TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say the state mental hospital in eastern Kansas failed to regain federal recertification after a survey in May.

That means the state will continue to lose up to $1 million a month in federal funds being withheld because the hospital doesn’t meet federal standards.

The government revoked Osawatomie State Hospital’s certification in December 2015, citing safety and patient care issues.

Department for Aging and Disabilities Services officials said Friday they were nevertheless encouraged because the surveyors didn’t cite the hospital for the same issues that cost it certification. Instead, many of the issues dealt with the hospital’s kitchen.

The Associated Press obtained the information exclusively during a briefing Friday. KDADS Secretary Tim Keck said he expects the hospital to undergo at least two more surveys to get recertified.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former mail carrier in northwest Kansas has pleaded guilty to stealing mail he was supposed to deliver.

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said in a news release that 25-year-old James Stephenson, of Hoxie, pleaded guilty Friday to mail theft.

Stephenson said while he was employed at the Post Office in Hoxie, he stole mail containing cash, gift cards and prepaid debit cards. Stephenson said he watched for special occasion cards that were likely to contain money or cards.

Attorneys on both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of one year and day in federal prison. Sentencing is set for Sept. 14.

TOPEKA – (June 16, 2017) – A lawsuit filed by Kansas and 25 other states led to the Trump administration’s action yesterday to rescind an Obama executive action on illegal immigration, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

In a filing Thursday in federal district court in Texas, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it is rescinding the Obama Administration’s November 20, 2014, memorandum that ordered relaxed enforcement of immigration laws against certain categories of illegal immigrants. That memorandum, commonly known as President Obama’s “executive action” on immigration, had never entered into effect because it was immediately challenged by 26 states, including Kansas, and was blocked by a federal court injunction.

In its filing yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security set out the history of that litigation. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly wrote that he decided to withdraw the Obama policy after considering “a number of factors, including the preliminary injunction in this matter, the ongoing litigation, the fact that [the Obama memorandum] never took effect, and our new immigration enforcement priorities.”

Schmidt said yesterday’s action was a direct result of the successful litigation filed by the states that challenged President Obama’s legal authority in this matter.

“Yesterday’s decision by the federal government to drop its illegal effort to rewrite immigration law by executive action is a victory for the rule of law in our country,” Schmidt said. “If changes are to be made to federal immigration law, those changes must come from the people’s elected representatives in Congress, not from a president and federal agencies disregarding the written law to act as they prefer. There is no shortcut or substitute for the Constitution’s lawmaking process.”

In its filing yesterday with the court, the Department of Homeland Security requested additional time to consult with the states about disposition of the lawsuit. Schmidt said he is hopeful that withdrawal of the illegal federal immigration policy will allow swift resolution of the remaining issues in the pending lawsuit. The states filed their lawsuit in December 2014 and obtained the preliminary injunction in February 2015. That injunction eventually was affirmed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and was left intact by the U.S. Supreme Court.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — General Motors has sparked concern about layoffs after announcing plans to eliminate one shift at its plant in Kansas City, Kansas.

GM pokeswoman Mary Padilla tells the Kansas City Star that the company will reduce the number of production shifts at its Fairfax Assembly Plant from three to two beginning in late September.

She didn’t know the exact number of layoffs expected. The plant currently has more than 3,000 employees.

Padilla says the decision is due to declining market demand for mid-sized cars. She says the market is favoring crossovers and trucks over passenger cars.

The announcement came two days after GM made public that the plant would extend its summer shutdown from two weeks to five because of decreased sales of the Chevrolet Malibu, built at the plant.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s new Cuba policy (all times local):

2:40 p.m.

Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, says President Donald Trump’s new Cuba policy closes off a potentially lucrative market for American farmers.

In a statement Friday, Moran says “putting America first means exporting what we produce to countries across the globe.” He says he remains focused on finding ways to “increase trade with Cuba rather than cut off relationships that have the potential to create new jobs, bring in revenue and boost our national economy.”

Full statement on the President’s #Cuba policy: pic.twitter.com/bbEnzcX6k3

— Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) June 16, 2017

Kansas has almost 46 million acres devoted to farm operations and Moran has backed legislation to restore trade with Cuba. He’s also a co-sponsor of legislation that would eliminate restrictions on travel to Cuba by American citizens and legal residents.

___

2:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump has demanded that Cuba return a woman convicted in the murder of a New Jersey state trooper.

Trump made the demand for the return of Joanne Chesimard while announcing changes to Obama-era Cuba policy in Miami Friday.

Chesimard was convicted in 1977 in the death of Trooper Werner Foerster. He was killed during a gunfight after a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973.

Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison but escaped in November 1979 and eventually traveled to Cuba. Fidel Castro granted her asylum and she has been living under the name Assata Shakur.

Republican Gov. Chris Christie has urged the Trump administration to make Chesimard’s return to the United States part of any change in Cuba policy.

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2:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump has announced a series of changes to the Obama-era Cuba policy and is challenging the Cuban government to negotiate a better deal.

Trump says in a speech in Miami that the U.S. will not lift sanctions on Cuba until it releases all political prisoners and respects the Cuban people’s right to freedom of assembly and expression.

Trump is also calling for the legalization of all political parties, and free and internationally supervised elections.

