// a href = ./ //

SALINA, Kan. (AP) - A member of a north central Kansas county commission says he won't resign after being criticized for using a racial slur during a public meeting.

Saline County Commissioner Jim Gile used the slur last week while the commission was discussing hiring an architect for a county project.

The Salina Journal reports that when Gile was asked what he meant, he responded "Afro-Americanized."

On Tuesday, two Salina residents attended the commission's meeting to ask Gile to resign.

Gile read a statement apologizing for using the phrase, saying he recognized he was wrong. Gile said after the meeting he would not resign.

Commission Chairman Randy Duncan said he accepted Gile's apology.

Gile was elected in November to his first four-year term on the commission.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - About 30,000 people in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas woke up without power as heavy, wet snow hitting the region downed power lines.

Kansas City Power & Light reported at 6 a.m. Tuesday that just over 25,000 customers were without power. The outages stretched throughout the utility's service area from Emporia, Kan., to Sedalia, Mo., but the highest number of outages was in the Kansas City metro area.

BPU, which provides service in Wyandotte County on the Kansas side of the metro area was reporting about 7,600 customers without service. Westar Energy reported 8,900 outages throughout its Kansas region, which includes pockets near Kansas City. Westar's highest number of outages early Tuesday was in Greenwood and Douglas counties, which includes the Wichita area.