LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence Public Library has received a gift of nearly $230,000 from the estate of a former librarian.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the library said Monday the gift from the estate of Ann L. Hyde is the largest single contribution the library has ever received.

Hyde was the manuscripts librarian in the Department of Special Collections at the university’s Kenneth Spencer Research Library. She retired in 2000 and died in 2014 at age 83.

The Lawrence Humane Society announced last week that Hyde’s estate also gave the shelter nearly $500,000. The gift will go toward the humane society’s future $5 million project to either renovate its facility or build a new one.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has slower population growth than neighboring states and the U.S. as a whole.

U.S. Census Bureau figures released Tuesday estimate that Kansas’ total population grew by three-tenths of 1 percent from July 2014 to July 2015. The state gained about 9,100 residents to make its population almost 2.912 million.

The national growth rate was almost eight-tenths of 1 percent. Also, Colorado, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri all had higher growth rates than Kansas.

Colorado’s growth rate of nearly 1.9 percent was the second-best in the nation, behind North Dakota’s nearly 2.3 percent.

Kansas ranked 32nd among states and the District of Columbia in its growth rate.

The Census Bureau also said Kansas saw a net loss from migration over the year of 2 residents per 1,000.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) reacted to a new investigative report that finds systemic problems at the Leavenworth and Topeka VA Medical Centers’ Eye Clinics.

The report substantiates the allegations of unauthorized secret wait lists at the Leavenworth VA Medical Center Eye Clinic. Additional, VA bureaucrats were not adequately trained to use the VA scheduling software, and they did not consistently enter new eye care requests as required. Lastly, both Eye Clinics have not employed a Chief in 6 years.

Huelskamp released the following statement on this report:

“These disturbing findings further confirm that there is substantial work yet to be done to ensure our Veterans receive the care they deserve. The ongoing use of secret, unauthorized waiting lists, more than a year after top VA leadership promised otherwise, further prove the lack of accountability and leadership failures in Obama’s VA system.

“As a leading member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I will continue to demand the VA hold accountable those responsible. Manipulating data to give the appearance of productivity is unacceptable, and I’m committed to ending the leadership crisis in Obama’s VA.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge says sexual orientation is covered under a law that bans gender-based discrimination based in educational programs.

U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson’s ruling lets two former Pepperdine University women’s basketball players proceed with a lawsuit alleging the school discriminated against them because they were dating.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dec. 15 ruling says Title IX covers the women’s claims because the alleged discrimination hinged on each woman’s sex in the same-sex relationship.

Haley Videckis and Layana White say their coach wanted them off the team because their relationship would affect the team’s performance.

Pepperdine argued that Title IX doesn’t cover claims based on sexual orientation. But Pregerson cited an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decision that says allegations of sexual orientation discrimination “necessarily state a claim of discrimination on the basis of sex.”

WICHITA- Law enforcement officers in Sedgwick County with the help of area residents have caught an alleged suspect who had been stealing packages from porches in the Riverside area.

The residents of the area were very active in calling police when they saw the suspect and shared info with each other in a Facebook group.

Nice victims were identified and officers were able to recover the packages and get them back to the proper owners, according to police

The communication and teamwork of the Riverside community was a huge help in addressing a crime trend and locating a suspect.

RILEY COUNTY – Two people were injured in an accident just before 4p.m. on Tuesday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by Katherine M. Wilson, 20, Manhattan, was westbound in the 5500 Block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard.

The Chrysler turned south onto South Dam Road and was struck by a 1995 Chevy 1500 driven by Billie J. Anderson, 54, Wamego, that was eastbound on U.S. 24.

Wilson and a passenger Brandon P. Galloway, 24, Manhattan, were disabled due to the accident. Wilson was transported to Via Christi.

The KHP did not indicate where Galloway was treated. He was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the KHP.

Anderson was not injured.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Candidates’ applications for two county commission openings filled last year by Gov. Sam Brownback are not exempt from the Kansas open records law, a judge has ruled.

Shawnee County District Judge Rebecca Crotty sided with The Salina Journal and The Associated Press in ordering the disclosure of information on more than two dozen applicants for newly created Saline County Commission seats.

