DOUGLAS COUNTY – A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 9a.m. on Thursday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Turnpike Authority reported a Chevy Silverado driven by Rene Rodriguez Lopez, 30, Topeka, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Lawrence.

The pickup rear-ended a westbound semi and struck the barrier wall.

The driver and a passenger Santiago Campos-Ramirez, 19, Topeka, were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the pickup.

Campos-Ramirez died. Lopez and a passenger in the semi Cristian Maldonado-Ortiz, 19, Topeka, were transported to a local hospital.

The semi driver from Oklahoma was not injured.

WICHITA–Passenger traffic at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport increased 1.97% over 2015, making it the second busiest year on record with 1,602,311 total passengers, according to a media release.

The growth in traffic is due in part to the addition of three new, nonstop destinations, St. Louis, Phoenix, and Orlando-Sanford, plus, the convenient and modern new terminal continues to draw passengers.

In 2016, June, September and October set new monthly records in passenger traffic.
The busiest year at the Wichita airport occurred in 2008 when there were 1,619,075 total passengers.  The 2016 achievement is significant because the capacity (number of available seats) was down 15% compared to 2008, yet traffic was down just 1% from that record year.

SALINE COUNTY –Fire officials including the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating three fires that broke out in Saline and Ottawa counties Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators believe that someone set the grass fires that burned about 230 total acres, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Just after 2 p.m., Saline County Rural Fire District 3 took responded to the intersection of Humbarger Road and House Road.

High winds pushed two of the western fires together, burning around 150 acres. The eastern fire burned around 80 acres.

No structures were damaged in the blazes but three landowners were affected.

The estimated cost of the damage was around $3,000 as landowners will need to replace fence posts in the burned area.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas legislator has confirmed that he inadvertently left a loaded handgun under a table in a Statehouse committee room that is open to the public.

Republican Rep. Willie Dove, of Bonner Springs, told reporters Thursday that the incident occurred after Tuesday afternoon’s meeting of the Kansas House Education Committee. A secretary found the gun minutes later.

Dove says he has a concealed carry permit and that he took the gun out of his leg holster because of a swollen ankle. He says he’ll start using a shoulder holster and will be more careful.

Firearms are allowed in the Statehouse.

Earlier this month, a New Hampshire lawmaker’s loaded gun fell from her waistband at a meeting but did not go off.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republicans are meeting Feb. 9 to pick their nominee for the congressional seat formerly held by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

The special GOP convention in the 4th Congressional District will be in Wichita at Friends University and starts at 7 p.m. The choice will be made by 126 precinct committee members in the 17-county district.

Gov. Sam Brownback has called an April 11 special election to fill the seat. Democrats also will have a special convention to pick their nominee but have not scheduled it yet.

Republicans expressing an interest in the seat include State Treasurer Ron Estes, former congressman Todd Tiahrt and Donald Trump campaign adviser Alan Cobb.

The Democratic candidates are former State Treasurer Dennis McKinney, Andover police officer Charlie Walker and Wichita businesswoman Laura Lombard.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY – A semi driver was injured in an accident just after 3 a.m. on Thursday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 International semi driven by Joseph W. Dyer, Paris, TN, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of 12th Road.

The semi left the roadway into the median. The driver overcorrected and the semi rolled onto its side.

Dyer was transported to the hospital in Ellsworth. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 3-year-old boy has been killed after darting into the path of a pickup truck in a gas station parking lot.

The  boy’s family stopped for gas Wednesday night in Wichita. Wichita police Lt. Dennis Wilson says the boy’s father walked into the store after pulling up to the gas pumps.

The boy was struck when he ran from the family minivan and toward the store. He was pronounced dead at the scene.