LYON COUNTY — Three Kansas teens died in an accident Saturday in Lyon County.

Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police and sheriff's deputies responded to reports of an injured woman walking in the 800 Block of Road 147&nbsp; five miles south of Emporia, according to the Lyon County Sheriff's Department.

When they arrived, they located&nbsp; 15-year-old Ashely Edwards who had been a passenger in a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix that traveled off the road and into the Cottonwood River.

First responders found three others&nbsp; dead inside the car which was submerged in the river. The sheriff's department identified them as 17-year-0ld Chase Luby, 13-year-old Paxton Luby and 17-year-old Shelby Phoenix.

EMS transported Edwards to the hospital in Emporia. The cause of the accident remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's department.

LYON COUNTY — Three Kansas teens died in an accident Saturday in Lyon County.Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police and sheriff's deputies responded to reports of an injured woman walking in the 800 Block of Road 147&nbsp; five miles south of Emporia, according to the Lyon County Sheriff's Department.When they arrived, they located&nbsp; 15-year-old Ashely Edwards who had been a passenger in a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix that traveled off the road and into the Cottonwood River.First responders found three others&nbsp; dead inside the car which was submerged in the river. The sheriff's department identified them as 17-year-0ld Chase Luby, 13-year-old Paxton Luby and 17-year-old Shelby Phoenix.EMS transported Edwards to the hospital in Emporia. The cause of the accident remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's department.

Sheriff: 3 Kansas teens dead after car lands in river

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are investigating after a man was found shot to death outside an apartment.

The shooting happened just after midnight Saturday near 88th and Crystal Avenue. Arriving officers found the victim with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim has not been identified, and no arrests have been made.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are investigating after a man was found shot to death outside an apartment.The shooting happened just after midnight Saturday near 88th and Crystal Avenue. Arriving officers found the victim with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.The victim has not been identified, and no arrests have been made.

KC Police: Man shot to death outside apartment

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A measure approved by Kansas lawmakers ties the renewal of a tax that’s crucial to funding public schools to a proposed tax break for businesses that are forced to shut down during future emergencies or pandemics.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2313_02_0507202110pm.pdf" target="_blank">The bill</a>&nbsp;approved early Saturday is a response from the GOP-controlled Legislature to frustrations that businesses shut down or restricted last year during the coronavirus pandemic still owed local property taxes. Those taxes are based on a property’s appraised value, so they’re due even if a business makes no money.

The votes were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508012055_515350/" target="_blank">35-0</a>&nbsp;in the Senate and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508013713_111761/" target="_blank">108-3</a>&nbsp;in the House, sending the measure to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

Starting next year, counties would have to give property tax rebates to businesses that are shut down or restricted during a declared state of emergency, based on the number of days the rules are in place.

Local officials worry that the rebates will undercut funding for services, particularly public safety.

But that proposal is tied to a statewide property tax that is expected to raise $752 million for public schools for their 2021-22 year. The state constitution prohibits the levy from being imposed for more than two years at time.

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A measure approved by Kansas lawmakers ties the renewal of a tax that’s crucial to funding public schools to a proposed tax break for businesses that are forced to shut down during future emergencies or pandemics.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2313_02_0507202110pm.pdf" target="_blank">The bill</a>&nbsp;approved early Saturday is a response from the GOP-controlled Legislature to frustrations that businesses shut down or restricted last year during the coronavirus pandemic still owed local property taxes. Those taxes are based on a property’s appraised value, so they’re due even if a business makes no money.The votes were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508012055_515350/" target="_blank">35-0</a>&nbsp;in the Senate and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508013713_111761/" target="_blank">108-3</a>&nbsp;in the House, sending the measure to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.Starting next year, counties would have to give property tax rebates to businesses that are shut down or restricted during a declared state of emergency, based on the number of days the rules are in place.Local officials worry that the rebates will undercut funding for services, particularly public safety.But that proposal is tied to a statewide property tax that is expected to raise $752 million for public schools for their 2021-22 year. The state constitution prohibits the levy from being imposed for more than two years at time.

Plan ties Kansas school tax to break for closed businesses

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is working with the Georgia-based company that shut down a major pipeline transporting fuel across the East Coast after a ransomware attack, the White House says.

The government is planning for various scenarios and working with state and local authorities on measures to mitigate any potential supply issues, officials said Saturday. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it leads to a prolonged shutdown, experts said.

Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or who made the demand. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victim networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt it.

The attack on the company, which says it delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast, underscores again the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to damaging cyberattacks that threaten to impede operations. It presents a new challenge for an administration still dealing with its response to major hacks from months ago, including a massive breach of government agencies and corporations for which the U.S. sanctioned Russia last month.

In this case, Colonial Pipeline said the ransomware attack Friday affected some of its information technology systems and that the company moved “proactively” to take certain systems offline, halting pipeline operations. In an earlier statement, it said it was “taking steps to understand and resolve this issue” with an eye toward returning to normal operations.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey. Its pipeline system spans more than 5,500 miles, transporting more than 100 million gallon a day.

The private cybersecurity firm FireEye said it's been hired to manage the incident response investigation.

Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one day or two would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could cause shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., region.

Lipow said a key concern about a lengthy delay would be the supply of jet fuel needed to keep major airports operating, like those in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.

A leading expert in industrial control systems, Dragos CEO Robert Lee, said systems such as those that directly manage the pipeline’s operation have been increasingly connected to computer networks in the past decade.

But critical infrastructure companies in the energy and electricity industries also tend to have invested more in cybersecurity than other sectors. If Colonial’s shutdown was mostly precautionary — and it detected the ransomware attack early and was well-prepared — the impact may not be great, Lee said.

While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately. The Justice Department has a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks.

The attack “underscores the threat that ransomware poses to organizations regardless of size or sector,” said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director of the cybersecurity division at the federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency.

“We encourage every organization to take action to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to reduce their exposure to these types of threats,” Goldstein said in a statement.

Ransomware scrambles a victim organization’s data with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for how to negotiate ransom payments and, once paid, provide software decryption keys.

The attacks, mostly by criminal syndicates operating out of Russia and other safe havens, reached epidemic proportions last year, costing hospitals, medical researchers private businesses, state and local governments and schools tens of billions of dollars. Biden administration officials are warning of a national security threat, especially after criminals began stealing data before scrambling victim networks and saying they will expose it online unless a ransom is paid.

Average ransoms paid in the United States jumped nearly threefold to more than $310,000 last year. The average downtime for victims of ransomware attacks is 21 days, according to the firm Coveware, which helps victims respond.

U.S. law enforcement officials say some of these criminals have worked with Russia’s security services and that the Kremlin benefits by damaging adversaries’ economies. These operations also potentially provide cover for intelligence-gathering.

“Ransomware is the most common disruptive event that organizations are seeing right now that would cause them to shut down to prevent the spread,” said Dave White, president of cybersecurity firm Axio.

Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.

“The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls weren’t in place,” Chapple said.

Brian Bethune, a professor of applied economics at Boston College, also said the impact on consumer prices should be short-lived as long as the shutdown does not last for more than a week or two. “But it is an indication of how vulnerable our infrastructure is to these kinds of cyberattacks,” he said.

Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy reopens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by 4 cents since Monday to $2.94.

Anne Neuberger, the Biden administration’s deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.

Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the country’s electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The operator of a major pipeline system that transports fuel across the East Coast said Saturday that it had been victimized by a ransomware attack and that it had halted all pipeline operations to deal with the threat. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it leads to a prolonged shutdown of the pipeline, experts said.

Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or by whom, but ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who seize data and demand a large payment in order to release it.

The attack on a pipeline operator, which says it delivers roughly 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast, underscored again the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to cyberattacks both by criminal hackers and U.S. adversaries. It presents a new challenge for an administration still grappling with its response to major hacks from months ago, including a massive breach of government agencies and corporations for which the U.S. sanctioned Russia last month.

In this case, Colonial Pipeline said the ransomware attack Friday affected some of its information technology systems and that the company moved “proactively” to take certain systems online, halting pipeline operations.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries primarily located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey.

The company said it hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the attack and has also contacted law enforcement and federal agencies.

In a statement late Friday, Colonial Pipeline said it was “taking steps to understand and resolve this issue,” focused primarily on ”the safe and efficient restoration of our service and our efforts to return to normal operation.” It said it was “working diligently to address this matter and to minimize disruption to our customers and those who rely on Colonial Pipeline.”

While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately.

Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one or two days would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could cause shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., area.

Ransomware&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-canada-health-coronavirus-technology-288c8979c10b648ba72a4b0fc34b02ac">scrambles a victim organization’s data</a>&nbsp;with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for how to negotiate ransom payments and, once paid, provide software decryption keys.

Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy reopens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by four cents since Monday to $2.94.

Colonial Pipeline said it transports more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, through a pipeline system spanning more than 5,500 miles.

The FBI and the White House’s National Security Council did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency referred questions about the incident to the company.

A hacker’s botched attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city raised alarms about how vulnerable the nation’s critical infrastructure may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders.

Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the country’s electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time. The Justice Department has also announced a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. energy company says a cyberattack forced it to temporarily halt all operations on a major pipeline that delivers roughly 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast.

Colonial Pipeline said the attack took place Friday and also affected some of its information technology systems. The company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries primarily located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company said it hired an outside cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the attack and has also contacted law enforcement and federal agencies. While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately.

Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one or two days would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could causes shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., area.

The precise nature of the attack was unclear, including who launched it and what the motives were. A Colonial Pipeline spokeswoman declined to say whether the company had received a ransom demand, as is common in attacks from cyber criminal syndicates.

A leading expert in industrial control systems, CEO Robert Lee of Dragos, Inc., said everything points to a ransomware attack.

“How long they’ll be down depends on how far and wide this is,” he said. The pipeline could be back up and running relatively quickly if only IT systems are affected and Colonial was well-prepared. But if the network that directly controls pipeline functions is impacted it could take days, he said.

“It would not be unreasonable for a longer term, a week or so, of outages if it’s impactful on the operations side. We just don’t know that yet,” Lee said.

Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy re-opens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by four cents since Monday to $2.94.

Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the country’s electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time. The Justice Department has also announced a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks in which data is seized by hackers who demand payment from victims in order to release it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620494037231.png" alt="Pipeline tank farm in Dorsey, Maryland-photo courtesy Colonial Pipeline" />
 <figcaption>Pipeline tank farm in Dorsey, Maryland-photo courtesy Colonial Pipeline</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is working with the Georgia-based company that shut down a major pipeline transporting fuel across the East Coast after a ransomware attack, the White House says.The government is planning for various scenarios and working with state and local authorities on measures to mitigate any potential supply issues, officials said Saturday. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it leads to a prolonged shutdown, experts said.Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or who made the demand. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victim networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt it.The attack on the company, which says it delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast, underscores again the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to damaging cyberattacks that threaten to impede operations. It presents a new challenge for an administration still dealing with its response to major hacks from months ago, including a massive breach of government agencies and corporations for which the U.S. sanctioned Russia last month.In this case, Colonial Pipeline said the ransomware attack Friday affected some of its information technology systems and that the company moved “proactively” to take certain systems offline, halting pipeline operations. In an earlier statement, it said it was “taking steps to understand and resolve this issue” with an eye toward returning to normal operations.The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey. Its pipeline system spans more than 5,500 miles, transporting more than 100 million gallon a day.The private cybersecurity firm FireEye said it's been hired to manage the incident response investigation.Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one day or two would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could cause shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., region.Lipow said a key concern about a lengthy delay would be the supply of jet fuel needed to keep major airports operating, like those in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.A leading expert in industrial control systems, Dragos CEO Robert Lee, said systems such as those that directly manage the pipeline’s operation have been increasingly connected to computer networks in the past decade.But critical infrastructure companies in the energy and electricity industries also tend to have invested more in cybersecurity than other sectors. If Colonial’s shutdown was mostly precautionary — and it detected the ransomware attack early and was well-prepared — the impact may not be great, Lee said.While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately. The Justice Department has a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks.The attack “underscores the threat that ransomware poses to organizations regardless of size or sector,” said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director of the cybersecurity division at the federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency.“We encourage every organization to take action to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to reduce their exposure to these types of threats,” Goldstein said in a statement.Ransomware scrambles a victim organization’s data with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for how to negotiate ransom payments and, once paid, provide software decryption keys.The attacks, mostly by criminal syndicates operating out of Russia and other safe havens, reached epidemic proportions last year, costing hospitals, medical researchers private businesses, state and local governments and schools tens of billions of dollars. Biden administration officials are warning of a national security threat, especially after criminals began stealing data before scrambling victim networks and saying they will expose it online unless a ransom is paid.Average ransoms paid in the United States jumped nearly threefold to more than $310,000 last year. The average downtime for victims of ransomware attacks is 21 days, according to the firm Coveware, which helps victims respond.U.S. law enforcement officials say some of these criminals have worked with Russia’s security services and that the Kremlin benefits by damaging adversaries’ economies. These operations also potentially provide cover for intelligence-gathering.“Ransomware is the most common disruptive event that organizations are seeing right now that would cause them to shut down to prevent the spread,” said Dave White, president of cybersecurity firm Axio.Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.“The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls weren’t in place,” Chapple said.Brian Bethune, a professor of applied economics at Boston College, also said the impact on consumer prices should be short-lived as long as the shutdown does not last for more than a week or two. “But it is an indication of how vulnerable our infrastructure is to these kinds of cyberattacks,” he said.Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy reopens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by 4 cents since Monday to $2.94.Anne Neuberger, the Biden administration’s deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the country’s electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time.--------WASHINGTON (AP) — The operator of a major pipeline system that transports fuel across the East Coast said Saturday that it had been victimized by a ransomware attack and that it had halted all pipeline operations to deal with the threat. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it leads to a prolonged shutdown of the pipeline, experts said.Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or by whom, but ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who seize data and demand a large payment in order to release it.The attack on a pipeline operator, which says it delivers roughly 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast, underscored again the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to cyberattacks both by criminal hackers and U.S. adversaries. It presents a new challenge for an administration still grappling with its response to major hacks from months ago, including a massive breach of government agencies and corporations for which the U.S. sanctioned Russia last month.In this case, Colonial Pipeline said the ransomware attack Friday affected some of its information technology systems and that the company moved “proactively” to take certain systems online, halting pipeline operations.The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries primarily located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey.The company said it hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the attack and has also contacted law enforcement and federal agencies.In a statement late Friday, Colonial Pipeline said it was “taking steps to understand and resolve this issue,” focused primarily on ”the safe and efficient restoration of our service and our efforts to return to normal operation.” It said it was “working diligently to address this matter and to minimize disruption to our customers and those who rely on Colonial Pipeline.”While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately.Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one or two days would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could cause shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., area.Lipow said a key concern about a lengthy delay would be the supply of jet fuel needed to keep major airports operating, like those in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.A leading expert in industrial control systems, Dragos CEO Robert Lee, said systems such as those that directly manage the pipeline’s operation have been increasingly connected to computer networks in the past decade.But critical infrastructure companies in the energy and electricity industries also tend to have invested more in cybersecurity than other sectors. If Colonial’s shutdown was mostly precautionary — and it detected the ransomware attack early and was well-prepared — the impact may not be great, Lee said.Ransomware&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-canada-health-coronavirus-technology-288c8979c10b648ba72a4b0fc34b02ac">scrambles a victim organization’s data</a>&nbsp;with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for how to negotiate ransom payments and, once paid, provide software decryption keys.Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.“The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls weren’t in place,” Chapple said.Brian Bethune, a professor of applied economics at Boston College, also said the impact on consumer prices should be short-lived as long as the shutdown does not last for more than a week or two. “But it is an indication of how vulnerable our infrastructure is to these kinds of cyberattacks,” he said.Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy reopens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by four cents since Monday to $2.94.Colonial Pipeline said it transports more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, through a pipeline system spanning more than 5,500 miles.The FBI and the White House’s National Security Council did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency referred questions about the incident to the company.A hacker’s botched attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city raised alarms about how vulnerable the nation’s critical infrastructure may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders.Anne Neuberger, the Biden administration’s deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the country’s electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time. The Justice Department has also announced a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. energy company says a cyberattack forced it to temporarily halt all operations on a major pipeline that delivers roughly 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast.Colonial Pipeline said the attack took place Friday and also affected some of its information technology systems. The company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries primarily located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey.The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company said it hired an outside cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the attack and has also contacted law enforcement and federal agencies. While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately.In a statement late Friday, Colonial Pipeline said it was “taking steps to understand and resolve this issue,” focused primarily on ”the safe and efficient restoration of our service and our efforts to return to normal operation.” It said it was “working diligently to address this matter and to minimize disruption to our customers and those who rely on Colonial Pipeline.”Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one or two days would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could causes shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., area.Lipow said a key concern about a lengthy delay would be the supply of jet fuel needed to keep major airports operating, like those in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.The precise nature of the attack was unclear, including who launched it and what the motives were. A Colonial Pipeline spokeswoman declined to say whether the company had received a ransom demand, as is common in attacks from cyber criminal syndicates.A leading expert in industrial control systems, CEO Robert Lee of Dragos, Inc., said everything points to a ransomware attack.“How long they’ll be down depends on how far and wide this is,” he said. The pipeline could be back up and running relatively quickly if only IT systems are affected and Colonial was well-prepared. But if the network that directly controls pipeline functions is impacted it could take days, he said.“It would not be unreasonable for a longer term, a week or so, of outages if it’s impactful on the operations side. We just don’t know that yet,” Lee said.Ransomware&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-canada-health-coronavirus-technology-288c8979c10b648ba72a4b0fc34b02ac">scrambles a victim organization’s data</a>&nbsp;with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for how to negotiate ransom payments and, once paid, provide software decryption keys.Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.“The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls weren’t in place,” Chapple said.Brian Bethune, a professor of applied economics at Boston College, also said the impact on consumer prices should be short-lived as long as the shutdown does not last for more than a week or two. “But it is an indication of how vulnerable our infrastructure is to these kinds of cyberattacks,” he said.Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy re-opens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by four cents since Monday to $2.94.Colonial Pipeline said it transports more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, through a pipeline system spanning more than 5,500 miles.The FBI and the White House’s National Security Council did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency referred questions about the incident to the company.A hacker’s botched attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city raised alarms about how vulnerable the nation’s critical infrastructure may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders.Anne Neuberger, the Biden administration’s deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the country’s electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time. The Justice Department has also announced a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks in which data is seized by hackers who demand payment from victims in order to release it.___

