JOHN RABY, Associated Press
JONATHAN MATTISE, Associated Press

MOUNT CARBON, W.Va. (AP) — Fires burned for hours after a train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in a snowstorm in West Virginia, plunging at least one tanker into a river while sending a fireball skyward, authorities and residents say.

Federal railroad and hazardous materials officials are probing Monday’s derailment. One person was treated for potential inhalation issues, but no other injuries were reported, the train company CSX said in a statement.

The office of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said the tanker cars were loaded with Bakken crude from North Dakota and headed to Yorktown, Virginia.

Officials evacuated hundreds of families and shut down two water treatment plants threatened by oil seeping into the river. Authorities say fire crews opted to let the tanker cars burn themselves out.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe will close in mid-to-late fall.

The owners of the 786,000-square-foot mall said in a statement Monday that economic realities such as the economic downturn and changing buying habits prompted the closing. The mall has struggled to remain profitable since it opened in 1997.

VanTrust, the asset manager for the property, says it tried to find potential uses for the existing property but the structure, maintenance costs and layout making it unlikely the current building will be preserved. The developer is working with the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council to find the best use for the property.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri lawmakers are expected to consider a measure this week that would give students options to attend virtual schools for free.

A Senate panel approved a bill last week that would allow students in failing districts and surrounding schools to attend online schools.

Republican Sen. Bob Onder of Lake St. Louis offered the amendment to the broader school transfer bill. He said virtual schools can help students with autism, health needs or other issues who might struggle in traditional classrooms.

Gov. Jay Nixon and some school associations said they support online schools, but cautioned that accountability is needed to make sure they provide a quality education.

Missouri School Boards’ Association spokesman Brent Ghan said paying tuition for virtual schools could strain public schools’ finances.

DAVID PITT, Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) —Federal lawsuits from Washington state to North Carolina are challenging the efficient, profitable livestock industry to change its ways.

The arguments found in the suits are based on studies that increasingly show the impact phosphorous, nitrate and bacteria from fertilizer and accumulated manure have on lakes and rivers as well as air pollution that may be harmful to respiratory health.

Large-scale livestock farmers insist they’re using techniques to keep manure and fertilizer from draining into waterways, but also say that takes time.

But those who rely on rivers and lakes for drinking water or live near the large-scale operations are growing impatient and their lawsuits serve to highlight the debate between the right to raise livestock and the right to clean water and air.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — AT&T has announced a new Kansas City-area broadband service with speeds and pricing that aims to put it in competition with Google Fiber.

The Kansas City Star reports that the fiber optic packages, called GigaPower, will be available to homes and businesses in downtown Kansas City and the Kansas suburbs of Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe and Overland Park.

Company officials said the new service’s Internet connection speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second will run $70 a month, matching Google’s current pricing.

AT&T said it does not plan to offer the service to every home in the Kansas City market. Rather, the Texas-based company would calculate where demand is strongest and lay cable in those areas.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – A woman has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to operating an underground brothel and strip club in her home.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Carmen A. Fluker pleaded guilty in October to a federal felony charge of promoting prostitution.

Police say she used her one-story brick home to host nude dancers and sell liquor.

They say her teenage son’s bedroom doubled as a VIP room for private dances.

She would announce the club was open by texting prospective customers.

In 2011, police raided a similar type of club being run out of Fluker’s Bel-Ridge home.

About 30 people were arrested, but Fluker and her then-husband weren’t charged.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the shooting death of a 52-year-old man in Jefferson City.
The Jefferson City News-Tribune that the shooting happened Sunday afternoon at an apartment complex. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police didn’t immediately release the man’s name.
The suspect or suspects remained at large after the shooting. Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.