Saline County residents voted in November 2014 to expand the commission from three to five members. The AP and the newspaper argued that applicants’ names and other details are public information, but Brownback’s office said they were personnel records. The AP and the newspaper filed a lawsuit seeking the information in January.

The judge denied the media request for attorney’s fees after finding that the state’s refusal to disclose the records was done in good faith and with a reasonable basis. Crotty also noted that while the applications did not qualify for the exemption under the open records law, some of the personal information, such as Social Security numbers, would need to be redacted.

The governor’s office said it does not comment on matters under litigation.

Media attorney Nathaniel Berg said the governor’s attorneys had indicated they planned to appeal an earlier ruling in September in which Crotty denied the state’s motions to dismiss the lawsuit and enter a judgment in their favor.

“I certainly think it is a victory for the Kansas Open Records Act and the intent of the Legislature had when they drafted it,” Berg said of the ruling.

WELLINGTON – Law enforcement authorities in Sumer County are investigating a burglary in Wellington.

The Wellington- Sumner County Crime stoppers reported someone broke into the VFW at 424 East Harvey in Wellington just after 6:30 a.m. on December 5.

If you provide information that leads to an arrest, you may be eligible to receive a cash reward without ever giving your name.
Please contact Wellington/Sumner County Crime Stoppers 620-326-3135 or 800-222 TIPS

ALICIA A. CALDWELL, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 235,413 people between October 2014 and September 2015.

It is the fewest number of immigrants sent home by ICE since 2006.

The Homeland Security Department says during that same period 337,117 would-be immigrants were caught crossing the border illegally.

The arrests at the border included roughly 79,800 people traveling as families and children traveling alone, mostly from Central America.

The Associated Press first reported in October that ICE had deported about 231,000 people as of Sept. 28.

Homeland Security has previously said deportations have declined in part because arrests at the border have dropped.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas chemical manufacturing has been fined $1 million after admitting it unlawfully dumped hazardous wastes down a saltwater disposal well.

JACAM Manufacturing LLC of Sterling, Kansas, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Wichita to one count of violating the federal Safe Water Drinking Act and one count of violating the Resource Conservation Recovery Act.

Its president, Jason West, entered the plea on his company’s behalf under a deal with prosecutors that spared shareholders, employees and contractors from charges.

West declined comment after the hearing, saying the company would issue a news release later.

The company was charged last month with injecting hazardous chemicals down a well in Rice County without a permit.

JACAM makes and sells specialty chemicals used in the oil and gas production and industrial markets.

GARDEN CITY- Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating a business burglary.

Just after 10 a.m. on Saturday, a burglary was reported at Signature Auto Sale, at 512 E Fulton Street, according to a police department media release.

At approximately the same time, other officers located a suspicious vehicle that was found to have been stolen from the dealership.

The investigation revealed that an unknown suspect forced entry into the business and stole several sets of keys to vehicles on the sales lot.

Officers were unable to locate a suspect near the reported stolen vehicle.

The approximate value of the vehicle is listed as $6,550 and the damage to the business was estimated at $200.

Reports indicate that Signature Auto Sales had advised officers of suspicious activity earlier in the day and provided a description of a male subject to the officers.

Officers continued to investigate the incident throughout the day and eventually arrested Adrian Gomez, 19, Garden City Kansas.

Gomez is being held on requested charges of Burglary, Auto Theft, and Criminal Damage to Property in two separate incidents.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A longtime member of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Kansas has been named permanent director of the department, which provides diversity education programs across campus.

Precious Porras has been interim director of OMA since May and will become its new director on Jan. 4. She joined the office in 2005 and was named its assistant director of diversity education the next year.

Her appointment comes more than a month after protests led by a student group that says university administrators haven’t made progress on fixing problems faced by minority and “marginalized” students.

Porras expects to finish a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at the university next year.

MCPHERSON COUNTY- One person was injured in an accident just before 10a.m. on Tuesday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Toyota Colorado driven by Michael Brothers, 21, Fort Collins, CO., was southbound on Interstate 135 a mile from Smoky Valley Road.

The pickup went off the roadway and rolled multiple times into the west ditch.

Brothers was transported to Salina Regional Health Center.

He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.