(AP) — A monthly economic index for nine Midwestern and Plains states has dropped slightly but still suggests growth over the next three to six months.

The overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index fell to 57.4 in February from 57.7 in January.

Looking six months ahead, the business confidence portion of the overall index also dropped last month. It hit a still strong 59.7 in February, compared with 62.2 in January.

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

(AP) — Every homeowner in Missouri could get a one-time tax refund under legislation pending in the state Senate.

The proposal is estimated to cost the state $384 million. It would grant an income tax cut to everyone who owned residential property as of Jan. 1, 2014.

The Senate already has given the bill initial approval. A second vote could come as soon as this week and would send the measure to the House.

Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt, of St. Louis County, says his legislation would tap into a surplus of state revenues.

The bill is one of several proposed tax cuts being considered by the Republican-led Legislature.

 (AP) – The Senate Majority Leader says legislation to extend Missouri’s abortion waiting period will be debated this week.

Republican Sen. Ron Richard, of Joplin, says the chamber will resume debate on the measure, which would require 72 hours to pass before a woman can have an abortion after seeing a doctor. Current law requires women to wait one day before an abortion can occur.

Debate on the bill began two weeks ago, but it was set aside.

Supporters say the current 24-hour window is too short for a woman to decide if she wants to terminate her pregnancy. Opponents say the bill would push women further into pregnancy before the procedure, which can increase risk.

South Dakota and Utah are the only states to have a 72-hour waiting period.

PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) — The phones were ringing off the hook at Gordy’s Pizza and Pasta in Port Angeles last Wednesday. But the callers weren’t looking for the eatery’s signature fettucine.

They were trying to vote for their favorite singing contestants on the hit Fox TV show “American Idol.”

The Peninsula Daily News reports (http://is.gd/joITlW ) that it’s not clear why the calls were routed to Gordy’s for two hours Wednesday night. The number the show advertised for voters — 855-443-6411 — is not similar to the number the pizzeria has had for the past 50 years.

The restaurant’s owner, Randy Sexton, says his staff was inundated with calls, and that it was possibly a mistake that was made when the calls were routed through AT&T. He says he hopes the snafu gets fixed before next Wednesday’s episode.

(AP) – Kansas City police are looking for gunmen who fired high-powered weapons at patrons of at least three gas stations around the city.

The Kansas City Star reports there were no injuries in the shootings, which happened around 10 p.m. Saturday, nor do they believe any of the businesses had been robbed.

Shots were fired at service stations at Truman Road and the Paseo, 27th Street and Brooklyn Avenue, and near Gregory Boulevard and U.S. 71, all on the city’s east side.

Police say they had no description of the gunmen and did not know how they were traveling between stations.

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence teenager and a Wellsville man are dead after a two-car collision in southern Douglas County six miles east of Baldwin City.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says 53-year-old Rodney Strickell was driving south on a county road around 7 p.m. Saturday when he failed to stop at the U.S. 56 intersection and was struck on the passenger side by an eastbound SUV.

Both vehicles went into the southeast ditch, with Strickell’s car coming to rest on its top.

Strickell and 17-year-old passenger Dylan Strickell of Lawrence died of their injuries.

Two adults and a 14-year-old girl in the SUV, all of Overland Park, sustained possible injuries.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is congratulating a University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) student named as one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) new student ambassadors.

“Students like Ayanna Johnson are an inspiration for future generations of aspiring scientists,” McCaskill said. “Her perseverance, leadership, and work ethic represent the best of Missouri, and I’m proud she’ll not only be representing her peers, but also UMKC’s world-class education among the best and brightest.”

Johnson was selected as one of only 105 of NASA’s top-performing interns into the 2014 NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community, a vital component of the agency’s ongoing effort to engage undergraduate and graduate students in science, engineering, mathematics and technology (STEM) research and interactive opportunities.

NASA managers and mentors nominated individuals from the hundreds of current interns and fellows across the agency. The NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community aims to elevate the experiences, visibility, and contribution of these students; leverage their presence and input for recruitment; and provide increased involvement with the agency’s exploration and STEM education missions.

Highways across Missouri and Kansas are slick and snowpacked. If you have to drive, do so with caution.