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

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

The state's corrections department says it aims to move all condemned inmates to other state prisons and off death row by the end of the year.

Presidential historian Jon Meacham speaks with NPR about his new biography, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle. It examines Lincoln's actions as well as motivations.

Giuliani has long claimed that he dreamed up the idea of using the federal RICO law to target mafia families when he was a federal prosecutor.

Trying to prevent gun violence by tying it to mental health legislation began in 1966 when a young gunman killed 16 people in Austin, Texas. But some believe the approach is misguided.

Kansas Governor Says Budget Director to ResignTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback says Budget Director Steve Anderson is resigning at the end of this month to return to private life. Brownback announced Friday that Anderson's resignation is effective August 31. Anderson has been a top adviser to Brownback since December 2010, a month before the Republican governor took office. Anderson is a certified public accountant who was a consultant for the anti-tax, small-government group Americans for Prosperity before joining Brownback's administration. Anderson said in a statement that his family has supported him, but it's time to be with them. Brownback said Anderson's work helped make Kansas competitive in a global economy. But earlier this year, Anderson apologized after supplying Brownback with an incorrect figure that led the governor to make erroneous claims about state spending.==================Governor Brownback Issues Disaster DeclarationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has declared a state of disaster emergency for 62 counties hit by severe storms and flooding. The declaration issued Friday authorizes state resources to provide emergency assistance. Brownback said in a written statement that the flooding has damaged infrastructure and that repairs need to be made quickly "so everyone can get back to business as usual." The counties named in the declaration are Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gray, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearney, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Linn, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Ness, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Rice, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Sumner, Wichita, Wilson, and Woodson.==================Authorities Find Gun in KS Student's BackpackSPRING HILL, Kan. (AP) — Johnson County authorities say a handgun was found in a student's backpack outside Spring Hill High School. The Kansas City Star reports that a Johnson County sheriff's deputy assigned as a school resource officer was checking on a report of a student "in need of care" outside the school Thursday when the gun was found. Spring Hill School District officials later posted a notice about the incident on the district website. The sheriff's office says the student wasn't arrested, but was given help in obtaining mental health treatment. Spring Hill is a community of about 5,500 residents in southern Johnson County.================== Wichita Lawmaker to Resign After Special SessionWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A longtime Kansas House member says he'll resign from the Legislature at the end of next month's special session. Democrat Nile Dillmore told The Wichita Eagle on Thursday the decision is tied to his planned October retirement from his regular job with a Wichita credit union. The 65-year-old lawmaker says it's time for him to seek "some other things to do." Dillmore was first elected to the House in 2000. After a federal court-ordered redrawing of the state's political boundaries last year, he defeated Republican state Representative Brenda Landwehr of Wichita to retain his seat. He serves on the House Appropriations, Taxation and Elections committees. Lawmakers will convene their special session on September 3 to rewrite a law allowing judges to sentence convicted murderers to at least 50 years in prison.================== Panel Plans Open Sessions on Workers' Comp JudgesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new committee that nominates administrative judges to review workers' compensation disputes is promising to hold open meetings. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the seven-member committee already assumed it was required to follow the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Lawmakers created the committee this year, replacing a two-member business and labor panel. Committee member Eric Stafford, who represents the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, said he consulted with the attorney general's office and there's no doubt it must comply with the Open Meetings Act. The panel also plans to review how the state's Open Records Act applies to it. The committee's next meeting is Wednesday in Wichita, where it plans to review candidates for a judgeship. Its choices must be approved by the state labor secretary and Governor Sam Brownback.==================Lawrence Museum Opens Quantrill's Raid ExhibitLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence museum is opening a new $300,000 exhibit as the city marks the 150th anniversary of William Clarke Quantrill's rebel guerrilla attack on the pro-union town. