WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourteen public safety officers were awarded the Medal of Valor by President Donald Trump on Wednesday, including eight who responded to a shooting at a southern California polling place.

“Every officer, firefighter and first responder who receives this award embodies the highest ideals of service and sacrifice, character and courage,” Trump said during a White House ceremony.

Watch LIVE: President Trump Presents the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor https://t.co/tPqXH9Bgcp

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 22, 2019

The medal is the nation’s highest honor for bravery by a public safety officer.

Eight men from the Azusa, California, police department were honored for placing themselves in danger and saving the lives of civilians and fellow officers during the shooting on Election Day 2016. The recipients were: Retired Lt. Xavier Torres; Sgt. Seth Chapman; retired Sgt. Terry Smith Jr.; Sgt. Thomas Avila III; Sgt. Rocky Wenrick; Cpl. Andrew Rodriguez Sr.; senior officer Carlos Plascencia; and detective Manuel Campos.

When they arrived at the polling place, a person was shooting from a house across the street from a park. An elderly woman had been killed and a man lay wounded on a sidewalk. Two vehicles had collided and a woman in one of the cars was critically injured. The shooter was eventually killed and the officers were credited for preventing other deaths and injuries.

The other recipients were:

—Fire Capt. Dustin Moore and firefighter and paramedic Andrew Freisner of the fire department in Lenexa, Kansas, risked their lives to rescue a family from inside a burning apartment building on April 24, 2017. They climbed a ladder to the second floor, went inside and rescued an unconscious adult, two young children and the family dog.

—Ohio State University police officer Alan Horujko, who risked his life on Nov. 28, 2016, to save the lives of civilians. A driver had driven down a sidewalk and struck several pedestrians, and then got out of his car and began attacking people with a knife. Horujko killed the attacker after trying unsuccessfully to get him to disarm. Thirteen people were attacked and 11 were hospitalized, one in critical condition.

—Nicholas Cederberg, senior trooper with the Oregon State Police, who suffered life-threatening injuries while helping apprehend a man wanted for shooting his estranged wife eight times. The attacker rammed the patrol car and shot Cederberg in the right hip. As he lay on the ground, Cederberg was shot 12 more times. Five bullets were stopped by his armored vest, but seven penetrated his body. Cederberg underwent surgeries to repair a collapsed lung and two broken arms.

Two awards also were given to the families of fallen officers:

—Sgt. Verdell Smith Sr. of the Memphis, Tennessee, police department was clearing an intersection of pedestrians on June 4, 2016, when he was struck by a vehicle driven by a suspect in a triple shooting.

—Officer Brent Thompson of the Dallas, Texas, Area Rapid Transit Police Department was killed on July 7, 2016, during a shootout with a man who had just killed three Dallas police officers and wounded three others with an assault rifle. Thompson’s actions created a distraction that allowed others to aid the wounded and gave cover to officers so they could force the attacker inside a building where he was killed by the Dallas Police SWAT team

MANHATTAN — Thomas Lane, a highly experienced student affairs administrator, will become Kansas State University’s new vice president for student life and dean of students.

Kansas State University President Richard Myers announced the appointment of Lane, who currently serves as associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Missouri State University. His appointment follows a national search to replace Pat Bosco, who is retiring after nearly 50 years of service in student life administration at the university.

Lane will join Kansas State University on July 14 and brings more than25 years of experience in student life administration to his new job.

“We are excited to have found someone of Dr. Lane’s caliber for this vital position at K-State,” Myers said. “His broad experience in student life administration will serve him well as the top advocate for Kansas State University students while he plays a key role in ensuring and enriching their development and success.”

Lane will provide executive-level leadership, strategic planning, oversight and coordination of all units in the Division of Student Life, which include the Office of Student Life, Housing and Dining Services, Recreational Services, K-State Student Union, Career Center, Lafene Health Center, Counseling Services, Academic Achievement Center and many other key services and programs essential to student success. He also will provide leadership for the development and implementation of high-quality and student-centered approaches to support student success in nonacademic dimensions of student university experiences, and he will respond to student crises and issues and concerns, among many other duties.

