WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is appealing a judge’s ruling that the state must release candidates’ applications for two county commission openings filled by Gov. Sam Brownback.

The state has filed a notice of appeal in the lawsuit brought by The Salina Journal and The Associated Press seeking the disclosure of information on more than two dozen applicants for newly created Saline County Commission seats.

Saline County residents voted in November 2014 to expand the commission from three to five members.

The AP and the newspaper argued that applicants’ names and other details are public information. Brownback’s office argued they are personnel records exempt from the state’s open records law.

Shawnee County District Judge Rebecca Crotty ruled in December in favor of AP and the newspaper.

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — He’s not a “loser.” Billionaire Donald Trump has his first political victory, the GOP nomination from New Hampshire.

Early exit polls showed he drew support from voters looking for an outsider and from those who made up their minds a while ago.

The win comes days after Trump’s second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. Trump has used the unconventional tactic of using large, rambunctious rallies and sharp criticism of opponents.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken a commanding victory in the New Hampshire primary over Hillary Clinton.

The win comes after a narrow loss to Clinton in Iowa.

Sanders garnered a majority of support from men, women and independents and surged past Clinton in a state she won eight years ago against then-candidate Barack Obama.

The turnout — as Sanders would say — was “huge.” Polls indicated Sanders, from neighboring Vermont, was substantially favored heading into the contest.

His win will likely prompt rank-and-file Democrats — and some major campaign donors — to give his candidacy a second look as the race shifts to contests in Clinton-friendly states like Nevada and South Carolina.

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling more than 473,000 trucks and SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because the brake pedals can come loose and fail to work properly.

The recall covers certain 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD and Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicles.

GM says a nut on the brake pedal pivot mechanism can come loose, causing the pedal to loosen and possibly become inoperative.

The company says it has no reports of crashes or injuries due to the problem.

GM says the recall should begin shortly.

Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand is recalling about 28,000 FR-S sports cars in North America because drivers can take the keys out of the ignition without the car being in park.

The recall covers cars with automatic transmissions from the 2013 through 2016 model years.

Toyota says in some cases, the mechanism that holds the key until the ignition unless the cars are in park may not have been connected before delivery. That makes it possible to remove the key while the cars are in gear, which could increase the risk of cars rolling away unexpectedly.

Toyota wouldn’t say if the problem has caused any crashes or injuries. The company says dealers will check the key lock mechanism. If it doesn’t work, they’ll activate it.

NEWTON – Law enforcement authorities in Harvey County are investigating a series of burglaries.

Numerous tips have come to police in reference to the surveillance photos from the burglaries, according to a report on social media.

One suspect has been identified as Corey Michael Youngblood.

Police want to find him for questioning. They are asking for the public’s help to locate him.

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NEWTON – Nine burglaries and a stolen car are now among the crimes committed in Newton on Friday night, according to a social media report from Newton Police. The car has been recovered after a member of the community saw the report on social media and called it in.

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NEWTON – Law enforcement authorities in Harvey County are investigating a series of burglaries and searching for a suspect.

Police in Newton say the crimes were reported the area around 8th and Logan Streets where at least 5 houses and 2 vehicles were broken into and property stolen.

Witnesses describe a silver, gold Dodge truck and a 2-door passenger car involved.

According to a social media report by police, the offenders were kind enough to pose for surveillance video. They stole the cameras but didn’t understand the information is recorded in another location.

The first suspect with beard and short hair is in the light jacket with the hood and the second suspect is in the black jacket.

Police asked the public for their help to identify the suspects.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas officials say using $327 million in out of state bonds to finance construction projects allows them to meet crucial campus needs in a cost-effective way.

Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, other university officials and state Board of Regents members defended the school’s so-called central district development project and its financing Tuesday during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.

The university formed a nonprofit corporation which then had Wisconsin’s Public Finance Authority issue the bonds last month without legislative approval.

Special university counsel Jeff Gans said the university needed to move quickly to keep its borrowing costs low. Also, officials said the project includes a new student dormitory that would open in fall 2017 and prevent a housing shortage.

The project also includes a new science building to replace outdated labs.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are weighing legislation that would make it illegal to post photos or videos of a nude person online without his or her consent.

The Kansas City Star  reports that Democratic Rep. Sydney Carlin of Manhattan and Republican Rep. Stephanie Clayton of Overland Park introduced bills last session to deter the online phenomenon of “revenge porn.”

Under the legislation, posting of nude materials without a person’s consent could be prosecuted as a potential felony under the state’s blackmail and breach of privacy laws.

Republican Rep. John Barker of Abilene is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He says that panel could vote on whether to advance the bill to the House floor as early as Thursday.

RENO COUNTY – Fire crews busy on Monday afternoon. Just before 1p.m. Hutchinson Fire Department’s Engine 3 responded to the 2500 block of West Blanchard.

Upon arrival they found an electrical substation on fire. While waiting for Westar to arrive to secure the electricity, the transformer exploded.

The wind pushed the smoke across Blanchard but there was no exposures threatened, according to a media release from the fire department.

The South Hutchinson Police Department provided traffic control. Once Westar
arrived and the power was shut off, they were able to extinguish the fire.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld the convictions of a Kansas obesity specialist who co-authored the “Atkins Diabetes Revolution.”

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed all five counts of attempted tax evasion against Dr. Mary C. Vernon of Lawrence. She was sentenced in 2014 to three years and five months and ordered to pay more than $311,000 in restitution.

The “Atkins Diabetes Revolution” was published in 2004, a year after the death of weight loss expert Dr. Robert Atkins.

The appellate panel rejected her claim that the trial judge miscalculated her sentence, based on a tax loss of $988,000 from 1991 to 2002. The lower court had also given her more prison time because she created a sham corporation called Rockledge Medical Services to evade income taxes.