DOUGLAS COUNTY- 2 Kansas women were injured in an accident just before 6p.m. on Friday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 GMC Envoy driven by Gloria Ilene Smith, 61, Shawnee, was northbound on U.S. 59 just north of 460 Road.

The vehicle drifted onto the left shoulder. The driver over-corrected to the right and the vehicle went into the right hand ditch.

It vaulted over the ramp from 460 Road, landed in the right hand ditch of the on ramp to 460 Road and rolled several times.

Smith and a passenger Amy E. Johnson, 32, Olathe, were transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

They were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

HUTCHINSON– More motions were presented Friday in the case of 16-year-old Samuel Vonachen.

He is accused of two counts of first-degree murder for setting fire to the family home in September of 2013 that killed his mother and sister.

Despite a $1 million bond and strong opposition by Reno County Youth Service Director Bill Hermes, Judge Trish Rose granted the defense motion to allow Vonachen to be transferred from the Reno County Correctional facility to Youth Detention.

Rose granted the motion with out letting prosecuting attorney Steven Maxwell finish his argument and with out letting Maxwell present evidence arguing that the teen is a danger to other youth.

Rose stated that the defendant has no record of misbehaving at the center, and noted that if something does happen she could send Vonachen back to the correctional facility.

The murder trial for Vonachen has been delayed several times while a third evaluation is done to determine if the teen is competent to stand trial.

This despite the fact that several evaluations were completed and the defense filed the motion well beyond the allowable time limits. All prior evaluations determined that the defendant is competent to stand trial. A hearing on the third motion will be heard later this month.

The trial for Vonachen has been put indefinite hold pending the out come of that hearing.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The state’s new Commissioner of Education says schools need to become more focused on the student, not the system.

While Commissioner Randy Watson says that “sounds simple,” he added that it is “extremely hard.”

Watson spoke to a gathering Thursday of more than 100 school administrators and board members in Salina as part of a regional meeting of the Kansas Association of School Boards.

The Salina Journal reports that Watson’s comment came as he presented the findings of meetings around the state at which people were asked to describe the qualities of a successful 24-year-old.

Of the nearly 2,000 people who weighed in at them, 23 percent said academic skills such as reading and math were important. The same percentage said interpersonal skills were important to success in life.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita attorney has announced plans to challenge Congressman Mike Pompeo next year.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Dan Giroux, a Democrat, made his announcement Thursday. Giroux said in a news release that the people of south-central Kansas need a representative who will stand up for them and “not special interests.”

He’s a partner at Dugan & Giroux law firm. The firm’s website says Giroux was raised in Wichita along with his 10 brothers and sisters. He was an assistant district attorney in Sedgwick County between 1999 and 2003 before joining the law firm.

James Richardson, a volunteer with Pompeo for Congress and the congressman’s former campaign manager, said Pompeo will continue to be a “strong, conservative voice” for Kansas values in Washington.

FREDONIA – A Kansas woman died in an accident just before 10a.m. on Friday in Wilson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Nissan Rogue driven by Amy L. Mintz, 45, Independence, was northbound on Harper Road just south of Fredonia.

The vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a dump truck head on.

Mintz was pronounced dead at the scene.

The dump truck driver Chester L. Schultz, 60, Neodesha, was transported to Wesley Medical Center

Schultz was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to reconsider the case of a suburban Kansas City official who was kicked out of office for allowing a homeless friend to sleep in City Hall.

In Friday’s decision, the judges found that a Johnson County judge and the Court of Appeals had applied the wrong legal standards in their rulings.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe’s office filed an ouster motion after Prairie Village Councilman David Morrison took his longtime friend to the employee lounge in 2012, gave him his City Hall passcode and didn’t tell anyone else what he was doing. Morrison apologized at the time.

A Johnson County judge ordered Morrison’s ouster in 2013. But last year, the appeals court said he should be reinstated, prompting an appeal.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A major financial rating agency describes Kansas’ new school funding law as “negative” for local districts’ credit and creating financial stress for some of them.

Moody’s Investors Service issued a report Friday citing a new annual budget for the state’s largest school district in Wichita that calls for higher local taxes and spending cuts.

The new law enacted in April replaced the state’s former per-student aid formula with grants based on districts’ previous funding. It was designed to provide stable funding.

But Moody’s said the new law “disadvantages” growing districts by not automatically increasing their aid.

Gov. Sam Brownback’s office noted the state is spending more than $4 billion a year on its schools, and spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said the new law is temporary until another formula can be written.

GREAT BEND – A Kansas man died from injuries in an accident on Thursday in Barton County.

Police in Great Bend reported a 2000 Chevy pickup driven by Mark Depperschmidt, 58, Great Bend, struck the railroad crossing arm tower in the west side of the road.

Depperschmidt was transported to Great Bend Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Wesley Medical Center.

Hospital authorities reported to law enforcement on Friday that Depperschmidt died from his injuries.