TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on businessman Greg Orman’s independent bid for Kansas governor (all times local):

5 p.m.

Independent candidate Greg Orman’s campaign manager says he expects Democrats to file a lawsuit to remove Orman from the ballot in the Kansas governor’s race.

Campaign manager Tim Phillips said Thursday he would be shocked if a lawsuit wasn’t filed after a state board rejected most claims in an objection to Orman’s candidacy filed by a Democratic legislative leader’s chief of staff.

The board’s decision Thursday means Orman remains on the ballot.

Attorney Pedro Irigonegary represented the legislative aide and said a lawsuit is possible but a decision has not been made.

The objection questioned how Orman’s campaign collected at least 4,000 signatures on petitions for his spot on the Nov. 6 ballot. He needed 5,000 from registered voters, and the secretary of state’s office validated more than 7,700.

___

4p.m.

A state board in Kansas is keeping independent candidate Greg Orman on the ballot in the governor’s race.

The State Objections Board on Thursday rejected a challenge filed by a Democratic legislative leader’s aide.

The Democrat had argued that questions about how Orman gathered the signatures of registered voters were grave enough to warrant removing him from the Nov. 6 ballot.

Orman needed the signatures of 5,000 registered voters, and counties validated about 7,700. The objection raised questions about how at least 4,000 were collected.

The board was made up of representatives of the secretary of state, the attorney general and the lieutenant governor. All are Republicans and Secretary of State Kris Kobach is the GOP nominee for governor.

Many Democrats fear Orman’s bid will help Kobach.

___

COLUMBIA, MO (AP) — A Missouri mother has been charged with accepting money and cocaine in exchange for letting men sexually assault her 14-year-old daughter who authorities say has cerebral palsy and the mental capacity of a 2- to 3-year-old.

49-year-old Renee Collins, of Columbia, was charged Tuesday with second-degree trafficking of a child and first-degree child endangerment. Her boyfriend, 44-year-old William Thomas Jr., of Rocheport, is also charged with first-degree rape. They are jailed in Boone County. No attorneys are listed for them in online court records.

Court records say the girl also has autism, is partially deaf and uses corrective leg braces. She was taken into protective custody in July 2017 and told authorities that her mother would “loan” her to men.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A fire has damaged one of the Kansas City Police Department’s evidence buildings.

A fire at the Kansas City Municipal Services building was reported shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The extent of the damage is not immediately clear. Kansas City firefighters have turned over the scene to police, who will assess the damage.

Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina says it will take some time to investigate what caused the fire. He says it is unclear how the damages might affect current and old cases.

TOPEKA – Over several years, the federal government illegally collected an Obamacare fee from Kansas and now must repay the state more than $142 million, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

According to a media release, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and five other states sued the federal government, arguing that the Health Insurance Provider (HIP) Fee – one of the numerous taxes and fees imposed by the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare” – was being illegally collected from their state treasuries. Federal law expressly prohibits the imposition of the HIP fee on states, but in states like Kansas that contract with private managed care organizations (MCOs) to operate their Medicaid programs, the federal government imposed the fee on the MCOs, then adopted a regulation requiring the MCOs to pass the cost of the HIP fee through to the state.

“The whole scheme was a two-step sleight-of-hand that had the effect of forcing states like Kansas to tax its citizens and then send the proceeds to the federal government,” Schmidt said. “We’ve thought from the beginning this was one of the illegal provisions of Obamacare, and yesterday the federal court agreed.”

Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor had previously ruled in March that the regulation mandating the MCOs pass the cost of the HIP fee through to the states was illegal, but at that time he declined to order the federal government to refund to the states the money it had illegally collected.

Kansas and the other states asked Judge O’Connor to reconsider, and yesterday he did. His revised ruling requires, as a matter of equity, that the federal government disgorge the ill-gotten proceeds from the illegally collected tax by returning the wrongly collected money to the states that paid it.

In total, the order requires that more than $839 million be returned to the six states that brought the lawsuit. The Kansas share of that is $142,121,776, which reflects the total amount Kansas taxpayers paid because of the illegal HIP Fee pass-through for 2013-2015.

Yesterday’s ruling is likely to be appealed by the federal government.

“This lawsuit is ongoing,” Schmidt said. “Kansas budgeters should not bank on this money just yet. But yesterday’s ruling is well-reasoned and puts us in a much stronger position as our case goes up on appeal.”

The next stop for the case likely will be the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. In addition to Kansas, the states that brought this lawsuit are Texas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The case is Texas v. United States, No. 15-cv-151 (N.D. Tex.). The ruling is available here. 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on numerous drug charges, have made an arrest and asking the public for help to find a second suspect.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Relatives are outraged that police declined to take a missing person report for a man with a string of minor crimes before his body was found on a vacant Kansas City lot.

26-year-old Justin Graham’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Graham’s stepfather, David Greenwood, says an officer suggested that Graham was “probably in a jail someplace” when family tried to report him missing. They’d already checked; the officer suggested checking more.

Police spokesman Sgt. Jacob Becchina says Graham was known to move around and there wasn’t evidence of foul play.

Graham’s mother, Vicki Greenwood, wrote that because Graham was a “couch surfer, he didn’t matter.”

Graham’s body was found about a week later on Aug. 7. Becchina described the outcome as “terrible.”

CINCINNATI (AP) — The nation’s largest grocery chain will be plastic-bag free at all of its nearly 2,800 stores by 2025.

Kroger Co., which orders about 6 billion bags each year, will begin phasing out their use immediately at one of its chains based in Seattle, a city that has been proactive on reducing plastic use.

Dillons based in Hutchinson is a division of the Kroger Company that is based in Cincinnati.

The company operates 2,779 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia, serving almost 9 million people daily through two dozen different grocery chains.

Kroger is seeking customer feedback and will be working with outside groups throughout the transition.

It will begin phasing out plastic bag use Thursday at its QFC stores in and around Seattle. It expects to be plastic-bag free at the chain next year.

Kroger has not confirmed when Dillons will make the transition.

“We listen very closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns,” said Mike Donnelly, Kroger’s chief operating officer. “That’s why, starting today at QFC, we will begin the transition to more sustainable options. This decision aligns with our Restock Kroger commitment to live our purpose through social impact.”

There is a broader shift under way at major U.S. corporations to reduce waste. Disney, Starbucks, Marriott and McDonald’s are getting rid of plastic straws. McDonald’s said this year that it will use only recycled or other environmentally friendly materials for its soda cups, Happy Meal boxes and other packaging by 2025. Dunkin’ Donuts is phasing out polystyrene foam cups by 2020. Ikea plans to eliminate single-use plastic products from its shelves by 2020.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Kansas City man has been charged with starting a house fire that injured his father and estranged wife.

Thirty-seven-year-old Brandon West was charged Wednesday in Clay County with first-degree arson in the Tuesday night fire. Bond is set at $100,000. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Court records say West’s father told police that he walked out to the garage after hearing a bang and found West pouring gasoline onto the floor. The father said West started ranting about his estranged wife and current girlfriend before he used a match on the gasoline. Carpeting also was set on fire.

West’s wife was trapped in an upstairs bedroom as the fire spread. Neighbors helped her escape through a window.

Two dogs died in the fire.