Furtado said the group is "profoundly disappointed." The new judge will be chosen under a selection process in effect this month. The governor will make the appointment, subject to Senate confirmation. Previously, a nominating commission screened applicants and named three finalists, with no role for lawmakers after the governor's appointment. Kansas Values Institute Executive Director Ryan Wright said Brownback has "closed off" scrutiny of the appointment.==============UPDATE: Standoff Continues in Wichita After ShootingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a standoff at a Wichita apartment complex continues into a second day with no end in sight. Police said Thursday they are in contact with the uncooperative suspect. KAKE-TV reports that electricity has now been shut off at the apartment building. Tear gas and flash bang grenades have failed to drive the suspect out. Wichita police say the man barricaded himself alone inside an apartment Wednesday afternoon after firing shots at a Wichita Kmart in a robbery attempt. He has fired shots during the standoff, but no one has been hurt. Authorities arranged hotel rooms for residents of three buildings at the complex who were evacuated. Derby police say the same man is a suspect in a July 4 stabbing of a woman in the Wichita suburb.==============U.S. House Approves Scaled-Down Farm BillWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has passed a scaled-down version of a massive farm bill, putting off a fight over food stamp spending and giving Republican leaders a victory after a decisive defeat on the larger bill last month. The GOP leaders scrambled to get the bill to the floor Thursday and gather enough votes this week after making a decision to drop a politically sensitive food stamp section of the bill and pass legislation that contained only farm programs. The plan faced opposition from Democrats, farm groups and conservative groups. But Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia navigated his colleagues to a 216-208 vote by convincing Republican members that this was the best chance to get the bill passed and erase the embarrassment of the June defeat.==============Attorneys Seek More Time in Kansas Abortion LawsuitTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys for Kansas and Planned Parenthood are asking a judge to postpone a hearing in the organization's federal lawsuit over parts of a new state abortion law. They filed a joint request Thursday in U.S. District Court with Chief Judge Kathryn Vratil. Planned Parenthood is challenging provisions in the law dealing with providers' websites and what information they must provide to patients before terminating pregnancies. Vratil had scheduled a hearing in Planned Parenthood's lawsuit for July 29 in Kansas City, Kansas. She also ordered attorneys to begin filing their legal briefs next week, with the last one due July 22. But the attorneys said they're trying to agree on a summary of facts in the case to expedite the lawsuit and need more time to finish.==============Gambling Task Forces Question State FundingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Members of problem-gambling task forces in Kansas say the state is not adequately funding efforts to combat gambling and other addictions. The task forces work in zones around the three state-owned casinos. Members of those task forces were told Wednesday that each group would receive $10,000 in fiscal 2014, the same amount as last year. The Wichita Eagle reports that members of the task forces said $10,000 a year is an insignificant amount and a "slap in the face" to volunteers who work with problem gamblers. The law that created the state-owned casinos in Mulvane, Dodge City and Wyandotte County requires that 2 percent of gambling revenue from the casinos go to the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund. However, most of the money has been allocated for Medicaid expenditures.============== Governor Names Kansas Mental Health Task ForceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has announced his selections to participate in a statewide task force to address mental health issues in Kansas.The Republican governor is asking the group to recommend ways state agencies that provide mental health services can better coordinate their efforts while making good use of resources.Kansas has two state mental hospitals and 27 community mental health centers that work with private contractors, residential facilities and providers.The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services will oversee the task force. The first meeting of the group will be July 18 in Topeka. Brownback will receive a report from the task force on its findings and recommendations.============== Kansas Insurance Chief Fills Consumer Division SpotsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger has promoted three employees of her office's Consumer Assistance Division to new supervisory jobs. Praeger announced the changes Wednesday. She says Steve O'Neil will be the division's new director, replacing Jennifer Sourk, who left the Insurance Department recently for a job in private business. O'Neil had been the division's health supervisor. Praeger named Elizabeth Fike to replace O'Neil has health supervisor. Fike had been working as an attorney and consumer health representative. Meanwhile, Praeger said LeAnn Crow will become the division's new property and casualty supervisor after working as a market conduct examiner. Crow will replace Daryl Richardson, who retired last month. Praeger, a Republican, is in her third term as insurance commissioner and isn't expected to seek re-election next year.============== Report: Kansas Wheat Crop Bigger Than AnticipatedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new government report shows the Kansas winter wheat crop is far bigger than previously forecast. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Thursday that the 328 million bushels expected to be cut in Kansas is 7 percent larger than last month's estimate. Despite the more upbeat outlook, this year's harvest is still anticipated to be down 14 percent from last year. The latest report forecasts an average yield of 40 bushels per acre cut from an estimated 8.2 million harvested acres in Kansas. Stark differences divide the state into one of haves and haves not when it comes to this season's wheat crop. Production in western Kansas fared only slightly better than half of last year's crop. But elsewhere in the state crops were mostly bigger than a year ago.============== Report: About 371K Kansas Jobs Supported by TradeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new study finds that international trade supports about 371,000 Kansas jobs. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the Business Roundtable conducted the study. The group is made up of the CEOs of America's 200 largest companies and has advocated for free-trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. The report estimated Kansas exported about $12.2 billion worth of goods in 2012. About $5.4 billion of the goods were sold to countries with which the United States has free-trade agreements. Only about 19,800 of the Kansas jobs tied to trade in 2011 were in the manufacturing sector. Most — about 68,600 — were in consumer services. Steve Kelly of the Kansas Department of Commerce says additional free-trade agreements could make it easier for Kansans to sell overseas.============== KCK Postal Worker Accused of Stealing DrugsKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have accused a U.S. Postal Service employee in Kansas City, Kansas with stealing prescription pain medicine from the mail. Barry Grissom, U.S. attorney for Kansas, said in a release Thursday that 40-year-old Sherry Robertson of Kansas City, Kansas faces five counts of theft of mail by a postal employee and one count of possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone. She's accused of removing pills from the mail on several separate occasions in 2012 and 2013. Robertson faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Online court records don't list a lawyer for Robertson.============== Judge Postpones Trial Date for Former Kansas DoctorWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas doctor accused of unlawfully possessing drugs and a firearm will get more time to put together a defense. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot on Wednesday granted an unopposed defense request to delay Lawrence Simons' upcoming trial this month. The judge set a new trial date for September 20. A defense filing cites the "overwhelming" contents of storage lockers where authorities found prescription drugs. Video and photos depict nine tables covered with drugs and medical paraphernalia. Prosecutors have also turned over multiple CDs. Simons is a convicted felon who allegedly gave a bondsman a gun as partial payment for bailing him out of jail in an unrelated criminal threat case. Simons had surrendered his license to write prescriptions, and could not lawfully possess controlled substances.==============Photographer Charged After Flying over FeedlotGARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A National Geographic freelance photographer who paraglided over a western Kansas feedlot faces a criminal trespassing charge. Photographer George Steinmetz, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and paragliding instructor Wei Zhang, of Beijing, China, were charged Thursday. They were arrested June 28 and released on bond. Steinmetz was working on a series about food that will be published in early 2014. Finney County Attorney Susan Richmeier said in a statement that the charges have nothing to do with the right to airspace or to take pictures. She says the charges are focused on the right of landowners to control their property. National Geographic spokeswoman Beth Foster said recently the organization does not believe Steinmetz broke any laws. Richmeier didn't know whether the men have attorneys.