OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Some belong to The Order of the Squushy Carrots. Others are “Ghetto-pens” — a play on last year’s winning word, “guetapens” (GEHT’-uh-pahns).

Those are just two of the informal groups formed by youngsters at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The groups allow the spellers, who come from across the world, to stay in touch the other 51 weeks of the year when they aren’t competing. The children use social media, email, texts, chatrooms and other means to talk about life, school, friends — and sometimes spelling.

Nearly 300 spellers have converged this week to compete for the title of top speller in the English language — and to soak in an invaluable social experience. The competition began Tuesday with a computerized test, with onstage rounds beginning Wednesday on the way to Thursday’s prime-time finals.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Unlicensed child care centers could become subject to new state oversight under legislation pending before Gov. Jay Nixon that would bring Missouri into compliance with new federal requirements.

The legislation would require state workers to conduct onsite visits of child-care facilities receiving state or federal funds to check for minimum health and safety standards. The visits would apply to both licensed and unlicensed facilities, including about 3,900 child care centers in homes, churches and schools that are not inspected by state child care regulators.

The legislation marked a victory for child care advocates.

“Having someone to be able to come into a home or a facility and assess and help improve quality — it’s going to change lives. It was a true win for kids,” said Erin Brower of the Alliance for Education, one of several groups that lobbied for the new standards.

Missouri’s subsidy program uses state and federal funds and paid out $149 million to child care facilities in 2013, of which $38 million went to unlicensed facilities.

Later this month, the federal Department of Health and Human Services is expected to finalize rules that demand more accountability of the child care facilities that accept federal funds. The bill approved by the Missouri Legislature mirrors drafts of those federal rules.

Under the Missouri bill, child care facilities receiving state and federal subsidies through the Department of Social Services would be subject to monitoring visits. They also would be required to report serious injuries or deaths to the state and provide training for staff, which likely would include CPR and infant sleep safety.

The legislation also would require the development of quality indicators that parents could use to evaluate the safety and caliber of child care centers.

The Missouri legislation would take effect in October 2015 or six months after the implementation of the federal regulations, whichever occurs later.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says states must look beyond an intelligence test score in borderline cases of mental disability to determine whether a death row inmate is eligible to be executed.

The justices said in a 5-4 ruling Tuesday that Florida cannot rely solely on an IQ score above 70 to bar an inmate from claiming mental disability. Justice Anthony Kennedy said for the court that IQ tests have a margin of error and that inmates whose scores fall within the margin must be allowed to present other evidence of mental disability.

A score of 70 is widely accepted as a marker of mental disability, but medical professionals say people who score as high as 75 can be considered intellectually disabled because of the test’s margin of error.

JOHN FLESHER, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is teaming with businesses, nonprofits and others on a program to fund locally designed soil and water conservation projects nationwide.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is scheduled to announce the program Tuesday near Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay in Michigan, where farm runoff causes algae blooms that degrade water quality. The area is among many that are expected to generate funding proposals.

USDA officials provided details of the program to The Associated Press ahead of the announcement.

They said the purpose is to involve private companies, sporting groups, local governments and others more directly in conservation initiatives tailored to meet local needs.

USDA will spend $1.2 billion over five years and seek the same amount from partners.

COLUMBIA (AP) – The city of Columbia has filed a petition for eminent domain to acquire about 5 acres of farmland it needs to extend the main runway at the Columbia Regional Airport.

Assistant City Counselor Cavanaugh Noce says the city was unable to negotiate a selling price with the trustee of a fund that owns the land northeast of Columbia.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the parcel is part of about 58 acres the city is acquiring for the project. The city has been able to negotiate a selling price with the owners of the rest of the land.

The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring extensions of the airport’s main runway and its crosswinds runway to improve safety. City officials hope to break ground on the project in two years.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri conservation officials are urging people headed outdoors to take precautions against tick bites.

Insect repellants and covering up are two steps that can help. Officials say long-sleeved shirts, pants and securing pants cuffs are the first defenses.

Ticks can spread various diseases, including Lyme disease, Rock Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Most tick-transmitted diseases require prolonged feeding. To remove a tick, use a tweezers and grasp it as close to the skin as possible. Don’t jerk or twist the tick when removing and clean the bite area.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – Kansas City police say a man died after officers shot him during a standoff at a home.

Police identified the man Monday as 26-year-old Isaac Sims, of Kansas City.

Officers were called to the home Sunday to investigate reports that the man shot at his father and a neighbor, who were not injured. Officers reported hearing several gunshots inside the home and a standoff began.

After about four hours, the man left the home. Police say he pointed a rifle at officers, who fired. Sims was pronounced dead a short time later.

The officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave.

SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Health care workers continue to offer vaccinations to anyone exposed to hepatitis A at a Springfield restaurant.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department announced last week that an employee at a Red Robin restaurant had the liver disease, and up to 5,000 people who visited the restaurant between May 8 and May 16 needed to be vaccinated.

Vaccinations began shortly after the announcement and continued Monday at Mercy Hospital’s urgent care at the Smith Glynn Callaway building and at Cox Hospital’s urgent care at the Turner Center until 4 p.m.

On Tuesday, the health department will administer vaccines from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the department’s Westside Public Health Center.

KYTV reports health officials have so far administered more than 2,300 doses of the vaccine.