Cyber attack update: Major U.S. fuel pipeline halts operations 

HOLTON, Kan. (AP) — A man whose case has divided his small northeast Kansas town has struck a plea deal with prosecutors that will likely put him in prison for 10 years.

Jacob C. Ewing, 26, of Holton pleaded guilty Friday in Jackson County District Court to two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

Jackson County Attorney Shawna Miller said in a news release that both sides agreed to 10 years incarceration on one count and two years, eight months on the other, with both running at the same time.

Ewing was initially sentenced to more than 27 years in prison following his 2017 convictions for raping and sodomizing one woman in 2016 and raping and committing two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy against another woman in 2014.

But the Kansas Court of Appeals threw out those convictions in 2019 and ordered a new trial, citing errors by the prosecutor and court.

Ewing argued in his appeal that special prosecutor Jacqie Spradling misstated evidence in her closing arguments that inflamed the “passions of the jury.” His appeal also contended the court made other errors in allowing certain trial evidence.

Ewing is already in prison serving time in two other cases after pleading guilty to attempted rape and sexual exploitation of a child in 2017, Miller said.

He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life once he is released from prison.

The allegations against Ewing, a former state football champion and member of a well-known local family, divided Holton, a town of about 3,300 residents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580156378749.png" alt="Jacob Ewing photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Jacob Ewing photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>HOLTON, Kan. (AP) — A man whose case has divided his small northeast Kansas town has struck a plea deal with prosecutors that will likely put him in prison for 10 years.Jacob C. Ewing, 26, of Holton pleaded guilty Friday in Jackson County District Court to two counts of aggravated sexual battery.Jackson County Attorney Shawna Miller said in a news release that both sides agreed to 10 years incarceration on one count and two years, eight months on the other, with both running at the same time.Sentencing is scheduled for June 18.Ewing was initially sentenced to more than 27 years in prison following his 2017 convictions for raping and sodomizing one woman in 2016 and raping and committing two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy against another woman in 2014.But the Kansas Court of Appeals threw out those convictions in 2019 and ordered a new trial, citing errors by the prosecutor and court.Ewing argued in his appeal that special prosecutor Jacqie Spradling misstated evidence in her closing arguments that inflamed the “passions of the jury.” His appeal also contended the court made other errors in allowing certain trial evidence.Ewing is already in prison serving time in two other cases after pleading guilty to attempted rape and sexual exploitation of a child in 2017, Miller said.He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life once he is released from prison.The allegations against Ewing, a former state football champion and member of a well-known local family, divided Holton, a town of about 3,300 residents.

Kansas man in prison for sex crimes enters plea deal 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an investigation.

On May 6, numerous police agencies conducted a search warrant in a home in the 900 block of NE Michigan Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka Police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Investigators recovered dozens of stolen items, guns and drugs inside the home. The recovered items had previously been reported stolen from Atchison and Jackson counties.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Lindsey L. Wabaunsee, 34 of Topeka, and booked her into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include Possession of stimulant, Possession of marijuana, Criminal use of weapons, Defacing identification marks on a firearm, Use/Possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and Theft.

