LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southwest Airlines says a jetliner on its way to San Francisco returned to Los Angeles International Airport Sunday night after a fight between two passengers. One passenger indicated a man grabbed a woman who reclined her chair.

Spokeswoman Melissa Ford tells The Associated Press that FBI agents met the plane at the gate and that one person was removed Sunday night.

Ford says the pilot decided to return to LAX because of a “rapidly escalating” situation that culminated in a physical altercation. She did not elaborate but said the two passengers involved weren’t traveling together.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the passenger who was removed from the flight was arrested. A message seeking additional details from the FBI was not immediately returned Monday.

Ford says the remaining 136 passengers switched planes and arrived at San Francisco International Airport about five hours behind schedule.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A part-time police officer has been killed in a traffic crash in suburban Kansas City.

Overland Park police say 58-year-old David M. Stubbs, of Overland Park, was killed Friday when a man driving a stolen car ran a red light and collided with Stubbs’ vehicle at an intersection.

The Kansas City Star reports that Stubbs was a part-time police officer in Louisburg, Kan.

Police say the driver of the stolen car fled from the scene on foot, but was arrested nearby a few minutes later.

No charges have been filed. But Johnson County Court records show the 24-year-old Olathe man arrested Friday had warrants for his arrest pending in two other auto theft cases.

 

SALINA- A Kansas teen was injured in an accident just before 11p.m. on Sunday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder driven by Austin T. Wright, 18, Fort Riley, was northbound on U.S. 81 five miles north of Salina.

The driver fell asleep and the vehicle entered the center median. The driver woke up, overcorrected and the vehicle came back onto U.S. 81. The driver then lost control of the vehicle. It entered the center median again and overturned.

Wright was transported to Salina Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s getting harder to sign up the uninsured for health coverage.

The Obama administration says it expects only slight coverage gains next year for the health care law’s online insurance markets.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a target of 10 million people enrolled and paying their premiums by the end of 2016. This year’s goal was 9.1 million paying customers, and the administration has said it’s on track to meet that.

The health care law has reduced the share of Americans without coverage to historic lows by offering a combination of subsidized private insurance and expanded Medicaid.

But officials say finding new private insurance customers is getting harder, partly because the most eager ones have already enrolled. The new sign-up season starts Nov. 1.

PRATT- A Kansas man man was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. on Sunday in Pratt County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Buick Regal driven by Roy L. Hannebohn, 53, Turon, was northbound on U.S. 281 just north of Pratt.

The vehicle crossed the center line, entered the west ditch, continued northbound, crossed NW 10th Street, continued northbound through a field, and struck the front porch at 10039 North U.S. 281.

Hannebohn was transported to Wesley Medical Center. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 57-year-old man has been arrested after police say he assaulted a security guard at a Wichita hospital.

Wichita police Sgt. Brian Sigman says the 47-year-old guard reported the assault happened around 5:30 a.m. Saturday at Wesley Medical Center. Police say the suspect was in the hospital “creating a disturbance,” when the security guard made contact with him. Sigman said the man attempted to take the security guard’s gun away from him and a struggle ensued. No injuries were reported.

Authorities arrived on the scene, and the suspect was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

GREAT BEND- Eleven people were injured in a 4-vehicle accident just before 2p.m. on Sunday in Barton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Diana Nicole Bell, 17, Claflin, was eastbound on U.S.56 one mile east of Great Bend.

The driver noticed a spider on her lap.

She let go of the steering wheel and started swatting at the spider.

The vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a 2005 Jeep Liberty driven by Felix Perez, 62, Liberal, head on.

The Jeep bounced off and struck a 2005 Dodge Caravan driven by Charleeann Dailing, 33, Satanta, head on which was traveling eastbound on U56.

The debris from the second collision struck a 2010 Chevy Impala.

Bell, Perez, Dailing, and passengers in the Jeep Patricia Roldan-Perez, 56, David Perez, 15, Edith Rivera-Perez, 3, all of Liberal and passengers in the Caravan Jerod William Dailing, 36, Nickerson, Ethan Witthuhn, 9, Julieann Dailing, 3, Tahjay Harrison, 5, Amy Cole, 7, all of Hutchinson were transported to Great Bend Regional Medical Center.

