TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to increase its spending on public schools, but it didn’t say by how much.

The court ruled Thursday that legislators must enact a new education funding law by the end of June.

The decision comes with the state already facing projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019. Lawmakers are considering rolling back steep income tax cuts championed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

The justices ruled in a lawsuit filed by four school districts in 2010. They argued that legislators were violating the state constitution by failing to finance a suitable education for each of the state’s 458,000 students.

The districts argued for an $800 million increase in the state’s $4.1 billion in annual aid.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Crews have extinguished a fire that heavily damaged one building and caused smoke damage to two others in the Aggieville bar and shopping district near the Kansas State University campus.

Deputy Manhattan Fire Chief Ryan Almes says the fire was reported around 3:45 a.m. Thursday in a building that had housed a bookstore called the Dusty Bookshelf and was being renovated.

Almes says dangerous conditions inside the building forced firefighters to exit the building. He says 30 firefighters then fought the blaze from outside the building before extinguishing it around 8 a.m. No one was hurt.

The fire also caused smoke damage to adjoining businesses that sell doughnuts and T-shirts. A cat was rescued from one of the businesses.

The state fire marshal’s office will help investigate the fire’s cause.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — After facing lawsuits and days of criticism, the University of Iowa is shelving a plan to eliminate scholarships promised to thousands of current and incoming students.

UI President Bruce Harreld announced Wednesday that he was reinstating the Iowa Heritage Award and four other smaller scholarship programs for current students and those who start next fall.

He informed 3,000 students last week that he was eliminating their awards, citing a “devastating” funding cut approved by lawmakers.

The Heritage scholarships promised an automatic $1,500 tuition discount to the children and grandchildren of alumni for four years of undergraduate studies. Many said they came to Iowa instead of other schools as a result. Two lawsuits were filed on behalf of students this week.

The programs will be eliminated for new students in 2018.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal scientists forecast that Oklahoma will continue to have the nation’s biggest man-made earthquake problem but it probably won’t be as shaky as recent years.

In its annual national earthquake outlook, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Wednesday that a large portion of Oklahoma and parts of central California have the highest risk for a damaging quake this year: between 5 and 12 percent.

Natural elevated quake risks exist through much of California, Seattle and the area where Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Illinois come together, known as New Madrid. Seismologists say Oklahoma’s problem is triggered by high volume ground injections of wastewater from oil and gas drilling.

USGS seismic hazard chief Mark Petersen says Oklahoma’s recent regulation wastewater injection is starting to work, so scientists slightly reduced Oklahoma’s risk this year.

KINGDOM CITY, Mo. (AP) — The superintendent of the North Callaway School District says the district will implement a four-day school week for the 2017-18 school year.

Superintendent Bryan Thomsen says the change is in response to a cut in state funds for schools.

Thomsen said the change could save the mid-Missouri district about $100,000, or 1 percent of its $10 million annual budget. The district about 20 miles east of Columbia has about 1,200 students.

The decision comes after district officials sought reaction from parents, with 65.7 percent in support, 13 percent opposed and 21.3 percent undecided.

The district is planning a future election to ask residents for an operating levy increase.

Authorities say a tornado that caused widespread damage in Missouri was a strong one that was on the ground for several miles. The White House says President Donald Trump is monitoring severe weather blamed for three deaths in Missouri and Illinois.

National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Shanklin says the tornado that struck the area near Perryville, Missouri, Tuesday night was a strong one, though the wind speed has not yet been determined. Perryville Fire Chief Jeremy Triller says the twister was on the ground for up to 15 miles, starting in Missouri and ending in Illinois. The National Weather Service was investigating reports of as many as seven tornadoes in the state of Illinois.

Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed in storms that began Tuesday night. A 24-year-old Perryville, Missouri man died when the vehicle he was in was blown off of Interstate 55 and he was ejected. Police identified the victim as Travis M. Koenig. Two people died in Illinois. More than 100 homes in the area near Perryville were damaged, at least 60 of them destroyed. Twelve people were injured but none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says the White House will stay in touch with state and local officials to provide federal support as needed.

(Staff and wire reports)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Results from a monthly survey of business supply managers suggest manufacturing is boosting economic conditions in nine Midwest and Plains states.

The Mid-America Business Conditions Index report released Wednesday says the overall economic index for the region rose to 60.5 in February from 54.7 in January. It’s the highest figure since April 2014 and the fourth monthly increase in a row.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the increases point to the improving regional manufacturing economy.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth in that factor. A score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is holding off on two land purchases, marking a shift in policy after eight years of park expansion under former Gov. Jay Nixon.

The projects on hold include the purchase of land and property for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the purchase of a building in Ste. Genevieve that is a remnant of the last colonial French town in the U.S.

Department spokesman Tom Bastian says the agency is reviewing all land purchases. He says the state is changing its focus from expansion to ensure current parks are maintained.

State Parks Director Bill Bryan says he was fired without explanation last month. The Jay Nixon State Park in Reynolds County was shuttered earlier this month because of “potential public safety concerns.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Attorneys for a man charged with killing a retired Missouri State University professor say they will enter a new plea for the suspect.

The Springfield News-Leader reports attorney Dee Wampler will file a motion this week to change 44-year-old Edward Gutting’s plea from not guilty to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Gutting, an assistant professor at Missouri State, is charged with first-degree murder and four other felonies in the August 2016 death of professor Marc Cooper and the wounding of Cooper’s wife, Nancy.

A court hearing on the amended plea is scheduled for March 20.

Investigators say Gutting stabbed Marc Cooper to death and stabbed Nancy Cooper several time at the Coopers’ home. A motive has not been publicly disclosed.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has asked the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to say whether its executive director had the authority to unilaterally require people to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote using a federal form in Kansas, Georgia and Alabama.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon put the question to the commission on Saturday and gave it until June 1 to respond.

The commission’s executive director, Brian Newby, ordered changes to the federal voter registration form used in the three states to conform to their laws requiring people to provide proof-of-citizenship documentation to register. Voting rights groups sued, saying he didn’t have the authority. Leon denied a request for an injunction freezing Newby’s order, but a federal appeals court granted one.

The commission needs three votes to take action, but it currently has two Republican members and one Democrat who often don’t agree on issues.