TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have approved a bill to require them to sign off on a state plan for complying with a federal rule designed to lower carbon emissions from power plants.

The House approved the measure Thursday on a 121-1 vote, a day after the Senate passed it, 35-1. The bill goes to Gov. Sam Brownback for his possible signature.

The measure authorizes the state’s health and environment secretary to draft a plan for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases linked by scientists to climate change. The plan could include agreements with utilities to lower emissions.

But an 11-member legislative committee would have to approve the plan before the state could submit it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

States without a plan will have a federal plan imposed on them.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have approved a bill to repeal a renewable energy requirement for the state’s utilities as part of a deal with wind energy companies to avoid a new tax.

The House passed the measure Thursday on a 105-16 vote, and Senate approved it, 35-3.

It goes next to Gov. Sam Brownback. He advocated such a deal and is expected to sign the bill.

The bill repeals a 2009 law requiring wind or other renewable resources to account by 2020 for 20 percent of each private utility’s capacity to generate electricity. The mandate would be replaced by a goal that utilities hit the mark next year.

Critics of the mandate agreed to drop a legislative proposal to impose a 4.33 percent tax on the electricity produced with renewable resources.

JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Blue Bell Creameries has signed agreements with health officials in Texas and Oklahoma requiring the company to inform the states whenever there is a positive test result for listeria in its products or ingredients.

The requirement comes after the company based in Brenham, Texas, failed to tell federal or state health officials of repeated findings of listeria at its Oklahoma plant that date back to 2013.

Blue Bell says the agreements, signed on Thursday, include a provision for instituting “test and hold” procedures for all finished products before they are shipped out.

The company says it’s working on a similar agreement with health officials in Alabama, where it also has a plant.

Blue Bell recalled all of its products after a series of listeria illnesses linked to its ice cream.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has thrown out the class-action lawsuit brought by investors of aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems.

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren dismissed on Thursday the 2013 lawsuit alleging the firm and four of its officers made misleading statements that artificially inflated the stock price before the company recorded a $590 million loss on six contracts in October 2012.

Spirit AeroSystems’ stock price dropped 30 percent following that announcement.

Melgren ruled shareholders failed to show misleading statements were material to an investor deciding whether to buy or sell stock.

The judge also noted it is unclear whether the company and officers had anything to gain by delaying announcement of the loss.

The stock price immediately plummeted and chief executive officer Jeffrey Turner announced his resignation shortly after the announcement.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is likely to reduce the number of state workers in its civil service system after Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed legislation allowing his administration to do it.

Brownback signed the measure Thursday, and the new law will take effect July 1. It embodies a proposal from the Department of Administration.

Newly hired state workers won’t be covered by the civil service system and current employees will be allowed to voluntarily move into non-civil service jobs. More than 30 agencies will be allowed to convert vacant positions to non-civil service jobs.

Supporters say the changes will put state agencies more in line with private industry and make it easier to tailor jobs to staffing needs.

Critics say many of the state’s 13,000 civil service employees will lose job protections.

HUTCHINSON – School officials and law enforcement authorities in Hutchinson are investigating an incident involving a man who approached children during recess at Faris Elementary School.

Parents in USD 308 were advised to exercise more caution in the area around the school.

A small group of second and third grade students reported a man approached them Thursday morning near the entrance to the school playground during recess.

Students described the man as a tanned, younger individual with a light beard and tattoos.

The students ran away from the man and he left the area.

Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN – Murder suspect Tierre Wall appeared in Riley County Court on Thursday morning with Judge Stutzman presiding, for what was scheduled to be a preliminary hearing.

Riley County attorney Barry Disney represented the State of Kansas.

Before the hearing could start, public defender Larry McRell, representing Wall, made a motion to withdraw from the case.

According to McRell, he and the defendant had a personal conflict, and that it would be unfair to stay on the case.

McRell said it was professional and not personal matter, he believed it could be settled by the appointment of a new defense for Wall.

Judge Stutzman asked Wall if this was his understanding, explaining that this would further delay the case. Wall told Judge Stuztman that while he’s willing to delay the case, he’s not willing to waive his conflict of interest with Mr. McRell.

Judge Stutzman ordered new council to be assigned to Wall.
A status hearing will be set once the new council is appointed, most likely in the next couple of weeks.

Wall is suspected in the shooting death of Casey Lindley, 27, Ogden on March 10.

Police found Lindley suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a Topeka hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Wall was arrested on a warrant listing the offense of voluntary manslaughter with a bond of $150,000. Wall’s charge of voluntary manslaughter is a severity level 3 personal felony, and comes with a minimum 55 months of incarceration, up to 247 months, and $300,000 in fines.

HUTCHINSON – Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are investigating a case of domestic violence involving a Reno County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Authorities say officers with the South Hutchinson Police Department arrested Jeramy Hedges, 40, shortly before midnight Thursday.
He was charged with disorderly conduct and domestic violence.

The arrest involved an incident with a female acquaintance according to police.

The criminal investigation is continuing by the South Hutchinson Police Department and is on-going.

Meanwhile, an internal investigation is being conducted by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office.

In a media release, Sheriff Randy Henderson said Detective Hedges is on administrative leave without pay.