The driver of the Impala and a passenger were not injured.
All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will face a higher target than many other states as it tries to reduce carbon emissions under new federal clean air rules.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports (https://bit.ly/1kaCOxA ) Kansas will need to reduce its rate of carbon emissions by 44 percent.

The Clean Power Plan is scheduled to take effect Nov. 13 but 15 states, including Kansas, are suing to block the new rules.

The Environmental Protection Agency expects utilities to cut carbon emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels. But states face different standards, based on their mix of coal and natural gas electric plants.

Kansas’ rate reduction is high because it relies heavily on coal to produce electricity, while using a small amount of natural gas, which emits lower amounts of carbon.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas transportation officials have designated 487 miles of state roads to become part of a national bicycle route.

The Kansas route starts near Girard and ends near Tribune after winding through the Flint Hills and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. It includes portions of U.S. 54, Kansas 19 and Kansas 96.

The roads will become part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 76, which supporters hope will eventually stretch from Virginia to Oregon.

The Kansas City Star reports  the route totals 2,013 miles from Virginia through Kansas. Officials said the Kansas route was added after Missouri, and Kansas cities and counties support the designation.

Kansas Transportation Secretary Mike King said in a news release that the route could help tourism by attracting bicyclists from across the country to Kansas.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY – A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 9:30a.m. on Sunday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Cobalt driven by Angelique Treichler, 22, Wichita, was northbound on Interstate 35 at the 635 interchange.

The driver indicated she was going to take the ramp to Interstate 635. She lost control of the vehicle. It left the roadway and overturned.

A passenger Gabrielle Beatty, 21, Overland Park, was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Treichler was not injured.

By Joe Vinduska, gobarton.com

ELLSWORTH -Barton Community College and Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) received recognition for their innovative and progressive cooperative efforts to reduce recidivism of inmates via education at a press conference Wednesday afternoon at ECF.

The Governor thanked the college for their efforts in providing inmates with opportunities to become productive members of society.

“Barton, the work that you guys have done within this facility, to get people to get an associate degree or get technical training is just really important,” Brownback said. “Ninety-seven percent of these men are going to get out. They are going to pay their dues to society and once they get out, we want to see that they don’t come back. We want that recidivism rate as low as it possibly can be.”

Brownback stressed the importance of the technical training Barton offers, such as welding.

“While we’ve got them we want them improving their life and improving their thinking,” Brownback said. “Barton has been working on that a lot. I hope we can extend even more technical training into the prison population. Barton has been a strong partnership in doing that. Thank you for what you’re doing.”

Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman spoke on behalf of the college and acknowledged its commitment to continuing to pursue educational opportunities within correctional settings.

“We’re very appreciative of the partnership we have with the Department of Corrections and ECF,” Heilman said. “Our common goal is to improve people’s lives after they’ve paid their debt to society by providing training and opportunities. We have something that works really well here. We’re very pleased and appreciative of your recognition as well, governor.”

Some of the programs that Barton has established are traditional college education classes, technical training such as welding and carpentry and a GED program.

JUNCTION CITY -A Fort Riley soldier, Cyjay Echon, 22, Junction City,

waived his preliminary hearing on Friday in Geary County District Court on charges of Child Abuse and Aggravated Battery involving an eight-month old infant victim.

His arraignment in District Court is scheduled for Nov. 13.

Junction City police were contacted by Children’s Mercy Hospital in May concerning a three-month old infant who had been taken transported there from Geary Community Hospital.

The JCPD confirmed an arrest warrant was sought and granted for the arrest of Echon. He was taken into custody by Kansas City, MO. police.

 

MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has so far resisted elaborating on two landmark decisions that established a nationwide right to defend one’s home with a gun.

That could change with a new appeal filed by gun owners that challenges a Chicago suburb’s assault weapons ban.

The appeal by Dr. Arie Friedman and the Illinois State Rifle Association argues that the city of Highland Park has violated their constitutional rights by banning all semi-automatic guns and ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds.

The justices put off consideration of the appeal last week. In recent years, the court has almost always deferred action on an appeal before agreeing to take it up.

The court could say as early as Monday whether it will hear the case.