KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Manufacturing companies in Kansas and Missouri say there are plenty of high-paying jobs available for people qualified to run sophisticated factory equipment, but there doesn’t seem to be enough local talent to fill them.

Industry leaders in both states say many job applicants lack even basic reading, writing and math skills necessary to perform required tasks.

The Kansas City Star reports larger manufacturers are able to afford up to $10,000 per worker for training, but that’s more of a challenge for smaller companies.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said in its August manufacturing survey that regional manufacturing companies have been expanding production for eight straight months.

Several manufacturers with openings in the Kansas City area say their vacant positions would pay between $14 and $25 an hour.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Reports from the Kansas Department for Children and Families show that more children in the state are removed from their homes and placed in foster care because of concerns about parents’ drug and alcohol abuse than for any other primary reason — including physical abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.

The agency says mental illness often plays a parallel role in those cases as people with mood or anxiety disorders are more likely to self-medicate.

The Wichita Eagle reports nearly 750 Kansas children were removed from their homes because of concerns about their parents’ substance abuse in fiscal year 2014, which ended June 30. Of those, 93 were from Sedgwick County.

KANSAS CITY- A woman was injured in an accident just before 11 a.m. on Monday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Honda driven by Sharon Louise Welsh, 64, Julian, PA., was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of 86th Street in Kansas City.

The vehicle swerved to the left, hit the concrete median, went across all lanes of traffic, and struck the ditch on the north side of the highway.
Welsh was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. The KHP reported she properly restrained at the time of the accident.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence police say it could take a while to identify the badly decomposed body of a man who was found in a city park.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports a couple from out of town reported seeing a body lying face-down in shallow water west of Vermont Street bridge on Sunday.

Police Sgt. Craig Shanks says because of the condition of the body, it likely will be some time before a positive ID and cause of death are determined.

Suzanne Conley says she and her boyfriend discovered the body during a holiday weekend visit to Lawrence, where she attended the University of Kansas in the late 1980s.

Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy by the Douglas County Coroner’s Office.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Backers of a proposed biotech office park in south Kansas City are preparing to seek tax breaks for the 350-acre project.

Called Oxford on the Blue, the office park would be bigger than Sprint’s headquarters or Corporate Woods in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Kansas City Star reports that the city’s Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee is set to consider a property tax abatement for the project on Sept. 10. If approved, the changes would face a final vote by the Kansas City Council the next day.

Oxford on the Blue advocates say the tax break is needed to bring research firms, clinical trial facilities and similar biotech operations to the site. Others, including school district officials, question whether it would extend tax incentives too far.

JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Many Americans are convinced there was no justification for a suburban St. Louis police officer to kill 18-year-old Michael Brown, because Brown was unarmed.

Others are certain the shooting last month in Ferguson was justifiable because they believe Brown threatened the officer.

But according to a CBS News/New York Times poll, 64 percent of respondents said they didn’t know enough to decide. Only about half said they’d paid “a lot” of attention to the case.

The national furor over the shooting is being fueled by those with strong opinions who are still marching or loudly supporting their side.

Psychologists say such strong opinions are often influenced by “confirmation bias.” Research shows people search for evidence to support their preexisting viewpoints and interpret it in a way that reinforces their beliefs.

JOAN LOWY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Safety advocates worry that more drivers high on pot will lead to a big increase in traffic deaths as states liberalize their marijuana laws.

Researchers who have studied the issue are divided.

Marijuana can slow decision-making, decrease peripheral vision and impede multitasking — all those are important driving skills.

But unlike with alcohol, stoned drivers tend to be aware they’re impaired. And they try to compensate by driving slowly, avoiding risky actions such as passing other cars, and allowing extra room between vehicles.

Combining marijuana with alcohol appears to eliminate that caution and increase driving impairment beyond the effects of either substance alone.

Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Association says legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington is a wake-up call for safety advocates.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the United Way of Greater Kansas City plan an October forum called the “Community Conversation on Health.”

The event is designed for KC metro residents who are uninsured, medically underserved, health care providers or in fields related to community health, such as education and law enforcement.

More than 300 people are expected for the event, which will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Sheraton Crown Center.

During the event, participants will work in small groups led by trained facilitators. HCF and the United Way plan to use the information in their work with other foundations and community partners.

For more information or to register, visit kcconversation.org. For additional information on the event, contact the event director, Jennifer Wilding, at (816) 531-5078.