WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas secretary of state’s office has acknowledged in a court document that it sporadically hosts Bible study sessions, but has denied firing an employee for not attending them.

Its court filing Friday comes in response to the federal civil lawsuit filed last month by Courtney Canfield claiming she was terminated from her clerk’s job after declining to attend prayer services held in the office.

The state told the court in its response that all were welcome to attend the sessions, but no staff member was required to attend. It noted that the majority of the staff did not attend them.

Courtney alleges in her lawsuit that invitations to the religious services were distributed during normal business hours and included a “prayer guide” to be used at that week’s service.

MCPHERSON -Carroll Winslow was located by a concerned citizen and identified byPolice who confirmed he is safe and in good condition. There is nothing more to add at this time.

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MCPHERSON -The McPherson Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing resident of that community.

Eighty-nine-year-old Carroll Winslow was last seen leaving Galicha Heart Hospital in Wichita at around 2:30 p.m., on Thursday.

Winslow is a white male, standing five foot seven and weighs around 130 pounds. He is balding with gray hair and wears glasses.

He drives a white 2014 Buick Lacrosse bearing Kansas License Plate number MP 285 HGS.

If you see him or have any information, please call the McPherson Police Department at 620-245-1266.

PAOLA – A teen driver was driver was injured in an accident just after 7 a.m. on Friday in Miami County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford Focus driven by Stone, Jaellan Lester Stone, 19, Kansas City, was southbound on U.S. 69 at 399th.

The vehicle traveled into the median and overturned.

Stone was transported to Miami County Hospital. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SALINA -Two Salina teenagers missing since Thursday, have been located, according to police.

After receiving a tip that the teens were on a CityGo bus, police were able to locate 15-year-old Mariah Peterson and 16-year-old Kyle Farley, and have taken them into custody.

No further information was immediately available.

 

 

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SALINA -Family and friends are searching for two missing Salina teenagers.

According to Kansas Missing and Unsolved, 15-year-old Mariah Peterson and 16-year-old Kyle Farley went missing from Salina on Thursday.

Peterson and Farley are believed to be traveling together in an unknown type of vehicle. Farley has a history of running away and has stolen vehicles in the past. It is believed that they may try to leave the state.

Peterson is 5’5″ tall and weighs 138 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. Farley is 5’8″ tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair, but has dyed it blonde and red in the past.

Farley also has a tattoo of a cross with a ribbon on his right side that extends from just below the armpit to the waist. He has two scars on his face from a pitbull attack, one extends from the left side of his mouth to the center of his left cheek and the other is the right side of his face, extending from his nose to his eye.

Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of the two teenagers or knows of their whereabouts, is asked to contact the Salina Police Department at 785-826-7210.

 

HUTCHINSON -The Kansas Department of Corrections reported a fire occurred at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility-Central Unit just before 7:30 a.m. on Friday.

The fire occurred in C Cell House, which houses maximum custody inmates. The Hutchinson Fire Department was notified and they responded to the facility.

Four HCF staff members were transported by EMS to the Hutchinson Regional Hospital for possible smoke inhalation. There were no inmate injuries. The inmates from C Cell House were sent to the recreation yard until the smoke had been cleared from the building. One inmate has been placed in the Administrative Segregation unit pending an investigation. The facility has resumed normal operations.

 

Due to the ongoing investigation no other information is available at this time.

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HUTCHINSON – Fire officials in Hutchinson are investigating the exact cause of a fire that broke out just before 7:30 a.m. on Friday at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

Prison staff, prior to arrival of fire crews, extinguished the blaze.

Fire units were on scene for an hour.

Four prison staff were evaluated for smoke inhalation, according to a media release from the Hutchinson Fire Department.

Reno County EMS transported two prison staff members to the hospital, according to fire officials.

A dollar cost has not been determined. Damage was sustained to one cell.

 

HUGOTON – Two Kansans died and two were injured in an accident just before 8p.m. on Wednesday in Stevens County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that a 1999 Peterbilt semi driven by James M. Ford, 58, Liberal, was westbound on County Road D three miles north of the Oklahoma state line.

The semi failed to stop at the stop sign at Kansas 25 and hit the right front of a 2004 Ford Expedition driven by Enddy M. Bojorquez, 20, Hugoton that was northbound on Kansas 25.

Ford and a passenger in the Expedition Micaela Rascon, 47, Hugoton, were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Paul’s Funeral Home.

