MANHATTAN — Kansas State University is saving energy costs and becoming greener by using one of Kansas’ most abundant resources: wind.

According to a media release, the new university agreement with Westar Energy will provide approximately 50 percent of the energy needs for the university’s main Manhattan campus from a wind farm in Nemaha County and save the university nearly $200,000 annually.

The agreement is part of Westar Energy’s new Renewables Direct program, which provides large customers access to renewable energy at set long-term prices. The program involves the 300-megawatt Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center, which is a wind farm that will be built in Nemaha County and is estimated to be on line in 2020. Kansas State University is one of 14 Kansas organizations that will receive electricity from the wind farm.

“We are excited about this innovative approach to use renewable energy to help Kansas State University become more sustainable and save energy costs,” said Cindy Bontrager, the university’s vice president for administration and finance. “Sustainability planning is one of the key components of our K-State 2025 plan to become a top 50 public research university by 2025. As a public land-grant university, K-State has a role to address the sustainability challenges of our time and this agreement is a step in the right direction. Our facilities power plant utilities staff actively seeks ways for the university to save costs and I appreciate their initiative and hard work in getting that done.”

As part of a 20-year agreement, the wind farm will provide Kansas State University with 14 megawatts of power, which is approximately 50 percent of the current load of the university’s Manhattan campus, said Gary Weishaar, university manager of energy and controls. The anticipated savings for the university will be approximately $180,000 to $200,000 annually.

The savings will come from a reduction in the retail energy cost adjustment, also known as fuel factor costs, Weishaar said. Under the Renewables Direct program, the price of electricity provided from Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center will be fixed for 20 years at 1.8 cents per kilowatt-hour and replaces the fuel factor cost, which is currently 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour. The university’s average annual consumption for the Manhattan campus for the last five years has been 113 million kilowatt-hours per year. The university also will receive renewable energy credits associated with the agreement.

“We are constantly evaluating the potential of providing renewable energy for the university,” Weishaar said. “We feel this program is a good way to not only positively affect K-State financially, but to also take advantage of one of our most abundant natural resources.”

Westar Energy’s Renewables Direct program is designed to provide large customers a path toward their sustainability goals with Kansas’ abundant, affordable renewable energy. Participating customers are able to claim a portion of the energy generated by the wind farm as their own, retain all of the renewable attributes and lock in a portion of their electricity prices for 20 years. The program is structured to add projects in the future to keep up with the demand for renewable sources.

“We applaud K-State’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions,” said Chuck Caisley, senior vice president, public affairs and marketing and chief customer officer, Westar Energy. “Renewables Direct provides cost-effective access to Kansas’ excellent wind energy resources. We appreciate K-State’s role in making the introduction of Westar’s new program a success.”

By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL

From New York to New Mexico, residents in a number of states can expect a leftward push for expanded health care coverage, gun control, education funding and legalized recreational marijuana as Democrats who gained new or stronger powers in the midterm elections seek to put their stamp on public policy.

While Republicans remain in charge in more states, Democrats nearly doubled the number of places where they will wield a trifecta of power over the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature. Democrats also broke up several Republican strongholds, forcing GOP lawmakers who have been cutting taxes and curbing union powers to deal with a new reality of a Democratic governor.

All told, Democrats gained seats in 62 of the 99 partisan state legislative chambers, according to data provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures (Nebraska is the lone state with a single, nonpartisan chamber). Democrats also added seven new governorships.

In Kansas, Democrat Laura Kelly’s election as governor immediately recasts the debate over several big fiscal issues.

She supports expanding the state’s Medicaid health coverage as encouraged by the Affordable Care Act. While bipartisan backing for that has grown, supporters had not achieved the legislative supermajorities that would have been needed to overcome the opposition of Republican Govs. Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer.

Kelly also is pledging to reinstate an executive order barring anti-LGBT bias in state hiring and employment decisions, something Brownback rescinded in 2015.

In New York, where a new Democratic-run Senate will provide the missing link in liberals’ political power, the expansive agenda could go beyond guns, pot and health care to also include more protections for abortions rights and higher taxes on millionaires.

“We will finally give New Yorkers the progressive leadership they have been demanding,” said Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who stands to lead the Senate when the new session begins in January.

The U.S. is a deeply divided nation politically, a fact reflected in a midterm vote that gave Democrats the U.S. House while adding to the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. But within states, the overall outcome of the 2018 elections was a continued trend of one-party control — Democrats in some places, Republicans in others.

For the first time since 1914, there will be only one state — Minnesota — with its two legislative chambers led by different parties.