==============State No Longer Seeking 'Hard 50' Against SeacatKINGMAN, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Attorney General's office is no longer asking a judge to sentence a former law officer to 50 years without parole for killing his wife. Brett Seacat was convicted last month of killing his wife, Vashti Seacat, and setting their Kingman home on fire in April 2011. He and the couple's two sons escaped the fire. Prosecuting attorney Amy Hanley had said after the verdict the state would ask the judge to consider a "hard 50" sentence for Seacat. KWCH reports prosecutors withdrew that intent in court documents filed July 1. They cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that juries, rather than judges, should consider facts in trials that could result in longer minimum sentences. A judge will sentence Seacat on August 5.============== Endangered Monkey Has Twins at Topeka ZooTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An endangered species of monkey has given birth to twins at the Topeka Zoo. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Devra, a 3-year-old golden lion tamarin, gave birth to twins Wednesday. She and the babies' father, Charlie, arrived in Topeka in December as part of the Golden Lion Tamarin Species Survival Plan. Both tamarins are first-time parents. The babies' genders haven't yet been released. The zoo says it will post updates and daily pictures of the baby monkeys on its Facebook page. The National Zoo says golden lion tamarins are native to Brazil's coastal rain forests, and have been threatened by habitat destruction. In the early 1970s, there were fewer than 200 alive. Their population has since rebounded to about 1,600 monkeys living in the wild.============== 95-Year-Old TX Man Sets Records as Competitive RunnerDALLAS (AP) — You might say Orville Rogers is a late bloomer. The 95-year-old began getting in shape by running at age 50. And he started competing as a runner even later in life. Rogers began running in master's track and field events five years ago, and the Dallas man now has more than a dozen medals and records. The WWII and Korean War veteran says he started running the day after reading "Aerobics" by Dr. Kenneth Cooper. That was 1968 — and he never looked back. Cooper became Rogers's physician and says Rogers is a testament to getting in better shape as you age. One thing Rogers is proud of is having run a 10-minute mile in recent years. Rogers says he'll compete in events at the 2013 USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Olathe this weekend. ============== Brown University Taps Wichita State Official as Chief Information OfficerPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Brown University has named a top official at Wichita State University as its new chief information officer. The Ivy League university said Thursday that Ravi Pendse has been named vice president for computing and information services. He starts Sept. 1. Pendse is currently vice president and chief information officer at the Kansas school and a tenured professor in the electrical engineering and computer science department. He has worked in IT areas ranging from library systems to digital classroom design to overall campus IT planning. At Brown, he will oversee instructional and academic technologies; privacy and data security policies and programs; web support; network operations, including Wi-Fi and mobile computing; telecommunications and video; and IT disaster preparedness. Pendse succeeds Michael Pickett, who retired June 30.==============Officials Capture 1 of 2 Escaped Kansas Zoo MonkeysINDEPENDENCE, Kan. (AP) — A southeast Kansas zoo remains closed while a search continues for an escaped monkey. The Independence Daily Reporter says the capuchin monkey was one of two that escaped Wednesday from a pen at the Ralph Mitchell Zoo at Riverside Park in Independence. One monkey was caught a short time later, but officials remained on the lookout Thursday for the second money. Park director Barbara Beurskens says a zookeeper failed to adequately secure the lock to the monkey's pen while cleaning cages. Independence Director of Public Safety David Cowan says one monkey bit an Oklahoma man before jumping on a woman who hit the animal with her purse. Live animal traps are being set up throughout the zoo area. Both monkeys also escaped from their cage a few years ago.============== Commission Considers Major Change to KC CouncilKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Minority leaders in Kansas City are pushing for major changes in the way the city council is elected. Leaders of black and Latino groups on Wednesday asked a commission reviewing the city's charter to change the way city council elections have been held in Kansas City for 50 years. They contend the current system does not provide adequate representation for minorities. The Kansas City Star reports that since 1963, residents have chosen six council members from specific districts and six others who run citywide. Representatives of the minority groups want the council to have at least nine district members and three at-large members, or elect all 12 members from districts.============== Kansas City Begins Natural Gas Use on BusesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City is on the road to converting all of its public buses to natural gas. The Kansas City Area Transportation on Wednesday put two new natural-gas powered buses into service. Transportation officials say the city will replace all of its 300 buses, which mostly use diesel, to natural-gas during the next 12 to 14 years. Five hybrid-electric buses also will be replaced. The Kansas City Star reports that another 23 natural-gas buses are already ordered. Mark Huffer, general manager of the ATA, says natural gas costs about half the cost of diesel. And while a natural gas bus costs $40,000 more than a diesel-powered bus, it is expected to save the ATA $100,000 before it needs to be replaced.============== Inmate Attacks Kansas Prosecutor at HearingHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A 27-year-old Hutchinson man who sexually assaulted a 4-month-old girl has attacked a Reno County prosecutor while appealing his life sentence. The attack happened Wednesday while Michael Sherman was objecting to being sentenced under Jessica's Law. The statute mandates a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years for adults convicted of certain sex crimes against children younger than 14. Sherman had performed oral sodomy on the infant and then turned himself in. Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson says that after the judge upheld the original sentence, Sherman jumped on top of prosecutor Keith Schroeder. The sheriff says the shackled Sherman was immediately subdued, and information will be forwarded to the Kansas attorney general's office for possible charges. Schroeder sustained a slight abrasion to his forehead.============== Kansas Concealed Carry Permits Set Record in 2012TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Applications for permits to carry concealed weapons in Kansas set a record in the fiscal year ending June 30th more than doubling the record set in the previous year. Attorney General Derek Schmidt says Wednesday that 25,340 applications for permits were filed with the state between July 1st, 2012 and June 30th. The old mark was 12,408 applications in the fiscal year 2012. Kansas has been issuing permits since 2007 with 63,455 active licenses in the state as of July 1st, an increase of nearly 20,000 from the previous year. New changes taking effect July 1 expand the number of public places where concealed guns are permitted, including state and municipal buildings, unless adequate safety measures such as guards and metal detectors are installed.============== Koch Plans $200,000 Media Ad Campaign in WichitaWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wealthy industrialist Charles Koch is planning a $200,000 ad campaign in Wichita focused on political issues. The chairman of Wichita-based Koch Industries tells The Wichita Eagle that the four-week media campaign that begins Wednesday will laud economic freedom and warn about government overreach. It is funded by the Charles Koch Foundation. Koch said if people like it, he might the campaign to other cities. Koch told the Eagle that he believes his ideas on economics will help disadvantaged people. He contends government regulations, including the minimum wage, tend to hold everyone back. The campaign promotes the idea that countries with economic freedom have the most wealth. Koch acknowledged the move will draw fire from people who criticized him for his campaign spending last year.============== SoftBank Completes $21.6B Deal with Sprint NextelOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Sprint Nextel, the third largest U.S. wireless carrier, is now under the control of the Japanese investment firm SoftBank. The change occurred late Wednesday when Softbank Corporation completed a $21.6 billion investment in Sprint Nextel. The cash-and-stock deal gives SoftBank a 78 percent stake in Sprint Nextel. SoftBank had been vying against Satellite TV operator Dish Network Corporation to gain control of Sprint Nextel, which is based in Overland Park. Dish abandoned its $25.5 billion bid to buy Sprint Nextel in its entirety last month. Sprint Nextel had favored the SoftBank deal. As part of the new ownership, Sprint Nextel is changing its name to Sprint Corporation. Its remaining publicly traded stock will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "S."

Indiana's private school voucher program is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Whether it's "social justice" or "an assault" on public schools depends on whom you ask.