Bojorquez and a 4-year-old child in the Expedition were transported to Stevens County Hospital.

The child was in an approved booster seat but Rascon was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

PARIS (AP) — The International Energy Agency forecasts a sharp drop in oil supply from the United States, Russia and other non-OPEC countries because of continued low oil prices.

In its monthly forecast Friday, the IEA says non-OPEC production is expected to drop nearly half a million barrels per day to 57.7 million barrels a day, calling it the biggest decline in over two decades.

It said OPEC supply remains higher than last year, but declines in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Angola pushed OPEC crude supply down in August to 31.6 million barrels a day.

The agency forecast growth in oil demand this year and a slight drop next year.

Amid booming U.S. production and high OPEC output, benchmark oil prices plunged from near $100 a year ago to about $45 this week.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man faces up to 20 years in federal prison after authorities say he was trying to help plan an attack on an upcoming 9/11 memorial in Kansas City.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday that 20-year-old Joshua Ryne Goldberg was arrested and charged with distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.

A criminal complaint says Goldberg, of Orange Park, about 15 miles south of Jacksonville, began communicating online with an FBI informer in July and gave that person information on how to build a bomb with a pressure cooker, nails and rat poison. The complaint says Goldberg instructed the informer to place the bomb at a memorial in Kansas City, commemorating the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Goldberg had an attorney to contact for comment on the case.

ATCHISON- Law enforcement authorities in Atchison County reported Thursday night that a suspect wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in the parking lot of a convenience store is in custody.

Police in Clinton, Missouri, according to the Atchison County Sheriff, took Terell Dixon, 19, into custody. Details of the arrest have not been released.

Authorities say Dixon fled the scene of Wednesday’s shooting that occurred after a disturbance broke out, according to Atchison Police Chief Michael Wilson.

The victim was identified as Winston Downing.

-The Associated press contributed to this story

GREAT BEND -Severe weather rolled out of Nebraska and brought reports of heavy rain, large hail and damaging winds to many areas of Kansas on Thursday evening.

Hail was reported in several dozen counties from the far southwest to northeast areas of the state and there were numerous reports of wind damage.

Submitted video of hail in Riley County on Thursday.

Wind gusts reported at close to 80 miles per hour in Great Bend downed trees, power lines and caused extensive roof damage at Lincoln Elementary School. School officials canceled Friday classes at Lincoln.

Officials in Barton County will do a damage assessment throughout the community on Friday.

Officials hoped to have power restored to Barton County customers early Friday morning.

There were no injuries reported.

FT. RILEY – A Manhattan woman and 3 children were injured in an accident just before 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Freightliner semi driven by Abdelhadi Sweiti, 36, Chicago Ridge, IL., was westbound on Interstate 70 in front of Marshall Airfield.

The truck drove on to the north shoulder and struck a 2011 Town and Country Van driven by Anderson, Jennifer M. Anderson, 39, Manhattan, which was parked on the shoulder.

After the collision, the semi travelled across the median into the eastbound lanes and struck a Jeep driven by Steve Holler, 49, Lees Summit, MO.,

The semi continued into the south ditch and overturned.

Anderson and three children Braydon Anderson, 11, Ashton Dyer, 9, and Kennedy Dyer, 7, all of Manhattan, were transported to Geary County Hospital.

Sweiti and Holler were not injured. All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Delta Airlines flight traveling from Minnesota to Texas has been diverted to Wichita after being struck by lightning.

According to Wichita Airport Authority spokeswoman Valerie Wise, the aircraft operated by ExpressJet, a Delta regional connection carrier, was struck by lightning on its left wing Thursday evening after encountering storms near Manhattan, Kansas. The flight had left Minneapolis and was headed toward San Antonio.

Wise said passengers reported smelling smoke in the cabin before the flight safely landed at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita just before 7:30 p.m.

None of the 65 people onboard were injured. Wise said she did not have any reports of damage to the plane.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 36-year-old man has been arrested in the stabbing of his father in Wichita.

Wichita police Lt. Todd Ojile said Thursday the suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder. According to police, the suspect stabbed his 74-year-old father multiple times Wednesday afternoon at the suspect’s home. Authorities say the victim was found by his wife, who contacted police.

The suspect was arrested several blocks away from where the incident happened.

Ojile said the victim, who has not been identified, was transported to a hospital, where he is in “extremely critical” condition.