COLUMBIA (AP) – U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri is warning colleges and universities against hiring expensive consultants to revamp sexual discrimination policies.

The Democratic senator told reporters Tuesday that pricey contractors aren’t necessary. She spoke after a discussion at the University of Missouri on her bipartisan legislation addressing campus sexual assault and other safety issues.

The University of Missouri system has reportedly spent $495,000 on the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management, a policymaking guidance and training consultant.

University system president Tim Wolfe said such contracts are intended to help improve policies on sexual discrimination and assault.

But McCaskill said material from the U.S. Justice Department and other sources should be enough for universities to implement new policies in her outlined in her Campus Accountability and Safety Act.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three Kansas Republicans seeking re-election to statewide office are touting endorsements from other GOP elected officials.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts’ re-election campaign announced Tuesday that he has the backing of conservative Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn. Roberts’ campaign said earlier that Coburn would participate with Roberts in five events Thursday and Friday as part of a bus tour.

Roberts is in a tough re-election race with independent candidate and Olathe businessman Greg Orman.

Meanwhile, Gov. Sam Brownback had a news conference Tuesday outside the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe to tout endorsements from District Attorney Steve Howe and Sheriff Frank Denning.

Brownback’s race for re-election against Democrat Paul Davis is currently considered a toss-up.

State Treasurer Ron Estes announced an endorsement from eastern Kansas Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, a former state treasurer.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich says too many public entities are violating state laws about closed meetings.

Schweich released a report Tuesday showing that about 15 percent the nearly 300 entities he audited over the previous two years had some of sort of problems complying with the state’s Sunshine Law.

That’s an improvement from the nearly 20 percent problem rate during audits conducted in 2010 and 2011. But Schweich says there is plenty of room for more improvement.

He says many of the problems related to closed meetings where governmental entities either failed to document the reason for meeting secretly, discussed topics they shouldn’t have or didn’t keep adequate minutes of the closed sessions.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear appeals on same-sex marriage bans is spawning diverging responses in the states indirectly affected by the move.

Conservative places such as Kansas and Wyoming are for now refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. In more liberal outposts such as Colorado, gay marriage is officially legal.

Officials in the conservative states acknowledge they’ll have to reassess once legal challenges directly target their distinct state bans. For instance, South Carolina’s attorney general said if a court specifically rules against its gay marriage ban, he’ll then decide how to proceed.

In the meantime, the American Civil Liberties Union and other gay rights advocates are assembling their legal teams and planning for the lawsuits to provide those specific challenges.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – A federal grand jury has added more charges against a Kansas City man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a congressman’s local office.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says the additional charges are included in an indictment returned Tuesday against 28-year-old Eric King.

King is accused of trying to firebomb the Kansas City office of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver on Sept. 11. Police said a window was broken, but the two alcohol-filled bottles failed to ignite.

King was charged last month with using a dangerous instrument to intimidate and interfere with a federal official. The new charges include attempted arson, using explosive materials to commit a felony and illegally possessing an incendiary device.

King remains held without bond. A call to his public defender was not returned.

United States Attorney’s Office

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Manhattan woman pleaded guilty Monday to taking part in a marriage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Jacqueline Michaelle Reed, 48, Manhattan, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. In her plea, Reed, who is a United States Citizen, admitted she entered into a marriage contract with co-defandant Yun Chiu for the purpose of evading U.S. immigration laws. Chiu was a foreign national who was seeking lawful permanent residency status in this country. Their arrangement was part of a conspiracy led by Quong Bow Low, who was paid for helping aliens seek residency. Low’s fees covered such services as coaching the defendants as to how to answer questions during an immigration interview so that officials would believe the couple had entered in a valid marriage.

Reed and Chiu submitted fraudulent paperwork to immigration authorities, including a marriage license that never was filed with the state of Kansas, as well as a false declaration they were in a valid marriage and resided together at the same address in Lawrence, Kan.

Reed is set sentencing Jan. 12. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Co-defendants include:
Yun Chiu is set for trial Nov. 12.
Quong Bow Low is set for sentencing Nov. 14.

Grissom commended the Department of Homeland Security and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.

JOAN LOWY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just because you can talk to your car doesn’t mean you should. Two studies have found that voice-activated smartphones and dashboard infotainment systems may be making the distracted-driving problem worse.

THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press

DODGE CITY, Kansas (AP) — Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts is struggling to win re-election, and the wide open spaces of his childhood are both his best chance for saving his political career and the biggest threat to it.

KANSAS CITY- A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford Taurus driven by Sean P. Kilgore, 21, Kansas City, was northbound on Interstate 635 at Gibbs in Kansas City,

For an unknown reason the vehicle left the roadway to the right, went up the embankment and into the trees.

Kilgore was transported to KU Medical Center.

The KHP reported he was properly restrained at the time of the accident.

 

MADISON, Kan. (AP) — An eastern Kansas woman is asking the public’s help in finding a missing pet, and the animal shouldn’t be hard to spot: It’s a 9-foot-tall, 350-pound ostrich.

KVOE-AM reports the big bird disappeared last week from Rock Creek Ostrich Ranch, located near the southern Lyon County town of Madison.

Owner Nakita Elwood says the ostrich, named Eva, and others escaped from a pen. All of the others have been recovered.

Eva was last seen in an area between Madison and Olpe. Elwood advises the public against trying to catch the ostrich. She says Eva isn’t especially dangerous but frightens easily, and only responds to her calls.

Eva is part of Elwood’s breeding trio as well as a pet.