Report: Kansas School Finance Talks 'Unsuccessful'TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys seeking a settlement over a lawsuit challenging the state's school finance system say two days of talks have been unsuccessful. The parties filed a status report Wednesday with the Kansas Supreme Court. Attorneys representing the state and plaintiff school districts and parents met for mediation Monday and Tuesday. A three-judge panel in Shawnee County District Court ruled in January that the state's system for funding public schools was unconstitutional. The ruling suggested the state was shortchanging public schools by at least $440 million. The case is set for hearing before the justices on October 8 and a ruling is expected around the start of 2014. Republican Governor Sam Brownback and Attorney General Derek Schmidt, also a Republican, asked the court to approve mediation in hopes of settling the case.================Kansas April Revenues Close to ExpectationsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas revenue officials say the state collected nearly what was expected for April, missing projections by less than $5 million. The monthly report released Tuesday showed that Kansas collected $764.8 million in taxes. The state expected to collect $769.2 million for the month. The estimate was based on new projections calculated April 19 by a group of researchers and economists. Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan said Kansas collected $25 million more in individual income taxes in April 2013 compared to April 2012. Jordan said collections indicate the state is seeing economic growth as a result of tax cuts enacted in 2012. For the fiscal year that began July 1, 2012, Kansas has collected $5.018 billion in taxes, or about $4.4 million short of the $5.022 billion projected.================ Kansas Ordered to Pay $389K in Fees in Remap LawsuitTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three federal judges have ordered Kansas to cover $389,000 worth of attorneys' fees and expenses for parties involved in a lawsuit last year over political redistricting. The three-judge panel ruled Tuesday that 15 people involved in the lawsuit were entitled to have at least some attorneys' fees and expenses covered. The Legislature failed last year to approve any plans for redrawing the state's political boundaries to ensure equal representation, and the three-judge panel imposed new lines itself. The lawsuit was filed by a Republican precinct committee member from Olathe before lawmakers adjourned their annual session, but the judges allowed 26 other individuals to intervene. A majority wanted attorneys' fees and expenses of about $671,000 covered. The Kansas attorney general's office had objected to covering most of the requests.================Kansas Pilot Injured When Ultralight Plane CrashesLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A small airplane has crashed in northeast Kansas, and its pilot was taken by helicopter to an area hospital with serious injuries. Kansas Highway Patrol spokesman Casey Simoneau says the pilot took off from a private residence in an ultralight aircraft around 12:40 pm Wednesday, lost control of the plane and crashed into a tree. The plane went down in Douglas County, southeast of Lawrence. The pilot's name wasn't immediately available. He was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where Simoneau says he was in serious condition.================Salina Police Investigating Missing Woman ReportSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Salina police are investigating the apparent disappearance of a 27-year-old woman who's been missing nearly a week. Kristin Tyler's car was found Tuesday in Salina. Lieutenant Scott Siemsen of the Salina Police Department says the car appeared to be in normal condition and was towed to the police department. Tyler was last seen April 25. Police say they consider her disappearance suspicious because it's unlike Tyler to leave without contacting family for long periods of time. Police also say they're following a number of leads in Tyler's disappearance.================Federal Grand Jury Indicts Kansas DoctorWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. attorney's office for Kansas says a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment against a Kansas physician accused of unlawfully distributing prescription drugs. Michael Schuster of Manhattan was indicted Wednesday on one count each of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances, drug distribution, unlawfully distributing drugs to a person under 21 years old and using and maintaining a premise for drug distribution. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of money and property linked to the crimes. Schuster's attorney didn't immediately respond to phone or email messages. The 53-year-old doctor was initially charged April 23 in a criminal complaint that linked his clinic to drug overdoses by active-duty Fort Riley soldiers. The indictment does not allege overdose deaths and doesn't reference soldiers. Schuster remains jailed pending a detention hearing Tuesday.================Kansans Turned in 5 Tons of Unused Meds in National EventTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas attorney general says Kansas residents turned in a record five tons of unused medications in the National Drug Take-Back Day. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says law enforcement officials collected about 10,000 pounds of medications at 101 locations across the state during the event Saturday. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the event was sponsored nationwide by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and then destroys the medications. The DEA says medicines that languish in home cabinets can be misused, and discarding them in the trash or sewer systems can create health hazards. Since the program's inception in 2010, Kansas has collected 17 tons of unused medications.================ Early Results from Kansas Wheat Tour Show Varied YieldsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Participants in the Kansas winter wheat tour are finding less freeze damage than had been expected during the first leg of the 2013 event. The tour started in Manhattan on Monday, when cars fanned out along six routes across the heart of wheat country. Aaron Harries, director of marketing at Kansas Wheat, took a route from Manhattan to Colby along Highway 36 where the wheat looked very nice. But further west in the much drier Smith County the group found thin stands. Harries says the wheat is so far behind that the freeze burned just the tips of the leaves. Extension wheat specialist Jim Shroyer says the crop could still do well if it rains.================K-State Employees Consider Leaving Civil ServiceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of classified employees of Kansas State University are discussing whether to no longer be civil service employees. The employees are scheduled to meet this week to discuss the move, which would remove them from the control of the Legislature. A vote would not come until November. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that similar committees of classified employees have formed at Wichita State and Emporia State universities. The Kansas State employees will consider becoming university support staff, giving the school authority to make decisions on pay and other job-related issues. Nearly 1,800 classified employees at Kansas State include custodial staff and some administrative and supervisory workers. Those employees receive hourly wages and don't have contracts. Classified employees at the University of Kansas made a similar move two years ago.================ Fort Riley Aviation Unit Changing LeadershipFORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — A change of command ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at Fort Riley for the 1st Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade. Colonel John M. Morgan, commander of the brigade since the summer of 2011, will hand over leadership to Colonel Matthew R. Lewis. A ceremony will be held on the Fort Riley Cavalry Parade Field. During Morgan's tenure the brigade has added new aviation equipment, including the Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system and an updated version of the Army's Apache helicopters. Lewis has recently been at Harvard, where he served as a national security fellow and senior military fellow in Harvard's Future Diplomacy Project. Fort Riley is home to the 1st Infantry Division and located about 60 miles west of Topeka.================Judge Orders Restitution from Topeka AttackerTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 50-year-old man convicted of attacking four employees at a Topeka TV station has to pay restitution in the case. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Shawnee County District Court Judge Evelyn Wilson ordered Ray Anthony Miles on Wednesday to pay more than $4,500 to the station and an insurance company. Miles was sentenced April 24 to a eight years and four months for felony battery and other charges after he attacked four employees of WIBW-TV last May. Miles broke into the station and assaulted the employees because he said they refused to report on a problem he was having with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He stabbed, kicked, bit and punched the employees before they were able to subdue him.================US Attorney for Kansas Touts Civil Rights ProtectionsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says if law enforcement officials violate someone's civil rights while investigating terrorism then the government becomes as bad as the people making the terrorist threats. Grissom, the top federal prosecutor in Kansas, made the comments Wednesday during a Wichita State University event commemorating Law Day in Kansas. Grissom's talk was about protecting public safety and human rights. Grissom told the more than 30 students who attended that the government monitors hate groups such as white supremacists without violating anyone's rights. He also said that to his knowledge the federal government has not used the expanded Patriot Act powers in Kansas. Grissom oversees about 49 assistant U.S. attorneys in Kansas. He was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2010.================Feds Charge 3 in Brazen Freight Theft ConspiracyWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have charged three people with a brazen freight trucking scheme that spanned the country. An indictment unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Wichita alleges the three men tried in 2011 to steal a trailer load of packaged beef worth $82,700 from the Tyson plant at Holcomb. Prosecutors say they posed as a freight hauler and dropped off a refrigerated trailer so it could be loaded. Oganes Nagapetian, Tigran Nagapetian and Larisa Nagapetian are charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. laws. Other charges include wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession and production of false documents. They are also accused of stealing trailer loads of almonds worth $76,000, shoes worth $236,700, and electric heaters worth $65,000 from various locations. Records do not indicate whether they have attorneys.================ Saline County Juvenile Center Might Close PermanentlySALINA, Kan. (AP) — Saline County commissioners say the county's juvenile detention center will be closed through the end of the year, and might close permanently. Saline County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski shut down the center on Monday, but said he hoped to reopen it by July. But on Tuesday, the commissioners said closing the center will save the county money, although they were still studying how much the savings would be. When he closed the center, Kochanowski said it was unsafe because of a staff shortage and overcrowding. The juveniles are being taken to a center in Junction City, at a cost of $150 a day per inmate. The Salina Journal reports that commissioners will discuss the juvenile center's future during its 2014 budget study sessions.================ 6 Possible Arson Fires in Rural Saline CountySALINA, Kan. (AP) — Volunteer firefighters in a Saline County fire district reported extinguishing a half of dozen grass fires in the county within two hours. KAKE-TV reports that the fires were reported between 11 pm Monday and 1 am Tuesday Saline County Fire District #5. Battalion Chief David Turner says the fires apparently were arson. He says all the blazes started within two hours, they were all close together and no natural cause, such as lightning, was found. No one was hurt in any of the fires, which occurred in fields or ditches.================ Haskell's School of Education Receives National AccreditationLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Haskell Indian Nations University says its School of Education has received national accreditation. The school in Lawrence says the National Council of Teacher Education recently accredited the education school after an on-campus visit last fall. 6News Lawrence reports that Haskell is the first tribal college in the United States to receive this type of accreditation. Jacqueline Boyd, chairwoman of the School of Education, says the school passed five of six standards involved in the accreditation. The sixth standard is in the area of assessment standards. The national council's accreditation team will visit the campus in the fall of 2014 to address the area of assessment standards. The School of Education will have to renew the national accreditation every seven years.================Girl's Up-Close Meeting with Camel Draws National AttentionSPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A 3-year-old Olathe girl is ready to return to a Springfield, MIssouri animal park, where her close encounter with a camel brought her family national attention. Aliyah Inzer was visiting the Wild Animal Safari near Springfield recently with her parents, Tyler and Marcie Inzer, and her baby sister. People feed the animals as they drive through the park in their cars, and Aliyah was sitting on her dad's lap handing out treats. One camel, not satisfied with his treat, put his face completely into the car and briefly put his mouth on Aliyah's head. Her dad pushed the camel's head away but Aliyah started giggling. Taking their cues from Aliyah, the family played along. KCTV5 reports a video of the encounter went viral after being posted to YouTube.================ Attorney Once Convicted of Murder Returns to Law PracticeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City attorney once convicted of killing his law partner has his law license back. The Missouri Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it has reinstated the law license of Richard Buchli II. He was convicted of killing his law partner, Richard Armitage, in 2002. A court set aside Buchli's conviction six years ago after finding evidence was withheld at his trial. Prosecutors dismissed the case last year, after a judge threw out all the state's evidence. The Kansas City Star reports that Buchli will be on probation for three years. He is required to report quarterly to a probation "monitor" on the status of his law practice, and about any criminal or civil actions against him. He also must undergo a mental health evaluation within 60 days.================Body Found in Sedgwick County Farm FieldWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in south-central Kansas are investigating the discovery of body found in a farm field. The Wichita Eagle reports that a farmer found the man's body Wednesday in a cotton field he leases in southeast Sedgwick County. Sedgwick County sheriff's Lieutenant David Mattingly says authorities haven't identified the body, and are unsure how long it had been in the field. He says deputies are checking missing person cases in Wichita and the surrounding suburbs as part of the investigation.================ KC Police Seeking Suspect in Couple's DeathsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police are searching for a man who shot and killed a couple as their two young children sat in a nearby vehicle. Police say Qwentelia Vanzant and Jaron Syrus, both 25, of Blue Springs were shot Monday night in the parking lot of a convenience store. When the couple stopped at the store, they encountered people with whom they had an ongoing dispute. Police say a fight began and a man arguing with the couple shot the victims before fleeing in a vehicle. The Kansas City Star reports that the victims' 3-year-old son and Vanzant's 7-year-old daughter were inside their vehicle during the shooting. They were released to a relative after the shooting.================ Sedgwick County Jury Acquits Man of MurderWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County jury has found a 32-year-old man not guilty of all charges in a 2012 shooting death. The Wichita Eagle reports that the jury deliberated about four hours Tuesday before finding Dustin Cheever not guilty of charges that included second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault in the shooting death of 49-year-old Robert Gammon. Defense lawyer Steve Mank said jurors told him they only seriously considered the charge of involuntary manslaughter before settling on the not guilty verdict. Gammon's brother, Jim Gammon of West Plains, Missouri said he didn't understand why Cheever wasn't tried and convicted of first-degree murder. During the preliminary hearing, the victim's 23-year-old son, Shelby Gammon, testified that the shooting happened after a friend argued with Cheever about the theft of some gasoline.================Life Sentence for Missouri Man in Student's DeathLIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A 31-year-old northwest Missouri man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a 19-year-old student. Marcus D. Smith of Kansas City was convicted in Clay County in February of second-degree murder and three other charges in the August 2011 death of Samir Clark. Smith was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday. The Kansas City Star reports that police said Clark was visiting a relative when a neighbor knocked on the door and asked for help. Clark and his relative took the woman and her children in. Smith fired several shots into the apartment, hitting Clark in the neck. Investigators said Smith had argued with several people before the shooting. Relatives said Clark was to leave for Tennessee State University in Nashville later that week.================Topeka Man Sentenced for Home InvasionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 39-year-old Topeka man has been sentenced to about 10 years in prison for a November 2011 home invasion in which he burned a woman with a heated knife blade. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Monroe Lockhart III was sentenced Tuesday in Shawnee County court. He was convicted earlier of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. Assistant district attorney Chris Biggs had asked that Lockhart receive a total sentence of 11 years, 6 months. Defense attorney Linda Eckelman sought concurrent sentences of about five years. Lockhart will be credited for the 15 months he has served since he was arrested on February 2, 2012.================ Kansas Men Sentenced to 10 Years for Robbing BankWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 41-year-old Wichita man has been sentenced to 10 years for robbing a bank in Wichita. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Tuesday in a release that Christopher A. Vangessel was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Grissom says Vangessel admitted to robbing a UMB Bank branch on February 28, 2012, when he gave a teller a note demanding money. A parole officer identified Vangessel after authorities released surveillance photos taken during the robbery.================ Topeka 5K to Benefit Girl, 6, with CancerTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two Topeka schools are teaming up to help a kindergartner with brain cancer. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Karis Selk, a kindergartener at Randolph Elementary School, was diagnosed at age 5 with a common type of childhood brain cancer. Karis recently began radiation therapy to her brain and spine along with weekly chemotherapy. A 5k race will be held Friday at Eisenhower Middle School, where Karis's mother, Stephanie Selk, is a nurse. Entry fees for the run are $10 per person or $25 per family. Events will include the fun run/walk, raffle prizes and T-shirt sales, and all proceeds go to the Selk family to help with medical expenses.================ Washburn University Honors Health-Conscious EmployeesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn University's jogging president is among the employees the Topeka school is honoring with Living Well awards. The school says President Jerry Farley averages around eight miles a day, fitting in his fitness routine around his administrative duties. Farley also was praised for promoting a culture of health at the university. Four other employees also were recognized: assistant psychology professor Jenna Glover practices and teaches meditation; secretary Toni Lewis has stopped smoking and has run two marathons; system and network administrator Clayton Peters plays in wheelchair basketball and softball leagues, and assistant sports information marketing director Jeremy Wrangler has shed more than 80 pounds.================Midwest, Plains Economic Survey Index DipsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwest and Plains states dropped last month but continues to suggest improving economic growth for the region. The Mid-America Business Conditions index hit 56.8 in April, compared with 58.2 in March. The confidence index rose to 59.9 last month from 58.2 in March. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the supply managers surveyed "expect the upturn in housing to remain an important ingredient of the economic expansion." The survey uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.================ KC District to Celebrate High School Seniors' College ChoicesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City school district is encouraging students to go to college and recognizing those who are with so-called "Decision Day" events. The festivities mimic the fanfare that occurs when a student athlete signs with a college. College representatives will talk to students Thursday at Northeast High School. There also will be music and a snack bar. On Friday at the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, there will be a picnic lunch, and announcements will be made about each student's postsecondary plan. A speaker with the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute will talk to students on May 7 at East High School. At the final event on May 10 at the Central Academy of Excellence, there will be a radio DJ and presentation by district leaders.

