TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Washington-area group is spending about $600,000 on statewide television and radio ads praising Gov. Sam Brownback and promoting a proposed coal-fired power plant.

Alliance for Freedom CEO Ned Ryun disclosed the figure in an email Friday. The ads began Wednesday and are scheduled to run through Aug. 5, when the state holds its primary election.

They criticize Democratic President Barack Obama, tout Brownback’s support for the coal plant in southwest Kansas and praise him for fighting federal regulations.

Ryun says he alliance believes new regulations will raise energy costs and is hoping Kansans will express their opposition. He also says Mary Cheney is no longer involved with the alliance. She’s the daughter of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

Ryun is a son of former Kansas congressman Jim Ryun.

AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal judge is allowing a lawsuit filed by 10 tea party groups to move forward against the Internal Revenue Service.

Judge Susan Dlott on Thursday declined a request by the federal government to dismiss claims that the IRS subjected conservative groups to additional scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status.

That means attorneys for the tea party groups can seek evidence from the government to prove their case, and it can go to trial.

Dlott did dismiss one of the tea party groups’ claims, ruling that they couldn’t pursue allegations of privacy violations on behalf of their individual members.

The Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Edward Greim, the lead attorney for the tea party groups, called Dlott’s ruling a victory.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 54-year-old Lawrence man was electrocuted while working on a historic building in Lawrence.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports  the man, who has not been identified, was repairing guttering at the historic Turnhalle building Friday morning when a co-worker found him on the ground. Police say the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police spokeswoman Kim Murphree says police aren’t releasing any other information.

Gina Penzig, spokeswoman for Westar Energy in Topeka, says the victim came in contact with an overhead power line and was electrocuted. She said it’s unclear how he came into contact with the line.

The Turnhalle building is one of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance’s projects. Construction on the building was nearing completion at the time of the man’s death.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The superintendent at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka has been named to lead a national park in California.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that David Smith will be leaving Topeka to become superintendent of the 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park in California, where he’ll oversee a staff of 150.

Smith has been superintendent at the Brown v. Board site for more than three years and takes over at the Joshua Tree National Park in September.

Stephanie Kyriazis, chief of interpretations at the Brown v. Board site, will be acting superintendent until the National Park Service names an interim superintendent.

Smith says he’s proud of the visit by first lady Michelle Obama in May and the educational outreach by the site’s staff during his tenure.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence for a man convicted of capital murder in the 2004 killings of a Great Bend woman and her boyfriend.

The court Friday ordered a new sentencing hearing in Barton County District Court for Sidney Gleason. He faced lethal injection for the February 2004 killings of Miki Martinez and Darren Wornkey.

Prosecutors said Martinez witnessed Gleason’s participation in the robbery of a 76-year-old man and Gleason and another participant worried about what she might tell police. Authorities also said they also planned to kill her boyfriend if he got in the way.

A 5-2 high court majority said the presiding judge gave improper instructions to the jury considering whether Gleason should be sentenced to death.

KANSAS CITY- Two people were injured in a head on collision during a police chase at 1:30 Friday morning in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway patrol reported a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by Devon L. Smith, 29, Kansas City, was northbound on Interstate 635 south of the Missouri River bridge and was fleeing from Kansas City Missouri Police.

The vehicle drove around stop sticks, crossed the median to drive into oncoming traffic and struck a 2006 Toyota Scion head on. Smith and the driver of the Toyota Jacob L. Weir, 25, Kansas City, were transported to KU Medical Center.

The KHP reported both were properly restrained at the time of the accident. No additional details on the police pursuit have been released.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri regulators are again considering whether to stop payday lenders from collecting utility bill payments from their customers.

The Kansas City Star reports critics contend cash-strapped customers might find it easy take out loans to pay the bills and end up paying the high interest rates charged by payday lenders.

The staff of the Missouri Public Service Commission is expected to present a report next month with a recommendation on whether the practice should be allowed to continue.

The issue has been controversial for years. The commission studied it in 2009 and 2011 before deciding not to ban the practice.

ARTHUR, Iowa (AP) — No injuries have been reported after an explosion at an ethanol plant in northwest Iowa.

The blast occurred Thursday night at the Flint Hills Resources plant in Arthur. Flint Hills spokesman Jake Reint says the explosion occurred in a grain dryer.

The plant will remain out of operation until the explosion is investigated and damage is repaired. Reint says it’s unclear how long that will take. The plant employs about 50 people and operates 24 hours a day.

A company website says Wichita, Kansas-based Flint Hills Resources bought the plant in September 2013. The plant began operating in 2008 and produces 110 million gallons of ethanol a year.

DETROIT (AP) — Kia is recalling nearly 52,000 Soul small SUVs to fix a problem that can cause steering failure.

The recall covers vehicles from the 2014 model year built from July 21, 2013, through Jan. 17, 2014.

The Korean automaker says a plug that secures a pinion gear to the steering assembly can loosen and cause the gear to separate. That can cause a driver to lose steering and increase the risk of a crash.

Kia says in documents filed with U.S. safety regulators that it has three warranty claims and no reports of crashes or injuries due to the problem.

Dealers will replace the plug and apply thread-locking adhesive at no cost to owners. The recall is expected to start this month.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Winfield man guilty of a committing a child sex crime in Arkansas City will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Loarn Earl Fitzgerald II was sentenced Thursday to life with no chance of parole for aggravated criminal sodomy against a child. He committed the crime while living in Arkansas City but then moved to Winfield.

The Arkansas City Traveler reports  the victim was a 9-year-old girl who was part of a family staying with Fitzgerald, but she was not related to him.

Fitzgerald was sentenced under the state’s Jessica’s Law, which requires maximum sentences for serial sex offenders. He was sentenced in 1993 for a sex offense in Cherokee County and in 2002 in Labette County for two counts of aggravated indecent liberties involving two children.