WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it’s continuing to address global warming by adopting previously announced standards to make large trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles more fuel efficient.

These vehicles account for more than one-fifth of transportation-related fuel consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases that are blamed for harming the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department say the standards will cut carbon pollution, save vehicle owners billions of dollars in fuel costs and conserve tens of billions of gallons of oil.

The standards require up to 25 percent lower carbon emissions and fuel consumption for certain tractors.

Heavy duty pickups and vans would have to become 2.5 percent more efficient annually between model years 2021 and 2027.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Three Kansas men who are under investigation in last month’s shooting of an Illinois police officer have appeared in court on charges accusing them of plotting to kill three other men.

The Salina Journal reports that 22-year-old Alex Karcher, 22-year-old Xavier McCray and 24-year-old Xavier Lewis met Monday in Saline County District Court with the judge who will handle their cases. They each are jailed on $1 million bond.

Karcher’s attorney didn’t immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The other two men don’t have attorneys.

Carbondale, Illinois, officer Trey Harris was wounded during the same time frame in which the three men are accused in a criminal complaint of agreeing to travel to the state to commit capital murder. No one was killed.

GEARY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating a suspect after a brief standoff on Monday.

Police were notified that a Junction City apartment had a shotgun and had threatened to harm himself and others, according to a media release.

Authorities made contact with Scott W. Robinson, 49, by telephone but he refused to leave the apartment to speak with the investigating officers including members of the Junction City – Geary County Swat Team and Geary County Sheriff’s Department.

After negotiating for approximately two hours the Robinson surrendered and was taken into custody without incident.

He is being held in the Geary County Detention Center on charges of Criminal Threat and Interference with Law Enforcement.

 

(AP )- Aetna will become the latest health insurer to chop its participation in the Affordable Care Act’s public exchanges when it trims its presence to four states for 2017, from 15 this year.

The nation’s third-largest insurer said late Monday that a second-quarter pre-tax loss of $200 million from its individual insurance coverage helped it decide to limit exposure to the exchanges, which also have generated losses for UnitedHealth Group and Anthem, among other carriers.

Aetna said earlier this month it was canceling expansion plans for its exchange business in 2017.

The exchanges have helped millions of gain health coverage. But major insurers say this relatively small slice of business generates large losses in part because of higher-than-expected claims.

Government officials say the future of the exchanges remains strong.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Plaintiffs in the ongoing Kansas school finance lawsuit have told the state Supreme Court that some student test scores show the state is failing to fund its public schools adequately.

But attorneys for the state counter that funding is at record levels, that all schools are meeting state accreditation standards, and a court order for additional funding would be “a flagrant violation of the separation of powers.”

The Lawrence Journal-World reports both sides in the dispute filed briefs with the court Friday.

The Supreme Court could have a lot to say about what that new formula looks like and how much money needs to go into it when it weighs the two sides’ arguments and rules on the lawsuit later this year.

Oral arguments are Sept. 21.

HUTCHINSON— The judge in the case of a Kansas teen accused of killing his mother and sister will only allow the state to show one picture of the victims at trial, which begins next week.

Samuel Vonachen who is now 17, is accused of setting a fire to his family’s home that killed his mother and sister. He was 14 at the time.

District Judge Trish Rose in stating that only one photo can be shown is allowing that to help with the medical testimony at trial, but deems the rest as too prejudicial against the defendant.

The defense had asked for more information on the evaluations from two psychologist, which they claim is too vague on how they came to their opinions and conclusions.

The judge denied the request.

On Monday, the defense asked for reconsideration, but Judge Rose stuck with her earlier ruling.

The state was also granted permission to endorse additional witnesses for the trial with no objection from the defense.

Jury selection will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday Aug. 22.

Opening statements could begin Tuesday morning. The trial is expected to last at least a week and a half.

LINN COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of boat accidents in Linn County

Just after 1:30 am on Saturday a Miami County Game Warden was called out for an injury boat accident at Tanglewood Lake, according to a media release.

This accident resulted in serious injuries to a wakeboarder who collided with the lake dam after the boat towing him collided with the dam.

Linn County Sheriff Deputies arrested the boat operator for BUI.

On Sunday the Miami County warden was again called to an injury boat accident after two Personal Water Crafts collided head on at Linn Valley Lake. One person was transported to the hospital.

No additional details were released.

HUTCHINSON— Officials say carelessly, discarded cigarettes are blamed for starting a fire on Monday in Hutchinson.

Just after 6:30 pm, the Hutchinson Fire Department  responded to the 300 block of West 1st for a structure fire, according to a media release.

Arriving units found smoke showing from a storage unit and smoke showing from the roof area of the structure.

The fire was controlled in 15 minutes, while units remained on scene for an hour overhauling and monitoring for hot spots. Damage to the structure is estimated at $10,000.

There were no injuries

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police say combined weights for a 10-year-old boy and two other people riding a raft with him at a water park when he was killed were within the ride’s limits.

Caleb Schwab died August 7 while riding the 168-foot “Verruckt” at Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City.

Riders are weighed to ensure each raft carries between 400 pounds and 550 pounds.

Police Monday released a report showing one rider at 140 pounds, another at 170, and an unclear weight for Caleb. He would have to weigh 90 pounds to make the trio’s weight reach 400 pounds.

