SMITHVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say there were no injuries as a result of a blaze that erupted when a gas pipeline ruptured north of Kansas City, Missouri.

A Platte County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher said the fire was reported about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Platte County, north of Kansas City and not far from Kansas City International Airport. The dispatcher had no additional details.

The responding Southern Platte Fire District said the blaze resulted from a pipeline explosion, though the cause was unclear.

Fire off of Mellon’s Bridge Road is out. Covered Bridge Road at B Highway remains closed. pic.twitter.com/q9FHXfgeiL

— Platte Co Sheriff (@PlatteCoSheriff) November 30, 2016

The identity of the owner or operator of the pipeline was not immediately available.

The Kansas City Fire Department says the pipeline carries ethane and propane.

Joe McBride, a spokesman for the airport, said the blaze was not affecting flights at the airport and was not on airport property.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been arrested in the killing of a woman who was pronounced dead after deputies responded to a report of a vehicle hitting a pedestrian.

The Wichita Eagle reports that 32-year-old Amber Lehman, of Wichita, has been identified as the woman found dead Friday.

Randall Keesling, 61, Derby is jailed on $250,000 bond in Sedgwick County on suspicion of first-degree intentional murder.

Lt. Lin Dehning has said Lehman knew the man, but Dehning didn’t know the nature of their relationship. The sheriff’s office is scheduled to present its case against the man to prosecutors on Tuesday afternoon.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge has ruled that a Topeka man who donated sperm so two women could have a baby together isn’t legally the child’s father and doesn’t have to provide financial support.

The state Department for Children and Families had not decided as of Tuesday whether it would appeal last week’s ruling by Shawnee County District Judge Mary Mattivi.

The department sought to force William Marotta to pay child support for the girl born in December 2009.

Marotta answered a Craigslist ad from the same-sex couple. Kansas law says a donor providing sperm to a doctor for insemination isn’t legally a father, but the two women didn’t use a physician.

The women later separated. Mattivi ruled the woman who didn’t give birth is the girl’s second parent.

SALINA – Based on Tuesday’s investigation and under advisement from law enforcement, the heightened security status is no longer required at Salina Central High School, according to a statement to parents and students from USD 305.

On Wednesday, November 30, school will go back to normal operating procedures. Regular safety and security precautions will continue as usual.

All events scheduled at Central HS will go on as planned on Tuesday evening.

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SALINA, Kan. — On Tuesday, 911 in Salina received a call alleging a possible shooting threat at Central High School.

Police informed school officials who initiated heightened security while police investigated the call.

School officials are following the direction of Salina police and taking extra precautions.

There is increased police presence, school walk-throughs and access to the building is monitored. Classes are in normal operation with increased vigilance.

Law enforcement authorities and school officials continue to investigate. Central High School remains open and extra precautions are being taken.

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SALINA, Kan. — Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating the report of a threatening phone call to 911, according to officials at Salina Central High School.

The school at 650 E. Crawford in Salina was placed under heightened security and officials are monitoring entrances at the school, according to a message sent to students and staff by USD 305.

Police are expected to release additional details as they become available.

By SAM ZEFF

The Shawnee Mission School District board and its superintendent faced a packed room of very unhappy parents and teachers Monday night.

The district has come under fire for strongly suggesting to staff that they refrain from wearing safety pins. The pins are seen by many as a sign to students that they’re in a safe place, but some see the pins as a protest of the election of Donald Trump.

Before the meeting even started, board President Sara Goodburn made it very clear:  we’ll listen to your concerns but we’re not changing our minds.

Still, cheered on by about 150 people in the board of education room, a dozen parents got up to say the district should reverse its decision.

“Does the school district want to be a leader? Does the school district want to be for people of all faiths, for people of all ethnicity, people of all backgrounds? Or does it want to be exclusionary? And by doing something like this its saying it wants to be exclusionary,” said Jeff Passan from Prairie Village whose children go to Briarwood Elementary.

Jessica Gunkel from Overland Park described herself as a conservative Christian who’s biggest worry used to be whether teachers would be banned from wearing crosses to school. But now she says she hears horror stories from her adopted 4th grade son, who is from Guatemala. Other kids tell him he’s going to be forced to leave the country.

“He comes home in tears about what he’s heard about kids talking about the possibilities of what would come up, I told him that someone wearing a safety pin would be able to explain things to him and his friends. And symbol has been taken away,” Gunkel says.

Even a former Shawnee Mission board president got up to criticize the current board.

Don Culp was on the board from 1976 to 1984. He said the safety pin was “a symbol of inclusiveness” and he’s now “reluctant to say he’s a graduate of the Shawnee Mission School District.”

“You’re slamming the door on freedom of speech,” said Culp.

Superintendent Jim Hinson again said he had no choice. He said he got “dozens of complaints” mostly from teachers about not only the safety pins but the display of Confederate flags after the election.

“This was brought to us through complaint process. We have to deal with all political speech that could be disruptive to the education environment equally. So I cannot pick on one and leave another one untouched so we have to deal with it all the same,” Hinson said before the meeting.

He says some complaints are still rolling in, a week after this came to light.

Hinson was clearly unhappy with how this unfolded. “I was really taken back, I think, by the response by some individuals in our schools post-election that wanted to bring unhappiness, disdain and influence other employees or expose students to their political views. I was very surprised by that.”

Sam Zeff  is co-host of the political podcast Statehouse Blend. Follow him on Twitter @SamZeff