TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office says it has paid outside attorneys nearly $1.2 million to defend anti-abortion laws enacted since January 2011.

Schmidt’s office reported Monday that it has paid almost $770,000 to the Lawrence firm of Thompson, Ramsdell & Qualseth for fees and expenses in handling multiple federal and state lawsuits.

The state successfully defended a 2013 law requiring abortion providers to post certain material on their websites for women seeking abortions and another statute restricting private health insurance coverage of abortions.

A state-court lawsuit is still pending against special regulations for providers enacted in 2011.

Schmidt’s office also has paid more than $425,000 to the Wichita firm of Foulston Siefken to successfully defend a measure keeping federal dollars for non-abortion services from flowing to Planned Parenthood.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) on Monday afternoon met with visiting Army leadership and spoke at a Community Listening Session about Fort Riley, a critical Army divisional post located in the Big First Congressional District.

Even on a Monday afternoon, a crowd of over 1,500 concerned Kansans showed up to voice their support for Fort Riley. The Listening Session room hit capacity, and as parking ran out, organizers used buses to shuttle people to the event from a remote location.

In his remarks, Congressman Huelskamp stressed the state-of-the-art facilities at Fort Riley, the high number of deployments of Fort Riley troops, and the $1.6 billion in military construction investments since 2005. Excerpts from Congressman Huelskamp’s remarks at the listening session included:

“Later this week or next the President of the United States will approach Congress… to ask for additional authorization of military force. And the crown jewel of the Army, those that are leading the tip of the spear fighting ISIS are from Fort Riley.”

“We treasure Fort Riley not just because we love the soldiers, but because we love our nation, and we understand that we don’t want a budget-driven military. We want a mission-driven military. And Fort Riley provides unique, mission-critical capabilities

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The father of a 3-month-old Salina boy who was abused and starved to death has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Twenty-eight-year-old Nicholas Corbin had pleaded no contest to first-degree murder in the death of Jordan Corbin in December 2013.

Before he was sentenced Monday, Corbin said he and the baby’s mother, Desirah Overturf, did not know how to care for a baby and were both under stress when the child died. Overturf was sentenced in September to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

The Salina Journal reports a defense attorney argued that Corbin had an intellectual disability and should not be subject to mandated sentencing.

DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — A tornado shelter/student activities center at Dodge City Community College is one step closer to reality.

The college’s foundation announced Monday that the federal government had approved an application for $491,000 to help fund the structure.

College Foundation Director Roger Proffit says the approval means the college can begin construction of the monolithic domed structure.

The Dodge City Daily Globe reports supporters are conducting a five-year, $5 million fundraising campaign for the activities center. With the federal grant, current donations and pledges, about $1.5 million is still needed.

Besides providing a community shelter during severe storms, the center will include a walking track, wellness center and aerobics room. It also will have a student activities room and all collegiate basketball and volleyball games will be played there.

CLAY CENTER- A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 2 p.m. on Monday in Clay County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford pickup driven by Brett Hare, 24, Clay Center, was westbound on Broughton Road four miles east of Clay Center.

The pickup was attempting to pass another vehicle. The driver of the pickup lost control. The vehicle entered the south ditch, rolled and caught fire.

Hare was transported to Clay County Medical Center.
The KHP reported he was not wearing a seat belt.

LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating after someone stole a vehicle with a 5-month-old baby inside in Lenexa.

The child is safe after authorities say the vehicle was found abandoned in Kansas City, Missouri on Monday night. The Kansas City Star says police were interviewing witnesses following the incident and plan to review surveillance camera images.

Police say the child’s parents were standing in a parking lot near their vehicle that was unlocked and running. They say a man jumped in and drove away with the baby still in the back seat.

Authorities say a pedestrian was hit during the carjacking but wasn’t seriously injured. One of the victim’s cellphones was in the vehicle, and police were able to track it down.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Rural Center is planning a series of “Women in Farming” risk management workshops this spring and summer.

The group says in a news release that all four workshops will highlight opportunities and challenges women face in farming.

Specialty crop production is the focus of the first workshop March 14 in Lawrence and the second on March 28 in Bird City.

A third workshop on May 9 in Linn will look at financial and legal risk management and cover conservation practices on the farm.

Wrapping up the series is a July 11 workshop in Emporia that focuses on soil health, cover crops and integrated crop and livestock farming.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Democrats in the Kansas Legislature are preparing to outline proposals for helping middle-class families.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka and House Minority Leader Tom Burroughs of Kansas City were to have a late-morning news conference Tuesday at the Statehouse with other Democratic lawmakers.

They were not specific about the proposals ahead of the event.

Hensley and Burroughs have been strong critics of aggressive personal income tax cuts enacted by the Republican-dominated Legislature in 2012 and 2013 at Gov. Sam Brownback’s urging.

Brownback argued the cuts would stimulate the economy, but the state now faces a shortfall of nearly $600 million in its budget for the fiscal year beginning in July.

Republicans hold large majorities of 32-8 in the Senate and 97-28 in the House.