Former lawmaker gets prison term

A former state representative is headed to a federal prison next January, instead of the state capital. A U-S district judge today sentenced Vernon Thompson of Kansas City to a year in prison. Thompson tried to embezzle $250,000 from federally-assisted housing developments in 1997 and 1998. He also skimmed the larger part of a $54,000 dollar grant intended for a youth assistance program. Thompson fessed-up to the schemes in February, after giving up his seat in the legislature a month earlier.