If Republican gubernatorial candidates maintain their slim leads in Florida and Georgia, Republicans will hold full control over the governor’s office and legislative chambers in 22 states compared with 14 for Democrats. Just 13 states will have a split partisan control between the governor’s office and legislature, nearly matching the 60-year low point set in 2012.

There also has been a decrease in ticket-splitting between governors and state attorneys general, with the number of such divisions expected to decline from 12 to 10 as a result of Tuesday’s elections.

“This is the most hyper-polarized, hyper-partisan time we’ve see in generations, and nobody can deny that,” said Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, a Democrat who is president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Illinois is one of a half-dozen states where Tuesday’s election put Democrats in control of the governor’s office and legislature.

Democrat J.B. Pritzker, who ousted Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, wants to legalize and tax recreational marijuana. He also has promised to push for a constitutional amendment to replace Illinois’ flat income tax system with a progressive one that requires the wealthy to pay a greater share.

Democrats also are planning aggressive agendas in other states where they expanded their political power:

— Nevada is expected to pass a ban on bump stocks on guns as the state Legislature meets for the first time since the October 2017 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. Democrats also will be pushing to spend more on education, expand Medicaid coverage, raise the minimum wage and require employers to provide paid sick leave.

— In New Mexico, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth said minimum wage and teacher pay increases will be at the top of the agenda. Democrats also could overhaul the state’s approach to climate change, gun control and marijuana.

— In Colorado, Democrats are planning a renewed push to expand health coverage, adopt gun controls, boost public education funding and enhance environmental protections.

— In Maine, new Democratic Gov.-elect and Attorney General Janet Mills has vowed to finally expand Medicaid as voters demanded in a 2017 referendum but which has been slowed by her Republican predecessor.

The states shifting to Democratic dominance can look to New Jersey, which held its governor’s election in 2017 and replaced a Republican with a Democrat. With the Legislature already controlled by Democrats, the state promptly tightened gun regulations, passed a paid sick-leave requirement and restored funding to Planned Parenthood.

But it hasn’t been like Christmas every day for liberals. It took a last-day deal before the budget expired over the summer to avoid a state government shutdown as Democrats disagreed over which taxes to raise. Lawmakers have missed their own deadlines on legalizing marijuana for adults, and some advocates are upset the state has not moved faster to boost the minimum wage.

New Jersey state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat who’s been in the legislature since 1992, said there’s a big difference in legislative debates when there’s one-party control.

“It is more about details than the broader principles,” she said.

Some states that became accustomed to Republican control over the past decade also will be making adjustments.

In Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers have been privately discussing ways they could limit the rule-making powers of Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers, who narrowly defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said they are looking at reconstituting boards to make sure they have equal representation.

North Carolina’s Republican-led Legislature did something similar after Democrat Roy Cooper won the governor’s race in 2016. But Cooper successfully sued over a law weakening his influence over the state elections board.

In Michigan, Democratic Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer broke a Republican trifecta while campaigning to “fix the damn roads” and replace aging water pipes with a multibillion-dollar infrastructure plan. But tax increases or increased borrowing could be a tough sell in the Legislature, which remains under Republican control.

The next Senate majority leader, Republican Sen. Mike Shirkey, signaled that he would oppose raising Michigan’s corporate income tax and said he would fight any attempt to repeal Michigan’s right-to-work laws “with every ounce of my body.”

Republicans who control the Minnesota state Senate said they will fight Democratic Gov.-elect Tim Walz if he follows through with a proposal to raise the gas tax to pay for infrastructure improvements. A number of states have taken that step in recent years to fund road repairs. That includes states where Republicans control the legislature and governor’s office, including Indiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Split power at the Minnesota Legislature also could lead to gridlock on the top issue from the election — health care. Walz campaigned on expanding one of the state’s low-income health care programs to offer a public option, but Senate Republicans have shot that down as an unworkable government takeover of health care.

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MIAMI COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4a.m. Sunday in Miami County.

A 2016 Jeep Wrangler driven by Jacob Knapp, 29, was traveling south in the northbound lane of Highway 69 just north of 223rd Street, according to the Miami County Kansas Sheriff’s Department.

The Jeep struck a 2011 Chevy Malibu driven by Charlene Crabbe, 44. The Jeep then caught fire.

A passenger in the Malibu Joshua Alexander Kinsey, 25, Kansas City, Kansas, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s department.

Crabbe suffered critical injuries. She and Knapp were transported to local hospitals. The accident remains under investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The University of Missouri-Kansas City expects to provide 400 more scholarships to low- and moderate-income students.

Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal announced Thursday that the university is partnering with the nonprofit KC Scholars to expand its scholarship program. The university and KC Scholars will each contribute $10 million.

The Kansas City Star reports the university currently has 46 KC Scholar recipients enrolled. The new program will add 400 scholarships over nine years. Each scholarship will be worth $10,000 a year for five years.

The first 80 students in the Kansas City metro area who are receiving the new scholarships will be notified Monday and Friday.

KC Scholars was launched with a $79 million contribution from the Kauffman Foundation in 2016 to help needy students afford college.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former housekeeper has admitted stealing more than $500,000 in jewelry while working for a woman in Stillwell.

43-year-old Sabina Garcia-Rivera, of Olathe, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of felony theft and three counts of making a false writing.

She was charged in January with stealing the jewelry over two years before the thefts were discovered in 2017.

The false writing charges involve false statements Garcia-Rivera made while pawning some pieces of the jewelry.

Prosecutors say she pawned several pieces for far less than they were worth.

Under terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will seek a sentence of three years and two months. The defense will ask for a two-year sentence. She will also be required to make restitution.

TOPEKA —The United State Marshal’s Service and FBI are alerting the public of several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. Marshals, court officers or other law enforcement officials.

Anyone receiving the calls is asked to contact their local FBI office and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share the information with law enforcement, according to a media release from the U.S. Marshals’ office in Kansas City.

During the calls, scammers attempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest by purchasing a pre-paid debit card, green card or similar gift card and read the numbers over the phone to satisfy the fine.

Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. They use badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials, federal judges and court addresses. They also spoof their phone numbers to appear on Caller ID as though calling from court or a government agency.

The U.S. Marshals Service will never ask for credit/debit card numbers, wire transfers or bank routing numbers for any purpose.

Don’t divulge your personal or financial information to unknown callers. Report these calls to the FBI and the FTC.

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal health officials have reported the first death in an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the death was in California but didn’t have any immediate details. Since last November, the agency said 164 people have fallen ill in 35 states, with the most recent case being reported on Oct. 20.

No products have been recalled, and the agency hasn’t recommended that people avoid turkey. But it said it believes the outbreak is widespread and ongoing, and it reminded people to properly cook and handle turkey with Thanksgiving approaching.

“We are still seeing new illnesses being reported on a weekly basis,” said Colin Basler, an epidemiologist with the CDC.

Basler noted there is a lag time between when a person gets sick and when the illness gets reported to health officials. The California Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to an email seeking additional details about the death.

A single supplier hasn’t been identified in connection with the outbreak. The rare salmonella strain was identified in live turkeys, as well as in ground turkey, turkey patties and raw turkey pet food.

The National Turkey Federation said in a statement that its members have reviewed their salmonella-control programs. The industry group said programs include vaccination and sanitation, such as wearing protective boots and clothing to reduce birds’ exposure to pathogens.

To limit risk, the CDC recommends cooking turkey to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees, and washing hands and counters that have touched uncooked meat.

Salmonella can be found in a variety of foods, including packaged foods. This week, Conagra Brands recalled 2.4 million boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix because of a link to salmonella.

The CDC estimates salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses a year. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and can last up to seven days. Illnesses are more likely to be severe in the elderly and infants, according to the CDC.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Court records say a man accused in a suburban Kansas City hit-and-run crash that left two people dead had been speeding and “jockeying back and forth” with one of the victim’s vehicles beforehand.

Prosecutors released the affidavit Thursday in the case against 45-year-old Bradley Woodworth, of Olathe. He is charged with leaving the scene of the Oct. 6 wreck that killed 18-year-old Matthew Bloskey and 20-year-old Samuel Siebuhr.

Woodworth is accused of driving the minivan that was seen jockeying for position with Siebuhr’s car before the two vehicles made contact in Overland Park. Siebuhr’s car then spun out of control and went over the median, where it was struck and knocked sideways. It then was hit by the vehicle that Bloskey was driving.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri drivers will be getting new red, white and blue license plates to commemorate the state’s upcoming bicentennial.

The new plates will be distributed when vehicle owners apply for or seek to renew their license plates over the next couple of years. State officials aim to have the plates in place before Missouri’s 200th anniversary in 2021.

The bicentennial design features red and blue wavy lines to represent Missouri’s rivers, with the state seal in the middle. The new design will replace the current “bluebird” models that feature the state bird atop a hawthorn, the state floral emblem.

The new license plates cost the state about $17 million. The money will be returned by charging residents extra fees for regular personalized plates.