(AP) — The federal government is ready to let farmers grow cannabis — at least the kind that can’t get people high.

Hemp — marijuana’s non-intoxicating cousin — could soon be cultivated in 10 states under the farm bill agreement reached late Monday.

Some wonder if the move is an indication that the federal government is ready to follow the 20 states that have already legalized medical marijuana and recreational pot.

Opponents insist the hemp change doesn’t mean pot is closer to becoming legal.

Hemp can be used to make everything from clothes to cooking oil. With the move, the U.S. government is clearing the way for farmers to compete in the hemp industry currently dominated by China.

 

(AP) – A Missouri House committee is considering legislation to offer additional financial assistance to persuade more top students to stay in the state after graduation day.

The legislation would add a forgivable loan of up to $5,000 per academic year to Missouri’s Bright Flight scholarship. Each year a student works in Missouri after school would count toward one year of loan forgiveness. Leaving before the loan is repaid would require repaying the loan with interest.

Republican House member Mike Thomson, of Maryville, says too many top Missouri students leave. Bright Flight scholarships are awarded based on ACT or SAT scores. The legislation was examined Tuesday by the House Higher Education Committee.

Gov. Jay Nixon’s has proposed $17 million in next year’s budget for a Bright Flight loan program.

(AP) – As Missouri prepares to execute its third inmate in three months, a state senator wants to change the state’s execution process. 

Senate Democratic Leader Jolie Justus  introduced legislation Tuesday that would create an 11-member commission responsible for setting the state’s execution procedure. She says ongoing lawsuits and secrecy about the state’s current lethal injection method should drive a change in protocol.

Missouri had used a three-drug cocktail for executions, but it threw out the process after it could no longer obtain the drugs. The state ultimately switched to a form of pentobarbital made by a compounding pharmacy, though it refuses to reveal its origins.

Missouri is scheduled to execute Herbert Smulls at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Smulls was convicted of killing a St. Louis County jeweler in 1991.

 (AP) — A bill has been introduced in the Kansas Senate that would alter the way school districts receive additional funding related to capital improvements approved by local voters.

The legislation proposed Monday would change the way districts receive state funds to compensate for low overall district wealth.

Senate Majority Leader Jeff King says his proposal would divert state aid that would have been used by districts to repay bonds issued for construction. The intent is to lower local property taxes and provide additional funds to poor districts to provide for instruction and other classroom expenses.

The change would apply to districts that approve bond issues after July 1, 2014.

 

(AP) — A health care system and technical college in southwest Missouri are planning to expand training of nurses in the region.

Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation and Bolivar Technical College plan to build a new $5.3 million education services facility.
A current program is at capacity and has a waiting list. The school offers training for several types of nursing, medical administrative assistant, medical assistants and medical laboratory technologists. Currently, the programs are offered only every other year.

CMH officials say the new building will allow the college to offer enrollment every fall semester. The college also is seeking state approval to start another group of registered nursing students.

The new building will also include the CMH Education Department.

Construction is set to begin this summer.

 (AP) — A growing national trend of crushing Smarties into powder and inhaling has reached at least one Kansas elementary school.

Officials at Enterprise Elementary School in south Wichita said last week that between 12 and 16 fifth-graders were crushing the candies, inhaling it into their mouths and exhaling through their noses.

It’s part of a nationwide trend, which some call a “sugar rush.”

Wichita district spokeswoman Susan Arensman says it was an isolated case involving one fifth-grade class. Parents of the students were called to attend a mandatory meeting at the school. She says the students will face disciplinary action.

The school plans to invite counselors, police officers or others from outside agencies to talk to students about the dangers of inhalants.

 (AP) — Kansas City police say a 51-year-old woman died when she was hit by a vehicle while trying to retrieve items that had blown out of her pickup truck.

Police said Monday Robin C. Lindsey of Kansas City died Sunday night on Interstate 29 near the Kansas City International Airport.

Sgt. Bill Mahoney says a strap in Lindsey’s pickup truck apparently failed and gusty winds blew some large items out of the truck. She and several other drivers stopped to retrieve the items.

Lindsey was in a traffic lane when a pickup truck struck her. The driver stopped and called police. Lindsey died at the scene.