ABILENE, Kan.- Two suspects were arrested following a high-speed chase Thursday morning on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle for a traffic violation just before 10 a.m. at Niles Road in Saline County.

The vehicle refused to stop. Officers deployed stop sticks and stopped the vehicle just east of the Russell Stover-Fair Road exit in Dickinson County.

Marisa Gross, 24, Kansas City, Mo., and Moses French, 29, Denver, Co., were taken into custody. Officers say they face numerous drug and other charges per the Saline County Attorney.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report by a federal consumer advocacy office says many Americans saddled with high-cost private student loans are falling into default.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says in its report today that companies servicing these loans are not offering reasonable options for new terms.

It says distressed borrowers are getting too little information or assistance when they run into trouble trying to keep up payments on their private student loans. And it says affordable repayment alternatives often are not available.

The agency also says complaints by borrowers are rising. It says it received about 5,300 complaints between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014. That’s up 38 percent from about 3,800 complaints the previous year.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created by Congress during the Obama administration as part of bank reform legislation.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Two St. Louis County Wal-Mart stores where police shooting protesters disrupted business earlier this week have removed ammunition from their shelves.
KMOV-TV  reports that the Ferguson and Maplewood Wal-Marts took the precaution after Ferguson October protesters clashed with police at both locations

Monday. Several arrests were made.
Protesters also targeted the Bridgeton Wal-Mart, but that store did not remove its ammunition in response.

A Wal-Mart spokesman cited concerns related to previous looting and violence after the police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson.
More than a dozen stores were attacked the night after Brown’s death, including the Ferguson Wal-Mart.

ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press
JACK GILLUM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI director is warning against smartphone encryption.

James Comey is talking about tech companies like Apple and Google that say their new operating systems will be encrypted, or protected by coding. Comey says encrypting smartphone data has serious consequences for law enforcement and national security agencies.

Comey spoke Thursday at the Brookings Institution. He says encryption is like a safe that can’t be cracked or a closet that can’t be opened. The FBI director says justice may be denied because of a locked phone and that critical information routinely comes from smartphones, hard drives and online sources.

Comey says while some people believe the government sweeps up all cellphone communications or has access to all communications at all times, that’s not the case.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little says the university is working to improve its handling of sexual violence on the Lawrence campus.

Gray-Little briefed the Kansas Board of Regents Wednesday on steps the school has taken to address the issue. Kansas, Kansas State University and Washburn University are among 85 universities nationwide being investigated for their handling of sexual assault complaints.

The chancellor says the school established a task force to recommend improvements for handling the complaints. And Kansas is now enforcing a requirement that students complete a training program in sexual assault and harassment before they can register for classes.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the provost’s office also is temporarily funding a full-time position for someone to counsel victims, witnesses and others affected by sexual assault.

 

COLUMBIA (AP) – An advocacy group is asking the Missouri Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that course outlines used by University of Missouri teachers are not public records.

The National Council on Teacher Quality argued in a motion filed Wednesday that a state appeals court was incorrect when it ruled that the course syllabi are the intellectual property of faculty members, meaning they are not public records.

The Washington D.C-based group’s effort in Missouri is part of a nationwide effort to monitor what aspiring teachers learn at college.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the group contends the appeals court ruling in August did not consider that the federal copyright law includes an exception when copies are for “nonprofit educational purposes.”

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – The state of Missouri is allowing temporary changes in grain hauling regulations to help farmers get their crops to market.

The Missouri Department of Transportation says private and for-hire motor carriers will be able to haul corn, soybeans and other grains at heavier than normal weights. The change takes effect immediately and lasts through midnight, Dec. 14.

KYTV reports farmers are struggling to harvest their crops because of recent heavy rains. The changes will allow haulers to carry up to 10 percent more than their licensed weight. The heavier loads will not be allowed on interstates.

The state also will not require overweight permits for the slightly overweight loads.

DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler is recalling nearly 907,000 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and cars for failing alternators and heated power mirrors that can cause minor fires.

The largest of today’s recalls covers nearly 470,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Durangos from 2011 through 2014. The alternators can fail, causing the 3.6-liter V6 engines to stall unexpectedly.

Chrysler knows of one crash but no injuries or fires. It will replace alternators for free. Owners will be notified in November.

The second recall covers nearly 437,000 Jeep Wranglers from 2011 through 2013. Water can enter the heated power mirror wiring and cause a short. Chrysler knows of no fires or injuries.

Dealers will move the move the wiring and install a water shield starting in December.

GRANDVIEW (AP) – A 33-year-old man is charged with setting a fire that killed his young daughter and a woman at a home in a Kansas City suburb.

Jackson County authorities on Wednesday charged Stephen Elijah of Grandview with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. The Sept. 29 fire killed his 14-month-old daughter, whose name authorities did not release, and 37-year-old Anika M. Hobley.

Police say two girls, aged 10 and 6, escaped the house by jumping out of a window.

The Kansas City Star reports court records indicate the fire began in the basement and quickly spread. The Missouri state fire marshal determined that a chemical had been used to ignite the fire.

Court records do not indicate if Elijah has an attorney.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Fort Riley soldier who is charged in the death of his 5-week-old daughter has been denied a lower bond.

A Riley County judge ruled Tuesday that 22-year-old Alexander McConnell will remain under $200,000 bond. McConnell’s attorney had asked for a reduction to $100,000 so he could post bond and work.

McConnell, an Army specialist, is charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in the February death of his daughter.

The Manhattan Mercury reports  that a court affidavit says an autopsy found the baby suffered substantial bleeding in the skull, broken ribs and other internal injuries before her death.