GREAT BEND – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 4 p.m. on Wednesday in Barton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Kenworth semi driven by Gavin R. Taylor, 31, Hoisington, was traveling southwest on Kansas156 eight miles from Great Bend.

The truck left the roadway and entered the west ditch.

The driver overcorrected, crossed the road, entered the east ditch and the truck over turned.

Taylor was transported to Great Bend Regional Hospital.

He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence commissioners have named a new mayor after the city’s former leader resigned.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Lawrence City Commissioner Mike Amyx became mayor Tuesday night. This marks the sixth time he has served in that role in a political career that stretches back to the 1980s.

Amyx succeeds former Mayor Jeremy Farmer, who stepped down last week. Farmer’s departure followed his resignation from his food pantry job, where about $50,000 in federal payroll taxes had gone unpaid. Farmer says it was an oversight that the taxes weren’t paid.

Under Lawrence’s form of government, the office of mayor is a rotating seat, and the person chosen serves a one-year term. The mayor chairs meetings and is authorized to sign certain documents but otherwise has no day-to-day administrative duties.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking bids from animal health companies for a bird flu vaccine.

The department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says it’s preparing for the possible return this fall of the H5N2 virus that resulted in the death of 48 million birds.

Companies may use a government-prototype seed strain or create their own that could be mass produced for a vaccine if needed.

The USDA won’t approve a vaccine for use unless it’s deemed necessary to control another outbreak.

The agency said Tuesday it wants to acquire an emergency stockpile of vaccines available for delivery anywhere in the United States within 24 hours.

The USDA seeks companies capable of producing at least 100 million doses and up to 500 million doses.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Topeka City Council has approved a ban that bars public nudity in most places, but allows exceptions for breast-feeding mothers and children under age 5.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the measure approved Tuesday makes public nudity a misdemeanor punishable by a fine between $1 and $499 and a jail term of up to 30 days. Acting city attorney Mary Feighny says under the new rules, the city wouldn’t prosecute someone who was naked in their own yard.

Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz said the city needed to take action against public nudity, because “we’ve got too many naked people running around, and it’s not the same person.”

Councilman Jeff Coen sponsored the proposal and said it was based on a similar nudity ban implemented by another city.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former state employee claims in a federal lawsuit that she was fired from her job at the Kansas secretary of state’s office after she declined to attend prayer services in the office.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Courtney Canfield says in her lawsuit filed in federal court in Topeka that before Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rucker ousted her in November 2013, he “repeatedly and emphatically indicated a basis for her termination as the fact that, ‘She just doesn’t go to church.'”

The lawsuit names Rucker and the office of the secretary of state as defendants.

Canfield’s lawsuit says she declined to attend religious services in the office despite “repeated invitations” to the services.

The secretary of state’s office didn’t return calls seeking comment Wednesday.

GEARY COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities in Geary County made a significant drug bust on Monday.

Junction City police reported the arrest of six Indiana residents on drug related allegations following a traffic stop on Interstate 70 approximately six miles east of Junction City.

Police said those arrested included Zachary Joseph Strong, 26, Joshua Thomas Strong, 22, and Hannah Marian Wartenberg, 19, on suspicion of Transporting Drug Proceeds and Possession of Marijuana.

Also arrested were Maya Loton Jafri, 40, on suspicion of Possession of Marijuana, plus Joshua Miles Eastes, 27, and Paul Anthony Lambert II, 25, on suspicion of Possession of Marijuana ( felony ) and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Police Chief Tim Brown stated the K-9 Interdiction Officer stopped a vehicle concerning an alleged traffic violation.

“During this officers identified what they thought was an escort vehicle, there were two vehicles involved,” Brown said.

Geary County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped the other vehicle.

“They received a K-9 alert on one of the vehicles. They brought these individuals in for further investigation and discovered over $59,000 in cash, vacuum packed in the trunk.

They also discovered a small amount of marijuana in the two vehicles, and on the persons of the individuals involved.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican legislators are asking Kansas school districts seeking extra state aid to provide information about how they’ve become more efficient in recent years.

Four GOP legislative leaders sent a letter Wednesday to the superintendents of 38 school districts that have applied for extra aid under the state’s new education funding law. The districts are seeking about $15 million in funds, but only $12.3 million is available under the law.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter after the state Department of Education sent it.

The letter asks each district to list five efficiencies and to respond by Friday.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and the GOP-dominated Legislature’s top eight leaders meet Monday to decide how much each district receives. The lawmakers include the four who signed the letter.