SALINE COUNTY- Fire officials are working to determine the cause of a weekend fire in a semi parked at a truck stop in Salina.

Just before 10p.m. Saturday, fire crews responded to reported of fire at the Phillips 66, 2140 West Crawford, according to Battalion Chief Derrick Herzog.

Another truck driver saw flames coming from a semi parked on the lot. He ran to alert a man sleeping in the back of the vehicle.

The semi was completely destroyed and flames scorched the side of another tractor-trailer parked nearby.

It is believed the fire started in the truck’s engine, according to Herzog.

The vehicle was not running at the time and the truck had been parked in the lot for about four hours.

The semi was completely destroyed and flames scorched the side of another tractor-trailer parked nearby. There were no injuries.

Name of the driver and additional detail on the fire were not available early Monday.

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s government has obtained a five-minute cell phone video that shows the gruesome murders of two United Nations experts who were killed last month while investigating human rights abuses.

In the video shown to journalists on Monday, a group of young men identify themselves as members of the Kamwina Nsapu militia.

American Michael Sharp, Swedish national Zaida Catalan and their interpreter Betu Tshintela went missing March 12 in central Congo and their bodies were found two weeks later.

Sharp is the son of Hesston Kansas College Bible faculty members John and Michele Sharp.

Three others working with the team remain missing.

Congo’s government has vowed justice for the victims and arrested two suspects, though one escaped custody.

More than 400 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced since government troops killed the militia’s leader in August, according to the U.N.

RILEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating a suspect on alleged rape charges.

Just before 5p.m. Friday, police arrested Rondal Michael Genzel, 35, Ogden, at a home in the 500 Block of 12th Street on a warrant alleging rape involving a victim under the age of 14, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report.

Genzel remained jailed Monday on a $100,000 bond.

He has a previous conviction in 2011 for Aggravated Indecent Solicitation of a child, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A magistrate judge has agreed to stay an order requiring Kansas’ top elections officials to turn over proposed changes to voting rights laws that he took to a meeting with President Donald Trump.

The Kansas City Star reports that the action Judge James O’Hara took Sunday gives Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach time to appeal to U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson.

At issue is whether Kobach will have to turn over two documents to plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging a state law requiring voters provide proof of their U.S. citizenship when registering.

After examining the documents, O’Hara ruled last week that parts were relevant to the lawsuit and chastised Kobach for misrepresenting the contents.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University is having a formal inauguration ceremony this week for President Richard Myers.

The retired four-star Air Force general and former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman is the 14th president in the university’s 154-year history.

The ceremony for Myers is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in McCain Auditorium on the university’s main Manhattan campus. The president plans to give an inaugural address.

The Kansas Board of Regents appointed Myers president in November after he had served as interim president for seven months. He replaced Kirk Schulz, who left the position to become Washington State University’s president.

Myers graduated from Kansas State in 1965 and joined the military through the ROTC program there. After his retirement from the military, Myers was a part-time professor of military history and leadership.

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

Just before 2a.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a shooting at an apartment complex in the 1500 Block of SW 15th in Topeka, according to a media release.  The address in near the campus of Washburn University .

Officers found two men with gunshot wounds. They were transported to a local hospital where one victim identified as Matthew R. Lowry, 29, died.

Police say two possible suspects left the scene riding bicycles.

Police asked that anyone with information call Crime Stoppers at 234-0007.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas legislative committees are resuming their work on budget issues this week before all lawmakers return to the Statehouse.

The House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means committees are scheduled to have a joint meeting Thursday morning. They plan to review a new fiscal forecast issued last week.

The new forecast is more optimistic than one issued in November and boosted the state’s projected tax collections. But Kansas still faces projected budget shortfalls totaling $889 million through June 2019.

And the budget gaps don’t include extra money for public schools following a Kansas Supreme Court ruling last month that education funding is inadequate.

The committees also plan to have separate meetings Thursday and Friday to draft budget measures to consider after lawmakers return from their annual spring break May 1.

NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — Four Kansas teenagers arrived at prom in Doritos helicopters thanks to the cheesy way Shaedon Wedel asked his date to the dance.

The Kansas City Star reports Wedel asked his friend Carson Wittman’s 15-year-old sister, Carlie, to the prom in Newton because she dreamed of being Cinderella. Carlie Wittman has down syndrome.

Wedel asked Wittman to the dance with a customized Doritos t-shirt, and tweets about it caught the company’s attention.

So Doritos provided two red helicopters for Saturday’s dance, and a Wisconsin couple sent Carlie Wittman a princess style gown.

Hey @shardonwedel – here’s to a bold prom experience. Hope you and Carlie have a great time! pic.twitter.com/XmQP1NR5vG

— Doritos (@Doritos) April 23, 2017

Carson Wittman and his date also got to fly to the dance.

MANHATTAN –Police arrested a member of the Kansas State Women’s basketball team early Sunday.

Just before 1a.m. officers arrested 19- year-old Eternati Willock for criminal trespass and liquor purchase by a minor, according to the Riley County Police arrest report.

She was jailed on a bond of $800.

Willock played in 31 games for the Wildcats and averaged 6points a game. She was also named to the All Big 12 Freshman team.

She was suspended indefinitely from the team upon further investigation, according to a statement from Coach Jeff Mittie.

ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Press

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest farm loan delinquency numbers show Kansas farmers are faring better than many had feared as spring planting gets underway.

The U.S. Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency says its direct loan delinquencies in Kansas fell slightly to 6 percent as of March 31. That compares to 6 and a half percent at the same time a year ago.

Farm Loan Chief Robert White says the agency is pleased and surprised. He credits good crop yields the past couple of years for lessening the impact of low crop prices.

But he notes that the loan delinquency rate for March 2012 was under 4 percent.

The agency also guarantees some loans made by commercial banks and those are faring worse compared to last year at this time.