The Atchison County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation, according to Spiker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1612473377346.png" alt="Wabaunsee-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Wabaunsee-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an investigation.On May 6, numerous police agencies conducted a search warrant in a home in the 900 block of NE Michigan Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka Police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Investigators recovered dozens of stolen items, guns and drugs inside the home. The recovered items had previously been reported stolen from Atchison and Jackson counties.As a result of the investigation, police arrested Lindsey L. Wabaunsee, 34 of Topeka, and booked her into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include Possession of stimulant, Possession of marijuana, Criminal use of weapons, Defacing identification marks on a firearm, Use/Possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and Theft.The Atchison County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation, according to Spiker.

Police arrest Kansas woman, recover stolen guns

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature backed off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-coronavirus-health-ab10c923b1c35ec9ccc9b8a0536a2ee6">its effort</a>&nbsp;to remove Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly from final decisions on how federal coronavirus relief funds are spent.

Budget legislation approved Friday includes a provision that gives top lawmakers more say but still allows Kelly to veto their proposals. Kansas expects to receive $4.8 billion from the last federal coronavirus relief package.

Kelly appointed a task force last year to recommend how relief funds should be spent, with the State Finance Council making final decisions. It is the governor and eight top lawmakers, six of them currently Republicans.

Kelly calls council meetings, sets the agenda and can veto what it approves. Top Republicans became frustrated with her.

Legislators last month approved a measure to leave final spending decisions to a different, Republican-dominated group of only legislative leaders. Kelly vetoed that plan, and the House overrode her action Monday in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210503143111_400885/" target="_blank">an 86-38 party-line vote.</a>

But as GOP negotiated with Kelly on other issues this week, they crafted a compromise and dropped into budget legislation.

The Finance Council would make final decisions about how federal relief funds, but a task force with four of seven members appointed by top lawmakers would have to approve spending first.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature backed off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-coronavirus-health-ab10c923b1c35ec9ccc9b8a0536a2ee6">its effort</a>&nbsp;to remove Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly from final decisions on how federal coronavirus relief funds are spent.Budget legislation approved Friday includes a provision that gives top lawmakers more say but still allows Kelly to veto their proposals. Kansas expects to receive $4.8 billion from the last federal coronavirus relief package.Kelly appointed a task force last year to recommend how relief funds should be spent, with the State Finance Council making final decisions. It is the governor and eight top lawmakers, six of them currently Republicans.Kelly calls council meetings, sets the agenda and can veto what it approves. Top Republicans became frustrated with her.Legislators last month approved a measure to leave final spending decisions to a different, Republican-dominated group of only legislative leaders. Kelly vetoed that plan, and the House overrode her action Monday in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210503143111_400885/" target="_blank">an 86-38 party-line vote.</a>But as GOP negotiated with Kelly on other issues this week, they crafted a compromise and dropped into budget legislation.The Finance Council would make final decisions about how federal relief funds, but a task force with four of seven members appointed by top lawmakers would have to approve spending first.

New plan keeps Kan. governor in decisions on COVID fund spending

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputy who died in the line of duty in 1927 will have a headstone installed on his grave this weekend. 

The sheriff's office will dedicate the tombstone for Deputy Benjamin Franklin Hill on Sunday at Highland Cemetery. 

Hill was killed on Aug. 16, 1927, during an attempted jailbreak at the county courthouse. He is the only Black deputy in Sedgwick County who has been killed in the line of duty. Hill was taking lunch to a cell when he was confronted by three inmates, who demanded his keys. He was shot when he refused to give the inmates his keys.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620325131904.png" alt="Deputy Franklin Hill photo courtesy Sedgwick County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Franklin Hill photo courtesy Sedgwick County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputy who died in the line of duty in 1927 will have a headstone installed on his grave this weekend. The sheriff's office will dedicate the tombstone for Deputy Benjamin Franklin Hill on Sunday at Highland Cemetery. Hill was killed on Aug. 16, 1927, during an attempted jailbreak at the county courthouse. He is the only Black deputy in Sedgwick County who has been killed in the line of duty. Hill was taking lunch to a cell when he was confronted by three inmates, who demanded his keys. He was shot when he refused to give the inmates his keys.

Kan. deputy killed on duty in 1927 gets tombstone

LEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) — An artificial intelligence company based in the Kansas City suburb of Leawood, Kansas, plans to add nearly 500 new high-paying jobs to the region over the next five years.

Torch.AI’s expansion was announced Friday. The company provides high-speed processing of large amounts of data.

Torch.AI says it will add more than 100 new jobs in 2021, with an average annual salary of more than $100,000.

The company’s founder and CEO, Brian Weaver, said in a statement that the expansion agreement “represents our commitment to harness the wealth of experience and skillsets in the Kansas City region and develop new talent to expand our capabilities and customer impact.”

LEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) — An artificial intelligence company based in the Kansas City suburb of Leawood, Kansas, plans to add nearly 500 new high-paying jobs to the region over the next five years.Torch.AI’s expansion was announced Friday. The company provides high-speed processing of large amounts of data.Torch.AI says it will add more than 100 new jobs in 2021, with an average annual salary of more than $100,000.The company’s founder and CEO, Brian Weaver, said in a statement that the expansion agreement “represents our commitment to harness the wealth of experience and skillsets in the Kansas City region and develop new talent to expand our capabilities and customer impact.”

Artificial intelligence company to add 500 new jobs in Kansas 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man who worked security at a QuikTrip store in Wichita has died, two days after being shot. Will Robinson was shot Wednesday night at the downtown store. Wichita Police say he died Friday. He was 39. A suspect Laroy West in custody in the shooting. Police say he has a long criminal record. 

Robinson had worked as a security guard at QuikTrip for about a year. Before that he was a Wichita police officer. He was a married father of two children. QuikTrip, in a statement, said it is “absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the tragic loss of Will.”

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a shooting that critically injured a convenience store security guard have arrested 41-year-old Laroy West of Wichita.

Just after 10p.m. Wednesday police responded to report of a shooting near a convenience store at Broadway and Murdoch in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.

At the scene, officers located a 39-year-old man identified as the Quick Trip security guard in the alley across from the business with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition on Friday, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

The security guard encountered a man who was causing a disruption inside the store.&nbsp; He escorted the man from the store and ultimately to the edge of the property where the disturbance continued and the suspect shot the security guard.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There is no indication, the security guard brandished any weapons, according to Stephens.&nbsp; Due to his condition, the victim is unable to provide a statement

On Thursday evening, a Wichita Police Lieutenant was doing follow-up on the investigation and observed West in the area of 19th and Broadway.  West was contacted and arrested without incident.&nbsp;

He is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20070639">held on requested charges</a> of attempted 1st-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm, according to Davidson.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting involving a convenience store security guard.

At the scene, officers located a 39-year-old man in the alley across from the business with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition, according to Stephens.

