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Suspect enters plea in deadly 2006 Kansas fire

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 43-year-old Topeka man who was once convicted of setting a fire that killed a 53-year-old woman has pleaded not guilty in a court-ordered retrial.

Frank Jerome Robinson entered the plea Monday to charges connected to a fire that destroyed an apartment house in 2006, killing 53-year-old Marvina Washington.

He is charged with reckless second-degree murder and aggravated arson. A trial date was not scheduled.

Robinson was convicted in 2009 of reckless second-degree murder and aggravated arson. He was sentenced to 36.5 years in prison.

The Kansas Court of appeals ruled in January that Robinson should receive a new trial because his attorney at the original trial didn’t provide an adequate defense.

Police: 2nd arrest in slaying of student body president in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a second suspect in the shooting death of the student body president of a historically black college in Missouri.

Michael Bouchee

Police in Jefferson City, Missouri, announced Tuesday in a news release that 19-year-old Michael Bouchee was taken into custody overnight in Texas on a second-degree murder warrant in the death of Lincoln University senior D’Angelo Bratton-Bland, who is from Chicago.

Bouchee and another suspect, 29-year-old Deangelo Frazier, initially were chargedwith dealing drugs in the neighborhood where Bratton-Bland was killed last month. Witnesses told police that before the shooting, Bouchee and Frazier had been pointing weapons and yelling at people standing by cars. Police say there’s no evidence that Bratton-Bland did anything to contribute to the shooting.

Bouchee is awaiting extradition, while Frazier is imprisoned in Missouri on unrelated charges.

Kan. Governor revives 2017 plan for expanding Medicaid

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly released a Medicaid expansion bill Tuesday that will expand affordable healthcare to 150,000 more Kansans, protect and strengthen rural hospitals, and bring Kansas federal tax dollars back to the state, according to a media release from her office.

“It’s long past time to expand Medicaid so that more Kansans have access to affordable healthcare, our rural hospitals can stay open, and the tax dollars we send to Washington can come back home to Kansas to help our families,” said Kelly. “This bill meets the unique needs of Kansas patients, hospitals, providers, and diverse communities while remaining financially sustainable.”

The Governor’s Medicaid expansion bill is based on the version of the 2017 Bridge to a Healthy Kansas bill that passed the House and the Senate and was later vetoed by Governor Sam Brownback.

“Kansans overwhelmingly support Medicaid expansion,” said Kelly. “They know it will mean access to quality, affordable healthcare and support for our rural hospitals. It’s time we listen to the people of this state and expand Medicaid.”

Kansas is one of just 14 states left that has not yet expanded healthcare to families who desperately need it.

“I’ve seen first-hand how illnesses are diagnosed late, and how Kansans have been hurt financially, by not having access to healthcare,” said Lee Norman, acting secretary of Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). “I know we can do better, and this bill is a monumental step forward.”

To view the governor’s Medicaid expansion bill, click here.

“Medicaid expansion will benefit the state of Kansas, our families and our children in many ways,” said Laura Howard, secretary of Kansas Department for Children and Families and Aging and Disability Services. “It’s the most important tool Kansas can utilize to provide the necessary treatment and services to vulnerable Kansans.”

Secretary Perdue to Address NCBA Friday

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will speak at the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show February 1, 2019. Perdue will give his remarks at the Closing General Session of the event, being held this week at the New Orleans Convention Center. He will address the farm bill, trade and other issues affecting U.S. agriculture.

The convention is the largest gathering of cattle industry professionals in the country, and the NCBA Trade Show will feature more than 350 exhibitors. NCBA President and California cattleman Kevin Kester says the industry is honored to host Secretary Perdue at the convention. Noting the many issues facing agriculture today, Kester says “It’s great that Secretary Perdue will share his thoughts and his agency’s plans with us.”

The annual meetings of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, American National CattleWomen, CattleFax and National Cattlemen’s Foundation will also be held during the event this week.

Chiefs plan $10 million in renovations to Arrowhead Stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are planning more than $10 million in upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium.

photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs announced Monday that the renovations will include a “modernization” of the Arrowvision scoreboard, along with waterproofing and new seats — with cup holders — in the stadium’s upper deck.

Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in a news release that the last stadium renovation was completed a decade ago.

The team said the scoreboard will remain the same size but will have new LED panels to improve clarity.

The work could begin next week.

The Chiefs are paying for the work but can ask in the future to be reimbursed by the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

University of Missouri to increase costs at 3 campuses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri is planning to raise the cost of food and housing at three campuses beginning next school year.

The university system officials approved the rate hikes for the Kansas City, St. Louis and Rolla campuses on Monday.

The Columbia campus will be the only one with declining costs since officials approved lower room and board rates in November to attract more students.

University spokesman Christian Basi says the Kansas City campus will raise its predominant plan for food and dorm living by almost $300 a year, from about $10,330 to $10,630. Basi says the Rolla campus’ rates will go up by about $225, and the St. Louis campus will hike rates by $200.

University officials plan to finalize the increases Feb. 7.

EPA Will Complete E15 Rule by Summer

The Environmental Protection Agency says the now-ended government shutdown will not delay rules to allow year-round E15 sales. The EPA intends to finalize the rules in time for the summer driving season. An EPA official told Reuters, “I still think we can get the rule done in time and what I mean by that is get the rule in place by start of the summertime.”

The government shutdown prompted worry that the rule may not be finished in time for the summer driving season. The Renewable Fuels Association this month called similar comments made by Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler encouraging. However, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper says the EPA “would greatly improve its chances of getting the regulatory fix done before summer” if the agency separated the year-round E15 provisions from so-called ‘RIN reform’ provisions also being considered as part of the rulemaking package.

Opening of Government Brings Much Needed USDA Reports

The Department of Agriculture did not supply more than 60 reports during the government shutdown and will supply much of that data next month. USDA announced Monday many reports, including final production reports for 2018 will be published on February 8th, the same date of the February World Agriculture Supply and Demand report.

However, American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Veronica Nigh says some of the data “will never be available.” For example, the January World Agriculture Supply and Demand report will never be published, but some of the data will be rolled into the February report. Many market analysts warn to watch for a glut of data from USDA that could shock the market over the next few weeks as markets had previously relied on privately reported data during the shutdown, but USDA reports are often considered a benchmark in reporting.

Wind topples power lines in NE Kansas, overturns at least 1 vehicle

Image courtesy National Weather Service

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say wind gusts have toppled power lines and overturned at least one vehicle in northeast Kansas.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill watch from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning for an area that included Topeka, where it predicted wind chill index readings would be between minus 10 degrees and minus 25 degrees.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says a tractor-trailer “flipped” Monday on the Kansas Turnpike about 1 mile east of Lawrence as gusts of up to 56 mph were reported. Also Monday, downed lines left more than 2,600 Westar Energy customers without power, although only a handful remained in the dark by Tuesday.

Twice-convicted rapist arrested again in NE Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A twice convicted Kansas rapist who has spent more than half his life in prison has been arrested in another sexual assault.

Billy Jack Hayes has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, sodomy, obstruction and two for rape, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Shawnee County

Shawnee County Jail records show that 58-year-old Billy Jack Hayes was booked early Monday on suspicion of rape in one case and aggravated burglary and misdemeanor sexual battery in another case. No charges were immediately filed.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show that Hayes has been in and out of prison for the past four decades. He has convictions for rapes and other crimes committed in 1974 and 1984 in Shawnee County. He was paroled most recently in September.

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