The president says his new policy will also restrict the flow of American dollars to the military, security and intelligence services that are the core of the government led by Raul Castro.

He has challenged Cuba to “come to the table” to strike a deal that serves both country’s interests.

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1:49 p.m.

Sen. Jeff Flake is criticizing President Donald Trump’s new policy on Cuba.

The Arizona Republican says any policy change “that diminishes the ability of Americans to travel freely to Cuba is not in the best interests of the United States or the Cuban people.”

Flake, a frequent critic of Trump during the presidential campaign, has been among the most outspoken lawmakers opposed to rolling back the Obama-era detente with Havana. Flake has warned that returning to a “get tough” policy that isolates the island would hurt everyday Cubans whose livelihoods are increasingly rooted in travel and tourism.

He’s calling on the Senate’s GOP leadership to allow a vote on his legislation that would eliminate restrictions on travel to Cuba by American citizens and legal residents. The bill has 54 co-sponsors.

11:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump says his administration’s new policy on Cuba aims to “empower” the citizens of that country.

The president tweeted while en route to Miami, where he’ll announce his plans for halting the flow of U.S. cash to Cuba’s military and security services while maintaining diplomatic relations.

The tweet reads, “Headed to Miami to announce new U.S. policy on Cuba. We are going to empower the Cuban people and hold the regime accountable!”

The new policy is only a partial reversal from that of the Obama administration.

But they will burden the U.S. government with the complicated task of policing Americans’ travel to Cuba to make sure there are no transactions with the military-linked conglomerate that runs much of the Cuban economy.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted an extension of the emergency grazing on CRP lands through September 30 for areas of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas impacted by recent wildfires.

This letter from Secretary Perdue comes in response to a letter sent by Congressmen Marshall, Thornberry and Lucas to the USDA requesting an extension of the authorized emergency grazing on CRP lands located in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.

 

@RogerMarshallMD @MacTXPress @RepFrankLucas ask & receive extension for CRP emergency grazing from USDA https://t.co/aezKe0WSSF #beef pic.twitter.com/nb2VcO5vcA

— AgView (@agviewnews) June 16, 2017

 

“I want to thank Secretary Perdue and the USDA for responding to the needs of cattle producers across the wildfire-damaged area,” Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D., said. “This extension should give grass additional time to recover and producers additional time to rebuild fences and other facilities destroyed by the fire. I appreciate the Secretary and USDA utilizing the flexibility they have to help restore these hard-working Kansans.”

“I’ve lived all my life in Northwest Oklahoma, but I have never seen anything of the magnitude of these fires,” Congressman Frank Lucas said. “USDA’s 90 day extension of emergency grazing on CRP acres will no doubt help ease the burden for farmers and ranchers in our part of the country by providing them with additional flexibility while forage is reestablished and fencing is rebuilt. I thank Secretary Perdue for working with us on this critical matter to help support producers impacted by these devastating wildfires.”

 

HARVEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities have identified a woman who died in a car on Interstate 135 on Monday as Courtney Kloster, 34, Newton, according to a media release.

Just after 2p.m. Wednesday, authorities found a body inside a vehicle at the Northbound Interstate 135 rest area south of Newton, according to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department.

Officials do not suspect any foul play in her death, according to the sheriff’s department.

Funeral services for Kloster are scheduled on Monday in Newton.

SEDGWICK COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have made an arrest.

Just before 3 a.m. Sunday, a suspect entered an apartment in the 1400 Block of North Smith Court in Wichita, according to Police Sgt. Nikki Woodrow.

After entering the residence, the suspect sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl and left. An adult in the residence heard the child crying, learned what happened and called 911.

On Thursday night, police arrested a 23-year-old suspect in the case at his place of employment, according to the daily Wichita Police online media briefing.

Corbin Breitenbach, a registered sex offender, was booked in the Sedgwick Jail morning on requested charges of rape, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and burglary, according booking records.

In 2013, Breitenbach was convicted of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The child has been released from the hospital and is with family. Police released no additional details due the active nature of the investigation.

RILEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted murder in Manhattan and asking the public for help.

Just after 10:15 p.m. Thursday, Riley County Dispatch received a call regarding a man who fell down and was possibly injured in the 1000 block of Fremont Street in Manhattan.

Dispatch sent EMS to the scene.  First responders felt that the injuries sustained by the victim were inconsistent with a fall.

Riley County Police Department responded to the scene and are working the incident as an attempted murder. There is no suspect at this time. However, we do not believe the public to be at risk.

The victim was transported to Via Christi by EMS in critical condition.

If the public has any information regarding this case, please call in to dispatch at 785-537-2112 or call Crimestoppers at 785-539-7777 or toll free at 1-800-222-8477.

RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man has been found guilty in connection with a fire at the Plaza Towers, 17 East 2^nd Avenue in Hutchinson.

The jury deliberated about six hours before finding Chase Coble, 22, Hutchinson, guilty of one count of aggravated arson.

Coble was arrested and originally charged with three counts of arson and two counts of criminal use of explosives. Those charges were dismissed during the trial.

The fire happened when Coble was said to be experimenting with plastic and chemicals when it got out of hand. Police say he had the

chemicals to make black powder to use in explosives. Coble claims he was trying to bond metals and plastic, when chemicals spilled causing a fire.

Sentencing in the case is set for July 28.