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the exhibit opens Saturday at the Watkins Museum of History. It features displays and artifacts from the Civil War and Bleeding Kansas eras. Among the items on display is Ernst Ulmer's 4-by-6-foot canvas painting depicting Quantrill's Raid. The loaned piece, valued at about $30,000, greets visitors as they enter the exhibit. It also features a newly constructed booth with a large touch-screen television that allows visitors to point to places on a digital map of Lawrence. Different points on the map tell different stories, both in pictures and audio.================== Kansas Supreme Court, Bar Association Promoting iCivics for SchoolsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court and state Bar Association are promoting the use of educational video games in schools to teach students civics lessons. The court and the association are advocating the use of games developed by iCivics, a group formed in 2009 by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The games include "Power Play," with teams competing to win power for the federal government or the states, and "We the Jury," with players deciding court cases. The Kansas court says an advisory committee will promote the games during a new "Celebrate Freedom Week" mandated by the Legislature this year for public schools. It's set by law for the week that includes the September 17 anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.================== Sedgwick County "Hard 50" Sentencing DelayedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed in Sedgwick County for a man convicted of stomping his girlfriend to death. The delay in the sentencing for 42-year-old Anson Bernhardt is intended so officials can determine if the state's "Hard 50" sentencing law can be applied. Prosecutors are seeking the "Hard 50" sentence — 50 years without parole — for Bernhardt, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the September death of his girlfriend, 38-year-old Amber Kostner. The Wichita Eagle reports that lawyers want to determine how the case is affected by a U.S. Supreme Court decision raising questions about the constitutionality of the "Hard 50." The ruling said juries, not judges, must make findings that increase a mandatory minimum sentence. Kansas law requires a judge to decide whether to impose the "Hard 50" sentence.================== Report of Sex Assault Prompts Caution in ManhattanMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Riley County police are investigating a report of a sexual assault near the campus of Kansas State University. The report prompted county and Kansas State police to issue a statement Thursday cautioning students and the general public not to walk alone at night. Police say the assault happened in the early morning hours of August 11th. No other details were released. Kansas State offers a service called Wildcat Walk to students, faculty, staff and guests. Anyone who feels uncomfortable walking alone can call the service to be escorted up to two blocks off campus. People driving to campus can also arrange to be met in a parking lot and escorted to their destination.==================Overland Park Police Investigating Woman's Reported AbductionOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Overland Park police are investigating a report that a gunman abducted a woman from a hospital parking lot, forced her to take money out of an ATM and then had her drop him off back at the parking lot. Police say the woman reported the gunman accosted her in the parking lot Friday morning and demanded she drive him to a nearby bank where he had her withdraw an unknown amount of money. The woman says the suspect then had her drive him back to the hospital where she dropped him off and he fled on foot. The woman says the gunman's head was covered by a baggy white cloth. She describes him as a stocky black man in his late 20s or early 30s. No injuries were reported.==================Olathe Police Say Remains Those of Missing Man, 23OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Olathe police say human remains found earlier this year have been identified as those of a 23-year-old man missing for nearly two years. Police said in a release Friday the family of Ryan A. Bradley reported him missing in October 2011. The skeletal remains were found in rural Johnson County in March, and police say DNA testing identified the remains as those of Bradley. The cause of death has not been determined.==================Topeka Fire Dept Officials Get OT Despite GuidelinesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Several high-ranking officials in the Topeka Fire Department have been collecting overtime despite federal labor guidelines that say they could be exempt from that overtime. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 11 battalion chiefs and shift commanders in the Topeka Fire Department earned a collective $145,338 in overtime in 2012. Jacque Russell, human resources director for Topeka, says under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the officials could be exempt from overtime. Russell says fire department managers have received overtime for at least six years, and that likely stemmed from an effort to maintain salary differences between management and non-management positions. In fire departments in other cities, including Overland Park, Shawnee and Wichita, positions with equal or fewer responsibilities than Topeka's shift commanders and battalion chiefs can't receive overtime.=================Topeka Suspect Treed After K-9 Unit CalledTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man suspected of trying to break in to a Topeka motel was caught hiding in a tree after police dogs were called in to help in the search. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that police were called to the motel early Friday on a report of an attempted break in. The suspect ran from the area as police arrived and headed into a heavily wooded area. Police officers established a perimeter around the area and called for assistance from its K-9 unit and the Kansas Highway Patrol. After a brief search, K-9 officers located the suspect hiding in a tree. Police spokeswoman Kristen Veverka says it took the suspect about an hour to come down from the tree. He was taken into custody, and formal charges are pending.================== Soldier Pleads No Contest in Fatal Kansas ChaseJUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Fort Riley soldier faces up to 41 years in prison after pleading no contest to charges in a fatal, wrong-way chase on Interstate 70. WIBW-TV reports 22-year-old Gary Nelson of Junction City will be sentenced on November 12th. The Geary County prosecutor's office says Nelson pleaded no contest last week to second-degree murder and reckless driving. Authorities said Nelson intentionally drove the wrong way on I-70 the night of April 3rd. A sport utility vehicle that tried to avoid a head-on collision went off the highway and rolled over, killing 53-year-old passenger Jake Black of Manhattan. A Highway Patrol trooper continued chasing Nelson at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour before the soldier surrendered after several miles. Investigators said Nelson told them and others he had planned to commit suicide.================== KS Man Accused of Thefts from Several EmployersWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man has been charged with stealing computer hardware and other items from four of his former employers and selling the goods online. A 12-count indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court charges 44-year-old Mark A. Lankford with wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors are also seeking a forfeiture judgment. The government alleges Lankford stole the items while working at Farmland Foods, Independent Electric Machinery, Fiber Glass Systems and Spirit AeroSystems. The indictment charges he then sold the stolen goods on eBay and by email. A voice message left at his Wichita home was not returned, and court records do not show a defense attorney.================== Sierra Club Accuses KCP&L of Breaching 2007 AgreementKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Sierra Club is accusing Kansas City Power & Light of failing to honor the agreement that ended a dispute over construction of a coal-fired plant in northwest Missouri. The Kansas City Star reports that the utility says it's fulfilled the requirements of the 2007 agreement, which stemmed from KCP&L's Iatan 2 coal-fired plant in northern Platte County. In the pact, the Sierra Club agreed to drop a lawsuit seeking to block the plant, and KCP&L agreed to offset the plant's pollution by using more renewable energy and getting its customers to use less electricity. The Sierra Club says KCP&L has since missed its goal for more renewable energy by nearly one-third. KCP&L says it's met its obligations and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on wind energy.================== Kansas $1M Powerball Winner Hasn't Claimed MoneyHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The person who bought a Powerball ticket in southwest Kansas that was a $1 million winner in a January drawing still hasn't claimed the prize. The Hutchinson News reports that someone bought the $1 million winner Powerball ticket in one of 24 southwest Kansas counties in the January 26 drawing. But the ticket-holder still hasn't contacted the Kansas Lottery. Winners have a year to claim their prize. Karie Lowe, customer liaison at the Kansas Lottery, says the money will go back into the fund to finance other prizes or drawings if it's not claimed. The state does not disclose the store where a winning ticket is sold until the winner comes forward.=================== Governors Seek Ways to Keep Prairie Chicken Off Endangered ListOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The governors of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas say public-private partnerships involving landowners and developers are the best way to protect the habitat of the lesser prairie chicken. The Journal Record in Oklahoma City reported Friday that the governors this month signed a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking the agency to not add the bird to the threatened species list. They say that adding the bird could slow development of oil, gas and wind projects in the Plains. Wildlife agencies in the five states back in 1996 formed a group to determine a way to conserve the bird's habitat. The Fish and Wildlife Service says it received the letter from the governors and is working on a response.=================== UMKC Receives $722K Grant for Health EducationKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri-Kansas City has received a $722,000 federal grant aimed at improving health care at a clinic that serves the poor and uninsured. The school says in a news release that the money will be used to create a collaborative model at the Kansas City CARE Clinic. The model involves clinical teams of faculty and students from the university's Schools of Nursing and Health Studies, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Social Work and clinical staff from the clinic. The three-year grant is from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. School of Nursing and Health Studies Dean Ann Cary says the grant provides a "powerful opportunity" for the four schools to collaborate.