MARSHALL COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Saturday in Marshall County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Harley Davidson driven by Cameron Dodds, 47, Washington, Kan., was eastbound on K9 one mile west of K99 in Frankfort.

The motorcycle traveled across the westbound lane, entered the north ditch and overturned several times.

A passenger Diane Thompson, 50, Sterling, NE., was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Kinsley Mortuary.

Dodds was transported Bryan Medical Center West in Lincoln.

They were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 33-year-old Kansas firefighter has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after he allegedly solicited sex from someone he thought was 15.

Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree says that Devin Rich turned himself in Friday and is being held in the Wyandotte County jail on a $100,000 bond.

Dupree says the person Rich solicited was actually an undercover FBI agent. Dupree says some of the communications occurred when Rich was on duty.

A court date has not been set.

Rich’s attorney, John Duma, said he would not comment on the case.

The Kansas City fire department said in a statement Friday that Rich was an eight-year veteran of the department and has been suspended without pay since April.

RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1994 International semi driven by Floyd C. Bogner Jr., 66, Burton, was southbound on Victory Road. The driver stopped at the stop sign at the railroad tracks and proceeded slowly across the tracks.

An eastbound Watco train driven by Mark A. Wells, 57, Hutchinson, struck the semi. The train proceeded and stopped shortly after the crash. It was partially derailed, according to the KHP.

Bogner Jr. was transported to Wesley Medical Center. There were no injuries on the train.

———

HAVEN, Kan. — One person was injured when the tractor trailer rig he was driving collided with a train near Haven.

According to Reno County 911, the truck was on Victory Road when it was hit by an eastbound K and O freight train. The train hit the semi in the trailer that was filled with grain and knocked it into the south ditch. The last of three locomotives and 12 cars derailed with a half dozen laying over on their sides. The locomotive stayed upright.

The driver of the truck was taken by EMS to a Wichita Hospital. No one on the locomotive was injured. Officials with K and O are on the scene to address the cleanup and removal of the wreckage. Haven Road was closed in Haven. Victory Road was closed also.

The accident happened just after 3 p.m. about one mile east of Haven.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Agriculture hopes to start issuing licenses for farmers to grow industrial hemp in time for next year’s spring planting season.

Agency spokeswoman Heather Lansdowne said on Friday that proposed rules and regulations were submitted earlier in the week to the Department of Administration. That’s the first step in a long process required to establish an industrial hemp program in Kansas.

The program will initially allow growing hemp only for research. But officials said in an economic impact statement that a successful research-based pilot program may lead to the eventual legalization of commercial industrial hemp.

Kansas lawmakers in April authorized the agriculture department to issue licenses allowing industrial hemp for research, and for other businesses to research potential commercial uses of the crop.

WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A south-central Kansas man has died after being stabbed in the chest, and another person has been arrested.

Officials say the stabbing happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday in in the 300 Block of North B Street in Wellington.

Police say officers who arrived on the scene found a 26-year-old man with chest injuries. He was taken to a Wichita hospital, where he later died.

Police say a woman was arrested in connection with the stabbing.

No names or other details of what led to the stabbing have been released.

DENVER (AP) — A U.S. meatpacker has agreed to pay $1.5 million to 138 Somali-American Muslim workers who were fired from their jobs at a Colorado plant after they were refused prayer breaks.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday that Wichita, Kansas-based Cargill Meat Solutions also pledged to accommodate Somali-American workers’ prayer breaks at its Fort Morgan plant.

The EEOC says Cargill denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.

Last year, the EEOC found that the workers were fired in 2016 after protesting a decision by plant management to stop permitting Muslim employees to take short breaks for prayer.

Hundreds of Somali-Americans work at the plant in Fort Morgan, located 75 miles (115 kilometers) northeast of Denver.

HUTCHINSON (AP) — A longtime officer of the Riley County Police Department will become Hutchinson’s new police chief.

The Hutchinson News reports Jeffrey Hooper, who is currently a captain in Manhattan, will take over the chief’s job on Oct. 22. He succeeds Dick Heitschmidt, who retired.

Hooper has been with the Riley County Police Department for 27 years, including the past 14 as a captain. He has also been an officer, detective, sergeant, and lieutenant.

The Riley County Police Department is a combined law enforcement agency for the city of Manhattan and Riley County.

Hooper has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice from Kansas State University and is a graduate of the 213th FBI National Academy.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Two juveniles at Lawrence High School were arrested this week after a parent reported hearing that a student tried to sell a gun to another student.

Principal Matt Brungardt said in an email to parents that police and school officials discovered the weapon had been taken from a parent’s home. Lawrence police recovered the firearm off the school campus.

District spokeswoman Julie Boyle said the gun was found Thursday. She says the parents of the students were notified and disciplinary action had been taken in accordance with district policy.

Lawrence officer Derrick Smith said Friday that two juveniles were arrested Monday morning on the school grounds.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether charges would be filed.