(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.

(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.

(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.

More than Two Out of Three Drivers Use Cell Phone Despite Crash Risk

High school-aged teens report using their phones or texting while driving substantially less often than adults do, according to new research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.  While the public often cites teens as being the most common offenders, a recent survey found that adult drivers ages 25-39 were the most likely to admit engaging in these risky behaviors behind the wheel.

“It’s noteworthy that the young novice drivers are using their phones while driving less than older drivers since, given their inexperience, they are especially susceptible to distracted driving crashes,” said AAA Executive Vice President Public Affairs, Jim Hanni. “At the same time, it is discouraging that cell phone usage picks up when drivers gain more experience, as using a phone can lead to dangerous distractions behind the wheel.”

Two out of three drivers reported using a cell phone while driving within the past month. Forty-three percent of adults ages 25-39 reported doing so fairly often or regularly while driving, compared to only 20 percent of teens.  Motorists age 60 and up were the least likely to report using a phone.

“Using your phone while driving may seem safe, but it roughly quadruples your risk of being in a crash according to previous research,” continued Hanni. “None of us is immune from the dangers of distracted driving. The best advice is to hang up and drive.”

More than one-in-four motorists reported sending a text or email while driving within the past month. Adults ages 25-39 reported texting and driving most frequently, while those age 60 and up reported doing it the least.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one out of every ten fatal crashes involves distraction, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths per year, although experts agree the numbers are likely underestimated. Previous research shows that hands-free cell phones offer no significant safety benefits over handheld phones – hands-free is not risk-free.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety collected the data as part of the 2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index. The data are from a sample of 2,325 licensed drivers, ages 16 and older, who reported driving in the past 30 days.

Kansas State University is receiving an initial five-year, $8.5 million award from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to establish the federal government’s new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss.

It is the third Feed the Future Innovation Lab established at Kansas State University in the last five months, bringing more than $27.2 million to the university.

“Kansas State University is proud to lead this effort to improve our global food system,” said John Floros, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension. “As much as a third to half of the world’s harvest is lost every year for a variety of reasons. Through this innovation lab, we will work toward solutions that reduce postharvest losses and help preserve greater quantity and better quality food for the world’s growing population. By doing so, we will also help reduce the waste of the precious natural resources used to produce our food.”

The Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss is part of the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, called Feed the Future. This newest lab will focus initially on helping the countries of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana and Guatemala reduce their postharvest losses and food waste for grain and oil seed crops, tuberous root crops, and peanut and legume crops.

The lab will expand its research focus to other Feed the Future countries over time.

“A tremendous amount of time and effort is being put into improving crop yields in the developing parts of the world, but then 20-30 percent of those crops are lost soon after harvest and before they reach the consumer,” said Dirk Maier, professor and head of the grain science and industry department and director of the university’s international grains program. “We will research what can be done in an effective manner to decrease these unacceptably large losses, especially among smallholder and subsistence farmers, and use appropriate technologies and knowledge to increase the supply of safe and nutritious food in these and other Feed the Future focus countries.”

As a way to prevent postharvest losses, researchers will investigate prevention of stored product insect pests and mycotoxins as well as improved measurement, drying and storage techniques. They also will use innovative communication, training and education approaches and look at incorporating micronutrients in grain foods to help improve nutrition.

Maier will co-lead the innovation lab, which will be housed in the university’s International Grains Program Institute.

Partners include the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss at the University of Illinois; Oklahoma State University; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; South Carolina State University; University of Kentucky; Fort Valley State University; the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Manhattan-based Center for Grain and Animal Health Research; Archer Daniels Midland Co.; Romer Labs; Vestergaard Frandsen; and John Deere; as well as various universities and nongovernmental organizations in the initial four countries.

“I think we have a powerhouse alliance, and USAID affirmed that by selecting Kansas State University as the leader,” Maier said. “It’s a great honor and responsibility. I think it will spotlight the state and the expertise and capabilities of Kansas State University’s faculty and students as well as those of our collaborators.”

While the lab’s focus will be abroad, Maier said its results will benefit Kansas and the U.S.

“If you have countries with stronger economies, they will have higher demands for grains,” he said. “History has proven that with China and India. To feed 9 billion people by 2050, more grain will need to be produced, preserved and sold for food and not rely on food aid to meet needs.”

The university’s other two Feed the Future Innovation Labs — the Sorghum and Millet Innovation Lab and the Applied Wheat Genomics Innovation Lab — focus on developing climate-resilient sorghum, millet and wheat.