WABAUNSEE COUNTY Three people were injured in an accident just after 8 a.m. on Monday in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a large group of motorcycles were traveling together eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles north of Alma.

A 2004 Kawasaki driven by Jimmy Sherman, 64, Gallup, NM, started braking hard and swerved to the right.

A 2011 Harley Davidson driven by Paul G Lubbers, 45, West Fargo, ND, swerved to the left.

All motorcycles were trying to avoid each other and either swerved or laid the motorcycles down including a 2015 Harley driven by Richard D. Hildreth, 60, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Sherman, Lubbers and Hildreth were transported to Stormont Vail.

All were wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling nearly 1.6 million vehicles in the U.S. to replace potentially faulty front passenger air bag inflators made by Takata Corp. of Japan.

The recall includes Toyota, Scion and Lexus models from the 2006-2011 model years.

The air bags can deploy with too much force and spew shrapnel into the vehicle. They are responsible for at least 11 deaths worldwide.

The U.S. government said earlier this month that it was expanding and accelerating the ongoing recall of Takata air bags.

Seventeen automakers — including Toyota — are adding 35 million to 40 million inflators to the 28.8 million that have already been called back for replacement.

Toyota said it will notify customers by mail.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court has reversed a jury’s finding that Bank of America Corp. was liable for fraud for its actions before the economy collapsed in 2008. It also negated a more than $1.2 billion penalty imposed after trial.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in New York City ruled Monday. The court says there was insufficient evidence that mail and wire fraud was committed by the bank’s Countrywide Financial unit in late 2007 and 2008.

A jury in October 2013 had found the bank liable after the government said Countrywide lied about the quality of mortgages it passed along to financial firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Manhattan court said there was insufficient evidence for the jury to reach its verdict.

Bank of America has 31 locations in Kansas.

BY MEGAN HART

The Kansas Legislature will have to approve any plans to privatize the state’s two mental health hospitals after Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill that limits a state agency’s ability to go it alone.

Senate Bill 449, largely deals with procedural changes in how the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services licenses certain health care facilities.

Lawmakers added language to the bill forbidding KDADS from privatizing Osawatomie State Hospital and Larned State Hospital without legislative approval.

During the session, some legislators said they hadn’t been consulted about plans to build a new power plant for the statehouse complex and wanted to avoid a similar situation.

Osawatomie and Larned are the state’s two hospitals for mental health patients deemed a danger to themselves or others. Osawatomie lost its Medicare certification — and about $1 million per month in federal payments — late last year due to concerns about patient safety, and Larned has dealt with staffing shortages for years.

Rep. Scott Schwab, an Olathe Republican, said earlier this session that KDADS still could explore the option of privatizing, but legislators should approve any deal.

“You have the tools to look at privatization,” he said. “This doesn’t prevent you from doing the (request for information.)” KDADS officials initially objected to the idea of limiting the option to privatize.

Tim Keck, interim secretary of KDADS, described it as “taking an arrow out of our quiver.” “We need to have as many options as possible to do right by patients,” he said in February.

Angela de Rocha, a spokeswoman for KDADS, said Wednesday that the department has no intention of pursuing privatization without legislative approval, so the bill signing won’t affect its plans for the state hospitals. She previously said its first priority would be to get Osawatomie recertified.

The final bill appeared to address some of the concerns raised by KDADS Deputy Secretary Kelly Ludlum, who said the state hospitals already outsource some functions, such as food services.

The law would allow KDADS to renew contracts that existed in early March or to contract with a new provider to offer services in “substantially the same form as an existing agreement.”

Megan Hart is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach her on Twitter @meganhartMC

RENO COUNTY – Two people avoided injury after a train hit a car in Reno County.

Just after 10:30a.m. on Monday, deputies were dispatched to 6th Avenue and North Valleypride Road for a motor vehicle versus train accident, according to a social media report.

The Reno County Sheriff’s office reported a vehicle driven by Kristi Weiser was eastbound on Valleypride Road.

As she approached the railroad crossing, she saw the crossing arms coming down in front of her, according to the sheriff’s department.

She stopped the vehicle, tried to back up her vehicle.

The tires were not getting any traction to go in reverse or go forward due to the rain.

Train vs Car at 6th/Valley Pride no injuries. Both occupants escaped after getting stuck on track. pic.twitter.com/Xtj4vdXJ6E

— Reno County Sheriff (@RenoCoSheriff) May 23, 2016

She told her 13-year-old brother to get out of the vehicle.

When she and her brother were out of the vehicle, a BNSF railway train struck her vehicle, pushing it down into a ditch.

There were no injuries, according to the sheriff’s department.

SALINA – Law enforcement officials in Saline County are busy.

They have established a record for the number of inmates that are currently housed in three regional county jails.

Those 108 inmates are currently being housed at jails in Ottawa, Cloud, and Mitchell Counties at a cost $30 per day, according to Saline County Under Sheriff Roger Soldan

The total inmate population for Saline County on Monday was listed at 293, which is just short of a record of 296 inmates that was set in 2015.

The Saline County Jail was last expanded in 1995 and currently has a capacity for 193 inmatesNe

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man accused of conspiring in a foiled plot to bomb a Kansas military base on behalf of the Islamic State group has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Alexander E. Blair changed his plea to guilty Monday in a Topeka federal court.

Prosecutors say Blair helped 21-year-old John T. Booker in his plot to plant a 1,000-pound bomb at the Fort Riley military base to aid the Islamic State group. Blair admitted in court that he loaned Booker $100 to secure a storage space for the explosives and failed to inform law enforcement of the plot.

A court document states that Blair decided to change his plea because he believed that the government had collected enough evidence to convict him.

Booker has pleaded guilty and admitted to the plot.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge is slated to hear a change-of-plea request from a 29-year-old Topeka man accused of helping another man who plotted to bomb a northeast Kansas military installation last year.

The hearing is scheduled for Monday in Topeka.

Alexander E. Blair previously pleaded not guilty to charges that he helped 21-year-old John T. Booker in his plot to plant a 1,000-pound bomb at the Fort Riley military base to aid the Islamic State group. Booker has pleaded guilty and acknowledged the plot.

Authorities say Blair loaned Booker $100 for a storage space for the explosives and failed to inform law enforcement of the plot.

A federal court document says Blair has decided to change his plea because he believes the government collected enough evidence to convict him of conspiracy.

FINNEY COUNTY – A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just after 6:30 a.m. on Monday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Ford Econoline van driven by Fidel Santana Martinez, 33, Salina, was westbound on Kansas156 thirty-three miles east of Garden City.

The van hit a cow that was entering the roadway from the north.

A passenger Gloria Valdivia Garay, 36, Salina, was transported to St. Catherine’s Hospital.

Martinez and two small children in the van were not injured. All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.