WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita, Kansas, man is accused of fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy in what police say was a case of unsafe handling of a firearm.

KSNW-TV reports that 42-year-old Fabian Griffin is charged with second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

A Wichita police spokeswoman, Sgt. Nikki Woodrow, says Griffin, the victim and a 25-year-old man were in the house when the shooting happened late Friday.

Woodrow says there was no disturbance at the house before the shooting, but that “the incident involved the unsafe handling of a weapon.”

The victim’s name hasn’t been released.

Court records don’t show whether Griffin has an attorney.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A second defendant in the ongoing civil lawsuit regarding a Douglas County Jail inmate’s death has settled.

The Lawrence Journal-World  reports the confidential settlement offer by Dr. Dennis Sale was approved Thursday. Sale worked at the jail that Rachel Hammers died in.

Joe Harvey, Hammers’ father, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court in April 2015 seeking more than $1.3 million from the county. Harvey said his daughter’s death was needless, painful and preventable.

The cause of Hammers’ death remains in dispute.

Another defendant, the county Visiting Nurses Association, offered a confidential settlement to Harvey in late 2016. Sale and the association provided medical services to the jail until July 2016.

The association’s settlement was also approved Thursday.

Douglas County officials declined to comment on the lawsuit, but deny Harvey’s claims in court filings.

SUMNER COUNTY – An earthquake shook portions of Kansas Monday afternoon.

The quake just before 5:30p.m. measured 2.7 and was centered approximately 20 miles east of Caldwell in Sumner County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Just after 6 a.m Sunday, a 2.6 quake was centered approximately 17-miles northeast of Caldwell in Sumner County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In February, the agency recorded six Kansas earthquakes. They measured from 2.5-3.3.

A February 13 quake in Sumner County measured 3.3 and was centered in rural area just north of the Kansas-Oklahoma State line, according to the USGS.

There have no reports of damage or injury from Monday’s quake.

Office of the U.S. Attorney

TOPEKA — A former city clerk for the city of Bennington, Kan., was sentenced Monday to a total of 16 months in federal prison in two separate cases of interstate transportation of embezzled funds, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. She also was ordered to pay $184,000 in restitution.

In the first case, Janetta Marie Buttery, 42, Bennington, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. In her plea, Buttery said she served as city clerk from October 2014 to May 2016 and left the position before the city discovered the crime. In her position as clerk she had access to credit cards belonging to the city and the city’s Recreation Commission. She used the cards to make unauthorized payments totaling more than $75,000.

In the second case, Buttery pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of embezzled funds while she worked as secretary, bookkeeper and executive assistant to the owner of Realty Associates in Salina, Kan. She embezzled more than $79,000 in the company’s funds to make payments on personal debts belonging to herself and her family members.

Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

BARTON COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities in Barton County are investigating a suspect on numerous charges after a weekend chase and search.

Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, a sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a 2000 Kia passenger vehicle in the 300 block of Northeast 30 Road, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

The vehicle fled northbound on Northeast 40 Avenue.  Deputies chased until the driver lost control and the vehicle crashed in a ditch in the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife area.  The driver fled from the accident scene,

Deputies abandoned a search for the suspect due to darkness and rough terrain.

Just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, deputies returned to the area and located Brandon A. Dannebohm, 33, Great Bend, wandering in a field.  He admitted to being the driver of the vehicle.

Dannebohm was arrested for flee and elude and a probation violation warrant. He is being held in the Barton County Jail in lieu of $2500. 00 cash bond.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An early snapshot of winter wheat fields in Kansas shows wide variations as the majority of the state remains warm and dry.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 22 percent of the wheat crop in Kansas is in poor to very poor condition. About 35 percent is rated as fair with 43 percent in good to excellent condition.

Rain and hail were reported in only a few southeastern counties this past week. Elsewhere, high winds are raising concerns of wildfires.

Topsoil moisture is rated as short to very short across 62 percent of the state.

Livestock producers are now in the midst of their calving and lambing seasons. The agency is reporting calving progress as 42 percent, while lambing is 55 percent finished.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new court filing details the investigation into a Wichita doctor accused of over-prescribing pain medication, including that authorities say a man fatally overdosed on drugs he prescribed.

The Wichita Eagle reports that prosecutors filed the investigation report pertaining to 55-year-old Steven Henson last week. Henson has pleaded not guilty to 31 counts, including conspiring to distribute prescription drugs outside his medical practice and unlawfully distributing oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam.

