JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The results are official for Missouri’s general election, and there are no last moment surprises.

Secretary of State Jason Kander on Wednesday officially certified the results of the Nov. 4 election. Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich  and all eight of Missouri’s incumbent Congress members were easily re-elected, so there was no suspense over the final figures.

The top attraction appeared to be Constitutional Amendment 3, which would have required teachers to be evaluated based largely on student performance. More people voted on that measure than on any other issue or race. The amendment was overwhelmingly defeated.

KANSAS CITY- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a International Bobtail tractor driven by Raymond D. Whisenhunt, 49, Lawrence, was northbound on Interstate 35 just south of 167th Street.

The vehicle made an unsafe lane change and struck the side of a 1998 Ford passenger car driven by Karen A. Finney, 47, Spring Hill, that was also traveling southbound.

The Ford went off roadway to the right, overturned in the ditch entrapping the driver.

Finney was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
Whisenhunt was not injured.
The KHP reported both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – The decision to clear a New York police officer for a fatal chokehold has fueled protests in the St. Louis area, just over a week after a grand jury there decided not to charge an officer in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

The Post-Dispatch reports five people were arrested Wednesday evening in downtown St. Louis as protesters attempted to prevent federal workers from leaving a courthouse. Protester Elizabeth Vega says they were “standing in solidarity with Eric Garner,” the black man who died after the chokehold.

During another demonstration in the city’s Central West End neighborhood, a minivan plowed through protesters, striking a woman.

About 200 people marched through the business district in suburban Clayton to the courthouse where the grand jury met in Brown’s case.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) will serve as the next co-chair of the U.S. Senate Aerospace Caucus. The future of aerospace and aviation is especially important to the state of Kansas and the community of Wichita, known as the “Air Capital of the World.” Roughly 32,000 Kansans support more than 450 aerospace companies – from large companies like Airbus, Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier and Textron, to hundreds of smaller suppliers – and their work contributes more than $7 billion annually Kansas’ economy.

Sen. Moran joins U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) as co-chair and replaces U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) who has served as co-chair since 2011 and is retiring at the end of this Congress.

“Safeguarding our nation for future generations means both a strong national defense and a strong economy,” Sen. Moran said. “The aerospace industry is where these two priorities converge. That is why I am proud to be co-chairing the Senate Aerospace Caucus. Promoting education, workforce and research development, as well as increasing manufacturing within the aerospace industry is vital to our Kansas and national economies. I look forward to continuing my work to make certain this historical and innovative American industry remains strong, secure and competitive globally.”

“When a Navy P8 pilot takes off from Whidbey Island, Washington, he is flying not only one of the most advanced maritime surveillance aircraft in the world, but also a product of both Wichita, Kansas, and Renton, Washington,” Sen. Murray said. “When an Air Force KC-46 pilot launches from McConnell Airbase in Wichita, she’s seated in a cockpit made in Kansas and assembled into a modern air to air refueling platform in Washington. I have always respected Senator Moran for his integrity and energy and I look forward to working with him to ensure that these kinds of productive collaborations can continue as we fight to ensure a strong and competitive American aerospace sector.”

“I can think of no one more appropriate to take my place as co-chair of the Senate Aerospace Caucus than Senator Jerry Moran,” said Sen. Chambliss. “He is a strong and passionate advocate for the industry and, alongside Senator Murray, he will lead this caucus to even greater heights. The United States has the most robust aerospace and defense program in the world, and I know that Senator Moran will continue to serve as a great champion for this important industry.”

“AIA welcomes Senator Jerry Moran’s selection to co-chair the Senate Aerospace Caucus,” said Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “Kansas is a major center for aerospace innovation, and we know Senator Moran will continue advocating for strong U.S. leadership in this field. Our industry makes an important contribution to our nation’s economy and national security, and we look forward to working with Senator Moran to keep our nation second to none.”