Investigators have learned the victim was an armed security guard employed by Quick Trip. The victim encountered a man who was causing a disruption inside the store.&nbsp; He escorted the man from the store and ultimately to the edge of the property where the disturbance continued and the suspect shot the security guard.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620334492831.png" alt="Security camera image of shooting suspect -Wichita PD" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of shooting suspect -Wichita PD</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man who worked security at a QuikTrip store in Wichita has died, two days after being shot. Will Robinson was shot Wednesday night at the downtown store. Wichita Police say he died Friday. He was 39. A suspect Laroy West in custody in the shooting. Police say he has a long criminal record. Robinson had worked as a security guard at QuikTrip for about a year. Before that he was a Wichita police officer. He was a married father of two children. QuikTrip, in a statement, said it is “absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the tragic loss of Will.”--------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a shooting that critically injured a convenience store security guard have arrested 41-year-old Laroy West of Wichita.Just after 10p.m. Wednesday police responded to report of a shooting near a convenience store at Broadway and Murdoch in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620393217853.png" alt="Laroy West has multiple previous felony convictions, according to police -Photo Sedgwick County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Laroy West has multiple previous felony convictions, according to police -Photo Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>At the scene, officers located a 39-year-old man identified as the Quick Trip security guard in the alley across from the business with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition on Friday, according to Officer Charley Davidson.The security guard encountered a man who was causing a disruption inside the store.&nbsp; He escorted the man from the store and ultimately to the edge of the property where the disturbance continued and the suspect shot the security guard.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is no indication, the security guard brandished any weapons, according to Stephens.&nbsp; Due to his condition, the victim is unable to provide a statementOn Thursday evening, a Wichita Police Lieutenant was doing follow-up on the investigation and observed West in the area of 19th and Broadway. West was contacted and arrested without incident.&nbsp;He is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20070639">held on requested charges</a> of attempted 1st-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm, according to Davidson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620334524153.png" alt="Security camera image of the shooting suspect -photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of the shooting suspect -photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;&nbsp;---------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting involving a convenience store security guard.Just after 10p.m. Wednesday police responded to report of a shooting near a convenience store at Broadway and Murdoch in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.At the scene, officers located a 39-year-old man in the alley across from the business with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition, according to Stephens.Investigators have learned the victim was an armed security guard employed by Quick Trip. The victim encountered a man who was causing a disruption inside the store.&nbsp; He escorted the man from the store and ultimately to the edge of the property where the disturbance continued and the suspect shot the security guard.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is no indication, the security guard brandished any weapons, according to Stephens.&nbsp; Due to his condition, the victim is unable to provide a statement

Kansas store security guard dies, days after being shot

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans pushed a plan through the Kansas Legislature early Saturday that could provide roughly $500 million to small businesses to offset losses tied to state and local restrictions meant to check COVID-19′s spread last year.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb273_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">The measure</a>&nbsp;would require the state, cities and counties to set aside part of their federal coronavirus relief funds to pay claims from small businesses. It was the last bill lawmakers considered before shutting down their annual session except for a formal adjournment May 26.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-business-education-health-ed116e5adac94ebffb2eebcda8d7c744">public school funding bill</a>&nbsp;and finished a $21 billion state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget also included provisions to prevent the state from issuing COVID-19 vaccine passports and to restrict efforts to track down close contacts of people with the virus.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signaled that she plans to sign the education bill, and she’s expected to approve most to all of the budget’s items. But she has not said what she’ll do with the business-compensation bill.

Supporters said creating a system for considering and paying claims could avoid a larger total payout from potential lawsuits over COVID-19 restrictions, but doing so would help small businesses that cannot afford to hire attorneys to sue state or local officials. Businesses with 50 or fewer employees could file claims instead of suing.

“This process is perfect for them,” said Ryan Kriegshauser, an attorney for a Wichita fitness studio and its owner, who sued the state in December. “That’s really what it’s for, is the mom and pop shops that got shut down, because a lot of the big box retailers, they were operating.”

The votes on the bill were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508011541_382342/" target="_blank">68-42</a>&nbsp;in the House and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508021027_936399/" target="_blank">24-14</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, demonstrating that at least a few Republicans in each chamber had misgivings and Democrats in both were overwhelmingly opposed.

The Wichita fitness studio and state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican now running for governor, agreed to put the fitness studio’s lawsuit on hold to give the Legislature a chance to provide compensation. GOP lawmakers considered compensation figures as high as $2 billion; the Senate passed a plan this week for $700 million, while the House hadn’t debated any plan before Saturday.

But House Judiciary Chair Fred Patton, a Topeka Republican, said: “It’s going to be good for businesses, to avoid litigation.”

Kelly imposed a stay-at-home order for five weeks last spring and then started a phased reopening of the the economy before Republican lawmakers intervened and gave local officials control over restrictions. Many GOP legislators believe the restrictions on businesses were too onerous and unnecessary.

Democrats suggested that lawmakers weren’t doing enough to ensure that businesses receiving compensation used some of the money to help their workers. Others opposed forcing cities and counties to set aside coronavirus relief funds for the compensation and questioned whether the state has the authority to do it.

And some were upset that an appointed, three-member board would review claims — in meetings closed to the public to protect businesses’ financial information.

“Really, this could be back-door deals,” said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat. “I have some serious concerns that we don’t have enough transparency.”

While the appointed board would examine claims, its decisions would be reviewed by a joint legislative committee, and legislative leaders would have the final say.

Kelly and GOP lawmakers have battled over who will have final control over how the state allocates $4.8 billion from the last coronavirus relief package. They ultimately settled on giving the governor both a role and veto power in final decisions but gave lawmakers control of the board that would have to approve all spending plans first.

Meanwhile, conservatives pushing for a ban on vaccine passports and limits on contact tracing had to settle for the provisions in budget legislation that would be in effect for a little more than a year. The votes on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb159_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">the budget measure</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507155046_155877/" target="_blank">98-21</a>&nbsp;in the House and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507200432_782934/" target="_blank">26-12</a>&nbsp;in the Senate.

Vaccine passports arose as an issue even though Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-immunizations-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-topeka-cd39b5c5b7829f016b3f0ca8bbfd9e30">said last month</a>&nbsp;that none would be issued by her administration. The provision included in budget legislation would prevent any state agency from spending any funds on issuing passports, requiring people to use them or denying people without them access “to a place accessible to the general public.”

But the ban wouldn’t apply to cities and counties and would expire in a little more than a year.

The Legislature enacted limits on COVID-19 contract tracing last year at Schmidt’s urging, preventing people with the virus from being forced to disclose close contacts. He saw them as a way&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-topeka-derek-schmidt-abfa3c6b1634a5b670a6943e9a3f37aa">to protect people’s privacy,</a>&nbsp;but those rules expired Saturday.

A budget provision would allow the state Department of Health and Environment to spend money on tracing only if participation was voluntary and the tracing did not use cellphone location data.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans pushed a plan through the Kansas Legislature early Saturday that could provide roughly $500 million to small businesses to offset losses tied to state and local restrictions meant to check COVID-19′s spread last year.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb273_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">The measure</a>&nbsp;would require the state, cities and counties to set aside part of their federal coronavirus relief funds to pay claims from small businesses. It was the last bill lawmakers considered before shutting down their annual session except for a formal adjournment May 26.The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-business-education-health-ed116e5adac94ebffb2eebcda8d7c744">public school funding bill</a>&nbsp;and finished a $21 billion state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget also included provisions to prevent the state from issuing COVID-19 vaccine passports and to restrict efforts to track down close contacts of people with the virus.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signaled that she plans to sign the education bill, and she’s expected to approve most to all of the budget’s items. But she has not said what she’ll do with the business-compensation bill.Supporters said creating a system for considering and paying claims could avoid a larger total payout from potential lawsuits over COVID-19 restrictions, but doing so would help small businesses that cannot afford to hire attorneys to sue state or local officials. Businesses with 50 or fewer employees could file claims instead of suing.“This process is perfect for them,” said Ryan Kriegshauser, an attorney for a Wichita fitness studio and its owner, who sued the state in December. “That’s really what it’s for, is the mom and pop shops that got shut down, because a lot of the big box retailers, they were operating.”The votes on the bill were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508011541_382342/" target="_blank">68-42</a>&nbsp;in the House and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210508021027_936399/" target="_blank">24-14</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, demonstrating that at least a few Republicans in each chamber had misgivings and Democrats in both were overwhelmingly opposed.The Wichita fitness studio and state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican now running for governor, agreed to put the fitness studio’s lawsuit on hold to give the Legislature a chance to provide compensation. GOP lawmakers considered compensation figures as high as $2 billion; the Senate passed a plan this week for $700 million, while the House hadn’t debated any plan before Saturday.But House Judiciary Chair Fred Patton, a Topeka Republican, said: “It’s going to be good for businesses, to avoid litigation.”Kelly imposed a stay-at-home order for five weeks last spring and then started a phased reopening of the the economy before Republican lawmakers intervened and gave local officials control over restrictions. Many GOP legislators believe the restrictions on businesses were too onerous and unnecessary.Democrats suggested that lawmakers weren’t doing enough to ensure that businesses receiving compensation used some of the money to help their workers. Others opposed forcing cities and counties to set aside coronavirus relief funds for the compensation and questioned whether the state has the authority to do it.And some were upset that an appointed, three-member board would review claims — in meetings closed to the public to protect businesses’ financial information.“Really, this could be back-door deals,” said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat. “I have some serious concerns that we don’t have enough transparency.”While the appointed board would examine claims, its decisions would be reviewed by a joint legislative committee, and legislative leaders would have the final say.Kelly and GOP lawmakers have battled over who will have final control over how the state allocates $4.8 billion from the last coronavirus relief package. They ultimately settled on giving the governor both a role and veto power in final decisions but gave lawmakers control of the board that would have to approve all spending plans first.Meanwhile, conservatives pushing for a ban on vaccine passports and limits on contact tracing had to settle for the provisions in budget legislation that would be in effect for a little more than a year. The votes on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb159_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">the budget measure</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507155046_155877/" target="_blank">98-21</a>&nbsp;in the House and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507200432_782934/" target="_blank">26-12</a>&nbsp;in the Senate.Vaccine passports arose as an issue even though Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-immunizations-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-topeka-cd39b5c5b7829f016b3f0ca8bbfd9e30">said last month</a>&nbsp;that none would be issued by her administration. The provision included in budget legislation would prevent any state agency from spending any funds on issuing passports, requiring people to use them or denying people without them access “to a place accessible to the general public.”But the ban wouldn’t apply to cities and counties and would expire in a little more than a year.The Legislature enacted limits on COVID-19 contract tracing last year at Schmidt’s urging, preventing people with the virus from being forced to disclose close contacts. He saw them as a way&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-topeka-derek-schmidt-abfa3c6b1634a5b670a6943e9a3f37aa">to protect people’s privacy,</a>&nbsp;but those rules expired Saturday.A budget provision would allow the state Department of Health and Environment to spend money on tracing only if participation was voluntary and the tracing did not use cellphone location data.

Kansas plan could give $500M in COVID relief to businesses 

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/05/06/prayer-service-at-kansas-statehouse-features-apology-to-american-indians/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Rep. Randy Garber
 delivered an apology to American Indians during a prayer ceremony 
Thursday on the south steps of the Kansas Statehouse, recognizing the 
country’s “long history of official depredations and ill-conceived 
policies.”

The remarks were part of a
 coordinated reading in all 50 states during National Day of Prayer 
ceremonies — inspired in part by former U.S. religious ambassador and 
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

Garber, a Republican from 
Sabetha, was flanked by the two American Indian members of the House, 
Rep. Ponka-We Victors, D-Wichita, and Rep. Christina Haswood, 
D-Lawrence.

The apology recognized 
that native people lived here for thousands of years before the arrival 
of Europeans and provided assistance to the fledgling republic. In 
return, they were subjected to armed conflicts in which women and 
children were killed. Covenants were broken, treaties violated, land 
stolen, and tribes displaced.

“Many native peoples 
suffered and perished during the execution of the official federal 
government policy of forced removal, including the infamous trail of 
tears and long walk, during bloody armed confrontations and massacres, 
such as the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and the Wounded Knee Massacre in
 1890, and on numerous Indian reservations,” Garber said.

The apology was passed by 
Congress in 2009 and signed into law by President Barack Obama, but 
never presented publicly. Organizers of the prayer service said 
Brownback also met Thursday morning with Negiel Bigpond at an American 
Indian burial area to deliver the apology.

About 100 people attended 
the annual event in Kansas, where lawmakers delivered prayers on behalf 
of their colleagues, educators, the institution of marriage, business, 
doctors, the judicial system, and farmers.

“We know that our 
constitution, both federal and state, are words written by the hand of 
man on a page,” said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. “But we also
 understand that two and a half centuries ago, it was you who guided 
those hands, who touched those hearts, and who helped to shape on paper 
what you gave you each of us.”

Rep. Bill Rhiley, 
R-Wellington, lamented a changing media landscape in which journalists 
moved away from being “honest watchdogs of government” and instead 
became “purveyors of political slant.” He asked God to clarify the role 
of media owners, executives and reporters.

“Speak and write words of 
truth, serving as a public forum for open discussion of issues and act 
as a public protector of freedom and liberties,” Rhiley said.

Shawnee County Sheriff 
Brian Hill asked God for his protection of first responders who “answer 
the call every day to serve the citizens in their communities.”

“I pray that you give all 
of us wisdom, strength, and courage to step out and do our jobs every 
day,” Hill said. Give us the peace of mind to know that you’re there 
with us and that your son, Jesus Christ, lives among us, and be with us 
as we go about our duties.”

A.J. Johnson, a Topeka 
resident, said in an interview that he attended the service because the 
nation needs to repent. People forget that Revelation has to happen, he 
said.

“The gates of hell shall 
not prevail,” Johnson said. “That doesn’t mean that we’re defending 
ourselves against Hell. Hell is trying to defend itself against us.”

Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620415502096.png" alt="Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, prays Thursday during a service at the Statehouse that included an apology to American Indians. Haswood is one of two Amerian Indians serving in the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, prays Thursday during a service at the Statehouse that included an apology to American Indians. Haswood is one of two Amerian Indians serving in the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/05/06/prayer-service-at-kansas-statehouse-features-apology-to-american-indians/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rep. Randy Garber
 delivered an apology to American Indians during a prayer ceremony 
Thursday on the south steps of the Kansas Statehouse, recognizing the 
country’s “long history of official depredations and ill-conceived 
policies.”The remarks were part of a
 coordinated reading in all 50 states during National Day of Prayer 
ceremonies — inspired in part by former U.S. religious ambassador and 
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620415550723.png" alt="Rep. Randy Garber, R-Sabetha, delivers an apology to American Indians. At his side are the two American Indian members of the House, Rep. Christina Haswood, right, and Ponka-We Victors. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Randy Garber, R-Sabetha, delivers an apology to American Indians. At his side are the two American Indian members of the House, Rep. Christina Haswood, right, and Ponka-We Victors. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Garber, a Republican from 
Sabetha, was flanked by the two American Indian members of the House, 
Rep. Ponka-We Victors, D-Wichita, and Rep. Christina Haswood, 
D-Lawrence.The apology recognized 
that native people lived here for thousands of years before the arrival 
of Europeans and provided assistance to the fledgling republic. In 
return, they were subjected to armed conflicts in which women and 
children were killed. Covenants were broken, treaties violated, land 
stolen, and tribes displaced.“Many native peoples 
suffered and perished during the execution of the official federal 
government policy of forced removal, including the infamous trail of 
tears and long walk, during bloody armed confrontations and massacres, 
such as the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and the Wounded Knee Massacre in
 1890, and on numerous Indian reservations,” Garber said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620415584383.png" alt="About 100 people attended the annual National Day of Prayer service Thursday at the Kansas Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>About 100 people attended the annual National Day of Prayer service Thursday at the Kansas Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The apology was passed by 
Congress in 2009 and signed into law by President Barack Obama, but 
never presented publicly. Organizers of the prayer service said 
Brownback also met Thursday morning with Negiel Bigpond at an American 
Indian burial area to deliver the apology.About 100 people attended 
the annual event in Kansas, where lawmakers delivered prayers on behalf 
of their colleagues, educators, the institution of marriage, business, 
doctors, the judicial system, and farmers.“We know that our 
constitution, both federal and state, are words written by the hand of 
man on a page,” said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. “But we also
 understand that two and a half centuries ago, it was you who guided 
those hands, who touched those hearts, and who helped to shape on paper 
what you gave you each of us.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620415619492.png" alt="Rep. Bill Rhiley asks God to clarify the role of the media for wayward journalists. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Bill Rhiley asks God to clarify the role of the media for wayward journalists. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Rep. Bill Rhiley, 
R-Wellington, lamented a changing media landscape in which journalists 
moved away from being “honest watchdogs of government” and instead 
became “purveyors of political slant.” He asked God to clarify the role 
of media owners, executives and reporters.“Speak and write words of 
truth, serving as a public forum for open discussion of issues and act 
as a public protector of freedom and liberties,” Rhiley said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620415649630.png" alt="Shawnee County Sheriff Brian Hill delivers a prayer for first responders. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Shawnee County Sheriff Brian Hill delivers a prayer for first responders. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Shawnee County Sheriff 
Brian Hill asked God for his protection of first responders who “answer 
the call every day to serve the citizens in their communities.”“I pray that you give all 
of us wisdom, strength, and courage to step out and do our jobs every 
day,” Hill said. Give us the peace of mind to know that you’re there 
with us and that your son, Jesus Christ, lives among us, and be with us 
as we go about our duties.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620415678748.png" alt="A.J. Johnson, of Topeka, says people forget that Revelation has to happen. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A.J. Johnson, of Topeka, says people forget that Revelation has to happen. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>A.J. Johnson, a Topeka 
resident, said in an interview that he attended the service because the 
nation needs to repent. People forget that Revelation has to happen, he 
said.“The gates of hell shall 
not prevail,” Johnson said. “That doesn’t mean that we’re defending 
ourselves against Hell. Hell is trying to defend itself against us.”Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Prayer service at Kan. Statehouse features apology to American Indians

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators on Friday easily approved a bipartisan measure boosting education spending to what was touted as full funding for public schools while also making more students eligible for private school scholarships.

The Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507165817_278575/" target="_blank">35-4,</a>&nbsp;and the GOP-controlled House passed it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507185219_021990/" target="_blank">107-9,</a>&nbsp;sending the package of dollars and policy changes to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Almost all of the no votes came from conservative Republicans.

The governor signaled that she would sign&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2134_01_k12ed.pdf" target="_blank">the bill</a>&nbsp;by publicly taking credit for it. Kelly, facing a potentially difficult 2022 reelection race, said she had “delivered on education, and did right by our kids.” The bill would increase aid to the state’s 286 school districts by 5.3%, to $5.2 billion.

“As we continue to recover from the global pandemic, it’s more important than ever that we support Kansas students by giving them every opportunity to thrive and succeed,” Kelly said in a statement.

The education bill helped complete a spending blueprint for state government of about $21 billion for the budget year beginning July 1. Legislative were pushing to have lawmakers wrap up their business for the year by early Saturday.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb159_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">A second bill</a>&nbsp;contained dozens of spending items across state government. The House approved it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507155046_155877/" target="_blank">98-21,</a>&nbsp;and the Senate passed it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507200432_782934/" target="_blank">26-12,</a>&nbsp;sending it to Kelly.

In the education bill, conservatives did get a key “school choice” initiative into the package. However, they dropped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-school-choice-education-kansas-topeka-c83a8d06af93e64f5647b0b9e53bed66">a more ambitious proposal</a>&nbsp;to use state dollars to create education savings accounts that the parents of struggling public school students could use to pay for private schooling.

“Everybody feels like they lost a little something and gained a little something,” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, told reporters.

Masterson and House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, bargained with Kelly on Thursday as three senators and three House members drafted the final version of the education bill.

The bill had strong support among Democrats because it contained education groups’ top priority, the K-12 funding increase.

“We’re happy tonight,” said Rep. Valdenia Winn, a Kansas City Democrat, who has frequently criticized Republicans’ work on education issues.

The bill included Kelly’s proposal for an increase in state aid to local schools of $263 million, in line with a law enacted in 2019 to resolve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/16d63062f0a645f6a9231e22b623e9fb">a 2010 lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the state filed by four school districts. That lawsuit remains before the Kansas Supreme Court, and Democrats believe failing to provide as much money as Kelly recommended will prompt the justices to intervene.

“Obviously, we don’t want to get full funding with a lot of other unacceptable things, but this plan is a pretty substantial compromise,” said Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards.

The measure would modify a program that gives a state income tax credit for donations to funds that give private school scholarships to students in the 100 lowest-performing public elementary schools.

The total tax credits would remain capped at $10 million a year, but any elementary or middle school student who receives free or reduced-cost lunches would be eligible for scholarships. The tax-credit cap has never been reached.

Republicans&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408153110_690539/" target="_blank">pushed a bill through the House</a>&nbsp;last month that tied Kelly’s proposed spending to conservatives’ proposal for education savings accounts. Democrats and education groups argued that education savings accounts would siphon tens of millions of dollars from public schools, and the measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-school-choice-kansas-topeka-bills-a4887df7480ee8479cc2282b16c29c9a">failed in the Senate</a>&nbsp;on a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210409132538_694551/" target="_blank">20-20 vote.</a>

Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican and the chair of a House committee on education spending, said the scholarship expansion is a “great” step forward and the debate over the more ambitious savings-account plan “made huge strides in identifying what would be best for our kids.”

“Providing an opportunity for kids that are at-risk is still high on our to-do list,” Williams said.

The bill would make a raft of policy changes, including new restrictions on local school districts’ use of the remote learning that became common during the coronavirus pandemic.

The other budget legislation included an additional $53 million for higher education. Kelly’s budget director has said the extra money is necessary under a federal requirement to maintain “historic funding” for Kansas to get its full share of federal coronavirus relief funds.

The measure had an additional $17 million to increase pay for state court employees, including judges, and hire 70 new court services officers. It also authorized $120 million in bonds to renovate a 1950s state office building near the Statehouse and another $65 million in bonds to build a new state Department of Health and Environment lab in the Topeka area.