Kansas Land Purchases Delayed by CouncilTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Purchases of two large parcels of land in northeast and southeast Kansas have been placed on hold over concerns about the timing of the sales and lack of legislative input. The state finance council delayed its decision Thursday after several legislators on the council said some of their colleagues questioned the purchases for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. One of the parcels is located near Tuttle Creek Reservoir in Pottawatomie County and is adjacent to land already owned by the state. The second is located in Cherokee County near the Oklahoma border, also near land already owned by the state. Legislators say they will take up the land purchases soon after the 2014 session begins in January to get more answers.===============2 Scientists from China Charged with Attempted TheftKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two scientists from China have been charged with trying to steal seed samples from a company's research facility in Kansas. The office of the U.S. Attorney for Kansas said Thursday that 47-year-old Weiqiang Zhang, of Manhattan, Kansas and 63-year-old Wengui Yan, of Stuttgart, Arkansas are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. The company they're accused of trying to steal the seed samples from wasn't identified in court records. The federal complaint says Zhang worked as an agricultural seed breeder for the company since 2008. Yan worked or the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a rice geneticist at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Arkansas. They each face up to 10 years in prison and fines. Online court records don't list lawyers for either defendant.===============Kansas National Guard Soldiers Heading to KosovoTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Approximately two dozen soldiers of the National Guard's 35th Infantry Division will soon be heading to Kosovo to fill positions in an ongoing NATO peacekeeping mission. The first of the soldiers will be honored in a departure ceremony Saturday at Fort Leavenworth where the division is headquartered. A second departure ceremony for remaining soldiers is scheduled for January. The division is one of eight within the Army National Guard, made up of units from Kansas,, Missouri, Nebraska and Illinois. Units from the 35th Division have previously deployed to the Balkans region of Europe for ongoing peacekeeping missions in 2003 and 2007. Soldiers will first go to Fort Hood, Texas, for additional training before heading to Kosovo.=============== Kansans Slow to Embrace Health Marketplace in NovemberTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — New figures show that Kansans remained slow to embrace a federally run online health insurance marketplace in November even though the pace of enrollments in health plans increased. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday that fewer than 1,900 Kansans had chosen health plans through the marketplace at the end of last month — less than 10 percent of those eligible. However, the enrollment figure as of November 2nd was only 371. The October rollout of the online marketplace under the federal health overhaul was plagued by problems, and in November, the federal agency was working on fixing them. Kansas declined to operate its own exchange or partner with the federal government. Republican Governor Sam Brownback and many GOP legislators are critics of the health care overhaul.=============== KS Senator's Foe Gains Conservative EndorsementTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A national conservative group has endorsed challenger Milton Wolf in campaign against U.S. Senator Pat Roberts in the Kansas Republican primary. Wolf received the endorsement from the Senate Conservatives Fund. The political action committee was founded by former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint. Wolf is a Leawood radiologist and is running against Roberts as a tea party candidate. He's criticized Roberts on budget, tax and health care issues and sees the endorsement as helping him build momentum. Roberts executive campaign manager Leroy Towns said Wednesday that the endorsement of Wolf isn't surprising, because DeMint's PAC has been endorsing challengers against incumbent GOP senators. Roberts has the backing of most of Kansas's elected Republican officials and key groups such as Kansans for Life and the Kansas State Rifle Association.=============== KS Senator, Foe Spar Over Opposing Budget DealTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Senator Pat Roberts has announced he'll vote against a bipartisan budget deal, but the Kansas Republican's primary opponent says Roberts should have spoken up earlier. Roberts said Wednesday that he doesn't think the deal tackles major fiscal problems and represents only more taxing and spending. The deal was crafted by Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington. Roberts's comments came shortly after GOP primary opponent Milton Wolf called on the senator to vote against the package. Wolf began criticizing a possible deal last week, when it was still being negotiated. Wolf said Roberts hasn't been vocal enough. But Roberts executive campaign manager Leroy Towns said Kansans expect their senator to study legislation before criticizing it.=============== Kansas Senate Majority Leader Hires New LiaisonTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce has hired a new staffer who previously worked as an intern for U.S. Senator Jerry Moran. Bruce announced Wednesday that Braden Dreiling will serve as his liaison to the Republican caucus. In the Kansas Senate, the majority leader sets the daily debate calendar and leads caucus meetings. Dreiling recently finished an internship for Moran in the Kansas Republican's office in Washington. He also previously was a student liaison for the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association. Dreiling replaces Katrina Abraham, who will become Bruce's legislative director. Bruce is a Hutchinson Republican and became majority leader in January. He is serving his third, four-year term in the state Senate.===============KS Educators Planning to Fingerprint TeachersTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas State Board of Education is drafting a plan that would require all teachers in the state to submit fingerprints and undergo extensive background checks, but some school districts are concerned about requiring more costs from their educators. Education Board attorney Scott Gordon says some districts already require fingerprint checks as a condition of employment, but those can't legally be transferred to the state. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that state-required checks would mean new fingerprints would have to be completed — often at the expense of the teachers. The state board in September called for new rules as part of an effort to strengthen enforcement of state laws and regulations prohibiting anyone who has committed certain crimes from receiving or renewing a teaching license.===============Topeka Man Convicted of Sexual ExploitationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Shawnee County jury has found a 39-year-old Topeka man guilty on dozens of counts of sexually exploiting children. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Jason Hachmeister was convicted Thursday on 105 counts of sexual exploitation of children. He was found not guilty on three counts of the same charge. Hachmeister's trial began Monday. Prosecutors said Hachmeister possessed 108 illegal photographs of children in sexually explicit conduct. Defense attorney Jim Chappas said Shawnee County prosecutors failed to prove Hachmeister had committed the crimes. Hachmeister also is charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the 2011 strangulation death of his mother, Sheila Hachmeister, at the home the two shared. His trial in that case is scheduled to begin January 21.===============Fundraiser Launched for Family of Deceased KU StudentLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Friends of the University of Kansas graduate student found dead this week are raising money to help the student's family. Gianfranco Villagomez-Saldana was reported missing Saturday. Police found his body Monday. 6NewsLawrence reports that friends have started a fundraiser on PayPal to raise money. The funds will pay for airfare for his family in Peru, funeral costs and to send his belongings back home. Police say investigators are awaiting autopsy results to determine his cause of death but they do not currently suspect foul play.=============== Mistrial Declared in Lawrence Brawl DeathLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A mistrial has been declared in the trial of a man accused in the death of an Iraq veteran after a fight in Lawrence. The mistrial occurred Thursday in Douglas County in the involuntary manslaughter case against 22-year-old Justin P. Gonzalez of Mission. Gonzalez is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the February 2012 death of 27-year-old Nicholas Sardina of Lawrence. A jury began deliberating the case on Tuesday, but could not reach a verdict. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Gonzalez was accused of hitting Sardina in the head with a beer bottle at a house party, causing his death. Sardina, originally from Clarence, New York, was a sergeant in the Kansas National Guard and had served three tours in Iraq from 2006 to 2007. A status conference was scheduled for next Monday.=============== KS Businesswoman Indicted in $7 Million Tax CaseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted the former CEO of the National Association of Independent Truckers in an alleged scheme to hide millions of dollars from the federal government. The Kansas City Star reports that the grand jury indicted businesswoman V. Cheryl Womack Thursday for allegedly trying to interfere with the administration of federal tax laws and lying to federal investigators. The 62-year-old Womack, of Mission Hills is accused of not reporting millions of dollars in Cayman Island businesses, trusts and financial accounts. Investigators estimated the tax loss at more than $7 million. She is also accused of lying to FBI agents and a U.S. Justice Department attorney about her Cayman Islands interests. Womack's attorney, Nathan F. Garrett, declined to comment, saying he hadn't seen the charges.===============Retired KGS Scientist Denies Plagiarism AllegationsLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has censured a former senior scientist in the Kansas Geological Survey over plagiarism allegations. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a university committee found Marios Sophocleous, a hydrology scientist, engaged in plagiarism and self-plagiarism in seven journal articles dealing with hydrology and groundwater. Sophocleous denies the allegations. He says he never copied the work of others or his own. Sophocleous joined the Kansas Geological Survey in 1978 as an assistant scientist and was a senior scientist from 1987 to 2013, when he retired. Jill Jess, a university spokeswoman, declined to elaborate on details of the censure, which the university announced Wednesday. Rex Buchanan, interim director of the KGS, referred questions to Jess.