DOUGLAS COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal September 2, shooting and have made another arrest.

On Wednesday, deputies booked Shawn Kariem Smith, Jr., 18, Kansas City, into the Douglas County Jail in connection with the 11:30p.m. shooting at a motel in the 1100 Block of North 3^rd Street in Lawrence, according to a media release. Smith is being held on charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Assault.

A 23-year-old Lenexa man died at the scene of the shooting. Two other victims were transported to a hospital for treatment of possible life-threatening injuries.

Tyrone J. Carvin, 19, also suffered from a gunshot wound that night. He was treated and released from a Kansas City area hospital and remains in the Douglas County Jail on charges of First Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery x2.

EL DORADO — A Kansas community college is fighting a cyber attack that has disabled their internet connectivity.

According to a social media report, for more than a week,  the IT Department at Butler Community College has worked with their provider to fix the connectivity and configuration problems outside of Butler’s infrastructure.

On Wednesday, the college experienced what they believe is the result of a DDoS cyber-attack that brings down the system by overloading it with information.

Butler and the school’s internet service provider have partnered with additional outside engineers and are working around-the-clock to address this issue.

School officials said they understood technology is core for students’ success and daily business operations. “Please know we remain diligent in bringing this situation to resolution.”

By STEPHEN KORANDA

State officials are hoping to keep a new Tyson Foods chicken plant in Kansas after the company put on hold plans to build the $300 million facility in Leavenworth County.

Tyson is looking at other locations in Kansas and other states after public outcry and a local decision to back away from promised incentives.

Agriculture Secretary Jackie McClaskey said 15 to 20 other Kansas communities have now expressed interest in the plant. She and others are working to determine whether those areas could meet the needs of the facility, which would produce trays of chicken for grocery stores. The demands include sufficient local workforce and infrastructure for the facility.

Right now, McClaskey is confident they can put together a new deal with Tyson.

“They have not backed out of their commitment that they want to do business in Kansas. They want to expand in Kansas,” she said. “I feel like right now they’re giving us a shot.”

Interim Commerce Secretary Nick Jordan said they’re making a sales pitch to keep Tyson looking at Kansas.

“To let them know the state wants them to be here,” Jordan said. “We’ve got plenty of other communities that fit their needs very, very well. We want to get off and running again working with them to find a spot that does fit for them.”

Jordan said if the plant goes to another state, Kansas would lose an investment of more than $300 million and 1,600 jobs.

We’re missing out on a significant economic impact on the state economy and growth to the agricultural base that we have in the state,” Jordan said.

McClaskey said the impact could go beyond just that investment. She’s concerned if this deal falls apart, other agriculture companies could think twice before considering investment in Kansas.

“That longer-term effect is pretty important to keep in mind,” McClaskey said.

Local residents voiced strong opposition to the Leavenworth County proposal, saying it could reduce the quality of life in the community.

A new, state-of-the-art facility could be built to minimize issues like odors, McClaskey said, adding that an area where similar industries already operate may be a better fit.

“Any community that has had value-added food processing of some sort and understands the benefit it brings, that’s going to be a positive,” McClaskey said.

At a large public meeting last week, people railed against building the facility outside Tonganoxie and brought up concerns about pollution and other impacts from the plant, which would be capable of processing 1.25 million birds per week.

“It means for at least 10 years and longer, our culture in this area will revolve around chicken farms and low-paying jobs. Is that the best you can do in our area?” one woman said during the meeting.

Jarret Pruitt is a member of a group opposing the plant, known as Citizens Against Project Sunset. After the announcement that the deal was put on hold, he said they’ll keep watch for any additional developments.

“Today we can smile briefly. Tomorrow we must wake up more committed and determined to continue this fight,” Pruitt said.

Critics of the project were also unhappy that the Leavenworth County deal was brokered behind closed doors and not made public until an announcement earlier this month.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Revenue is reviewing security at its offices after a shooting this week injured an employee in Wichita.

The agency moved out of the now-vacant Finney State Office Building in downtown Wichita three years ago as part of Gov. Sam Brownback’s push to privatize office space. That building had guards and other security for employees.

There was no protection Tuesday when tax compliance agent Cortney Holloway was shot at the office. The suspect, 51-year-old Ricky Todd Wirths, of Wichita, owed nearly $400,000 in outstanding tax warrants.

Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Democrat from Wichita, and Robert Choromanski, head of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, both criticized the decision to provide no protection for state employees at offices the state rents from private owners.