TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court plans to hear arguments this week on whether legislators have satisfied a mandate to improve funding for poor schools.

Legislators this year made technical changes in how state aid is distributed without affecting most districts’ share or boosting overall state spending.

Attorneys for four school districts contend the changes don’t fix the problem because poor school districts aren’t getting enough money.

But the state’s lawyers have submitted nearly 950 pages of material from the Legislature’s debate to back up its case that the changes satisfy the high court’s February mandate, which came in a lawsuit filed in 2010 by four of the state’s 286 school districts.

The court plans to hear arguments Tuesday and is expected to rule quickly.

RENO COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are investigating a theft from a recycling business in South Hutchinson.

On May 3, individuals entered the Silas Enterprises, 501 North Popular, and stole dozens of catalytic converters with a value over $12,000, according to a social media report.

Police are asking the public for help in the investigation.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact Detective Thompson at the South Hutchinson Police Department at 620-560-6251. Or you may contact Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 620-694-2666 or 1-800-222-TIPS. You may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1000.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Mercury has begun a relatively rare move across the sun.

The solar-planetary ballet got underway just after 7 a.m. on the east coast with the smallest planet appearing as a tiny black dot on the face of the sun. The transit will last for a total of about 7½ hours. The last time it happened was 2006. It will happen again three years from now, but then not until 2032. NASA says the event occurs only about 13 times a century.

The entirety of Mercury’s journey will be viewable to the eastern U.S. and Canada, as well as most of western Europe and South America.

To catch a glimpse, viewers need binoculars or telescopes with protective solar filters. Mercury’s journey can also be seen via a livestream on NASA’s website .

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Mercury makes a relatively rare move across the sun Monday.

Visible just after 7 a.m. on the east coast, the smallest planet will appear as a tiny black dot on the face of the sun, and the transit will last for about 7½ hours. The last time it happened was 2006. It will happen again three years from now, but then not until 2032. NASA says the event occurs only about 13 times a century.

The entirety of Mercury’s journey will be viewable to the eastern U.S. and Canada, as well as most of western Europe and South America.

To catch a glimpse of the solar-planetary ballet, viewers will need binoculars or telescopes with protective solar filters. Mercury’s journey can also be seen on NASA’s website, where it will be livestreamed.

NEWTON- A family in Harvey County saw the power of lightning on Sunday, according to a social media report from Newton Fire and EMS.

Just before noon on Sunday, fire crews responded to the report of a lightning strike on a porch at a residence in Newton.

Upon arrival, a shaken, but uninjured family, who were inside the residence at the time of the strike, met the crew.

Damage appeared to be confined to the front porch and a nearby tree.

Pieces of bark, wood from the porch, siding, and the American flag were all blown out into the street covering a 25-foot radius.

Fire officials urged the public to remember that severe weather is more than tornados and baseball size hail. When lightning is in the area, seek proper shelter. If you are stuck outside, avoid being underneath trees and other tall, isolated objects.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Charges have been filed against three people accused of stealing bronze urns from two cemeteries in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Kansas City Star reports operators of Maple Hill Cemetery said someone had taken several hundred of the urns from graves. Chapel Hill Cemetery also is listed in court documents as reporting stolen urns.

The charges against the two men and a woman involve alleged thefts between December and mid-April.

All three were booked into the Wyandotte County jail on Thursday, and bond for each is set at $20,000.

It’s unclear if the defendants have lawyers.