COLUMBIA (AP) – Education officials are notifying Missouri community colleges that the state might reduce reimbursements for the A+ scholarship program.
The A+ program gives high school graduates who meet certain criteria reimbursements for two years of classes at a community college in the state.
Education deputy Leroy Wade said the department has told schools to prepare students for a reduction of about three or four credit hours per student. He says the warning is “very pre-emptive” and would take effect in January at the earliest.
Wade says the reductions might be necessary because the number of students using A+ money is increasing, making the program more expensive for the state.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the state spent $30.4 million on the program in fiscal 2014.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri’s flagship Columbia campus celebrates its 175th anniversary this week with five days of events that include the inauguration of new Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin.

Loftin came to the university in February but will be formally installed in office Thursday at the Missouri Theatre in downtown Columbia.

Other activities include a series of lectures and a Monday night speech by author Jon Meacham, also at the Missouri Theater.

WAYNESVILLE, (AP) – The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office says deputies found roughly 400 guns at a business being searched as part of a homicide investigation.
Deputies say they inspected Hilltop Motors in Waynesville on Friday because of the death of 82-year-old Robert Willhite. The disabled navy veteran died last month after being beaten in his home and robbed of items including guns. Four people were charged in the death.
Authorities say they found at least 40 stolen guns and others that were illegally modified. They say stolen property and a large amount of money were also discovered.
A 49-year-old man was arrested at the scene because of the firearms. They have not released his name.

REPUBLIC (AP) – Missouri authorities have charged a Republic man who they say stole whiskey from a convenience store and later made a drunken 911 call that referenced the theft.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 34-year-old Timothy Henderson was arrested in connection to the Sept. 7 incident. He is charged with theft, second-degree assault and resisting arrest.

Police say a Kum & Go employee confronted Henderson as he walked out of the store with a bottle of honey whiskey and two cans of hard cider. They say the employee was in front of Henderson’s vehicle when Henderson tried to run him over.

Police say Henderson was drinking the whiskey when they found him after he called 911 a few hours later.
He was released on $7,500 bond. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has an attorney.

By Dan Margolies, KCUR

TOPEKA — Twenty-five health centers in Missouri and 16 in Kansas have been awarded $9.6 million in federal funds to expand primary care services.

The funding is part of $295 million awarded to 1,195 health centers nationwide under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

The money is to be used to hire new staff, help the clinics stay open longer and provide oral health, mental and behavioral health, pharmacy and vision services.

The Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, estimates that health centers served 21.7 million patients in 2013. That translates into one out of every 15 people in the United States who rely on the clinics for primary care.

“Health centers are a key part of how the Affordable Care Act is working to improve access to care for millions of Americans,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. “These funds will enable health centers to provide high-quality primary health care to more people including the newly insured, many of whom may be accessing primary care for the first time” in Missouri and Kansas.

Missouri clinics will get just over $6 million, which the Health Resources and Services Administration projects will support 81 new full-time employees and 28,327 new patients. Kansas clinics will get $3.63 million, which the agency projects will support 57 new full-time employees and 19,704 new patients.

Kansas and Missouri recipients and their funding include:

• Shawnee County, Topeka, $210,408

• Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Topeka, $211,844

• Health Partnership Clinic of Johnson County, Overland Park, $232,108

• Heartland Medical Clinic, Lawrence, $192,078

• Center for Health Wellness, Wichita, $200,014

• Gracemed Health Clinic, Wichita, $302,532

• Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, Kansas City, Mo., $269,968

• Swope Health Services, Kansas City. Mo., $347,348

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cities and towns short on extra cash could get state help to improve street safety and other infrastructure issues.
The Missouri Department of Transportation on Friday announced grants available to local agencies to spruce up streets.
Speed limit reviews, pedestrian and bike route analysis, parking issues and other projects related to traffic engineering are eligible for the grants.
The department will reimburse up to 80 percent of project costs of selected local public agencies. Projects must be able to be completed by next fall.
Applications for projects are due Nov. 15, and funding announcements will be made in January.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A wide range of topics will be on the table when a new Kansas commission meets to look for efficiencies within the state’s public school system.

Legislators created the K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission this year. The members are meeting Thursday and Friday at the Statehouse. The Kansas Association of School Boards has obtained a list of draft recommendations prepared by Legislative staff for consideration by the commission.

One proposal calls doing away with the traditional teacher salary schedule, which ties pay to education and years of experience. The salary schedule would be replaced with a salary range that takes into account experience, education and area of expertise.

Another idea is to offer incentives to districts that enter into cooperative agreements or agree to consolidate with other school districts.

INDEPENDENCE (AP) – A 17-year-old boy is in critical condition after police say an officer shot him with a stun gun during a traffic stop.
Sgt. Darrell Schmidli says the driver was stopped Sunday afternoon because of an outstanding warrant. He says the driver refused to roll down the window or get out of the car. He says the officer used the stun gun on the teen, who allegedly struggled with police as he was removed.
The teen was hospitalized in critical condition. Police say they don’t know what caused the medical emergency.
A friend who witnessed the stop tells WDAF-TV the teen was using his cellphone to record the officer. Another witness tells the station she saw the teen convulsing.
Schmidli says police will review video of the stop.

LEAVENWORTH- A Missouri man was injured in a motorcycle accident just 3 p.m. on Sunday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 ASVE motorcycle driven by Michael Robert Zimmerman, 37, Platte City, was east bound on U.S. 24. The driver lost control of the motorcycle. It left the roadway to the north and struck a KDOT guardrail.

Zimmerman was transported to KU Medical Center
The KHP reported he was not wearing a helmet.