House and Senate budget negotiators didn’t include a pay raise for all state employees. Senators argued that taxpayers would be angry after thousands of people lost their jobs and businesses closed during the pandemic.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators on Friday easily approved a bipartisan measure boosting education spending to what was touted as full funding for public schools while also making more students eligible for private school scholarships.The Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507165817_278575/" target="_blank">35-4,</a>&nbsp;and the GOP-controlled House passed it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507185219_021990/" target="_blank">107-9,</a>&nbsp;sending the package of dollars and policy changes to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Almost all of the no votes came from conservative Republicans.The governor signaled that she would sign&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2134_01_k12ed.pdf" target="_blank">the bill</a>&nbsp;by publicly taking credit for it. Kelly, facing a potentially difficult 2022 reelection race, said she had “delivered on education, and did right by our kids.” The bill would increase aid to the state’s 286 school districts by 5.3%, to $5.2 billion.“As we continue to recover from the global pandemic, it’s more important than ever that we support Kansas students by giving them every opportunity to thrive and succeed,” Kelly said in a statement.The education bill helped complete a spending blueprint for state government of about $21 billion for the budget year beginning July 1. Legislative were pushing to have lawmakers wrap up their business for the year by early Saturday.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb159_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">A second bill</a>&nbsp;contained dozens of spending items across state government. The House approved it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507155046_155877/" target="_blank">98-21,</a>&nbsp;and the Senate passed it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210507200432_782934/" target="_blank">26-12,</a>&nbsp;sending it to Kelly.In the education bill, conservatives did get a key “school choice” initiative into the package. However, they dropped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-school-choice-education-kansas-topeka-c83a8d06af93e64f5647b0b9e53bed66">a more ambitious proposal</a>&nbsp;to use state dollars to create education savings accounts that the parents of struggling public school students could use to pay for private schooling.“Everybody feels like they lost a little something and gained a little something,” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, told reporters.Masterson and House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, bargained with Kelly on Thursday as three senators and three House members drafted the final version of the education bill.The bill had strong support among Democrats because it contained education groups’ top priority, the K-12 funding increase.“We’re happy tonight,” said Rep. Valdenia Winn, a Kansas City Democrat, who has frequently criticized Republicans’ work on education issues.The bill included Kelly’s proposal for an increase in state aid to local schools of $263 million, in line with a law enacted in 2019 to resolve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/16d63062f0a645f6a9231e22b623e9fb">a 2010 lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the state filed by four school districts. That lawsuit remains before the Kansas Supreme Court, and Democrats believe failing to provide as much money as Kelly recommended will prompt the justices to intervene.“Obviously, we don’t want to get full funding with a lot of other unacceptable things, but this plan is a pretty substantial compromise,” said Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards.The measure would modify a program that gives a state income tax credit for donations to funds that give private school scholarships to students in the 100 lowest-performing public elementary schools.The total tax credits would remain capped at $10 million a year, but any elementary or middle school student who receives free or reduced-cost lunches would be eligible for scholarships. The tax-credit cap has never been reached.Republicans&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408153110_690539/" target="_blank">pushed a bill through the House</a>&nbsp;last month that tied Kelly’s proposed spending to conservatives’ proposal for education savings accounts. Democrats and education groups argued that education savings accounts would siphon tens of millions of dollars from public schools, and the measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-school-choice-kansas-topeka-bills-a4887df7480ee8479cc2282b16c29c9a">failed in the Senate</a>&nbsp;on a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210409132538_694551/" target="_blank">20-20 vote.</a>Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican and the chair of a House committee on education spending, said the scholarship expansion is a “great” step forward and the debate over the more ambitious savings-account plan “made huge strides in identifying what would be best for our kids.”“Providing an opportunity for kids that are at-risk is still high on our to-do list,” Williams said.The bill would make a raft of policy changes, including new restrictions on local school districts’ use of the remote learning that became common during the coronavirus pandemic.The other budget legislation included an additional $53 million for higher education. Kelly’s budget director has said the extra money is necessary under a federal requirement to maintain “historic funding” for Kansas to get its full share of federal coronavirus relief funds.The measure had an additional $17 million to increase pay for state court employees, including judges, and hire 70 new court services officers. It also authorized $120 million in bonds to renovate a 1950s state office building near the Statehouse and another $65 million in bonds to build a new state Department of Health and Environment lab in the Topeka area.House and Senate budget negotiators didn’t include a pay raise for all state employees. Senators argued that taxpayers would be angry after thousands of people lost their jobs and businesses closed during the pandemic.

Kansas lawmakers pass funding hike, school ‘choice’ proposal

HARPER COUNTY&nbsp; – A Kansas teen has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for the attempted second-degree murder of another 18-year-old, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Brian Sandoval, 18, of Anthony, was sentenced in Harper County District Court by Judge Galen T. Wood to 59 months in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision and to pay $9,390.46 in restitution to the victim.

Sandoval pleaded guilty in March to one count of attempted second-degree murder for stabbing the victim in December 2020.

The case was investigated by the Anthony Police Department. Assistant Attorney General Jessica Domme of Schmidt’s office prosecuted the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620433013492.png" alt="Sandoval photo Harper County" />
 <figcaption>Sandoval photo Harper County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARPER COUNTY&nbsp; – A Kansas teen has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for the attempted second-degree murder of another 18-year-old, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.Brian Sandoval, 18, of Anthony, was sentenced in Harper County District Court by Judge Galen T. Wood to 59 months in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision and to pay $9,390.46 in restitution to the victim.Sandoval pleaded guilty in March to one count of attempted second-degree murder for stabbing the victim in December 2020.The case was investigated by the Anthony Police Department. Assistant Attorney General Jessica Domme of Schmidt’s office prosecuted the case.

Kansas teen will go to prison for violent attack 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—An accidental fire did significant damage to a Kansas home on Friday

Just before 11:00 a.m.,&nbsp; a fire was discovered on the front porch of the residence at 2729 SE Wisconsin Avenue in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Tod Harrison.

 Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke and fire on the front of the home. One pet cat was rescued from the interior of the home and one died due to injuries as a result of this fire, according to Harrison. 

The fire was extinguished but not before significant damage was done throughout the attic spaces. All three occupants were able escape unharmed.

Preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as Accidental; more likely than not associated with improper disposal of smoking materials. The estimated dollar loss – $103,500.00; of which $78,500.00 is associated with structural loss and $25,000.00 associated with contents loss.&nbsp;Working smoke detectors were present within the home, according to Harrison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620419763519.png" alt="Friday morning fire at a home in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Friday morning fire at a home in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—An accidental fire did significant damage to a Kansas home on FridayJust before 11:00 a.m.,&nbsp; a fire was discovered on the front porch of the residence at 2729 SE Wisconsin Avenue in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Tod Harrison. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke and fire on the front of the home. One pet cat was rescued from the interior of the home and one died due to injuries as a result of this fire, according to Harrison. The fire was extinguished but not before significant damage was done throughout the attic spaces. All three occupants were able escape unharmed.Preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as Accidental; more likely than not associated with improper disposal of smoking materials. The estimated dollar loss – $103,500.00; of which $78,500.00 is associated with structural loss and $25,000.00 associated with contents loss.&nbsp;Working smoke detectors were present within the home, according to Harrison.