WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man is suing a Wichita vaping shop after he says a spare battery for his e-cigarette exploded in his pants pocket.

Daniel Anderson filed a lawsuit Feb. 6 in Sedgwick County against Big E’s Vapor Shop.

The lawsuit alleges Anderson was carrying the lithium ion battery, his car keys and coins in his pants pocket in February 2016. The touching metal items caused a short to the outside of the battery, which then overheated and exploded.

The suit says Anderson had chemical and thermal burns to his left leg and hands from the explosion.

Anderson says the shop should’ve known the battery’s defect and failed to warn customers.

Big E’s owners said last week the company has seen the lawsuit but declined to comment.

By STEPHAN BISAHA

Kansas schools already have the freedom to arm their teachers. Gov. Jeff Colyer says now bonuses for teachers who pack weapons might be in order.

Yet the governor also said that local school districts should make the call, embracing those options that they think make the most sense to prevent school shootings.

“It’s not just a gun control issue,” Colyer said at an event in Washington, D.C., last week. “It’s not just a mental health issue. It’s not just the building itself. This is a multi-point situation.”

His comments came in the wake of the school shooting that left 17 dead in Parkland, Fla., early this month — and the debates that have followed.

In an interview with NPR on Monday, Colyer appeared to back legislation pending in Topeka that would lower the age for the concealed carry of a firearm to 18, down from 21.

“If you’re old enough to serve in the U.S. military,” he told NPR’s Ari Shapiro, “then I think having that Second Amendment right should not be denied to you.”

President Donald Trump has, for the moment, seemed to give a little on his hard-line stance against gun control.

He’s said his administration may unilaterally outlaw bump stocks that can make a semi-automatic rifle fire multiple rounds of ammunition almost like a fully automatic weapon. And Trump has suggested he may side against the National Rifle Association in raising the legal age for purchasing a rifle to 21, from the current level of 18.

The president has also talked about the possibility of arming teachers and other school workers to discourage, or more quickly subdue, potential school shooters.

Colyer said that bonuses for armed teachers might be a good idea for local districts to consider. School districts in Kansas already have the authority to arm their school faculties.

“This is not something that we have championed as a universally good idea,” said Mark Tallman, the associate executive director for advocacy and communications for the Kansas Association of School Boards. “We have recognized that the law allows it,” he said.

But districts have balked, in part because the companies that provide them liability insurance see too much risk.

EMC Insurance Companies covers most districts in the state. It has said that arming employees creates a “heightened liability.”

“One of the underwriting guidelines we follow for schools is that any onsite armed security should be provided by uniformed, qualified law enforcement officers,” the company said in an emailed statement.

The carrier said it won’t cover school districts where “non-security personnel” are allowed handguns.

“There certainly are issues of liability that I know our staff would encourage school districts to be very careful about,” said Tallman.

KASB has not heard of any school districts allowing its employees to be armed.

Stephan Bisaha is an education reporter for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @SteveBisaha.

MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on alleged sex charges.

Just before 5:30p.m. Monday. police arrested Lonnie Gallauger, 50, of Manhattan, in the 3000 block of Brookville Drive in Manhattan on three counts of rape, seven counts of electronic solicitation, three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, seven counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child and one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to Riley County Police Department activity report.

Gallauger was issued a total bond of $200,000.00 causing him to remain confined at the time of this report.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT

WAKEENEY — Terry Eberle, the former WaKeeney police chief, will serve 12 months probation after pleading guilty Monday to official misconduct/perjury.

Eberle initially was charged with 10 different felony counts that included two perjury counts and making false information.

The charges stem from testimony by Eberle in which he claimed not to have recorded conversations and interviews on several occasions.

Under the sentencing guidelines, Eberle faced 18 months of probation on the official misconduct charge, but the judge agreed to a downward departure of 12 months.

In court documents filed Monday in court, Trego County Attorney Chris Lyon presented testimony from the 2014 case of the State of Kansas v. Scott Bollig, in which Eberle said he did not record an interview with Bollig.

But, according to testimony from a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent, evidence of a recording either made by Eberle or that he was aware of was found.

There were cases in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2014 where Eberle was present while interviews were being conducted and recorded with a webcam.

The diversion agreement is for five years but, if Eberle is convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or traffic infraction during that time, he could face additional penalties on the perjury charge.

Under the plea, Eberle is also not allowed to run for public office or work in law enforcement.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated assault.

Just after 11 a.m. Monday, police responded to a disturbance with weapons call in the 900 Block of South Bonn in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the scene, a 43-year-old man and 49-year-old man told police they were driving a Chevy Tahoe in the area when two unknown suspects in a 2007, red Chevy Impala drove up next to them and fired multiple shots.  The gunshots did not hit the SUV and there were no injuries, according to Davidson. However, gunshots did hit a vehicle parked in the 900 Block of Bonn.

Police later located the suspect vehicle unoccupied nearby. It has been impounded as part of the investigation.  Police don’t believe the shooting is a random incident and are asking the community’s assistance in the case, according to Davidson.

The suspects are described as 2 black males.  Anyone with information is asked to call Wichita Police.

DERBY, Kan. (AP) — Court records say more than 250 images and videos of child pornography were found on the electronic devices seized from a fired Kansas middle school teacher and coach.

New details about 37-year-old Cody Chitwood were included in the arrest affidavit. Chitwood was charged earlier this month with 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Derby school district spokeswoman Katie Carlson said school board members voted 6-0 Monday to fire Chitwood “effective immediately.” Chitwood was hired by the district in 2004. He taught special education at Derby Middle School and coached football, track and girls’ basketball.

Chitwood told investigators that “when you’re on the internet you see a lot of things” but added that he “never knowingly nor willing traded child pornography on any website.”