TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ prisons chief says a staffing shortage constitutes an emergency at a maximum-security lockup that has seen several recent inmate disturbances, requiring mandatory overtime and shifts as long as 16 hours.

Corrections Secretary Joe Norwood made that pronouncement in a Tuesday letter to an employee union in rejecting a grievance over long hours at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

Mandatory overtime and extended hours are allowed in emergencies under the department’s agreement with the Kansas Organization of State Employees, the union representing prison workers.

The prison moved to 12-hour shifts in June and the union later filed a grievance saying some workers were being required to work 16-hour shifts. The union’s director says the department deliberately held off on declaring an emergency until Tuesday.

STANTON COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 8a.m. Wednesday in Stanton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a bicycle ridden by Mark T. Stephenson, 60, Johnson, was eastbound on the eastbound shoulder Of U.S. 160 at Airport Road just east of Johnson. He was riding in front of a 2001 Toyota Camry driven by Candee L C Amerin, 49, Johnson.

The bicyclist turned northbound in front of the Camry onto Airport Road.

Amerin swerved the Camry in an avoidance maneuver but struck the bicyclist.  Stephenson was transported to a hospital in Wichita.  Amerin was not injured. Heavy fog is believed to have played a role in the collision.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A prize-winning orchestral conductor has pleaded no contest to crimes involving a 15-year-old.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Carlos Espinosa-Machado previously worked in Kansas and Missouri but is currently employed by Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.

He pleaded Tuesday in Douglas County Court to indecent liberties with a child and furnishing alcohol to a minor, both felonies. Prosecutors said the crimes were committed in Eudora.

He currently is an assistant professor of visual and performing arts and a symphony orchestra director at Elizabeth City State University.

Espinosa-Machado previously an assistant conductor at the University of Kansas, and worked for the Kansas City Medical Arts Symphony, Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City and the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra in Branson, Missouri.

Espinosa-Machado’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 22.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The incumbent mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, has advanced to November’s general election in his quest for a second term.

The Kansas City Star reports that Mark Holland will face David Alvey on the Nov. 7 ballot. Holland got 40 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary elections, followed by Alvey’s 30 percent. Alvey is a Rockhurst High School dean and a member of the board of public utilities.

In Topeka, Kansas, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports that City Councilwoman Michelle De La Isla will face Spencer Duncan in November for the mayoral race. Both were the top two vote-getters in a five-candidate field.

TOPEKA -A Northwest Kansas chiropractor has agreed to surrender his license to practice in Kansas, according to an order filed July 31 by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.

The KBHA said the license of Craig A. Rogers of Norton became inactive in November 2016. The order said, however, he continued to provide chiropractic care to more than 700 patients after his license became inactive.

The consent order also prohibits Rogers from opening or maintaining an office for the practice of healing arts or owning, managing, being employed by or acting in an advisory capacity for any entity providing chiropractic services in the state of Kansas.

Click HERE to read the complete order.

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent three people to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Just after 1a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2900 Block of SE Highland CT., in Topeka, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, police found a man, woman and teenage boy with gunshot injuries, according to a media release.  Detectives and K-9 responded to process the crime scene. Police have made no arrests.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Topeka Police.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas man pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy that tried to obtain about $445,000 in fraudulent federal income tax returns.

Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Larson said in a news release that 24-year-old Orville Frame Jr., of Topeka, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Missouri. The scheme used false W-2 forms to file fraudulent federal and state income tax returns.

Prosecutors say Frame and a co-defendant, 37-year-old Byron Meeks of Topeka, attempted to obtain about $445,000 but received only $10,945 from one federal refund and $3,389 in a Kansas state tax refund.

Meeks was sentenced in April to five years in federal prison without parole.

Frame faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

SALINA -Authorities say a woman suffered serious bite wounds after her American Bulldog attacked her Monday morning.

Salina Police Capt. Paul Forrester said that 58-year-old Angela Fassnacht was attempting to take the dog outside at around 11 a.m. when it attacked. Authorities believe it was trying to reach a female dog in heat that was inside the house, located on the 500 block of West Iron in Salina.

A neighbor helped distract the dog by breaking down part of a wooden fence, allowing Fassnacht to enter her home.

Fassnacht was transported by emergency medical services to Salina Regional Health Center with serious wounds on both arms and her back. She has since been transferred to a Wichita hospital.

According to Capt. Forrester, the victim requested that the dog be euthanized.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas says it collected $7.6 million more in taxes than anticipated in July during its first month under an income tax increase approved by legislators.

The Department of Revenue reported Tuesday that the state collected $453.5 million in taxes. That’s 1.7 percent more than the official projection of almost $446 million.

The surplus in July collections came after the state ended its 2017 fiscal year on June 30 with tax collections exceeding expectations by $72 million, or 1.3 percent. Total tax collections for fiscal 2017 surpassed $5.8 billion.

Lawmakers enacted the income tax increase over Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto to raise an additional $1.2 billion over two years.

Brownback budget director Shawn Sullivan tweeted that it’s too early to tell whether the tax increase will generate what is expected.

TREGO COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 10a.m. Tuesday in Trego County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Volvo semi driven by Steve Joseph Glew, Jr., 66, Pittsburgh, PA., was westbound on Interstate 70 ten miles west of WaKeeney.

The semi rear-ended a KDOT vehicle driven by James Seth Antrim, 55, Norton, assigned to a paint crew and traveling at 8.6 miles-per-hour with flashing caution lights and arrow board indicating to move left activated.

Antrim was transported to the hospital in WaKeeney. Glew Jr., was not injured.  Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.