KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri man has been ordered to spend 17 years in federal prison for his role in a Kansas bank robbery that injured employees and a customer.

Fifty-four-year-old Clifton Cloyd of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced Monday. He pleaded guilty to one count each of bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a robbery.

Authorities say Cloyd and another man robbed a Bank of America branch in Overland Park in October 2014.

Cloyd admits he helped hold five bank employees and a customer at gunpoint, dragging one of the female workers by her hair and scarf before hitting her in the face with a gun. He also acknowledged he hit a customer, knocking off her glasses, and a male bank worker, causing his head to bleed.

A co-defendant awaits sentencing.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest government report shows winter wheat in Kansas is turning color as harvest draws closer.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 96 percent of the wheat has headed, with 16 percent now coloring

Wheat condition is rated as 8 percent poor to very poor while 33 percent is in fair shape. The agency says 51 percent is in good condition and 8 percent is in excellent condition.

Meanwhile, spring planting made some progress last week despite some rainy days that kept farmers out of fields.

About 90 percent of the corn has now been seeded in Kansas, along with 21 percent of the soybeans and 6 percent of the sorghum.

The agency says 72 percent of Kansas pastures and ranges are in good to excellent condition

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A chimpanzee housed for more than 17 years at the Wichita, Kansas, zoo has died at the age of 44.

Sedgwick County Zoo officials say the chimp named Tammy died Sunday after several days of failing health. A post-mortem examination is planned.

The animal was diagnosed in February of last year with heart disease and had her right arm amputated because it had become dislocated and unfixable.

Tammy had been at the zoo since early 1999.

The zoo still has seven chimpanzees.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A man who spent nearly 16 years in prison for a rape and killing his brother confessed to committing wants Kansas to pull the plug on the death penalty.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 39-year-old Floyd Bledsoe shared his story over the weekend in the basement of a Lawrence church.

Bledsoe never faced the death penalty himself. But he was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of raping and killing 14-year-old Camille Arfmann. He was released in December after a DNA test and suicide notes indicated his brother, Tom Bledsoe, killed Arfmann.

Bledsoe says the court system is flamed and questioned what would have happened if he had been sentenced to death.

Kansas hasn’t executed anyone since it reinstated capital punishment in 1994.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Volunteers have achieved another major milestone in their efforts to restore a World War II bomber.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the nonprofit group Doc’s Friends announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has given the B-29 Superfortress, known as “Doc,” an airworthiness certificate. The announcement came exactly 16 years after the bomber’s parts were transported to Wichita.

#B29Doc first flight imminent! Still pinching ourselves. Click here to see next steps https://t.co/1UCGw2mBKL pic.twitter.com/DimVimTiKf

— Doc’s Friends (@DocsFriends) May 20, 2016

 

Several dozen Doc’s Friends members and other supporters attended a ceremony Friday at the World War II aircraft’s hangar at Air Capital Flight Line.

The certificate was one of the last obstacles to getting the plane off the ground. The nonprofit will now seek permission to operate the plane at McConnell Air Force Base.

Jeff Turner, board chairman of Doc’s Friends, says the plane could fly in the next few weeks.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers say they anticipate taking up the issue of transgender school bathrooms upon reconvening next week.

The issue gained attention after the Obama administration’s recent guidance that transgender students at public schools be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Rep. John Whitmer says he and other conservative lawmakers will try to run a resolution that would express the Legislature’s displeasure. The Wichita Republican says the plan is to send the resolution to federal officials.

A bill introduced in the Kansas Legislature this year would have ordered schools to require transgender students to use the facilities corresponding to the sex determined by their chromosome makeup as recorded on their birth certificate. But that bill stalled in committee.

TOPEKA, KAN. – An Ottawa County woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling from a real estate company in Salina where she worked, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Janetta Marie Buttery, 42, Bennington, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. A criminal information filed in March alleged Buttery embezzled more than $109,000 from her employer.

In her plea, Buttery admitted the crime occurred while she worked as a secretary, bookkeeper and executive assistant at Realty Associates of Salina.

Buttery used her access to the company’s credit cards, bank accounts, books and records to divert the company’s funds to herself, her mother and her husband.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 22. She faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000 and restitution. Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

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.