OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man was sentenced to nearly 19 years in prison for causing a traffic accident that killed a part-time police officer.

Dana Patton, of Olathe, was sentenced Tuesday in the October 2015 crash that killed David Stubbs, a part-time officer in Louisburg.

The 25-year-old Patton had previously pleaded guilty to reckless second-degree murder.

Prosecutors say Patton was driving a stolen car when he ran a red light at an intersection in Overland Park and hit Stubbs’ vehicle.

The Kansas City Star reports that at the time of the wreck, Patton was free on bond in several other auto theft cases.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors say a cattle buyer from Harper County has been indicted on federal wire fraud charges.

The U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release Tuesday that 62-year-old Randall D. Patterson of Anthony has been charged with 14 counts of wire fraud. He owned Anthony Livestock Co., and is a former president of the National Livestock Marketing Association.

Patterson did not immediately return a message seeking comment left at the cattle company in Anthony.

The indictment stems in part from an agreement Patterson had with JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding under which he would purchase cattle at sales barns in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Prosecutors allege Patterson caused employees at his Anthony company to fax invoices to Five Rivers falsely inflating the amount paid for cattle.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Officials say Kansas’s average net farm income has plummeted from nearly $129,000 in 2014 to about $4,500 last year.

According to annual Kansas Farm Management Association data, 2015 was the lowest average level of nominal net farm income since 1985.

The Manhattan Mercury reports that the average had been more than $120,000 for several years until 2015.

The Wichita Eagle reports that farmers generally saw extraordinary returns between 2010 and 2014 because of high crop and cattle prices, driven in part by drought. But those prices fell drastically over the last 12 to 18 months, and incomes reflect that.

The data presented in the 2015 analysis came from 1,159 association member farms and ranches.

GIRARD, Kan. (AP) — A Chanute man has been arraigned in the traffic death of the head of the Washburn University art department who was struck and killed while riding her bike.

The Topeka Capital-Journal  reports that not guilty pleas were entered Monday on behalf of 38-year-old Todd M. Kidwell in Crawford County District Court. Kidwell is charged with reckless second-degree murder and misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and improper passing of a bicyclist.

Sixty-year-old Glenda Taylor was participating in an amateur time trial when she was hit in June 2015.

The defense argued at the preliminary hearing that the crash happened while Kidwell was trying to avoid a head-on collision with another pickup. A pickup truck passenger testified previously that Kidwell wasn’t driving erratically before the crash.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A competency evaluation has been ordered for a 17-year-old Lawrence boy accused of killing his grandmother.

The Lawrence Journal World reports that court proceedings against the teen have been suspended pending the results.

The teen was 16 in December when police found his 67-year-old grandmother, Deborah Bretthauer, dead in the apartment they shared.

The teen is charged in juvenile court, but prosecutors have filed a motion to try the teen as an adult.

If the boy is convicted of the juvenile first-degree murder charge, he could face up to 60 months in prison, or to the age of 22. In adult court, he could face more than 40 years in prison.

JOAN LOWY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has cleared the way for routine commercial use of small drones. The decision comes after years of struggling to write rules that would both protect public safety and free the benefits of a new technology.

The Federal Aviation Administration has created a new category of rules for drones weighing less than 55 pounds. The long-anticipated rules would mean drone operators would be able to fly without special permission.

Currently, they have to apply for a waiver from rules that govern manned aircraft, a process that can be time-consuming and expensive.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is giving Gov. Sam Brownback until July 11 to tell the court why it shouldn’t force him to fill a vacant district magistrate position.

The court on Tuesday ordered the governor to explain why he didn’t make the appointment in 90 days, as required by state law.

Three 26th District judges filed a petition with the court last week after Brownback announced he would wait until after the August primaries to consider filling the vacancy, which was created when Judge Tommy Webb of Haskell County announced his retirement in February.

The petition says Kansas law requires five magistrate judges to serve the six-county district.

Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley says the governor has the discretion under the Kansas constitution to make the appointment when he sees fit.

GEARY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are asking the public for help to solve a crime.

On April 2, 1989 skeletal remains were discovered in Geary County on a sandbar of the Smoky Hill River near Grandview Plaza just south of Interstate 70, according to Sheriff Tony Wolf.

Following the examination of the remains by a Forensic Anthropologist, it was determined that the remains belong to a white man who was between 36 and 49 years old at the time of death.

The deceased was approximately 5’5 and died sometime between 1985 and 1989. The help of a

A facial reconstruction expert was enlisted who was able to provide a clay molding of what the person looked like prior to death.

It is possible that the remains could have washed down the river, so communities west of Geary County are of special interest.

The Geary County Sheriff’s office is seeking the public’s help in identifying these remains.

If you have any information on this case, contact Lt. Brian Hornaday at 785-238-2261.

LYON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Lyon County are investigating an alleged theft of a special bicycle.

Between noon and 8 p.m. on June 15th, the bicycle was stolen, from a memorial for a family member who died away while bicycling, in the 3200 block of North Highway 99, according to a social media report.

The bicycle is described as a Schwinn Criss-Cross. It is black and was chained to a fence.

The family advised the bicycle was rusted and the tires would not hold any air. The monetary value was minimal, the sentimental value priceless.

If you have information that you think could help solve this crime or others, call Lyon County Crime Stoppers at 620-342-2273. If your ANONYMOUS tip leads to the successful apprehension or prosecution of the suspects, you could be eligible for a reward of up to $1000!