===============KS Governor Applauds Sporting KC Soccer VictoryTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Wearing a light blue Sporting Kansas City scarf, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback said he's proud of the state's first team to win a major professional sports championship. Brownback said Thursday that winning the Major League Soccer title put the Kansas City region firmly in the center of the United States soccer map. Sporting KC defeated Real Salt Lake on penalty kicks to claim its second MLS title. The governor says there could be more soccer on the way with Sporting KC's owners working with U.S. Soccer to bring a national training and coaching development center to the area. Brownback says he is also still waiting for his honey and taffy that was promised in a friendly wager with Utah's Governor Gary Herbert on the outcome of the MLS championship game.===============County Seeks More State Funding of KS Boys RanchWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sedgwick County officials want the state to increase funding for a ranch for juvenile offenders, but the top Kansas corrections official says that might be a tough sell because of all the surplus bed space in other facilities. The Wichita Eagle reports County Manager William Buchanan told Corrections Secretary Ray Roberts on Wednesday that unless the state increases the $126 it pays per boy each day, he will recommend closing the Judge James V. Riddel Boys Ranch near Afton on July 1. Buchanan says it costs about $206 per day to run the facility, which serves medium- to high-risk juvenile offenders on 63 wood acres 23 miles west of Wichita. The facility nearly closed this year before the state provided a one-time infusion of $750,000.===============Former IRS Employees Charged in KCKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal grand jury in Kansas City has indicted 10 former employees of the Internal Revenue Service for unemployment benefits fraud. The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri said in a release Thursday that the 10 former IRS employees are accused of receiving more than $112,000 in unemployment benefits while they were working for the IRS. All 10 are from the Kansas City area and were charged in a 20-count indictment that was sealed until all had made their initial court appearances. They're each accused of taking anywhere from about $6,000 to $21,000 in fraudulent benefits, totaling $112,609. The defendants are each charged with one count of theft of government property and one count of bank fraud.===============Volunteers Sought for Cheyenne Bottoms Bird CountGREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — Kansas environmental officials are seeking volunteers to help count birds at Cheyenne Bottoms near Great Bend from Saturday through the first week of January. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Christmas Bird Count is an annual tradition across the U.S. More than 40 such counts are held across Kansas. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center and the Nature Conservancy are asking for help counting birds at Cheyenne Bottoms, an important migratory stopover for thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl. More than 148 species of birds have been recorded spending their winters in the area. Volunteers are asked to help count the numbers of bird types Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm. Anyone interested in preregistering to help with the count should call the education center, 10 miles northeast of Great Bend.=============== Fire Forces Large Kansas City Family Out of HomeKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City family of 11 escaped without injury when a fire damaged their home. Someone in the home woke up and discovered the fire about 2:30 am Thursday. KCTV reportsthat the children, who ranged in age from 1 to 16, escaped by crawling through a window in the master bedroom onto the roof of a sunroom. The home belonged to Matt Hannah, a 21-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department, and his wife. The Red Cross is offering assistance. The cause of the fire has not been determined.=============== Big Blue KS Statehouse Crane Coming DownTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A giant blue crane that has been a big part of the renovation of the Kansas Statehouse for more than three years is coming down. Project Manager Jim Rinner said Tuesday that general contractor JE Dunn Construction expects the crane to be dismantled by the end of the week. Workers are using an equally large red crane to take down the blue crane. The towering blue crane was used to carry building materials to the Capitol roof and dome, including massive steel beams used to support scaffolding. The steel beams have been removed, and the scaffolding is coming down. The $330 million renovation project began in 2001. State officials are planning a ceremony marking its completion to coincide with the January 29th anniversary of Kansas statehood.=============== Lawrence Commission OKs Concealed Carry ExemptionLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence city commissioners have approved a resolution seeking a four-year exemption from the Kansas concealed carry law, giving officials time to sort out where guns will be allowed in the future. The 6News in Lawrence reports the commission voted Tuesday to approve an exemption to prohibit concealed carry permit holders from bringing their guns in to any city building until 2018. A new state law requires municipalities to allow people with concealed carry permits to bring guns into buildings unless adequate security measures are in place. Numerous cities and counties statewide have approved resolutions giving them more time to determine which buildings would get security improvements. Groups argued to the Lawrence commission that concealed carry permit holders are responsible individuals and should be allowed to protect themselves.=============== KS Supreme Court to Hear Carr Brothers AppealsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in the appeals of two brothers sentenced to death for murders committed in December 2000. Justices have scheduled two-hour hearings on Tuesday for Jonathan Carr and his brother, Reginald Carr. The Carr brothers were convicted for killing three men and a woman on December 15th, 2000, as the victims knelt side-by-side on a snow-covered soccer field. The four friends and another woman who was shot in the head but survived were at a Wichita home when two armed intruders made them withdraw money from automated teller machines before killing them. Attorneys for the Carrs argue that the convictions should be set aside over numerous issues raised at their trial.=============== KS Man Pleads Guilty in Contraband CaseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 67-year-old suburban Kansas City man has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to buying $1.8 million in contraband cigarettes. The U.S. Attorney's office for western Missouri said in a release Wednesday that Randall McColley of Overland Park, Kansas waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes. The prosecutor's office says McColley admitted that he bought contraband cigarettes from undercover agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The undercover agents sold him more than 100,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes between May 2011 and February 2012. The prosecutor's office says the cigarette packages did not bear the tax stamps required by federal and state laws. McColley faces up to five years in prison.=============== KSHOF President Steps DownWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Ted Hayes, president and CEO of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, is resigning after more than 20 years with the organization. Tim Daniel, chairman of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, said in a release Wednesday that Hayes submitted his resignation to the Board of Directors earlier this week. Hayes started as the executive director for the Hall of Fame in 1991. The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1961 as a part of the Kansas Centennial celebration. Bob Hanson, president and CEO of the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission, says the Sports Hall of Fame wouldn't have lasted without Hayes. Hayes will stay with the Hall of Fame through the end of the year. The Hall of Fame hasn't announced plans to replace Hayes.=============== Escaped Flamingo Seen in TexasWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A flamingo that escaped from the Sedgwick County Zoo in 2005 has been spotted again, this time in Texas. A Massachusetts birder says the flamingo, known as No. 492 because of the number on its leg band, was seen last week off the Texas Gulf Coast. The bird was with a companion, a Yucatan-born Caribbean flamingo with a band reading "HDNT." Two flamingoes escaped from the zoo in Wichita after employees did not clip their wings to prevent them from flying. No. 492 has been spotted many times since then, from Wisconsin to Louisiana. No sightings of the other flamingo have ever been made. The Wichita Eagle reports that No. 492 was born in Africa before being shipped to the Sedgwick County Zoo in 2004 with 39 other flamingos.=============== US Farm Equipment Sales Remain Strong in NovemberWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new report says sales of farm equipment remained strong in November. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers reported Tuesday that U.S. farmers bought 10,925 tractors last month for an increase of almost 6 percent compared to the same month a year ago. Some 644 combines were also sold for a 25 percent jump for November. Retail sales figures released by the industry group show that for the first 11 months of this year, U.S. producers bought some 167,431 farm tractors, an increase of nearly 10 percent over the same period last year. Some 9,487 combines were also sold for an increase of almost 7 percent.=============== Nixon to Urge MO Campaign Contribution LimitsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Governor Jay Nixon and several Missouri lawmakers are calling for ethics legislation that includes limits on campaign donations. Nixon had called for reinstating campaign contribution limits during his State of the State speech this past January. He said unlimited contributions erode public trust. State lawmakers return to the Capitol on January 8 for their legislative session. Missouri's campaign finance limits were eliminated by legislation passed in the closing hours of the 2008 session. Supporters contend capping campaign donations creates an incentive to circumvent the limits and thereby obscure from where money has flowed. Nixon was traveling Thursday to Kansas City. He is to be joined by Republican Sen. Will Kraus, of Lee's Summit, and Democratic House members Kevin McManus, of Kansas City, and Jon Carpenter, of Gladstone.

