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TOPEKA — U.S. Sen.

Associated Press Sedgwick County officials acknowledge that some residents living in rural areas likely did not hear sirens going off before an EF-3 tornado roared through parts of the Kansas county last week. While much of the attention after the April 29 night storm focused on the heavily populated Wichita suburb of Andover, rural areas close to the city and in adjacent Butler County also sustained significant damage from a tornado that was on the ground for nearly 13 miles (20.92 kilometers).

The New Orleans Saints and Tyrann Mathieu have agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract, reuniting the All-Pro safety with his hometown team, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person confirmed the contract, first reported by ESPN.com, on condition of anonymity because it was not yet signed. It includes $18 million guaranteed, a sizeable investment for a safety who turns 30 next week. The Saints had been searching for help at the position after Marcus Williams signed with the Ravens in free agency and Malcom Jenkins announced his retirement.

Part of a larger project, the northbound I-135 ramp to eastbound U.S. 50 on the north sideof Newton is expected to be closed for about 10 days for a patching project beginning at 7 a.m.

The amount of time the Harvey County Commission dedicates to COVID-19 mitigation at each meeting is dropping, almost faster that case numbers. This week the commission learned that there are eight active cases of the disease in the county, a significant drop from the height of the pandemic when that number would be in the hundreds.

Three times on Friday night tornado warning sirens sounded in Newton. At about the same time, a twister ravaged Andover.