Founded in 2010, the Senate Aerospace Caucus provides a forum for Senators and aerospace industry representatives to discuss issues of importance to the nation’s defense, civil aviation and space sectors. The aerospace caucus:

• Provides critical oversight of the U.S. government’s aerospace defense industry program;

• Promotes increased government investment in U.S. aviation infrastructure and development;

• Ensures a competitive industrial base; and

• Promotes education and workforce development programs that prepare Americans for careers in the aerospace industry.

Kansas serves as a crossroads for global aerospace. According to the Kansas Aviation Museum, Kansas aviation workers have supplied 74 percent of all general aviation aircraft since the Wright Brother’s first flight at Kitty Hawk. Today, roughly 32,000 Kansans support more than 450 aerospace companies – from large companies like Airbus, Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier and Textron, to hundreds of smaller suppliers – and their work contributes more than $7 billion annually to our state’s economy. General aviation is Kansas’ largest industry and generates nearly $2.9 billion in exports each year.

NANCY BENAC, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Christmas is going digital at the White House this year.

The holiday decorations unveiled Wednesday include 3-D printed ornaments that were designed by students, tinkerers, engineers and artists from around the country.

There’s also an interactive installation in the East Garden Room that allows people to visualize themselves in a snowscape projected on the wall.

This year’s theme for the White House decorations is “a children’s winter wonderland.”

Another new feature this year is in the Vermeil (ver-MAY) Room, where two Christmas trees were created from dress-form mannequins.

Overall, 26 Christmas trees are on display, and there’s more than a mile of knotted ribbon in the animated replicas of first dogs Bo and Sunny.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a suspect was shot and wounded in suburban Kansas City as the U.S. Marshals Service was attempting to take him into custody.

The Overland Park Police Department said in a news release that it is investigating the shooting. It happened just before 4 p.m. Wednesday as a team of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies were moving in on the suspect. The release didn’t say what led up to the shooting, and the Marshals Service didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Police said the suspect was taken to a hospital, and his condition, name and what he was being sought for weren’t immediately released. No officers were injured.

Michael Pagels, Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN -More than 40 students participated in a protest at the K-State Student Union over the lack of an indictment in the well-publicized case of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Mo.

Justice Davis, junior at K-State and Black Student Union President, led the protesters in the ‘Hands Up – Don’t Shoot’ chant before 4.5 minutes of silent protest by those present.

The student activists wore black and laid on the ground on the main level of the Union in the main hall to represent the 4.5 hours Michael Brown was left on the street after being shot by Officer Darren Wilson.

Davis mentioned several cases involving racial discrimination and police brutality that have occurred over the last few years.

He finished the protest by explaining the Black Student Union’s position is one of non-violence, and violence is not to be condoned.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ameren Corp.’s nuclear plant in mid-Missouri has been shut down due to an electrical equipment failure, but the company and federal regulators say there is no risk to the public.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says an “unexpected main turbine trip” caused the shutdown at 12:22 a.m. at Ameren’s Callaway nuclear power plant near Fulton.

Mark McLachlan, Ameren’s senior director of engineering at the plant, says the issue is strictly electrical. He says there was no radiation release and no threat to the safety of employees or the public.

McLachlan says customers will see no effect because other power plants will compensate.

NRC spokeswoman Lara Uselding says the cause of the shutdown is still being determined. It isn’t clear when the plant will start generating electricity again.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is suing a Kansas City suburb for pulling over a driver for flashing his headlights at oncoming drivers to warn that a speed trap was ahead.

The federal suit was filed Wednesday on behalf of Jerry L. Jarman Jr., who lives on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area. He was ticketed in August in Grain Valley, and the charge was dismissed in October.

The ACLU of Missouri alleges that the stop violated Jarman’s First Amendment right to free speech and Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

The suit said that without a court ruling, Jarman fears he will be penalized in the future for flashing his lights.

Interim city administrator Ryan Hunt didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment.