Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Kansas at 1 p.m.
Bill Draper is on the desk and can be reached at 800-852-4844 or 816-421-4844. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.
STATE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS:
AUTISM-INSURANCE COVERAGE
OVERLAND PARK — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed legislation aimed at providing health insurance coverage of services for hundreds of children with autism, starting next year. Brownback had a signing ceremony Wednesday at the satellite University of Kansas campus in Overland Park, the home for an autism research center. Local legislators and parents who supported requiring health coverage for the treatment of childhood autism see the new law as a first step. By John Hanna. UPCOMING: 400 words by 3 p.m.
US SENATE-FUNDRAISING
TOPEKA — Incumbent U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts continues to maintain his fundraising advantage over fellow Republican Dr. Milton Wolf in their Kansas primary race. According to reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission, Roberts raised more than $534,000 from Jan. 1 through March 31, aided by nearly $260,000 from political action committees. By John Milburn. UPCOMING: 300 words by 2 p.m.
AROUND THE STATE:
CITY CLERK-THEFTS
WICHITA — The former city clerk of a tiny southeast Kansas community faces sentencing for embezzling almost $60,000 from the town and her church. The hearing for Diana Cox, of Havana, is set for Wednesday before U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten in federal court in Wichita. Cox pleaded guilty in January to one count each of bank fraud and wire fraud. By Roxana Hegeman. UPCOMING: 250 words by 5 p.m.
AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
WICHITA — Supporters of an effort to build a new Kansas African American Museum in downtown Wichita are vowing to keep working, even after the proposal was postponed and land designated as the museum's location was returned to the city. The plan to move the museum from a church erected in 1917 has been postponed for up to five years to allow the supporters to raise funds and expand its mission, said Mark McCormick, the museum's executive director. SENT: 367 words.
UPPER MIDWEST-DROUGHT
PIERRE, S.D. — A spring forecast of above-average rainfall in parts of the Plains region is raising hopes for a break in drought conditions plaguing much of the area. "It looks pretty good for conditions to improve into the early summer," said Sioux Falls-based National Weather Service hydrologist Mike Gillispie about predictions for precipitation in parts of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. By Nora Hertel. SENT: 509 words.
AP Photos CER602, CER603.
IN BRIEF:
— FATAL SHOOTING-KANSAS-FLAGS — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday and Friday to honor three people shot to death at two Jewish sites in Overland Park.
— JEWISH CENTER REOPENS — A Jewish Community Center in Kansas where two people were shot to death on Sunday has reopened.
— SOCIAL MEDIA-REGENTS — More than 80 distinguished professors have endorsed a new proposed social media policy for Kansas universities.
— TURNPIKE-DOUBLE FATALITY — Two women from Oklahoma died when their car collided with a pickup truck driven by a man going the wrong way on the Kansas Turnpike.
— KANSAS RESTAURANT-IMMIGRATION — A Wichita man will soon learn his punishment for harboring a Chinese teenage girl who was working illegally at his restaurant.
— EDUCATION GRANT — The Boys and Girls Clubs of Topeka have been selected to receive more than $272,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to provide an integrated physical activity and nutrition program.
SPORTS:
BKC--KANSAS STATE-WEBER
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State basketball head coach Bruce Weber has been given a contract extension that will keep him at the university through the 2019 academic year after leading his team to 47 wins in his first two seasons — the most by any coach during that span in school history. Weber was hired two years ago as the school's 24th head coach and has led the Wildcats to a 47-21 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. The extension will pay him $2.25 million for the additional year. UPCOMING: 300 words by 3 p.m.
If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to apkansascity@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. If you have questions about the Kansas AP news report, please contact News Editor Chris Clark at 800-852-4844 or cclark@ap.org.
MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from Kansas and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigational pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click "All" or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
