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Crowded jail leads to cost overrun
Making a racket for three decades Life inside the tennis game that started and wouldn’t end
Bill for farming out inmates tops $523,000 By Conrad Swanson Twitter: @Conrad_Swanson
The Douglas County Jail, which has been at capacity for the past year and a half, is now spending an average of $90,000 each month farming out its inmates to other area jails. As of Thursday, the end of its 2015 fiscal year, the county had spent more than twice the amount budgeted Weinaug for out-of-county prisoner care, said County Administrator Craig Weinaug. For 2015, the county set aside $250,000 for out-of-county prisoner care, Weinaug said. To date it has spent more than $523,000. Please see JAIL, page 8A Nick Krug/Journal-World Photos
PICTURED ARE MEMBERS OF A MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY TENNIS GAME that has been played regularly for about 30 years. At top is Van Grant, 84. Second row, from left, is Doug McKay, 74, Ted Eubanks, 74 and Rick Ostrander, 65. Bottom row, from left, is George Smith, 76, Bob Wells, 78 and Alan Sanders, 86.
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heir serves may not carry the same velocity as Novak Djokovic’s, and none of their backhands come close to resembling Stefan Edberg’s, but some of the on-the-court bickering of a Lawrence morning tennis group could make a guy like John McEnroe proud. “Geezer tennis” is the nickname George Smith, 76, says he uses when talking about his regular game with friends. For about 30 years, a group of about 10 or so, mostly retirees, have been meeting for doubles matches at the Lawrence High School tennis courts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Even when the ball isn’t quite clearing the net, the zingers are always flying. One Monday in October, Ted Eubanks, 74, sat along the rock wall just adjacent to a doubles match that was heating up on the near court. Uncertainty arose
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when a ball landed on or near the sideline. Nobody seemed rock solid on what to call, but naturally, one side believed the ball was in while the other wanted to call it out. “Ted, you gotta watch these lines,” requested Doug McKay, 74. “We don’t need an argument every time.” “I would if I had two good eyes,” Eubanks cracked. “There are disputes about every game,” said longtime player Bob Wells, 78, while laughing. “Some of these
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guys just refuse to buy Eubanks smashed a hard glasses.” return across the net, On another Monday in catching Mike Pearlman off December, with temperaguard and nearly grazing tures in the low 40s and the 71-year-old. Pearlman, nary a cloud in sight, eight smiling and a bit relieved players showed to have been up dressed in missed, asked There are fleece, sweats, Eubanks if the disputes about sock hats and hit was intenevery game. windbreakers. tionally directed Most agreed that Some of these at him. somewhere in “I told him guys just refuse I would the high 30s or only to buy glasses.” try to hit him if low 40s is usually the cutoff he made some these days. smart-(expletive) — Bob Wells, 78 McKay said he remark,” said remembered Eubanks. playing with Smith when it Most members of the was 27 degrees. group are in their early to After about 10 minutes of mid-70s, with a couple of getting warmed up, Smith exceptions in Alan Sandtook a moment to remove ers, 86, and Van Grant, 84. one of his protective layers. The late Bob McEldowney, “Uh oh. It looks like whom the group credits George means business,” his with organizing their regular teammate Wells remarked game, stopped playing tento their competitors on the nis just shy of 90 years old. other side. Please see RACKET, page 2A On the next court over,
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Lawmakers are sour on 2016 session By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
Topeka — Lawrence-area lawmakers say they have low expectations for the 2016 session that starts Jan. 11, despite a large number of significant issues awaiting them. Among the issues facing lawmakers this year: a projected $175 million budget shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1; the need to write a new LEGISLATURE school finance formula to replace the one lawmakers repealed in 2015; Medicaid expansion; funding for the state’s court system, which has been thrown into question by a recent Kansas Supreme Court decision; and addressing problems in the state’s foster care system, which has been
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Vol.158/No.3 46 pages