SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged abduction and have made an arrest.

On Wednesday, the US Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Task Force arrested Jeffrey Gilseth 32, and Maria Gilseth, 32. The couple was wanted in Killeen, TX on charges of Interference with Child Custody and Unlawful Restraint, according to United States Marshal Ronald Miller.

On February 21, arrest warrants were issued in Texas for the married couple after they took their three children unlawfully and fled a supervised visitation with the children.

The children were previously ordered removed from the couple’s custody and were court-ordered to reside with other adult relatives. The USMS adopted the case and began a fugitive investigation.

The couple’s vehicle was spotted in Riley County, Kansas by the Fugitive Task Force and officers surveilled and followed the vehicle until it arrived at a safe place to coordinate the arrest.

Shortly before 1:00p.m, the vehicle was blocked in by officers at the I-70 East Turnpike Toll Gate in Topeka and both subjects were taken into custody without incident.

The three minor children case were also recovered safely.

Jeffrey Gilseth and Maria Gilseth were booked into the Shawnee County Jail awaiting extradition back to Texas. The children were taken to a Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center for processing.

The Riley County Police Department, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol assisted with the arrests.

AURORA, Neb. (AP) — A Missouri man has been jailed and put on probation for fatally striking a woman with his semitrailer as she was walking to a tow truck along Interstate 80 in central Nebraska.

Hamilton County Court records say 30-year-old Victor Genetti, of Sugar Creek, Missouri, was sentenced Tuesday in Aurora to 32 days in jail with credit for one day already served, fined $1,000, put on probation for two years and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service over the next year.

He’d pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular homicide.

Authorities say the woman was a passenger in a vehicle that had broken down March 1 last year near Giltner in Hamilton County. She’s been identified as 26-year-old India Marie Simpson, who lived in Waxhaw, North Carolina.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill that would allow Kansas landowners to resell their permits to hunt white-tail deer to non-Kansas residents has barely passed the state House.

The vote Wednesday was 63-60 and sent the measure to the Senate.

Some rural legislators see the bill as an economic-development measure. Republican Rep. Ken Corbet of Topeka has said it could bring 4,500 tourists a year to Kansas to hunt.

Republican Rep. Joe Seiwert of Pretty Prairie said the additional hunting would decrease the number of vehicle crashes involving deer.

But some state officials have worried the bill would increase poaching by trophy hunters while limiting access to Kansas residents. The Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism opposed the measure.

A similar program two decades ago was suspended after poaching and violations of permit-transfer rules.

LEAWOOD, Kan. (AP) — The pastor of the largest Methodist congregation in the U.S. says he is deeply disappointed by a vote of the church’s delegates that rejected easing the faith’s ban on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT clergy.

Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton with the United Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, called Tuesday’s vote hurtful of gay and lesbian people and their families.

Hamilton said in a video made at the United Methodist Church conference in St. Louis that the Leawood church would continue to welcome everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

Delegates at the convention defeated a proposal that would have allowed regional and local church bodies to decide their own gay-friendly policies. They instead approved a Traditional Plan, which strengthened discipline for those who defy the current same-sex policies.

By Grant DeMars

KU Statehouse News Service

TOPEKA — Rep. Renee Erickson (R-Wichita) was told to leave her religious beliefs “at the door” or to “find something else to do” during her time as a school principal at Brooks Middle School in Wichita. Because of that, Erickson says that students and faculty who want to express their religion in public schools should have the right to do so under the First Amendment, as long as they are not pushing it on anybody else.

Erickson testified before the House Education Committee in support of  House Bill 2288, which would allow faculty to take part in prayer led by students, as well as to allow students organize prayer groups and religious clubs and wear religious clothing.

She said that it’s unfortunate that the bill is needed, but it’s important to protect academic freedom which is derived from the First Amendment.

“House Bill 2288 simply reaffirms and solidifies students’ and school employees’ constitutional right to free speech,” Erickson said.

Brittany Jones, director of advocacy for the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas in Topeka, recounted instances in which educators and coaches were reprimanded for engaging in religious expression, even when asked to join in on student-led prayer after school hours and off school grounds. She said this bill will fix the current gray area of student law.

“No authority has ruled on this issue in Kansas, leaving legislature an open door to provide clarification,” Jones said.

She also said it would be effective in preventing lawsuits against public schools. Yet other legislators, such as Rep. Stephanie Clayton (D-Leawood), believe it will do the opposite

“This looks like it opens it up to a bag of worms,” Clayton said. “So, I’ve got concerns.”

She asked Jones if the bill would also apply to non-mainstream religions, such as Satan worshipers or even followers of the Church of the Spaghetti Monster.

Others, such as Kansas Association of School Boards Advocacy Specialist Leah Filter and lobbyist Mark Desetti from the Kansas National Education Association in Topeka, said that actions of authority figures influence students too much.

“Parents are in charge of their children’s religious beliefs,” Desetti said. “Educators don’t have the right in any way to usurp the rights of parents to choose their children’s moral or religious beliefs.”

He said that students look to teachers as role models, and that their actions should only model learning and respect in the classroom. Filter agreed with Desetti, and said that there are already educational institutions that allow for expression of faith.

“If we really want to have prayer in schools, we have religious schools that our children can attend,” Filter said.

Erickson ended the meeting by finding common ground with Filter and Desetti on the idea that educators should not be pushing ideas onto students.

Grant DeMars is a University of Kansas senior from Salina majoring in Journalism.

REEDS SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — For the second time in two years, a southwest Missouri school district has settled a lawsuit filed by a former principal.

Jodi Heckler alleged she was a target of retaliation after she reported sexual harassment by a longtime superintendent in the Reeds Springs district.

Heckler was required to resign as part of the first settlement four years ago. In a second lawsuit , she alleged criticism by two Reeds Springs school board members made it difficult to find a new job.

The district paid $500,000 for the first settlement and $187,500 for the second settlement, which was announced Tuesday.

The first settlement spurred several contentious board meetings, with some calling for the ouster of superintendent Mike Mason. He repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has never been criminally charged.