==================Grand-Am Series to Make Debut at Kansas Speedway KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The new road course at Kansas Speedway will get its first real taste of speed this weekend when the Grand-Am series visits the 2.37-mile circuit. The course was designed during a resurface of the facility last summer. It uses a portion of the main track used twice a year by the Sprint Cup, with a hard left-hand turn in the first corner sending the sports cars winding through the infield. There's a lot riding on Saturday night's debut of sports car racing at Kansas. The merger between the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series announced earlier this year means the track could be left off the schedule next season. Full stands and strong support could be enough to ensure a return date in 2014.==================Bruce Jenner to Race at Kansas SpeedwayKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Bruce Jenner, former Olympic decathlon champ and reality television star, is racing this weekend at the Kansas Speedway. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Jenner is racing with his 34-year-old son Burt Jenner in the SFP Grand Prix on the road course at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. They're co-driving in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo class on Friday and Saturday. Jenner, now 63, won the gold medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, setting a then-world record with 8,616 points. He may be better known now, however, for the TV reality show, "Keeping up with the Kardashians," which chronicles the life of Jenner's extended family. Practice and qualifying for the race are Friday, along with the first of two Lamborghini Super Trofeo races Friday night.=================== Judge Sides with Abortion Opponent in Kansas CaseWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has found in favor of a Kansas abortion opponent accused of sending a threatening letter to a Wichita doctor who was training to offer abortion services. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten summarily ruled Thursday that Angel Dillard's 2011 letter to Doctor Mila Means was not a "true threat." The Justice Department had filed the civil lawsuit against Dillard under a law aimed at protecting access to abortion services. The Valley Center woman wrote to Means saying she would have to check under her car every day because someone might place an explosive under it. Dillard has argued that the letter was constitutionally protected speech. Marten ruled the government supplied no evidence that actual violence against the doctor was likely or imminent.=================== Driver in KC Day Care Crash Likely Hit Wrong PedalKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say a 74-year-old driver probably stomped the accelerator instead of the brake before knocking a parked car into a Kansas City day care last month. The Kansas City Star reports that driver told police a maroon car pulled out in front of his sport utility vehicle and hit his Range Rover. The driver said he then lost control of his vehicle before knocking a parked Cadillac into the Christian Academy Child Care east of downtown. Three children were injured. But investigators said the Range Rover bore no evidence of a crash with a car other than the Cadillac. Investigators concluded that the primary factor in the wreck was the driver "failing to give his full time and attention to the safe operation" of his vehicle.=================== Fines Levied After Fatal Blast Levels Plaza-Area RestaurantKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The federal government is seeking stiff fines against a cable company subcontractor after a fatal explosion leveled a Kansas City restaurant. The U.S. Department of Labor released a statement Thursday saying Heartland Midwest was being cited for safety violations after a crew breached a natural gas supply line with an underground borer on February 19th. The blast leveled JJ's restaurant near the Country Club Plaza, a busy outdoor shopping area. One restaurant worker died and 15 others were injured. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking $161,000 in penalties against Heartland for violations including failing to provide a workplace "free of recognized hazards." JJ's also faces a proposed $2,000 penalty for having a deficient emergency action plan. Heartland attorney Brad Russell says the company strongly denies the allegations.

A polling place in Topeka during the primary elections. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)A mix-up at a polling place in Topeka could affect the outcome of two Republican primary elections for seats in the Kansas House. Shawnee County Election Commissioner Elizabeth Ensley Deiter (DYE-ter) says a trained supervisor made a mistake and gave some voters the wrong ballots. Ensley Deiter says she’s never seen an issue like this in her 20 years as election commissioner.00000184-7fa7-d6f8-a1cf-7fa7b2960000Ensley Deiter says she removed the supervisor and fixed the problems, but more than 300 people had already voted. Her office is working to determine how many voters received the wrong ballots. The mistake could affect two House elections. In one race, the top finisher only won by 41 votes. The Shawnee County Board of Canvassers will consider what actions to take, if any, during a meeting on Monday.

Here are the headlines for our area, as compiled by KPR staff members. Our weekday headlines are generally posted by 10 a.m. and updated throughout the day. Feel free to browse our ad-free news summary. And when you're done, feel free to make a pledge to KPR. Thanks.

