JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Sex offenders convicted of lower-level crimes would be able to petition to have their names removed from a state registry under a bill that a Senate committee is considering.

The Columbia Missourian reports that Republican Rep. Kurt Bahr’s bill already has passed the House. It would create a tiered system, similar to what the federal government uses, to make it possible for people who have committed an offense that falls into the first two tiers to petition to have their name removed from the registry.

Bahr says his bill could help make the registry clearer for the public.

The bill also distinguishes different kinds of sexual offenses, and imposes a lifetime sentence with no eligibility for parole for those who commit a predatory sexual offense.

LINDWOOD, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas man is charged in the death of a woman who was reported missing last week.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson says 63-year-old Dan Flannagan was charged Friday with second-degree murder in the death of 61-year-old Constance Perryman.

A family member reported Perryman missing Thursday night. Her body was found on farm property south of Linwood.

Flannagan and Perryman lived on the property where her body was found.

Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley says Perryman apparently was shot.

Sherley say a disagreement at the home apparently led to the shooting but the investigation is continuing.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas could soon provide free college admission testing to its high school students.

A provision in a school finance bill approved by legislators would set aside $2.8 million for one ACT test and three WorkKeys vocational assessments for each student statewide.

Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner of Louisburg said Tuesday that ACT tests are critical to college applications but are often too expensive for some students.

The State Department of Education says that in 2017, 60 percent of high school graduates took the ACT nationwide and 73 percent in Kansas. Baumgardner wants 100 percent.

Baumgardner said with free ACT testing, every student will have a chance to show colleges what they know, making higher education more accessible. She is an author of the provision and the Senate Education Committee’s chairwoman.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and have made an arrest.

Just after 6p.m. Sunday, police responded to an emergency medical services call in the parking lot of a liquor store in the 1700 Block of South Seneca in Wichita. First responders found the body of a woman in the dumpster behind the business, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Early Monday, authorities were able to identify 37-year-old Leuh Moore as the victim, according to Police Lt. Todd Ojile.

With that information, investigators responded to her address in the 1100 Block of West Dayton in Wichita. Investigators spoke with neighbors in the area and learned the victim lived there with her husband and a child.

As investigators entered the residence they looked for the child and to make sure nobody else was injured inside the residence, according to Ojile. Investigators were able piece together the events that occurred and issued a felony pickup for the woman’s 30-year-old husband and a vehicle that belongs to her.  A State Trooper checking motels in the area located the vehicle, according to Ojile.   Donnell Casey Danter Stafford is being held by authorities in a Scott County, Iowa Jail, according to the daily booking report.

Investigators worked until early Tuesday processing the crime scene. Just before 9:30 Tuesday morning, the husband and vehicle were located in Davenport, Iowa, according to Ojile. State Troopers and Davenport police arrested him.

Law enforcement authorities will present the case to the district attorney Tuesday afternoon, according to Ojile. They will travel to Iowa on Wednesday.

Investigators believe the suspect took to the couple’s 7-year-old son to a relative’s house after his mother was killed. Two dogs at the home were stabbed and were taken to a vet for treatment.
Ojile says the couple had a history of domestic violence but do not know what led to the murder.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Some Columbia high school students may be subject to sobriety tests at their upcoming prom.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that all Rock Bridge High School students attending prom on April 28 must take an alcohol breath test before entering the dance.

The tests will also be available at Battle High School’s prom on April 21 and Hickman High School’s prom on May 5. Both of the schools’ principals say the tests will only be administered if a student is suspected of being drunk.

Superintendent Peter Stiepleman says Rock Bridge’s student council suggested a prom sobriety checkpoint to school administrators after some students showed up drunk to a fall dance.

He says school officials will call a student’s parents to pick them up if they fail the breath test.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have discovered that a public school funding bill passed by lawmakers contains an error lowering the size of its spending increase by at least $80 million.

Spokesman Kendall Marr said Tuesday that Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer still plans to sign the measure and work with legislators on fixing the problem. The State Department of Education posted a notice about the flaw in the legislation on its website Monday.

Legislators meant to phase in a $534 million increase in education funding over five years in hopes of satisfying a Kansas Supreme Court mandate. With the flaw, the figure would be $454 million or possibly a little lower.

The House approved the bill Saturday and the Senate passed it early Sunday. Critics argued that the measure was being rushed.

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) – Authorities are investigating the deaths of four people at a southwest Missouri home as a murder-suicide.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says those found dead Monday afternoon at the home south of Branson West were a 47-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 75-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy.

Their names haven’t been released. Branson West is near the tourist town of Branson.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that Rich Jarocki, who lives across the road, went to check on his neighbors after a relative expressed concern that they weren’t returning calls or text messages. Jarocki says no one came to the door and that when he looked through a window he saw someone lying on the floor.

He says the people killed moved to Missouri about a year ago from California.

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BRANSON, Mo. (AP) – The Stone County Sheriff’s Department is investigating several deaths at a home near Branson

Sheriff Doug Rader says deputies went to the home for a welfare check Monday afternoon and found multiple people dead inside a home.

No other information was immediately available.

Rader says his deputies are rarely called to the area, which is in a quiet retirement area south of Branson West.

Neighbors told KYTV-TV that the family living at the home had moved in about five months ago.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have issued a statement  on how a man accused in a fatal hoax 911 call got access to social media from a Kansas jail.

On April 6, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office received information about an inmate possibly posting on a social media website.  Based on this information authorities started an investigation  to see what had occurred, according to a media release from Lt. Tim Myers.

Tyler Barriss, the suspect charged with involuntary manslaughter in the December hoax call death of Andrew Finch at a Wichita home was the inmate posting on twitter.

How am I on the Internet if I’m in jail? Oh, because I’m an eGod, that’s how

— Infamy the Lord (@GoredTutor36) April 6, 2018

Y’all should see how much swag I got in here

— Infamy the Lord (@GoredTutor36) April 6, 2018

According to Lt. Myers, during the investigation it was discovered a software upgrade to one of the inmate kiosks was done improperly by the vendor.

This improper upgrade on a kiosk at the Sedgwick County Jail, and at kiosks at other jails across the country, allowed inmates a path to get to the internet.  At this time it is unknown how many inmates accessed the internet. The kiosk in question was only accessible to 14 inmates for less than a few hours before the vendor became aware of the issue.

As soon as the path was identified it was closed and the affected kiosk was upgraded with the proper digital security features by the vendor.  The kiosk in question has been tested and the issue did not reoccur.

Prosecutors allege Barriss made a call December 28 with a fake story about a shooting and kidnapping that led police to a home where 28-year-old Andrew Finch was shot and killed after opening his door.