According to the filing, a pharmacist filed a complaint about Henson and investigators found he was giving pain-medication prescriptions for $300 in cash at the time. Authorities also determined that Nicholas McGovern, who received multiple prescriptions from Henson, died in June 2015 of an overdose of alprazolam and methadone.

Henson’s medical license has been suspended. His attorney says the prescriptions weren’t illegal.

RENO COUNTY— Authorities say two grass fires have burned almost 6,000 acres in central Kansas but no injuries have been reported.

State officials say crews were using two helicopters Monday to dump water on the fires, which are 80 to 90 percent contained. The National Weather Service says dry, shifting winds, with gusts of up to 60 mph will complicate the firefight in Reno, Rice and McPherson counties.

The Jupiter Hills fire consumed about 1200 acres, and is 80 percent contained. It is estimated nearly 2700 acres have been burned in the Highlands area in Reno and Rice counties.

Deputy state emergency operations center manager Devan Tucking says the fires are 80 to 90 percent contained Monday after crews spent the weekend fighting them. The National Weather Service says the firefight in Reno, Rice and McPherson counties will be complicated by dry, shifting winds, with gusts of up to 60 mph.

Tucking says about 300 people were allowed to return to their homes after an area north of Hutchinson that included a golf course was threatened by a fire that burned about 4,800 acres.

There were a few homes in the Highlands area that suffered minor damage, and one home that had heavier damage and that family was displaced. There were three outbuildings destroyed in the Jupiter Hills fire, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.

Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a state of disaster emergency.

-The AP contributed to this report.

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RENO COUNTY –Two task forces monitored the fire in the Highlands area near Hutchinson overnight.

Just after 9 p.m., residents in the area were allowed to return to their homes, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.

Residents were advised to use a garden hose to put out any embers that come into yards and not call 911 every time a glow is spotted. If there is an open active flame currently threatening a structure, then call 911.

It is estimated 1200 acres have been burned in the other Reno County fire in Jupiter Hills Fire. It is 80 percent contained.

All roads, except 69th Avenue from Old K-61 to Mayfield and 56th Avenue from Old K-61 to the dead end have been opened.

The county has declared a state of emergency which will help bring in state resources to help.
Critical fire weather conditions will continue the next few days.

KDADS

TOPEKA – Staff from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) will be traveling the state this month for a listening tour. KDADS’ Commission on Aging staff will gather input and suggestions regarding services funded by the Older Americans Act for Kansans who are 60 years of age or older.

Older Americans Act services include legal assistance, caregiver and in-home services, transportation, nutrition (such as Meals on Wheels), and more. The Older Americans Act also supports health promotion services grants to Kansas’ Area Agencies on Aging. These grants fund nutrition counseling, health promotion programs, and physical fitness and exercise programs.

“We look forward to hearing from older adults in every corner of the state,” KDADS Secretary Tim Keck said. “We want to know what services they need to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.”

KDADS is in the process of developing a four-year-plan that will be submitted to the Federal Administration for Community Living. This plan is a requirement to receive federal funding for the Older Americans Act programs in Kansas.

KDADS staff will stop in five cities between March 7 and March 31, 2017. Each meeting will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Staff will stay for lunch following the meetings to allow more time for discussion. Those who would like to attend lunch should contact their senior center at least one day before the meeting. Please contact the senior center regarding the meal price.

Older adults who are unable attend one of the sessions and would like to submit comments may call (800) 432-3535 or email [email protected]. Written comments can also be sent by mail to Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Attn: Commissioner on Aging Craig Kaberline, 503 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS 66603. The deadline to submit feedback is April 15, 2017.

All of the meetings will be ADA compliant and people with disabilities will have full access. If you need language accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, please contact Tyler Steffes at (785) 296-0385 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. Please make your request by March 7, 2017.

SALINE COUNTY – A Kansas man is recovering from injuries in a weekend accident in Salina.

Just after 2p.m. on Saturday, a 2016 Nissan Rogue driven by Lisa Hochman, 51, Florida, was eastbound on Iron Avenue in Salina, according to Police Sgt. James Feldman.

The driver failed to stop at a red light at Ohio Street and collided with a 2000 Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle driven by John Pihl, 60, Salina. A Kia SUV then collided with the Nissan.

Phil was transported to a Salina Regional Medical Center and then transferred to a hospital in Wichita.

A private vehicle transported Hochman to Salina Regional Medical Center.

No other injuries were reported.

Pihl was wearing a helmet, according to police.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House says President Trump has signed revised executive order on temporary travel ban.

The new travel ban order will temporarily halt entries to the United States for people from six Muslim-majority countries who are seeking new visas.

