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TUESDAY • JANUARY 14 • 2014
Unbelievable gift Colyer
1106 Rhode Island St.
$500K loan causes a stir as legislative session starts
City set to buy 1800s home
By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
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Topeka — Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer said his unprecedented $500,000 loan to Gov. Sam Brownback’s re-election campaign shows the team’s commitment to the state and their policies. But the campaign of likely Democratic opponent, Paul Davis, says it shows that Davis is a contender. Colyer’s huge loan caused a buzz in Kansas politics as the 2014 legislative started Monday. “I just believe in what Davis we got to do in Kansas,” said Colyer to the Lawrence Journal-World. “The governor and I are very convinced in making sure that we have a better future for kids,” he said. Colyer is
Rare use of eminent domain meant to turn an ‘eyesore’ into an ‘asset’ By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Lawrence city commissioners are set to use their eminent domain powers — and pay about $115,000 in the process — to acquire an East Lawrence property that has deteriorated for decades but managed to avoid city prosecution. Commissioners at their meeting this evening will consider paying the court-ordered amount of $114,500 to We acquire the don’t have old house, too many barn and real estate at 1106 of these Island situations.” Rhode St. Commis— City Manager sioners this David Corliss summer decided to use the eminent domain process to acquire the property against the wishes of its owner, the estate of Raymond F. Barland. Commissioners made the decision after they became convinced the late 1800s home and yard — which previously was filled with old Packard automobiles — wasn’t going to be brought up to city codes any other way. The city plans to accept proposals from developers who are interested in
Please see LOAN, page 2A
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Please see HOUSE, page 7A
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
LIBERTY MEMORIAL CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL computer and multimedia teacher Scott Forkenbrock, left, is donating a kidney to colleague and social studies instructor Mike Wormsley, right, who suffers from a kidney disorder.
Local teacher amazed by colleague’s kidney donation By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com
M
ike Wormsley took a second look at the email to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. A coworker at Lawrence’s Liberty Memorial Central Middle School was offering to donate a
Surgery scheduled for today kidney that would prolong and improve the quality of his life. “I think I read through that thing six times to make sure I was reading it right,” said Wormsley, who teaches eighth-grade American history.
His eyes weren’t deceiving him. Scott Forkenbrock, a computer technology instructor, was prepared to give Wormsley one of his kidneys. They just had to find out Please see KIDNEY, page 7A
KU researcher identifies largest fossilized spider
THESE SPIDERS were about the size of a human hand and lived 165 million years ago, during the Middle Jurassic period. The male, Mongolarachne jurassica, and female, Nephila jurassica, were similar in size.
Earth as well: giant spiders. In fact, a Kansas University researcher recently identified the As if dinosaurs weren’t largest known fossilized spider, enough to contend with in the a relic of the Middle Jurassic peworld of 165 million years ago, riod. From a site in China’s Inner the Jursassic period had other Please see SPIDER, page 4A frightful creatures roaming the By Ben Unglesbee
bunglesbee@ljworld.com
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Photo courtesy of Kansas University and Paul Selden
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KanCare struggle promptly resumes By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Topeka — The 2014 legislative session started Monday and Republicans and Democrats immediately resumed the battle over Gov. Sam Brownback’s privatized Medicaid system called KanCare. Republicans on the KanCare oversight committee passed a recommendation reaffirming Brownback’s plan to put long-term supports for those with developmental disabilities under KanCare by Feb. 1. Democrats oppose such a move, saying those longterm supports, such as help in bathing or shopping, will be reduced if they are handled by the private health insurance companies that LEGISLATURE run KanCare. State Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita, said there was no testimony given from people with disabilities during committee hearings in support of placing those services under KanCare. But state Rep. David Crum, R-Augusta, and chairman of the House-Senate committee that provides oversight of KanCare, disagreed. “The concept has a great deal of merit,” Crum said. He conceded that KanCare has Please see KANCARE, page 2A
Retrial in ‘97 rape case The defense, alleging evidence contamination, files a motion to dismiss the state’s second trial against a man accused of raping a KU student. Page 3A
Vol.156/No.14 24 pages