DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 953,000 vehicles worldwide to replace Takata passenger air bag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel.

The move includes over 782,000 vehicles in the U.S. and is part of the largest series of recalls in U.S. history.

Included are the 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, the 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger, the 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, the 2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan, and the 2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang.

Some of the recalls may be limited to specific geographic areas of the U.S.

Takata used the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion to inflate air bags. But it can deteriorate over time due to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion. At least 23 people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured by the inflators.

Ford says it doesn’t know of any injuries in vehicles included in this recall. Dealers will replace the inflators.

Ford will notify owners about the recall starting on Feb. 18, and the company has replacement parts available for dealers to order, said spokeswoman Monique Brentley. In previous Takata recalls, parts availability had been an issue.

Owners can go to https://owner.ford.com/service/frequently-asked-questions-regarding-takata-airbag-inflator-recalls.htmland key in their vehicle identification number to see if their cars and SUVs are being recalled. The same information will be available soon at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls .

More than three years after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took over management of recalls involving Takata inflators, one third of the recalled inflators still have not been replaced, according to an annual report from the government and a court-appointed monitor.

The report says 16.7 million faulty inflators out of 50 million under recall have yet to be replaced. And 10 million more inflators are scheduled to be recalled this month, including the Ford vehicles. Also, Honda recalled 1.4 million vehicles in September, months ahead of schedule.

Safety advocates said the completion rate should be far higher given the danger associated with the inflators.

The recalls forced Takata of Japan to seek bankruptcy protection and sell most of its assets to pay for the fixes.

The inflators grow more dangerous as they get older because ammonium nitrate deteriorates due to high humidity and cycles from hot temperatures to cold. The most dangerous inflators are in areas of the South along the Gulf of Mexico that have high humidity.

OZARK, Mo. (AP) — Officials in Ozark say they’ll move a cross that’s part of a holiday display in a city park after getting a complaint letter.

The letter came in late November from a separation-of-church-and-state group, demanding the cross be removed.

The city announced Friday it will move the cross to private land at the south end of the park. That land is owned by the Christian County A&M Society and is used by the Finley River Saddle Club.

City officials say there’s no specific timeline for the relocation.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation argued that the presence of a Latin cross on city property violated the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from officially establishing any one religion.

FRANKLIN COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 5a.m. Saturday in Franklin County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Freightliner Box truck was disabled in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 at U.S. 59 on the south edge of Ottawa.

The truck was laying on the passenger side facing southeast, with the driver identified as Alfred Thomas Williams, 30, Jonesboro, GA., climbing on top of the cab.

A southbound 2009 Freightliner Semi driven by Sukhdarshan S. Sidhu, 63, Grand Island, NY., rear-ended the Box Truck, and forced it to rotate back into the guardrail it had previously struck.

Williams was ejected off the top of the cab.

The semi continued southbound on I35 with a damaged front end and axle. After crossing the I-35 bridge over U.S. 59 Highway, it traveled to the east and into the center grass median, struck a guardrail located near the northbound inside shoulder, jackknifed and came to rest partially in the grass median blocking the Northbound lanes.

Sidhu was pronounced dead at the scene. Williams was transported to Ransom Memorial Hospital.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An 18-year-old Missouri man was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the stabbing death of a woman.

Trevon Henry was sentenced Friday to two life sentences plus 50 years in prison for the death of Tanya Chamberlain in Lee’s Summit.

Henry was 14 when Chamberlain was stabbed or cut 49 times after he and another juvenile approached her at a car wash.

The teens got into Chamberlain’s car with her and drove away before she was stabbed. She was found dead in the car after the teens fled when an officer stopped the vehicle.

The other teenager, Joshua Tagg, pleaded guilty in November to second-degree murder and is awaiting sentencing.

Henry and Tagg were charged as adults.

BOONE COUNTY — A child died in an accident just before 4p.m. Friday in Boone County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported marked 2015 Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle driven by Columbia police officer Andria E. Heese, 27, was eastbound in a roundabout at the west entrance to the parking lot of Battle High School 7575 East St. Charles Road.

Our sincere condolences to all affected by the tragedy at Battle High School.

The attached photo depicts the general area of the incident. Preliminary Details have been released: https://t.co/ysAqxfrxaL pic.twitter.com/mWdP2QuEQn

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) January 5, 2019

The vehicle exited the road with the intention of parking on the sidewalk so the driver could observe students loading onto school buses.

The vehicle struck Gabriella Curry, 4, Columbia, who was walking on the sidewalk.

Officer Heese, another CPD officer at the school and other school personnel began providing immediate medical care to the child, according to a media release from the city of Columbia. The officer requested further medical aid via radio. Columbia Fire and University Ambulance EMS arrived and provided advanced life support. The child was transported to the University Hospital Level One Trauma with CPD escort.

Despite life saving attempts by emergency personnel both on the scene and at the hospital, the child died due to injuries sustained during the incident.

Officer Heese has been with the Columbia Police Department for five years and is assigned to the Community Outreach Unit, according to the release. Officer Heese is on Administrative Leave as per department protocol. MSHP continues to investigate the incident.

