Kansas
State lawmakers OK bill to void local gun rules
TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas legislators gave final approval Saturday to a bill nullifying city and county gun restrictions and ensure it’s legal across the state to openly carry firearms, a measure the National Rifle Association sees as a model for stripping local officials of their gun-regulating power.
The House approved the legislation, 102-19, a day after the Senate passed it, 37-2. The measure goes next to Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. He hasn’t said whether he’ll sign it, but he’s a strong supporter of gun rights and has signed other measures backed by the NRA and the Kansas State Rifle Association.
Kansas law doesn’t expressly forbid the open carrying of firearms, and the attorney general’s office in the past has told local officials some restrictions are allowed. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., has prohibited the practice, but the bill would sweep any such ban away, except to allow cities and counties to prevent openly carried weapons inside public buildings.
Indiana
Great Lakes ice forces U.S. Steel to idle mill
GARY, Ind. – U.S. Steel has temporarily halted steelmaking at its massive northwestern Indiana mill because the ice-covered Great Lakes have cut off the mill’s access to vital iron ore.
The Times of Munster, Ind., reported treacherous ice covering much of Lake Superior has prevented ships from hauling iron ore from Minnesota’s Iron Range to northwestern Indiana steel mills.
The Gary Works complex is the nation’s largest steel mill, stretching seven miles along Lake Michigan. It can produce 7.5 million net tons of steel a year.
More than 5,800 employees who work at the mill continue to report to work.
California
Concern building after LA meningitis deaths
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Health officials last week announced a cluster of cases of invasive meningococcal disease that sickened eight people in the Los Angeles area. Among those who fell ill, half were gay or bisexual, including three who died. Two of the victims were HIV-positive.
Meningitis infections occasionally pop up in places where people interact closely. The risk of infection is considered low among any population, but those with compromised immune systems are more susceptible, health experts say.
“It is concerning,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is offering free meningitis vaccinations.
The disease attacks the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can only be spread through close contact. Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting that can develop within days of being exposed.
Ohio
Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood home for sale in Ohio
BATH, Ohio – The house where serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer grew up and committed his first murder is for sale again in northern Ohio.
Situated on a private wooded lot in a wealthy neighborhood near Akron, the three-bedroom home is priced at $295,000.
The home was first listed two years ago before being pulled off the market. Realtor Rich Lubinski said it failed to sell then because of the depressed housing market and its notorious past.
“If you can get past that little problem, you’ll have a wonderful place to live,” said Chris Butler, the home’s current owner.
Associated Press