That’s according to a fact sheet distributed to lawmakers and obtained by The Associated Press.

The new directive aims to address legal issues that arose from the original order, which was blocked by the courts.

According to the fact sheet, people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who do not currently have valid visas will be blocked from coming to the U.S. for 90 days.

Iraq was originally included on the list of banned countries. But according to the fact sheet, Iraq was removed from the order after agreeing to increase cooperation with the U.S. government on vetting of its citizens applying for a travel visa.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say an 18-year-old woman has been killed and four others have been wounded in a Topeka shooting.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the woman who was killed was identified Sunday morning as 18-year-old Kianna Hodge.

Police Lt. Andrew Beightel says the shooting happened late Saturday. He says a short time later, three men suffering from non-life threatening gunshot wounds arrived in the parking lot of a hospital emergency department. Officers found Hodge and another woman in a different vehicle around the same time.

Hodge was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other woman suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

No arrests were immediately made. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.

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SHAWNEE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating a fatal shooting.

Just after 11:30 p.m.Saturday, officers responded to the area of S.E. 23 and Bellview in Topeka after reports of gun shots, according to a media release.

At the same time, officers responded to Stormont Vail where three adult men had arrived after suffering gunshot wounds.

At approximately the same time, officers responded to SE 6th and SE Deer Creek in Topeka after report of another shooting and two women with gunshot wounds. One of the women was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The other woman was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening wounds.

Authorities ask that anyone with information should contact police.

By JIM MCLEAN

It is not hyperbole to say the challenges that members of the 2017 Kansas Legislature face are among the most daunting in state history.

In the next three months, they must find ways to erase hundreds of millions of dollars in red ink to avoid deficit spending, which the Kansas Constitution prohibits. They also must devise a new school finance formula and come up with the estimated $800 million it could take to satisfy the Kansas Supreme Court, which on Thursday declared the current funding formula inadequate and therefore unconstitutional.

Individually they are huge tasks, but lawmakers must tackle them in tandem amid a charged political environment with the clock ticking toward a hard deadline: the end of the state’s fiscal year on June 30.

“It’s a tall order,” says Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat.

Hensley recalls that a rewrite of the school finance formula he worked on as a member of the House in the early 1990s took two full sessions to complete.

“We don’t have that kind of time now that the Supreme Court has set a deadline of June 30,” he says.

In anticipation of the school finance decision, Hensley urged legislative leaders to establish a special committee to work on a new formula over the summer and fall, but the Republicans in control at the time rejected the idea. Consequently, Hensley says, lawmakers now have a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.

“We’re halfway through the legislative session, and there’s no doubt in my mind that this is going to cause us to go beyond what we normally would have as a 90-day session,” he says.

Lacking Clear Consensus

In addition to the time crunch, the politics surrounding the school finance and tax issues are difficult. There is no clear consensus among lawmakers on how much to rely on tax increases versus spending cuts to balance the budget. Likewise, there is no agreement on what to prioritize in the new school funding formula or how much to spend.

Those divisions were evident last month when Senate Republican leaders abruptly canceled a planned vote on a budget-balancing measure that would have cut more than $120 million from public schools after concluding they didn’t have the votes to pass it.

To a lesser extent, they also were evident when senators attempting to override Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of a bill that would have raised personal income taxes and repealed a controversial business tax exemption fell three votes short.

Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican and chairwoman of the Senate’s budget-writing committee, says it is not clear if the Kansas Supreme Court’s order and the need to raise money to comply with it will break the stalemate.

“That’s what I certainly want to find out next week, because I heard from some of my leadership that some people still want a cuts plan,” McGinn says. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

No Time To ‘Play Politics’

Workflow issues also are complicating matters. As a first order of business, lawmakers must close a projected $280 million gap in this year’s budget before they can address next year’s estimated $500 million shortfall and move on to deciding how to generate whatever additional revenue may be necessary to fund the new school finance formula.

How lawmakers decide to meet those challenges will largely depend on how much the recent election shifted the balance of power in the Legislature. A coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats in the House recently overpowered conservatives on key votes to expand Medicaid and override Brownback’s tax bill veto.

No such coalition yet exists in the Senate. But one of those moderate Republican newcomers, Sen. Dinah Sykes of Lenexa, is hoping to see a majority coalesce around the budget and school finance issues.

“We really don’t have the time to play politics,” Sykes says. “We’ve got to work together and find solutions. That’s what we ran on.”

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of kcur.org, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics in Kansas. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.