But police said weights taken at a hospital after the accident show one person weighed 275 pounds, another weighed 197 pounds and a third weighed 73 pounds, putting the combined weight at 545 pounds.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge is considering whether to appoint an independent third party to look into prison recordings of confidential conversations between inmates and their attorneys at the Leavenworth Detention Center.

U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson has scheduled a hearing Tuesday to determine the appointment and scope of a special master in the case. The practice surfaced in a case over distribution of contraband at the prison in which video recordings were subpoenaed by a grand jury. But the defense outcry is now rippling across cases.

The federal public defender’s office filed a motion Monday seeking a special master’s inquiry.

Robinson last week ordered all jails housing federal detainees in Kansas and Missouri to stop any recordings.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says it would not knowingly seek privileged attorney-client communications.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A 29-year-old man faces at least 50 years in prison for the stabbing deaths of two Lenexa men.

Alex Brune pleaded guilty in February to two counts of first-degree murder in the July 2014 deaths of 47-year-old Brian Baskind and his stepfather, 79-year-old Clifford Preston at the men’s home in Lenexa. Their bodies were found in the basement.

The Kansas City Star reports that Brune was sentenced Monday in Johnson County court to life. He will have to serve 50 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Brune was shot by one of the men during the altercation and initially told officers that he was kidnapped from his home and taken to the house, where he found a knife and stabbed both men during an escape attempt.

HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man serving time in prison for murder in Seward County was bound over for trial on Monday on a charge of aggravated battery of a corrections officer.

Eddie Nunez, 29, is accused of battering and causing injury to a female officer at the central unit of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility on January 13, 2016.

On Monday, the officer testified the she granted permission for his cell door to be opened so he could empty his trash.

She says she was distracted by other inmates and turned and saw his fist and that was when she was struck repeatedly.

She told the court that she went underneath a nearby stairway in an attempt to escape, but Nunez followed her and continued to hit and kick her.

She says during the altercation, she couldn’t get to her radio, so finally started screaming until help arrived. She suffered a black eye and other bruising from the altercation.

Judge Joe McCarville found there was probable cause for the case to proceed to trial, but also arraigned Nunez where he entered a not guilty plea.

The crime is a level five-person felony with a maximum sentence of over 11 years in prison.

By MEGAN HART
The Kansas Children’s Cabinet is throwing a Hail Mary budget request.

But its leaders acknowledge that the odds of scoring more funding – or even avoiding cuts – are low.

The Cabinet voted Friday afternoon to submit a budget that included 5 percent cuts to some programs, as requested by Shawn Sullivan, Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director.

But members sent what amounted to a statement of protest by also approving a second budget that requested a 54-percent increase in spending on early childhood programs.

The Cabinet oversees Kansas’ share of the tobacco master settlement, an agreement in which major tobacco companies agreed to compensate states for costs related to smoking.

Janice Smith, executive director of the Cabinet, told the members that Sullivan had instructed her to submit plans by Monday to cut 5 percent from the early childhood block grant, as well as programs related to autism and improving the quality of child care. If implemented, the cuts requested by the administration would reduce funding by $833,181 in fiscal year 2018.

Those cuts would be on top of approximately $3.3 million in reductions made this year to Children’s Cabinet programs.

The early childhood block grant supports pre-kindergarten programs run by schools and nonprofits, as well as efforts to teach parents how to interact with their infants and toddlers in a way that promotes brain development. The autism diagnosis program pays to screen children for autism spectrum disorders and the child care quality program teaches providers to support families in a way that decreases the odds children will be abused.

Sullivan has said the fiscal year 2018 cuts may not be necessary. But he wants to be prepared should state revenue collections continue to fall short of projections.

Smith said she was surprised by Sullivan’s directive and “baffled” by the decision to cut programs for at-risk children. She said studies have shown that every $1 spent on effective early interventions generated approximately $11 in long-term savings.

“I’ve never received a mandate from anyone outside this group for a budget to look a certain way,” she said.

LaEtta Felter, an Olathe business owner and cabinet member appointed by Brownback, objected both to the budget office’s directive and to the cuts themselves.

“In my opinion, it’s neutering the authority of this cabinet,” she said. “I don’t think any one of us would rob from our children, and I consider this robbing from the most vulnerable children.”

Smith proposed a second budget that would restore all of those cuts, while also using federal funds targeted at low-income families. The cabinet unanimously voted to go a step further by adding another $10 million to the second budget for block grant programs.

Annie McKay, president and CEO of Kansas Action for Children, proposed adding the $10 million after noticing the second budget didn’t include the entire $59.1 million that the state expects to receive in tobacco settlement funds.

Cabinet chair Amanda Adkins, a Cerner executive and Brownback appointee, doesn’t support the cuts but said he conversations with administration officials have convinced her they’re likely.

“There probably – at least in the governor’s budget – are going to be some cuts. I know nobody likes that,” Adkins said.

Smith acknowledged the Cabinet’s preferred budget stood little chance of being funded. Still, she said, it was important to make a statement by submitting it.

“If the end result is going to be X, and we don’t really have a choice, at least we’ve had a small voice,” she said. “It can’t hurt to try, right?”

– See more at: https://www.khi.org/news/article/childrens-cabinet-laments-5-percent-cut-directive-from-governors-office#sthash.xLEPBRcB.dpuf