SOLDIER, Kan. (AP) — The Jackson County attorney says a former fire chief in northeast Kansas has pleaded guilty to theft and agreed to pay restitution.

The Topeka Capital-Journal  reports 45-year-old Ryan L. White was set to stand trial Thursday, but has entered a guilty plea for one count of felony theft. White, who was the former fire chief in Soldier, had been charged with two felony counts of theft and five counts of misdemeanor theft.

White was accused of writing a Soldier Ball Association check in the amount of almost $1,500 to his own business account in October 2012. He also was accused of writing another ball association check in the amount of around $1,300 in December 2012.

The sheriff’s office began an investigation after discrepancies were found in the association’s accounting.

THAYER –Two people were injured in an accident just after 11:30 p.m. on Monday in Neosho County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford F-150 driven by Douglas M. Holt, Cherryvale, was southbound on U.S.169 three miles north of Thayer and collided with a northbound 2015 Chevy Spark driven by Stephen B. Bitting, 60, Bluejacket, OK., in the center of the roadway.

Holt and Bitting were transported to Neosho Memorial Hospital. Bitting was later flown to Wesley Medical Center.

The KHP reported they were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND – Law enforcement authorities in Barton County made two drug arrests early Monday.

According to a media release officers from the Great Bend Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Linda Fernandez, who officers recognized as having a revoked driver’s license.

The driver initially refused to stop for police but was taken into custody a short time later in the 1900 block of Main Street.
In the course of their investigation, the officers also located methamphetamine, marijuana, and illegally possessed prescription narcotics. Mrs. Fernandez was placed under arrest, as was her passenger, who was found to have an outstanding warrant for narcotics violations.

Chief Cliff Couch, of the Great Bend Police Department, said, “This is just one example of the arrests that our officers routinely make in our effort to keep drugs off of our streets. This type of street level enforcement, along with various other initiatives, is part of our commitment to make Great Bend drug free.”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest snapshot of Kansas agriculture shows farmers busy with spring planting preparations and the burning of pastures.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that farmers have planted about 14 percent of their corn acres in the state. About 1 percent of the corn has already emerged.

The agency also says that about 4 percent of the winter wheat that was seeded last fall has now begun to head.

Wheat condition was rated as 8 percent very poor, 20 percent poor, 44 percent fair, 26 percent good and 2 percent excellent.

PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Pittsburg State University will host the U.S. Air Force Academy’s top jazz ensemble in a free concert.

The university announced Monday that the Falconaires will be playing at Bicknell Family Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The 18-piece ensemble will perform traditional numbers along with a mix of modern jazz arrangements. The concert will be free, but tickets will be required. They can be picked up at the ticket office in the Weede Physical Education building.

The Air Force Academy bands serve to improve cadets’ morale and boost recruitment.

The Falconaires ensemble is more than 50 years old and is conducted by Lt. Col. Daniel Price, who has performed for the king of Thailand and previously served as the Air Force Chief of Music.

JEFF AMY, Associated Press

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — The nation’s casino owners and gambling machine makers say they want to team with states to crack down on illegal gambling.

American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman told the National Association of Attorneys General on Monday in Mississippi that they “have a shared interest in putting an end to illegal gambling.”

Freeman said illegal gambling siphons off money from legitimate casinos. He said states should care because illegal operations don’t pay taxes, aren’t regulated to protect consumers and may be funding other criminal operations.

The association is calling on states to crack down on illegal sports betting, sweepstakes cafes, black market slot machines and online gambling sites hosted in other countries.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, president of the prosecutors’ association, said it may create a committee on illegal gambling.

SALINA – Two people were injured in an accident just before 4 p.m. on Monday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado 1500 driven by Joshua William Hiers, 26, Salina, was northbound on Broadway Blvd.

The vehicle failed to stop at the red light at State Street and collided with a 2006 Jeep Commander driven by Terrie A. Birkholz, 46, Salina, that was entering the intersection.

The collision caused the Jeep to vault and end up on its top.

Birkholz and a passenger in the Jeep Taylor A. Birkholz, 26, Salina, were transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.

The KHP reported Heirs and passengers in the Chevy Allena May Brown, 25, Salina, and a 4-month old were possibly injured but not where they were treated.

Brown was not wearing a seat belt according to the KHP.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former candidate for Kansas governor says he and other lawyers suing two subsidiaries of health insurer Anthem can show individuals were harmed by a cyberattack on its computer networks.

Paul Davis is a partner in one of three law firms that filed the lawsuit this month in Douglas County District Court for a Kansas City, Kansas, woman. Davis was the Democratic nominee for governor last year, narrowly losing to incumbent Republican Sam Brownback.

The lawsuit cites future potential harm to the woman, but Davis said Monday that her lawyers plan to add other individuals who’ve been harmed.

Anthem spokeswoman Cindy Wakefield said there’s no evidence fraud has occurred against clients.

An Anthem subsidiary is one of three companies running Medicaid in Kansas.

A similar lawsuit was filed in Missouri.

TALI ARBEL, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — A legal fight against the Federal Communications Commission’s new Internet traffic rules has begun.

The rules were voted on in February and uphold the principle of net neutrality — that online content be allowed to load at the same speed. They forbid paid fast lanes favoring some content and say broadband providers can’t slow Web traffic or block content.

They were published Monday in the government’s Federal Register and would go into effect on June 12 if a court doesn’t block them.

The United States Telecom Association, an industry group that represents companies including AT&T and Verizon, says it has filed suit against the rules in the U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia.