TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is reporting that its tax collections in March fell nearly $12 million short of expectations.

The Department of Revenue said Monday that the state collected almost $429 million in taxes last month when it had projected it would take in more than $440 million. The monthly shortfall was 2.7 percent.

The state had seen tax collections that had exceeded expectations the previous four months. Even with the shortfall in March, the state’s tax collections are still nearly $57 million ahead of expectations for the current fiscal year that begin in July 2016.

Legislators had seen the previous greater-than-expected tax collections as a positive sign as they consider raising taxes to fix the state’s serious budget problems. Kansas is facing budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019.

GEARY COUNTY – Fire officials are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Junction City.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the Junction City Fire Department responded to 1132 South Jackson Street in Junction City, according to Fire Chief Terry Johnson.

Upon arrival, the Battalion Chief noticed light smoke coming from a door of the residence and the windows were warm to the touch.

Fire crews ventilated the structure, forced entry, conducted searches and put the fire out quickly without incident.

The damage estimate to the structure is $50,000 and to the contents $10,000.

Crews were on scene for about two and a half hours. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. However, two of their dogs perished in the fire.

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help to find a suspect.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a local hospital in reference to a shooting victim who had arrived by private vehicle, according to a media release.

The female victim told police she was driving in the 1100 Block of SE Golden when an unknown suspect in a dark SUV shot at her. The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or crimestoppers.

JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Jackson County are investigating two suspects on drugs and weapons charges.

Just after 11:30p.m. Friday, deputies with the Jackson Sheriff’s responded to a residence north of Hoyt, Kansas. They arrested Donald Vernon Larson , 34, Humboldt, Nebraska and Justin Lee Banks, 37, Sabetha, Kansas, according to a media release.

Deputies also seized narcotics and a sawed off shot gun at the scene.

Larson is being held in the Jackson County Jail on charges of: Possession of morphine, methamphetamine, marijuana, lorazepam, diazepam, drug paraphernalia, unlawfully obtaining a prescription drug with the intent to sell and a felon in possession of a firearm.

Banks is being held on possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The two allegedly were also in possession of financial and personal documents not belonging to them. Further charges may be expected later, according to the sheriff’s department.

MCPHERSON COUNTY – Four people were injured in an accident just after 5p.m. on Sunday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Nissan Murano driven by Jeremy J. Swift, 37, Loveland, CO., was southbound on Interstate 135 just north of Moundridge weaving in and out of traffic and straddling the center line.

The Nissan passed a semi and rear-ended 2008 Toyota Camry driven by John L. Kasper, 65, Wilson.

The Nissan spun into the median, crossed into the north bound traffic before going back into the median. The Toyota spun off into the west ditch.

Kasper and a passenger in the Toyota Belinda R. Kasper, 63, Wilson, were transported to the hospital in Newton.

Swift and a passenger in the Nissan Erin M. Garcia, 36, Loveland, CO., were transported to the hospital in McPherson. Two children in the Nissan were not injured.

All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

BARBER COUNTY – A small earthquake shook portions of Kansas on Sunday.

The quake just before 6:15p.m. measured 2.8 and was centered approximately 2 miles southeast of Medicine Lodge, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The agency recorded 7 earthquakes in March including a 2.9 quake Thursday near Belle Plaine. The USGS also recorded 6 earthquakes in February. They measured from 2.5. to 3.3.

There are no reports of damage or injury from Sunday’s quake.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Faculty and staff at the University of Kansas reported declining morale because of concerns about salary, lack of support, increased workload and the state government’s increasing role in running the university, according to a “climate” survey taken on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses last fall.

The survey, which was conducted in fall 2016 by a consulting firm hired by the university, found 64 percent of faculty and 55 percent of staff “seriously considered” leaving the university in the past year, The Lawrence Journal-World reported (https://bit.ly/2oGWKdD ).

“I don’t think it’s any secret that there’s been a morale problem with faculty and staff the last few years,” said University Senate President Joe Harrington, an English professor. “There’s a lot of factors at play.”

Harrington said state budget cuts and a law requiring state universities to allow concealed handguns on campus beginning July 1 also contributed to low morale.

The survey, which included written comments and numerical data, was conducted in fall 2016 by Rankin & Associates. Its results were released Wednesday during a meeting for senior leadership, employees and students.

The faculty’s top concerns were salary, a lack of professional development opportunities and funding, evaluation process problems, benefits and “the increasing presence of the state government in managing the institution,” an executive summary said.

Staff concerns included an “overwhelming workload” caused by fewer employees, evaluation process concerns, inequities in scheduling and workload, quality of supervision and family-related issues, according to the summary.

Minority and disabled employees reported mostly higher percentages of strongly considered leaving the university. The summary said 68 percent of American Indian, 68 percent of Hispanic, 67 percent of multiracial and 49 percent of African-American employees considered leaving, compared to 57 percent of white employees. More than 70 percent of employees with disabilities considered leaving, compared to 56 percent of employees without disabilities.

University spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said the survey was another tool to help the university improve.

“The University of Kansas, like peer institutions across the nation, wants to improve the campus climate,” Barcomb-Peterson said in a statement. “This survey has shown us that we are not unlike other universities: Overall, our community views our campus climate favorably, but we have work to do.”

The survey included some positives, including 71 percent of employees who said they were comfortable in their respective units and more than 80 percent of faculty said the school valued research and they felt valued by students.

Harrington gave new provost Neeli Bendapudi credit for improving management since she was hired in mid-2016 by focusing on transparency and considering input from faculty, staff and student government.

In all, 6,774 surveys were completed, a 22 percent response rate, according to the executive summary.

Principal investigator Trina Ramirez, with the university’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning, said her office will analyze the 600-page survey results to make it more useful in improving the climate at the university.

ALLEN COUNTY – A Kansas police officer was injured in an accident just before 8a.m. on Sunday in Allen County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Tanner Allen Beauvais, 23, Jenks, OK., stole the patrol vehicle of an Iola Police Department Officer.

The officer let go of the vehicle and skidded down the road.

The vehicle continued, left the roadway striking a tree off Mississippi Road three miles south of Iola.

Beauvais and the officer Steven S. Womack, 59, Iola, were transported to the Allen County Hospital.

Details on what prompted the incident and any charges were not available early Sunday afternoon.

CHICAGO (AP) — The maker of Hunt’s Chili Kits says it is recalling some because they might be contaminated with salmonella.

Conagra Brands Inc. said Sunday that it is cooperating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recall “a limited amount” of the kits.

The company says there have been no reports of people getting sick.

Conagra says there could be salmonella in a raw material used in the chili-seasoning packets. The company says consumers should return kits to the store where they bought them.

The recalled 44.8-ounce kits have “best by” dates of April 4, April 5 and May 1, and product codes 3534619500, 3534619600 and 3534622200 below the barcode.

Conagra says consumers can call the company at 1-800-921-7404 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are enrolling volunteers for critical next-stage testing of an experimental vaccine to protect against Zika, the mosquito-borne virus that can cause devastating birth defects in pregnant women.

The first volunteer was vaccinated Wednesday at Baylor College of Medicine. National Institutes of Health researchers aim to enroll at least 2,400 people in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and five at-risk countries: Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Peru.

The NIH says the shots passed preliminary safety tests. The larger study aims to determine whether the shots can protect.

Zika caused a large outbreak in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean last year. The U.S. risk has largely been to travelers, although mosquitoes spread the virus in parts of southern Florida and Texas last year.