(AP) — A federal agency has rejected Wichita-based Beechcraft’s protest of the award of an Air Force contract for light air support planes to Sierra Nevada Corp. and its Brazil-based partner, Embraer.

Both companies issued statements Thursday announcing the decision by the Government Accountability Office. It’s the latest development in a high-stakes competition that has taken nearly three years with legal challenges from both sides.

The contract for 20 planes for use in Afghanistan is worth more than $427 million. It could be worth as much as $1 billion, depending on future orders.

Sierra Nevada and Embraer lauded the decision as a win for U.S. forces and allies in Afghanistan.

But Beechcraft is calling for Congress to step in and limit the purchase to only the portion covered by the first delivery order.

(AP) — The winter wheat harvest is off to a slow, tentative start in south-central Kansas.

Steve Inslee, general manager at the OK Co-op in Kiowa, said Thursday that local farmers have cut a few acres and the grain elevator has taken a couple of loads of wheat. He doesn’t look for the area’s harvest to begin in earnest until Sunday or Monday.

Inslee expects the elevator to take in just 1 million bushels this season because of the drought. That would be one-third of what it received last year.

The industry group Kansas Wheat says it knows of no other harvest activity besides Kiowa.

Group spokesman Bill Spiegel says the Kansas harvest was about 70 percent complete at this time last year.

4 p.m. Update   (AP) — Wichita police believe the shooter who fired on a home and struck a sleeping 4-year-old boy targeted the wrong address.

The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Thursday. Police say the boy and his mother were asleep in a bedroom of a duplex at the time.

The 4-year-old was taken to St. Francis Hospital with a gunshot wound in his back. Police said he was in stable condition after surgery and is expected to recover.

Police said five shots were fired from outside the home. A search for suspects continued Thursday afternoon.

8:45 a.m. (AP) — Wichita police say a 4-year-old boy is in stable condition at St. Francis Hospital after he was shot while sleeping in his home.

Police say the boy and his mother were sleeping early Thursday when someone fired at least five shots into their home. The boy was hit the back and is expected to recover from his injuries.

Police are still investigating and do not currently have any suspects.

Five people were injured in a Thursday morning crash near Salina. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, “Danielle M. Roth, age 32, of Salina was driving 2009 Ford Focus 75 miles per hour on I-135 at mile marker 80 north bound, 8 miles south of Salina when she rear ended a 2005 Saturn traveling at 60 miles per hour, driven by 55 year old Lori D. Lawrence of Wichita.

Roth and Lawrence were transported to Salina Regional Medical Center along with  passengers in the Focus, 62 year old Paul C. Oberg, 57 year old Stormy C. Johnston, 55 year old Catherine R. Rayes, and 54 year old Sherry L. Whitmore  They were all from Wichita and all of them had been wearing seat belts.”

Kansas First District Congressman Tim Huelskamp discusses NSA scandal with Fox News Sean Hannity.

(AP) — A woman whose husband was convicted of killing a Kansas woman is no longer facing charges of helping him avoid arrest.

Charges were dismissed Wednesday against Rebecca Hollister, wife of Roger Hollister, who was convicted of killing 58-year-old Patricia Kimmi of Rural Horton in 2009.

Rebecca Hollister, of Topeka, was charged in March with aiding a felon. Prosecutors had alleged she tried to help her husband avoid arrest and conviction after Kimmi’s death.

Roger Hollister died in March while serving a life sentence in the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert said in his motion to dismiss that an essential state witness had died, making it difficult to prosecute Rebecca Hollister.