KS Democrat Seeking 2nd District Seat Gets EMILY'S List NodTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The EMILY's List political action committee has endorsed Democrat Margie Wakefield in race in the 2nd Congressional District of Kansas. The Washington-based PAC raises money for female Democrats supporting abortion rights. Wakefield is a Lawrence attorney who hopes to unseat Republican incumbent Lynn Jenkins. In a statement, EMILY's List described Jenkins as a Tea Party lawmaker. Jenkins was seen as a GOP moderate during her six years as state treasurer, but since winning her House seat in 2008, she's compiled a solid anti-abortion voting record, according to the National Right to Life Committee. Jenkins spokesman Bill Roe described EMILY's List as one of the most partisan, Democratic organizations in the nation and said its endorsement of Wakefield speaks for itself.===============USDA Awards Kansas $100K for School ProgramsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is receiving a $100,000 federal grant to promote the use of locally grown food in schools and agriculture education programs. The grants were announced Tuesday to 42 states and 71 programs nationwide by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman says eight school districts that have agriculture education programs will be selected to receive $12,500 each to develop the means for getting local food products served in school meal programs. The goal will be to get a minimum of two locally produced food items served in school cafeterias each month. Other agriculture education materials and workshops will be required as part of receiving the grant. Kansas districts with significant percentages of participation in free and reduced-priced lunches will be given preference in the state's selection.===============UPDATE: Federal Court Suspends Ex-Shawnee Co. Employee's Discrimination Lawsuit AppealTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal appeals court has suspended the appeal from a former Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center employee challenging the dismissal of her lawsuit against county employees and the state attorney general. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday abated the appeal for now because Ning Lu filed it before the district court had ruled on her pending motion to reconsider its decision. The appeals court told her to notify it in writing after district court makes its ruling. Lu filed the lawsuit in March when she was 47, contending she was a victim of age and racial discrimination at the juvenile detention center, where she worked from 2010 to 2012. She sought $4 million in damages in lost wages, emotional pain and harm to her reputation.===============Lawyer Says He Lacked Death Penalty Case TrainingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas attorney is proposing that he be allowed to keep his law license if he agrees to never again defend another murder case in court. Dennis Hawver faces disbarment or indefinite suspension of his law license for the handling of the capital murder case of Phillip D. Cheatham Jr. of Topeka. Cheatham was charged with the December 2003 shooting deaths of two women and wounding a third woman in Topeka. He was convicted and sentenced to death, but the Kansas Supreme Court reversed the conviction in early 2013, ruling that Hawver provided ineffective counsel. The Topeka Capital Journal reported Wednesday that Hawver acknowledged during a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday that he lacked the training to handle capital cases.===============Worker Killed at FedEx Facility in ShawneeSHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Police in Shawnee say a worker has died after an accident at a FedEx facility in suburban Kansas City. Shawnee police said in a release Wednesday that 62-year-old Dwight L. Spencer of Gardner died of his injuries at a hospital. Emergency crews were sent to the FedEx facility on a report of an injured worker. Police say that when they arrived they found Spencer pinned between a trailer and a dock. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. The cause of the accident is under investigation.===============Bullet Fired into KCK Elementary SchoolKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas police are investigating after a shot was fired into an elementary school as students were preparing to be dismissed. Police say no one was injured in the incident Wednesday afternoon at Whittier Elementary School. Police believe the bullet came from a drive-by incident about a block-and-a-half away. The Kansas City Star reports that the school was preparing to dismiss students when staff heard gunshots in the neighborhood. The district's chief of staff, David Smith, said staff made sure all doors were locked and everyone was kept inside. After about 20 minutes, police told school officials the threat had been cleared and it was safe to dismiss the students.===============Kansas Teen Gets Life for Dollar General SlayingsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 19-year-old Kansas man has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for killing two people inside a Wichita Dollar General store late last year. The Wichita Eagle reports Marquis Marshall spoke few words Wednesday at his sentencing hearing. He was convicted in October of capital murder in the Nov. 30, 2012, fatal shootings of 22-year-old store employee Zachary Hunt and 79-year-old customer Henry Harvey. Prosecutors say they still don't know why Marshall shot the victims. A Sedgwick County jury deliberated less than two hours October 2 before convicting Marshall. His defense lawyer presented no evidence at his trial, and a motive for the shootings was never disclosed. About two dozen relatives of Harvey and Hunt attended the sentencing hearing.===============Former Nursing Student Sues 2 Kansas CollegesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former nursing student has filed a federal lawsuit against two community colleges in Kansas over an adverse and secret clinical reference she contends destroyed her educational and career opportunities. Rebecca Lemon sued Coffeyville Community College and a nursing program instructor Wednesday for defamation. Her lawsuit also claims the college falsely assured her when she enrolled that its nursing program would be accredited. Lemon is also seeking a court order requiring Labette Community College and its nursing director to disclose the identity of the person whose reference was the basis of her denial to that school's nursing program. She wants copies of her educational records and a court order forcing the college to admit her. The colleges and employees named as defendants did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.===============Lawrence Could Soon Have New Central City ParkLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence could soon have a new city park, which someday might be part of a citywide trail system. City commissioners on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to accepting a donation of 8 acres of land that includes a large pond and forest. The land is owned by the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that no work on the park will happen until grant funding is found, and that would be next year at the earliest. A private group is seeking funding for the first phase, which would be a concrete trail around most of the pond. City officials say the property could someday become an intersecting point for a trail system across the city.=============== Saline County Judge to Decide on DNA TestingSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Saline County judge says he'll decide as soon as possible on what DNA testing, if any, will be allowed in the case of a man convicted of raping and killing a woman in 1982. The Salina Journal reports that Saline County District Court Judge Patrick Thompson said Tuesday he'll decide soon about the DNA testing in the case of Robert H. Lackey II, who was convicted of first-degree murder and rape in the death of 22-year-old Sara Ann Brecheisen. Lackey's case was sent back to district court in 2012 by the Kansas Supreme Court for a hearing on whether Lackey should be granted DNA testing on some hair found on Brecheisen's body. Thompson says he'll also consider whether new testing procedures should be completed.=============== KC Area Man Charged with Stealing Donation JarsLEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (AP) — The Jackson County (Missouri) prosecutor has filed charges against a suburban Kansas City man accused of stealing two donation displays for the Children's Miracle Network. The prosecutor's office said Wednesday that 49-year-old Michael W. Sterbach of Overland Park is charged with two felony counts of stealing for allegedly taking the containers, which had about $90 in them. The money is used to help provide medical care for children. The prosecutor's office says each display was also worth about $500. The prosecutor's office says video images show a man hauling off the displays from a Lee's Summit store on October 26 and November 2. Sterbach told police he wanted to get money for drugs. Lee's Summit police say he surrendered to police after learning he was the focus of the investigation. ===============Appeals Court Rejects KS Man's Idaho Drug Conviction AppealBOISE, Idaho (AP) — A Kansas man serving more than a decade in Idaho prison on a drug conviction will stay there, for now. The Idaho Court of Appeals Tuesday rejected Jonathan Ross Mathews's appeal contending police didn't have cause to call for a drug-sniffing dog that located two-pounds of marijuana in his trunk. The officer who arrested Mathews on U.S. Highway 93 near Twin Falls in June 2012 said numerous factors — his circuitous route, energy drinks in his car and food wrappers indicating somebody driving long distances without stopping — aroused his suspicion. However, Mathews, who is from Lawrence, Kansas, contends there was nothing suspicious about the things in his car. The Appeals Court backed the officer, deciding context was important for law enforcement in judging whether somebody should be scrutinized for illegal behavior.=============== DA: Man Shot Himself After Wichita RobberyWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett says a man fleeing a robbery in April died from a self-inflicted gunshot and not from a shot fired by a sheriff's deputy. Bennett announced Tuesday that an autopsy found that 26-year-old Horace L. Gwyn died after shooting himself in the head while trying to flee from a robbery at a Credit Union of America office in Wichita. He says at the same time Gwyn shot himself, a Sedgwick County sheriff's deputy shot him in the upper back. Bennett says that shot would not have been fatal. Bennett also says the deputy was justified in shooting at Gwyn, who had fired a shot at him.===============4 Arrested in Sedgwick County ShootingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in Sedgwick County have arrested four people in a shooting that left a woman dead and her husband critically injured. The couple was rushed to a Wichita hospital Friday night after they were found suffering from gunshot wounds outside their home in Valley Center, which is north of Wichita. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office said 53-year-old Melissa Bluml died Saturday. Her husband, Roger Bluml, remains hospitalized in critical condition. The sheriff's department says three men and a woman have been taken into custody. Sheriff's Captain Greg Pollock also says investigators expect to meet with prosecutors this week to determine if charges will be filed. Pollock says authorities don't expect any more arrests, but the investigation is ongoing.===============Westar Energy Sends Crews to Aid in Michigan Power RestorationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Westar Energy is sending crews to help restore power in Michigan, which was hit by heavy storms this week. The Topeka Capital-Journal reportsWestar says Michigan's DTE Energy put out a call for aid in restoring power to more than 300,000 people. Westar is a member of the Midwest Mutual Assistance Group, which allows utilities to call upon neighboring utilities and contractors for help getting power running after severe storms. Westar says in a release that 32 people from its service territory will also post online updates during their work with DTE in Michigan.=============== KS Dog Owner Seeks Justice After Animal's DeathASHLAND, Kan. (AP) — A dog owner in western Kansas is seeking justice after his dog was apparently strangled. Justin Underwood told KWCH that his 9-year-old Border Collie named Mac ran away last week. He says that two days later he got a call from a woman claiming she shot the dog because it was harassing her goats. Underwood says he went to the Clark County Sheriff's Office after finding no evidence of gunshots or metal fragments in the X-ray. The sheriff's office sent the dog's body to a research lab at Kansas State University, which found that the dog had been strangled. Underwood says Mac was trained to herd cattle and would not have hurt other animals. He says he does not understand why the woman killed him.=============== 19-Year-Old Charged in Convenience Store ShootingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 19-year-old Kansas man has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a customer at a south Wichita convenience store. The Wichita Eagle reports Jackson Bryant also was charged Tuesday with aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property. He is accused of killing 29-year-old Jeffrey Michael Jones while robbing the BD Convenience Store shortly before 7:30 pm Sunday. Police say Bryant entered the store and pointed a gun at the clerk, demanded money, then shot Bryant in the head after a short conversation. It was not immediately clear whether Bryant had obtained an attorney. He was being held on $1 million bond.=============== Small KS College Gets $1M GiftMCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — A small central Kansas college has received a $1 million gift from a deceased Arkansas woman. Central Christian College announced on Tuesday that it had received the estate gift from Lela Hudson Honkonen of Batesville, Ark., who died in April. It was the largest estate gift ever given to the college in McPherson. Honkonen graduated from Central Christian in 1937. She worked 43 years for the federal government as a transportation specialist. She wanted the gift used for tuition and books for financially challenged students. The Hutchinson News reports that her gift will go to the President's Opportunity Grant Program, which was started this summer to support students who work to pay for their education. In 2009, Honkonen's sister, Altha Hudson, left more than $800,000 to Central Christian College.=============== Smith Center Native Receiving Horatio Alger AwardWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas native who owned Safelite Auto Glass in Wichita and other companies is a 2014 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award. The Wichita Eagle reports that Randall Dee Hubbard, a native of Smith Center, will receive the honor in April. The award recognizes business leaders who overcome challenges to achieve success and who demonstrate a commitment to philanthropy and higher education. About 200 people have received the award, which is presented by the nonprofit Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. Hubbard has donated heavily to Butler Community College, which he attended, and to Wichita State University. He studied at Butler Community College before becoming general manager and president at Safelite. He later created and ran glass company AFG and bought and revived several horse racing tracks.===============New KCK Water Slide Touted as World's FastestKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — At about 17 stories tall, a water slide opening this spring in Kansas City, Kansas is being touted as a contender for the world's fastest. The Kansas City Star reports that the Schlitterbahn water park company is keeping the ride's exact height secret until an official measuring event this spring. But they promise it will exceed the height of the current world-record-holding slide in Brazil. Riders on that slide have been clocked at 65 mph. Thrill seekers will get their first chance to ride the new slide when the park opens May 23. Park marketing and sales director Layne Pitcher says the slide will attract "adrenaline junkies who are always looking for that next biggest, coolest thrill."