Statistics show few Kansans who hold a concealed-carry gun permit have been charged with a firearm-related crime.

Records from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office show that of the 51,078 permits issued in Kansas since the law took effect in 2007, just 44 permit holders were charged with a crime committed while using a firearm.

The Wichita Eagle reports that works out to one charge for every 1,161 permit holders, or 0.09 percent.

Meanwhile, interest in obtaining a permit has spiked recently, particularly among women.

The number of Kansans applying for a concealed-carry license has gone up 24 percent over the previous year, with more than 12,400 Kansans applying between July 2011 and June 2012.

Among women, the number was up 57 percent with nearly 2,500 applications during that time.

A newly formed childhood poverty task force is meeting to discuss current trends and data on childhood well-being in Kansas.

The group was formed earlier in November by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and met Monday to hear how Kansas ranks nationally in a number of childhood indicators.

More than 18 percent of Kansas children live in poverty. Since being elected in 2010, Brownback has made it a goal of his administration to improve children’s health by reducing poverty, strengthening families and boosting educational opportunities.

The task force was told about efforts by state agencies and the private sector to address the causes of childhood poverty, including the need to reduce the number of children living in foster care.

Two soldiers from Fort Riley’s 1st Infantry Division have been killed while deployed to Paktika Province in Afghanistan.

The division issued a release Monday saying Sgt. Channing Hicks and Spc. Joseph Richardson were killed Friday when they were attacked by militants using roadside bombs and small-arms fire. Both men were assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry of the division’s 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and were on their first deployment to Afghanistan.

The 24-year-old Hicks was from Greer, S.C., and joined the Army in June 2006. He had two previous deployments to Iraq.

Richardson, 23, was from Booneville, Ark., and joined his unit in October 2008. He had one previous deployment to Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division.

Passengers and crew aboard a Southwest Airlines jet had to wear oxygen masks as the plane lost cabin pressure and safely landed in Dallas.

A Southwest spokeswoman said Monday that Flight 3201 from Kansas City to Dallas landed at Love Field around 7:15 p.m. Saturday. Whitney Eichinger says the jet carried 124 passengers and five crewmembers. Nobody was hurt.

She says there was a pressurization issue at an altitude of about 35,000 feet so the pilot followed protocol, descended and deployed the oxygen masks. The masks were no longer needed below 10,000 feet.

Passenger David Wilding told WFAA-TV that the jet went into a sudden, steep dive and the masks were used for about 20 minutes.

Eichinger says the jet underwent maintenance Sunday and returned to service Monday.

Wichita police say a man caught two burglars at his elderly neighbor’s home and chased them away with a pitchfork.

The man saw two teenagers inside his neighbor’s residence just after 9:30 a.m. Saturday and called 911 before confronting them with a pitchfork.

Officers arrived at the scene and found that the victim’s home had been ransacked. Two suspects, ages 16 and 19, were found hiding nearby and booked into jail on burglary charges.

The victim is an 86-year-old woman who was not at home at the time.

Kansas officials and leaders in the oil and gas industry will gather in Hutchinson next week to give an update on activity in the geologic formation known as the Mississippian Lime Play.

The discussion set for Nov. 27 is part of a daylong conference on how small businesses and job seekers can benefit from the resurgent oil and gas activity.

The state Commerce Department says Gov. Sam Brownback is among the officials scheduled to take part in the morning roundtable.

A networking session will give small-business owners a chance to meet officials from oil and gas companies and their suppliers. There will also be a career fair in the afternoon.

The event takes place in the Encampment Building at the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

A mountain lion sighting has been confirmed near the central Kansas town of St. John.

A motion-activated trail camera captured an image of the animal Oct. 31. Kurt Keesling discovered the picture when he checked his camera Wednesday.

On Friday, a Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism wildlife biologist visited the site and confirmed the photo’s validity. It’s the first documented report of a mountain lion in the state since last January, when tracks were found in Washington County.

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism biologist Matt Peek says it’s the ninth confirmed sighting since 2007.

A biologist from Pratt is going to inspect the area to see if there are any other cougar signs and to verify the location.

A 30-year-old woman is accused of repeatedly crashing into patrol cars while fleeing from Wichita police.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the chase started Saturday morning after police received a disturbance call. Sgt. Jeff Davis says the responding officers parked at both ends of the woman’s stopped vehicle.

The woman allegedly slammed into both patrol cars and fled, causing one of the officers to jump out of the way.

Police say the chase lasted for about 25 minutes and reached speeds of about 70 mp. While fleeing, the woman hit pursuing and parked patrol cars. The woman drove on the rims after her tires were punctured. She didn’t stop until her car overheated.

Police used a stun gun on her. She is jailed in Sedgwick County on multiple charges.

Education officials say a soon-to-open Wichita school focused on animation and digital filmmaking may be a new model for higher education in Kansas.

The Wichita Eagle reports that MindFire Academy will begin offering classes in January in an old mall. Bethany College in Lindsborg will operate as the accrediting institution, offering undergraduate certificates in several media arts specialties.

Bethany College president Ed Leonard says the hope is that MindFire students will complete their four-year college degree at Bethany. He envisions a consortium flexible enough to allow students to easily transfer credits.

Wichita State University and Butler Community College have expressed interest in the idea.

One of the two Wichita entrepreneurs starting the school is Jason Opat. Staff at his company, Integrated Media Group, also will teach at the academy.

Two Kansas State University researchers were part of a successful international effort to map the complete genome of the domestic pig.

The university says in a news release that knowing the complete list of DNA and genes for domestic pigs could eventually help improve the pigs’ health. It also could provide insight into human health, because pigs and humans share similar physiologies.

The Kansas State researchers involved were Yongming Sang, a research assistant professor of anatomy and physiology, and Frank Blecha, associate dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine.