TESCOTT – Students in Bennington and Tescott will begin summer vacation a couple of weeks earlier than expected. The following statement was released on the USD 240 Facebook page:

The Twin Valley Board of Education made a difficult decision and has approved a change in the last day of school. It has been moved to May 8, 2015. This decision was based on the financial plight of the district. The district has few fiscal reserves to endure the present mid year unplanned financial cuts recently signed into law.

Student athletics/activities will continue past May 8th. The building principals and athletic directors will be communicating with patrons and will use School Messenger frequently to communicate important updates and messages to you. Please watch for more updates pertaining to date changes for activities or events that may be effected.

If you have questions, please plan for your child’s building administrator to be the liaison for communication, but know that you can also contact the Superintendent of Schools or a board of education member. Thank you for your support of the Twin Valley School District.

The district school board and superintendent will have two public meetings next week concerning the state of the district. The first meeting will be Monday April 6th at 7pm in the Bennington west gym. On Tuesday night a second meeting will take place in the big gym at the school in Tescott.

DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a couple charged with a 1992 death in Kansas have waived extradition from Georgia and are expected back in the state in the next few weeks.

Kelly J. Jones and Roger Jones Sr. were arrested last week in Forsyth, Georgia, after evading capture for decades. They are charged with first-degree murder in the death of 25-year-old Patrick Howe, who was found beaten and strangled at a motel in Dodge City.

The Hutchinson News reports arrest warrants were issued for the couple in 1996 but the two fled before deputies could take them into custody.

Ford County investigator George Brown says officers never gave up on the case. Brown found the couple living under aliases at a campground in Georgia after authorities received a tip.

CANTON, Kan. – According to a media release, two deputies from the McPherson County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a residence at 2663 Dakota Road south of Canton just before 10:30 p.m.

The officers were following up on an investigation concerning an incident reported earlier.

As the officers approached the residence on foot a man was observed standing near a garage pointing a shotgun at them.

The man was told several times to drop the shotgun but refused to do so while still pointing it at one of the deputies.

Shots were fired at the subject and he was struck once.

Canton EMS responded to the scene and the subject was transported to a local hospital.

Neither of the deputies was injured in this incident. Officers with the McPherson P.D., Canton P.D. and Galva P.D. assisted. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the McPherson County Sheriff’s are continuing their investigation.

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CANTON, Kan.- Law enforcement authorities in McPherson County are investigating an officer involved shooting.

One person was injured and transported to a hospital for treatment. Officers were not injured.

McPherson County Sheriff Larry Powell said additional details would be released Wednesday morning.

Little Apple Post

JUNCTION CITY – Samuel Pasqual Edmondson of Junction City is one of 22 inmates that President Obama reduced jail sentences for on Tuesday.

Edmondson was serving a lifetime sentence after being arrested in Sherman, Texas in 1996.

Edmondson original charges were for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

He was sent to prison on September 24, 1997.

Due to the President’s commutation grant, Edmondson’s prison sentence will expire on July 28, 2015.

The White House says that many of these individuals commuted would have already served their time and paid their debt to society had they been sentenced under current laws and policies.

Because many were convicted under now-outdated sentencing guidelines, the White House says they served years longer than individuals convicted of the same crimes today.

-The Associated Press contributed to this story

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a girl who was fatally shocked in Salina has settled a lawsuit against two companies but their lawsuit against the city continues.

The family of Jayden Hicks sued Devonheir, doing business as Hope Electrical Products, and Consolidated Electrical Distributors, doing business as American Electric Co., after the 11-year-old girl was shocked while playing in the rain in Salina in 2011. She died in 2012.

The two companies manufactured and sold an electrical junction box that was installed near Salina’s downtown plaza. Jayden was shocked when she came into contact with the metal cover of the box.

A settlement hearing Tuesday was closed to the public and settlement details were not released.

The Salina Journal reports the family’s lawsuit against the city is still scheduled for trial.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report suggests slow economic growth is ahead for nine Midwestern and Plains states.

The survey report issued Tuesday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped to 51.4 in March from 57 in February. The January figure was 54.8.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says manufacturers of nondurable goods reported that sales, production and employment have weakened over the past several months.

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.