Salina ? Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has named a banker and small-business owner to two, newly created seats on the Saline County Commission.

Brownback on Thursday announced the appointments of Luci Larson and David Smith to the north-central Kansas county’s county board. Both are from Salina and take office Jan. 12.

Saline County voters in November approved expanding the commission from three to five members. Under Kansas law, the current commissioners were required to draw new districts within a month, and the governor was required to fill the seats. The new commissioners will stand for election in 2016.

Larson is a travel agency owner who served on the Salina City Commission and as the city’s mayor in 2009 and 2010. Smith has been a banker and real estate appraiser since 1972.

Earlier this week, Brownback’s press secretary rejected the Salina Journal’s request for candidate names for the third time, prompting the newspaper to hire an attorney and start looking at further actions to obtain what it believed was a public record.

Related story

• Brownback rejects Salina newspaper records request for 3rd time