Here is The Associated Press Wisconsin prep basketball poll for the week of February 27, with first-place votes in parentheses, record, total points and last week’s ranking, as voted upon by a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters: Division 1 School Record Points Last Week 1. De Pere (8) 23-1 80 1 2. Arrowhead 22-2 72 2 3. Kettle …

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A mower sparked a prairie fire that has burned a huge swath of grassland in central Nebraska roughly the size of the state’s largest city of Omaha, state officials said Tuesday. The fire, first reported Monday morning less than 10 miles (16.1 kilometers) northeast of North Platte, destroyed one home, damaged another and burned down about …

NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s latest book club selection is an author and ghost writer’s life story, chronicling her journey from prison and drug addiction to collaborating with the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and others. Lara Love Hardin’s “The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing” was published last summer. “Once you …

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two men and a teenager have been charged in a shooting that killed a toddler at a Wichita apartment complex. The men, ages 21 and 25, made first court appearances Monday on charges of first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm in the death of 1-year-old Taidyn Anderson. A 17-year-old is charged in juvenile court. …

The Associated Press high school boys basketball poll with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Monday, total points, and last week’s ranking: Class 4A W-L Pts Prv 1. Fishers (13) 22-1 260 1 2. Noblesville 20-2 224 2 3. Westfield 19-2 212 3 4. Kokomo 22-3 184 4 5. Lawrence North 21-3 141 5 6. Greenfield 22-0 134 6 7. …

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland voters would decide in a special election whether people who are appointed to vacancies in the state legislature keep their seats in the first two years of a term, under a proposed constitutional amendment approved by the state Senate on Tuesday. The measure, which passed on a 43-2 vote, now goes to the Maryland House. …

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. California Golden Bears (13-15, 9-8 Pac-12) at Colorado Buffaloes (18-9, 9-7 Pac-12) Boulder, Colorado; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Cal visits the Colorado Buffaloes after Jaylon Tyson …

WASHINGTON (AP) — As he prepared to take office three years ago, Joe Biden’s incoming administration considered a host of possible options to fulfill a campaign pledge to end the federal death penalty. One idea was an executive order, according to people familiar with the matter. But the White House did not issue one or push for legislation in Congress. …

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. UCF Knights (14-12, 5-9 Big 12) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-15, 4-10 Big 12) Stillwater, Oklahoma; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma State faces the UCF Knights …

NEW YORK (AP) — Seated in a courtroom witness box, Don Henley opened a large brown envelope Tuesday and paged through the aging yellow sheets of a legal pad. “Well, it’s got two song titles written on the top,” he explained when asked what it contained. “ ‘After the Thrill is Gone’ and ‘One of These Nights.’” Then came another …