Kansas Won't Release Data from Reading, Math TestsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas won't be issuing any report cards this year on how well its public school students performed on standardized reading and math tests after cyberattacks and other problems this spring. The State Board of Education decided Tuesday not to release any scores. The board's decision means there won't be a report on how students scored overall statewide or how students in each school district or individual schools scored. The University of Kansas center that designed the tests told the board last month that it should not release data for individual schools and districts because of cyberattacks and other problems from March 10 to April 10. The state Department of Education typically releases data from testing each fall.==============================Kansas Bank Coping with Computer DisruptionTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials at Topeka-based CoreFirst Bank say thousands of customers have been affected by a disruption in its computer-based applications. KSNT-TV reports that a cut in an AT&T fiber-optic line late Tuesday morning affected ATM services, credit and debit card transactions, mobile applications and the bank's website. CoreFirst president Kurt Kuta said the disruption left the bank working off account balances as of Monday's close of business. Deposits and other transactions made after the cut occurred were being recorded in one part of the bank's computer server, but did not show up for customers. The disruption affected all CoreFirst branches in the Topeka area and in Manhattan, Johnson County and Emporia, as well as in Denver, Colorado. Kuta says no customers have lost any money. It's uncertain when the line will be repaired.==============================Wind Storm Whips Through NE Kansas TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Strong winds that blew through central and northeast Kansas left trees down and created power outages but no serious injuries have been reported. Winds reaching more than 60 mph, accompanied by rain and hail hit the state late Monday and early Tuesday. Westar reported up to 25,000 customers without power after the storm but that number had been reduced to about 6,000 early Tuesday. Power outages were reported in Shawnee, Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Douglas, Riley and Geary counties. The Kansas Department of Transportation closed a section of U.S. 24 in Riley County Monday night because of downed power lines. ==============================Winds Leave Damage, Power Outages in MissouriKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A storm that swept through Missouri left thousands without power across the state early Tuesday. No major injuries have been reported. The National Weather Service received reports of wind gusts between 60 and 75 mph. Early Tuesday, Kansas City Power & Light reported about 23,000 people without power in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The National Weather Service said two power poles caught fire when winds whipped the lines in Sedalia.==============================Quiet Year for Tornadoes in KansasWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — It's been a quiet year for tornadoes in Kansas and weather experts are expecting that trend to continue. The National Weather Service says the state recorded 33 tornadoes by the end of June, the lowest number since 30 were recorded in 1994. Meteorologist Chance Hayes in Wichita says most of the Great Plains has seen fewer tornadoes this year, generally because jet stream patterns have stopped moist air from the Gulf of Mexico from colliding with cold air from the north. The Wichita Eagle reports tornado numbers are down nationwide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says preliminary numbers through July 6 showed 783 tornadoes around the country, a more than 20 percent drop from the average total of 1,046 during the past 10 years.==============================World's Tallest Water Slide Set to Open ThursdayKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — After three delays, the world's tallest water slide is scheduled to open this week. Officials at Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas said Tuesday that the public will be able to ride the Verrückt slide on Thursday. The ride was originally scheduled to open on May 23 when the water park's season began. The next scheduled opening on June 5 was postponed, and a June 29 date also was delayed. Park officials have said the delays were needed to allow for more testing. Guinness World Records in April certified the 17-story, 168-foot-tall attraction as the tallest water slide in the world. Riders on the Verruckt, which means "insane" in German, plummet at 60 mph to 70 mph on four-person rafts.==============================Wichita Chief Defends Officers in Fatal ShootingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams says a police officer fatally shot a man as he lunged at the officer with a knife. Chief Williams said Monday that the officer tried to use a stun gun on Icarus Randolph during the confrontation Friday but it had no effect and Randolph was shot when he got within 6 feet of the officer. Williams says Randolph, a 26-year-old military veteran, was carrying a hunting or combat knife with a blade 4 to 5 inches long when he came out of his home toward the officers. The two officers who responded to the scene are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a fatal shooting. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office are investigating the shooting.==============================Leawood to Allow Little Free LibraryLEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) — After a plea from a 9-year-old boy, a Kansas City suburb will temporarily allow residents to have small, free lending libraries in their yards. The Leawood City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a temporary moratorium that allows "Little Free Library" structures in residents' yards. The moratorium, effective Tuesday, will last until October 20. The action came after the city received national attention when it required 9-year-old Spencer Collins to remove his library. The small box on stilts was full of books, which residents could read and replace for free. The Kansas City Star reports the city must wait 60 to 90 days and hold public hearings before it can permanently change its ordinances. It plans to survey Leawood homeowners associations to gauge public opinions on the libraries.==============================Topeka Air Service Increasing with United FlightsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Six months after United Airlines began flying to Chicago out of Topeka Regional Airport, ridership is increasing but airport officials say it needs to continue climbing. Airport authority president Eric Johnson says the twice-daily flights to Chicago were about 64 percent full in June. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the numbers increased from 25 percent full in January to 65 percent in May. Government funds provided about $2 million in revenue guarantees if ticket sales fell short of a revenue goal. Johnson said most of the guarantee funds probably were used in the slow first quarter and the revenue shortfall for the second quarter hasn't been calculated. He says airport officials want the service to be profitable to ensure that United wants to continue to provide service from Topeka.==============================Scottsdale Approves $290K for Defense in Pedicab CasePHOENIX (AP) — Scottsdale, Arizona has approved up to $290,000 to defend the city in lawsuits over a pedicab accident that injured two Kansas men. Michael Tysver and Cody Clark were severely injured in the January 2013 crash. The two 22-year-old Great Bend residents were in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl game. They were headed back to their hotel when the pedicab collided with a car. Their suits claim Scottsdale was negligent by allowing pedicabs to operate without restrictions on public roads. Clark's suit seeks $40 million for a head injury and Tysver $5 million for a spine injury. Clark's parents are seeking $3 million apiece for trauma caused to their family. Scottsdale denies any liability in the case. The Arizona Republic reports that a Chandler law firm is defending Scottsdale in the suits.==============================Murder-Suicide in NW Missouri Involved NeighborsEXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — Excelsior Springs police say two men who died in a murder-suicide were neighbors. Police on Tuesday announced that 53-year-old Timothy Todd Logan shot and killed 49-year-old Cletis Southwick Friday outside an Excelsior Spring home. Southwick then ran to a neighbor for help.The Kansas City Star reports ( http://bit.ly/1qHpj7L ) officers saw Logan, armed with a rifle, running away and set up a perimeter. Officers heard a single gunshot and found Logan dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.Southwick died Sunday at Liberty Hospital. A motive for the shooting has not been made public.==============================Fuselage Recovery Completed at Montana Derailment SiteMISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Crews have removed all three commercial airplane fuselages from a river embankment in western Montana after they tumbled off a train in a derailment. Montana Rail Link spokeswoman Lynda Frost tells the Missoulian that the last of the newly manufactured Boeing 737 fuselages was hoisted up Tuesday. A fuselage is the main body of an aircraft. Nineteen train cars derailed Thursday, spilling three fuselages into the Clark Fork River near Alberton and three more near the tracks. Frost says the fuselages and their flatbed cars weigh a combined 70 tons each. The fuselages and other airplane parts were being transported from a manufacturing plant in Wichita to Boeing facilities in Washington state. Railway officials are investigating the cause of the derailment.==============================National Group Plans to Challenge Kansas Gun LawTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A national gun-control group says it is planning to challenge a Kansas law declaring that the federal government has no authority to regulate guns manufactured, sold and kept only in the state. The Washington-based Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence announced Monday that it would file a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the state law. The Kansas law was enacted in 2013 and makes it a felony for any U.S. government employee to attempt to enforce a federal regulation or treaty when it comes to Kansas-only firearms, ammunition or accessories. A similar law enacted in 2009 in Montana was struck down by the federal courts. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback promised a vigorous defense of the state's law.