School takeover bill may come too late for KC

Missouri House members have passed the bill and the Senate seems receptive to the changes they made. But only three days remain in the 2013 legislative session, so time is running short. And the long wait to get it across the finish line has left some wondering whether passage will have any real impact in the Kansas City district.

KU may get money it didn’t ask for, but not what it wanted

The University of Kansas has struggled throughout the legislative session to win support for $10 million recommended by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback for a new building to train doctors at its medical school in Kansas City, Kan. At the same time, however, lawmakers eagerly embraced the governor’s proposal to fund a new adult stem cell research center for the university.

Judge dismisses one civil count against KC diocese, bishop

Bishop Robert Finn and the diocese couldn’t have aided and abetted the Rev. Shawn Ratigan in his possession of child pornography because they didn’t know about the images until the priest had completed his crime, a judge ruled. The civil trial is scheduled to open Monday.

Text messages released in Ottawa quadruple homicide case

Text messages made public Monday reveal that Kyle Flack acted as if nothing was amiss, even though prosecutors in Franklin County, Kan., believe he already had killed Steven White and may have already killed Andrew Stout, Kaylie Bailey and Bailey’s 18-month-old daughter, Lana-Leigh. In court Monday, Flack waived his right to a preliminary hearing within 15 days of being charged.