WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Oil drilling in Kansas has slowed since winter, and so have the frequency and intensity of earthquakes in the southern part of the state.

State geologists say it’s no coincidence that a reduction in drilling activity has resulted in fewer earthquakes. What they don’t know is how much of that is caused by a slowdown in the use of disposal wells for the waste saltwater created as a byproduct of the drilling.

The Wichita Eagle reports a panel of state geologists and regulators gave an update to the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association on Monday.

There have been 67 earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 3.0 in the last year emanating from Harper and Sumner Counties, but only 15 since April 1, and none in July.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 9-year-old batboy who died after being accidentally struck by a follow-through swing in Wichita has been honored at the baseball team’s first game since his death.

Kaiser Carlile died Sunday, a day after being struck by a warm-up swing by a Liberal Bee Jays player near the on-deck circle during a National Baseball Congress World Series game.

Kaiser’s younger sister, Keirsie, threw a ceremonial pitch before Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Studs. She and her father, Chad Carlile, embraced Liberal players, who wore jerseys with Kaiser’s initials.

The teams stood side by side during a moment of silence. Later, a banner with Kaiser’s initials was hung in his honor.

Commemorative baseball cards featuring Kaiser were available for a small donation. Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell asked people to remember Kaiser for his smile, dedication, and love of baseball.

EDWARDSVILLE, Kan. (AP) — Two federal corrections officers have been put on administrative leave after being accused of burglarizing cars in an eastern Kansas retirement community.

KMBC-TV reports a woman who lives in Edwardsville Court, in the Wyandotte County town of Edwardsville, saw someone going through cars in the parking lot early Sunday.

Loretta Moore says hers was one of four vehicles burglarized. She says the men violated the public’s trust for trying to steal from older people in a housing project.

Police say the two suspects are prison officers at Corrections Corporation of America, a private prison in Leavenworth. Investigators are looking into whether the suspects were involved in other car burglaries up the street from the retirement community.

CAA officials say the officers could face possible further action later.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man has been charged after authorities say he threatened to storm the Sedgwick County Courthouse and kill law enforcement officers if a man on trial for murder was found guilty.

Twenty-two-year-old Samuel McCrory was charged Tuesday with criminal threat and nine counts of unlawfully carrying a firearm. McCrory was arrested last week after police say he posted comments in an exchange about storming the courthouse on Facebook in reference to the trial of Kyler Carriker.

According to authorities, several people reported the comments to law enforcement, which resulted in increased security around the courthouse. Carriker was found not guilty July 30 in the 2013 shooting death of Ronald Betts.

GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is taking its show on the road in October with a special evening session in southwest Kansas.

Court officials announced Tuesday the justices will convene Oct. 13 at Garden City High School. It will be the court’s first-ever visit to that community.

It will be the second time the court has heard cases in the evening. The first evening session was in April in Hays when nearly 700 people showed up.

The session in Garden City will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., after which the justices will meet with the public in an informal reception at the school.

The court convened outside its Topeka Courtroom for the first time in 2011 as a way to educate Kansans on the court.

DAVID PITT, Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two U.S. agencies say more than 380 people in 26 states have been diagnosed with a stomach illness tied to Mexican cilantro contaminated by human waste.

It’s the fourth consecutive summer in which the intestinal infection has been reported in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration are investigating the cause of the latest outbreak, which appears to have begun after May 1.

The FDA says preliminary results show cases in Texas and Wisconsin can be traced to cilantro from a region of Mexico. A partial ban on cilantro exports was enacted last week because investigators found unclean field conditions. The CDC says additional clusters of the illness have been identified in Georgia but declined to name the other affected states.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY – Law enforcement officials in Pottawatomie County are investigating a report of a suspect impersonating a police officer.
The Sheriff’s office reported in a media release the female victim reported that at about 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday, she was driving East on Highway 24 when a black 4 door car that looked to have flashing lights on top of the car pulled in behind her.  

The victim, believing it was law enforcement, stopped her vehicle.  The driver of the black car (suspect) exited the vehicle and approached the victim.  The suspect had the victim step out of her car and then started searching part of her car.  The victim was allowed to leave the stop unharmed.

The victim noted that the 4 door black car had no makings,  believed the emergency lights were on top of the car, and then described the suspect as being 5’6 to 6 foot tall, 35 to 40 years old, white male, clean shaven and wearing a black baseball cap, dress pants, a blue polo shirt with a clip on name tag and tinted sunglasses.  

Anyone with information on the incident or  information on the suspect vehicle is urged to contact Pottawatomie County Sheriff Office at 785-457-3353.

JEWELL COUNTY- A Kansas woman died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. on Tuesday in Jewell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Chevy S10 pickup driven by Betty J. Hall, 51, Mankato, was eastbound on US 36 Highway seven miles east of the west Kansas 14 Junction.

The pickup left the roadway to the right, came back onto roadway and the driver over corrected.

The pickup entered the south ditch and rolled

Hall was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Melby Mortuary. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two Kansas City, Kansas, siblings have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a Missouri bank robbery.

U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson says 25-year-old Charles Spencer was sentenced Tuesday to eight years and six months in federal prison, while his 29-year-old sister Virginia Spencer was sentenced to 10 years and three months.

Prosecutors say the two stole nearly $12,000 at gunpoint from the Bank Midwest in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, on May 23, 2014.

A customer who used the bank’s outside ATM called 911 after her car was nearly struck by the Spencers’ fleeing vehicle, driven by 23-year-old Steven Robinson of Kansas City, Kansas. The three were caught after their car crashed following a high-speed pursuit.

Robinson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years and eight months behind bars.