WICHITA – Eight Kansas hunters were charged in federal court Tuesday with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said in a news release Wednesday.

A criminal complaint alleged the men violated the federal law protecting migratory birds when they participated in an annual opening weekend dove hunt in Graham County on Sept. 1 to 2, 2013.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act classifies mourning doves as migratory game birds. It classifies owls as migratory non-game birds. Restrictions on hunting mourning doves include a daily bag limit of 15 and a possession limit of twice the daily bag limit.

Charged are:

• Daniel R. Dinkel, 63, Hill City, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
• Kent A. Webber, 52, Derby, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, and one count of taking an owl.
• Evan Webber, 25, Derby, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, and one count of taking an owl.
• George Morgan, 52, Gordonville, Texas, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
• Kenneth R. Beran, 67, Derby, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
• Clark Law, 57, Hill City, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
• Tracy D. Higgins, 54, El Dorado, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, and one count of taking an owl.
• John Kobler, 62, Topeka, one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of six months in prison on each count and a fine up to $15,000. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis considers eliminating church charges for marriage annulments, revealing he once fired an official who tried to charge thousands of dollars for one.

Francis told participants Wednesday at a Vatican course about annulments that as bishop of Buenos Aires, he was dismayed to learn what hardships faithful incurred seeking annulments. Some needed to travel hundreds of kilometers (miles) and lose days of work to reach church tribunals. He also recalled sacking an unidentified church tribunal official, possibly a lawyer, who told someone that for $10,000 he would “take care of” both church and civil procedures over the annulment.

He said he was considering requests, made at a Vatican meeting last month about families, to make annulments cost-free.

A St Louis man who shoved a woman in her sixties down some basement stairs and then hit her on the head several times with a hammer is now scheduled to be executed.

The Missouri State Supreme Court on Wednesday announced an execution warrant scheduling Paul Goodwin’s execution December 10.

Police say Goodwin was living in a boarding house next to the victim, Joan Crotts. Investigators say the pair frequently argued.

Mr Goodwin apparently blamed Mrs Crotts for his eviction from the boarding house.

On March 1, 1998, authorities say Mr Goodwin entered her home through an unlocked back door. He confronted Mrs Crotts with a hammer. She asked him if he wanted money or jewelry, to which he said “no.” Later he tried to force her to perform oral sex.

A short time later he shoved her down some basement stairs, and then beat her on the back of the head several times with the hammer.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Law students at Washburn University will honor Kansas veterans and their families with a free, one-day Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic.

The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the School of Law on the Topeka campus.

This is the second year the clinic has been held. Students work under the supervision of law school faculty to provide wills, living wills and durable powers of attorney for veterans and others with connections to the military.

All of the students in the clinic have been certified by the Kansas Supreme Court to work as legal interns.

Thomas Romig is dean of Washburn’s law school. He retired in 2005 as a major general in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps after 34 years of service.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has legalized charity fundraising raffles.

Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution in Tuesday’s election. The measure allows nonprofit, religious, veterans and other organizations to hold raffles as fundraisers.

But organizations will not be allowed to sell raffle tickets through electronic gambling or vending machines or contract with professional lottery or raffle companies to operate their contests.

Legislators sought to allow such contests by law in 2013, but Republican Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed the measure, seeing a violation of the state constitution.

The constitution originally prohibited all forms of lotteries. Under existing Kansas law, raffles are essentially private lotteries.

Kansas now has a state lottery and state-owned casinos, but they’re permitted under a 1986 amendment making an exception to the overall ban on lotteries.

DAVID A. LIEB, Associated Press

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Republican U.S. Pat Roberts has won re-election while turning back a challenge from suburban Kansas City businessman Greg Orman.

Roberts’ victory Tuesday continues a dominating streak for Kansas Republicans, who have not lost a U.S. Senate race since 1932.

But it didn’t come easy.

Roberts first survived a close GOP primary against a tea party challenger. Then Orman emerged a formidable independent candidate after the Democratic nominee dropped out.

Orman asserted Roberts had become part of the partisan gridlock in Washington after spending 18 years in the Senate and 16 before that in the U.S. House.

Roberts told voters his re-election was essential to Republican hopes of gaining control of the Senate and standing up to President Barack Obama. His campaign was aided by numerous high-profile Republicans.

How safe is your community? Is it a dangerous place to live? The web site Home Security Shield has compiled a list of the most dangerous cities in Kansas?

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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas massage therapist has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman.

The Kansas City Star  reports that 47-year-old Freddy Perez-Cartagena, of Olathe, was arrested Tuesday on a Johnson County warrant charging him with rape and aggravated criminal sodomy. Court documents say the alleged sexual assault occurred on Aug. 13 in Shawnee.

Perez-Cartagena was released from custody later Tuesday after posting a $100,000 bond. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Court records show Perez-Cartagena was previously charged in Johnson County with three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. But he later pleaded guilty to amended charges of battery and was placed on probation. He was required to register as a sex offender until his probation was completed in 2010.