By JIM MCLEAN & MADELINE FOX 

Kansas Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids hoped to spend her first day in Congress helping to end a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Instead, she got a first-hand look at the gridlock that has characterized the nation’s politics and frustrated voters in recent years.

Shortly after being sworn in as one of the first two Native American women to ever serve in Congress, Davids voted for a compromise funding package to end the budget stalemate.

“This package has previously received bipartisan support and I’m hopeful it is the path forward to ending this shutdown,” Davids said on Twitter.

President Donald Trump initially supported a similar package when it passed the Senate two weeks ago. But he changed his mind when conservative pundits criticized him for backing away from his demands for $5 billion for a southern border wall.

All three House Republicans from Kansas — Roger Marshall, Ron Estes and Steve Watkins — voted against the funding package. They also opposed Nancy Pelosi’s election as speaker.

“As I crisscrossed Kansas’ Second Congressional District over the past year, there was a reoccurring theme among both Republicans and Democrats: they did not want to see Nancy Pelosi serving as Speaker of the House again,” Watkins said in a statement.

A political newcomer from Topeka, Watkins emerged from a crowded primary to narrowly defeat Democrat Paul Davis in the 2nd District, which covers roughly the eastern third of the state.

In an interview with Topeka television station KSNT, Watkins said he wants a quick resolution to the budget fight but is committed to making “the government more efficient.”

He has also asked to have his congressional salary withheld until federal workers are back on the payroll. 

The shutdown — now approaching its third week — affects thousands of federal workers across Kansas, from Coast Guard payroll clerks in Topeka to more than 400 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office in Lenexa.

“We’re all kind of in a standstill,” said Sara Watterson, president of the American Federation of Government Employees chapter that represents some of the furloughed EPA workers.

Furloughs at the Bureau of Indian Affairs have leaders of some Kansas tribes concerned about programs that provide important services.

Joseph Rupnick, chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, fears the shutdown will halt the delivery of food to about 100 low-income families on the reservation.

“The neediest population is the one that’s affected the most,” Rupnick said.

Furloughs have also forced the closure of one of Kansas’ most famous landmarks: The Brown v. Board of Education historic site in Topeka.

Rob Varnum of Oklahoma City hoped to tour the site established to commemorate the desegregation of the nation’s schools with his wife earlier this week while passing through on his way home from Kansas City.

“Here we are, but the sign says we can’t visit today because of the government shutdown,” Varnum said while peering in through a locked door. “That’s unfortunate.”

Reporter Brian Grimmett contributed to this story.

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks. 

Madeline Fox is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can reach her on Twitter @maddycfox.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old former massage therapist who is on the Kansas Sex Offender registry has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for secretly recording a woman while she undressed.

Daniel Justin Gorski was sentenced Friday in Johnson County for the incident at a chiropractic clinic in Gardner. He pleaded guilty in November to breach of privacy.

Gorski was at one time charged with recording several women. All but one charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Police began investigating Gorski in 2016 after his girlfriend reported finding a flash drive containing images of women undressing or nude.

Gorski had previously pleaded guilty in Jefferson County, Kansas, to possession of child pornography.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Mike Parson’s administration is reviewing strong opposition expressed in public comments about a proposal to allow weapons in the Missouri Capitol.

The administration received 50 public comments between mid-November and mid-December that opposed the plan to allow firearms in the Capitol. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports none of the comments supported the idea, even if owners had concealed carry permits.

Brittany Ruess, spokeswoman of the Office of Administration, says the agency is reviewing the comments and working to complete its review.

Former Gov. Eric Greitens temporarily banned guns in the building two years ago but reversed the decision after strong opposition.

The administration has until mid-February to submit the rule to a legislative committee, which would then have 30 days to change, reject or withdraw the rule.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate the death of 19-year-old Jacob Bouck.

The Wamego resident and 2017 graduate of Wamego High School was last seen in the Wamego area on December 21st, 2018, according to Sheriff Greg Riat. He was missing until his body was located on December 24, approximately mile west of Wamego on the Kansas River.

Bouck was reported to be wearing a dark colored jacket, black shirt, gray thermal longjohns, (long underwear) and black shoes.

A forensic autopsy was conducted on Bouck and the medical examiner has determined that the death of Jacob Bouck is believed to be a homicide.

Authorities are urging anyone with information on the case to contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriff at 785-457-3353, www.ptsheriff.com, or 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips can be anonymous. An unspecified cash reward is being offered at this time for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

JEFFERSON COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 7a.m. Friday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Peterbilt semi driven by Todd William Dunstan, 29, Beloit, was at Hamm’s landfill 609 Perry Place, dumping trash.

The driver was backing the semi onto the Tipper.

The Tipper operator Mark J. Wilson, 59, Lawrence, was between the truck and the dock

He was pinned against the dock and died at the scene of his injuries, according to the KHP.

Authorities released no additional details Friday afternoon as an investigation of the accident continues. There were no other injuries reported.