“I am truly humbled and excited to be joining the K-State family,” Lane said. “During my time on campus, it was clear to me the university is deeply committed to students’ personal and academic success. I am greatly looking forward to working with students, faculty, staff, administration and alumni in ensuring a Wildcat student experience that is welcoming, inclusive and changes lives for the better.”

Lane has been in his current position at Missouri State University since June 2015. He joined the university in 2005, serving as assistant dean of students and director of the student union. He was promoted to assistant to the vice president for student affairs in 2008 and became the assistant vice president for student affairs in 2011, serving until his appointment as associate vice president for student affairs. Before joining Missouri State, Lane served as associate director of the student union and activities at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he initially was assistant director of operations. He also has been a coordinator with Visitor and Information Services at Illinois State University.

Lane earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1991 and a master’s degree in educational administration in 1995, both from Illinois State University. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership and analysis in 2010 from the University of Missouri, where he serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the educational leadership cooperative doctoral program.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 2p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call of shots fired in the 800 block of South Terrance in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

At the scene, officers found the home had been struck multiple times by gunfire.  A 20-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man inside the residence told police someone shot at the residence but they were not injured. Officers did determine that the woman had been wounded in the abdomen.

She was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to Wheeler.

Witnesses described the suspect and police located 23-year-old Tristyn Cowling. They arrested him without incident. Investigators learned that the disturbance at the home was not random and probably drug related, according to Wheeler.

Cowling is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A 41-year-old Salina man has been found not guilty of animal abuse charges stemming from the seizure of 189 animals.

A Saline County jury deliberated less than an hour after a five-day trial of Matthew Fullen before returning the verdict Tuesday.

The animals were seized in April 2018 from a pasture in Assaria.

Investigators alleged the cows, horses, bulls, dogs, cats and rabbits were neglected or starving.

Fullen and his mother, Beverly Fullen, were initially arrested 165 misdemeanor counts and four felony counts of cruelty to animals.

Matthew Fullen was tried on five counts of animal abuse.

Beverly Fullen’s trial is scheduled for June 17.

MCPHERSON— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon who was believed to driving a stolen vehicle from Wichita.

On Tuesday, a McPherson County deputy attempted to stop the vehicle with two men inside on a seat belt violation in the parking lot of the 24/7 Travel Store in the 2200 Block of Kansas Avenue in McPherson, according to a media release.

The driver, later identified as 38-year-old Michael Huffman, refused to stop which lead to a chase through parts of McPherson, ending in the 400 block of Hartup.

Once stopped, the two occupants ran from the vehicle. Deputies located and arrested Michael Huffman.  The passenger remains at large.

Huffman has previous convictions for theft, burglary and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is being held on requested charges for possession of stolen property, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, flee or attempt to elude, theft, interference with law enforcement, marijuana possession and two warrants for failure to appear.

Two schools were temporarily placed on lockdown due to safety concerns.

TOPEKA —The National Weather Service survey crews have completed their work reviewing tornadoes from Tuesday.

The first tornado reported occurred at 4:32p.m. in Dickinson County and was rated and EF1, according to the National Weather Service.  The tornado produced peak winds of 105 miles per hour and traveled over 7 miles.

The second intermittent tornado in Dickinson and Geary Counties that passed northwest of Junction City has been rated EF0. It was estimated 150 yards wide and traveled approximately 17 miles, according to the National Weather Service.

Just after 7p.m., an EF1 tornado was reported southwest of Oneida in Nemaha County. It traveled approximately 3 miles, according to the National Weather Service.

An EF3 tornado also was reported in Nemaha County at 7:20p.m. It had maximum winds of 140 miles per hour and traveled almost 6 miles.

The National Weather Service also reported an EF2 tornado in Jackson County just after 6:30p.m. Tuesday along with an EF0 tornado north of Topeka that is responsible for tree and power line damage.