==============================Kansas Wheat Harvest Makes ProgressWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest government crop update shows the Kansas wheat harvest is making slow progress. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 70 percent of the wheat has now been harvested, compared with an early-July average of 88 percent. The agency says that some cutting was delayed by the application of herbicides to control weeds. The condition of Kansas wheat still in the field was rated as 61 percent poor to very poor, 27 percent fair, 11 percent good and 1 percent excellent. Cooler temperatures and rain in the past week are helping spring-planted crops. Corn condition is rated as 8 percent poor to very poor. About 34 percent of the corn is rated fair, 47 percent good and 11 percent excellent.==============================Emporia Enjoying Connection with HostessEMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — Snack cakes have been a sweet deal for Emporia. The northeast Kansas town has seen jobs return and millions of dollars in investments since its Hostess Brands plant reopened last year and expanded this year. The Kansas City Star reports the company that makes Twinkies, Donettes and other cake products added $30 million in improvements to the plant. A ribbon cutting is planned Friday to celebrate a new warehouse, and a Twinkie festival is scheduled Saturday. The plant was closed and 500 jobs were lost during a labor dispute in 2012. The Emporia plant was one of four Hostess bakeries reopened last year when a partnership group bought the company's assets. About 330 non-union workers are currently employed by the plant and another 50 jobs are likely to be added.==============================High Water Postpones Missouri River Boat RaceKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An annual paddle boat race on the Missouri River will be postponed until August because of high water on the river. The MR340 race on the Missouri River between Kansas City, Kansas, and St. Charles, Missouri was scheduled to begin Tuesday. Organizers announced Monday that the race will be held Aug. 12-15. More than 600 people had signed up to be paddle canoes and kayaks across the state, with the race expected to end Wednesday or Thursday. The Kansas City Star reportsseveral areas of the river are expected to be above flood stage this week, which makes the river run faster and submerges sandbars and other obstacles.==============================NE Kansas Escapee CapturedLANSING, Kan. (AP) — A minimum-security inmate at a northeast Kansas prison is back in custody after reportedly walking away from a work detail. The Leavenworth Times reports 52-year-old Ronald J. Emons was apprehended without incident late Monday afternoon at or near Fort Leavenworth. Emons is serving time at the nearby Lansing Correctional Facility for violating his probation for a conviction of attempted indecent liberties with a child. KAIR Radio reported that Emons went with a work crew around 6 a.m. Monday to a reservoir outside the prison compound's fenced area. Staff noticed him missing around 10:40 a.m. A judge sentenced Emons in July 2011 to probation for attempted indecent liberties with a 14- to 16-year-old child. He has been sent to Lansing twice for violating the terms of his probation.==============================Amtrak CEO to Make Kansas Whistle-Stop TourNEWTON, Kan. (AP) — Top executives of Amtrak and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway will make a whistle-stop trip on the passenger railroad's Southwest Chief in Kansas. Friday's event takes place amid efforts to preserve the Southwest Chief's current route between Newton, Kansas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The service is in jeopardy because BNSF, which owns the track, needs to upgrade it for its freight trains. Kansas Transportation Secretary Mike King will be aboard the train with Amtrak president and CEO Joe Boardman and BNSF executive Matt Rose. They plan to talk with local officials at each stop about the funding needed to keep the Southwest Chief's current route after Amtrak's current agreement with BNSF expires in 2016. The train is scheduled to leave Topeka at 9 am and stop in Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City.==============================New Media Relations Chief For KULAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has a new director of news and media relations, and she previously held a similar job at archrival Kansas State University. KU announced Monday that Erinn Barcomb-Peterson had started the director's job on the Lawrence campus after nine years at KansasState. Barcomb-Peterson holds a journalism degree from the University of Kansas. She worked as a reporter for The Eudora News and design editor for The Ottawa Herald before going to work for Kansas State's news and editorial services in 2005. She became director there in 2011. The KU job became open when Jill Jess Phythyon took a similar position in March at Ohio State University's College of Nursing. KU School of Medicine Communications Director David Martin replaced her temporarily.==============================Kansas GOP 4th District Congressional Candidates Appear at ForumWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The two Republicans vying for the south-central Kansas congressional seat traded barbs at their first face-to-face forum. Congressman Mike Pompeo told the Wichita Crime Commission on Monday he's on a mission in Washington to shrink the size and scope of government. He says he believes deeply in the private sector. Former congressman Todd Tiahrt said he's challenging Pompeo in the August primary to reclaim his old seat because he cannot sit by and watch all the hard work he did in Washington deteriorate. He cited what he called the "train wreck" in Washington caused by lawmakers who can't get along with each other. Tiahrt represented the 4th Congressional District for 16 years before giving it up in 2010 for an unsuccessful campaign for Senate.==============================Couple Pleads Guilty to Hiring Illegal WorkersKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The owners of two Overland Park hotels pleaded guilty to hiring workers who were in the country illegally and then paying them less than other workers. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced in a news release Monday that 53-year-old Munir Ahmad Chaudary and his 41-year-old wife, Rhonda R. Bridge, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor undocumented workers for personal gain. The couple admitted they hired the workers for Clarion hotels they own in Overland Park and Kansas City, Missouri. Grissom says the illegal workers were not given Social Security, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance. A sentencing date hasn't been set. They face five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. Prosecutors also are seeking the forfeiture of assets gained through the couple's activities.==============================Kidney Transplant Clinic to Open in WichitaWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri hospital will open a clinic in Wichita next month to serve kidney patients who need transplants. Saint Luke's Hospital, of Kansas City, announced plans Tuesday to open the clinic near Wichita's Via Christi hospital. Doctors at the clinic will evaluate potential transplant recipients. They will also provide pre- and post-surgery care for patients who receive new kidneys at Saint Luke's in Kansas City. KWCH-TV reports that more than 1,000 dialysis patients in Wichita are being evaluated for transplants. Wichita was left with a void when Via Christi announced in May it would not reopen its own program, which was halted in 2012 for the investigation of the deaths of four transplant patients in less than a month.==============================Firefighters Find Pot Plants in Northern Kansas Mobile HomeWAKEFIELD, Kan. (AP) — A northern Kansas man's troubles may go beyond a burned-out mobile home after firefighters reported finding an apparent marijuana-growing operation inside the structure. KMAN-AM reports the fire broke out around 1 a.m. Saturday in the Clay County town of Wakefield. Clay County Sheriff Chuck Dunn says firefighters doused the flames and notified his office after coming across what appeared to be a marijuana operation. Dunn says officers found more than 50 marijuana plants, along with grow lights, an automatic watering system and a ventilation system. A 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of growing and possessing marijuana and other offenses. The sheriff said the fire rekindled Saturday night and destroyed the rest of the mobile home. The cause both times has not been determined.==============================Parents Work to Keep Missing Children in SpotlightST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Missouri parents whose children have been missing for years say they struggle to keep their children's cases in the public eye while dealing with the frustration of not knowing what happened. One such parent is Tammy Mack, whose 15-year-old daughter Ashley disappeared from St. Joseph 10 years ago. She says she hasn't given hope of finding out what happened to Ashley but she no longer spends hours every day online and on the phone searching for clues. She and family and friends held a candlelight vigil at the pool Sunday night. She also planted a tree near the pool in her daughter's memory. The Kansas City Star reports that a convicted felon who lived in Ashley's neighborhood is a strong suspect in her disappearance but no one has been arrested.==============================Flooding Forces Evacuation of 100 Boy ScoutsWALSENBURG, Colo. (AP) — About 100 Boy Scouts -- many from Kansas -- are back at their southern Colorado camp after being evacuated because of flooding. The scouts left the Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch on school buses and sheriff's vehicles around 4 am Tuesday after rain caused a creek running through the property near Walsenburg, Colorado to rise. They went to a Red Cross shelter set up in Walsenburg's community center and authorities cleared the scouts to return around midday. Scout executive Michael Stewart says the scouts, most of them from southwestern Kansas, were camping in tents above Bear Creek and weren't in immediate danger. Scouts there were also forced to evacuate last year by a wildfire, which has made the land more prone to flooding. The scouts have been getting a real-life lesson in conservation by planting trees and grass to prevent erosion and flooding.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says all items seized in a police raid of the Marion County Record newspaper offices will be returned without review... KU unveils plans for a $300 million upgrade to its football stadium and other sports facilities... and two audits slam the state's foster care system. Those headlines and more inside.