Lawrence Journal World 02-01-14

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SATURDAY • FEBRUARY 1 • 2014

DROUGHT

Richard Gwin/Journal World Photo

A DRIVER NEAR 27TH STREET AND HASKELL AVENUE stops at a section of closed road on Monday. The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced that the northbound and southbound lanes of Haskell Avenue from 27th to 29th streets will be closed until spring of 2015 while crews work on connecting Kansas Highway 10 and the South Lawrence Trafficway.

Closed areas of Haskell Avenue complicating local business access The portion of Haskell Avenue from 27th to 29th streets is set to remain closed until spring of 2015 When the Kansas Depart- while workers do utility work, box-culvert installation ment of Transportation an- and reconstruction to connect Kansas Highway 10 to nounced last week that the the South Lawrence Trafficway. By Caitlin Doornbos

cdoornbos@ljworld.com

northbound and southbound lanes of Haskell Avenue from 27th to 29th streets would close for more than a year starting Jan. 27, many business owners in the area were concerned. Jimmy Baker, who owns K’s

Tires just north of the 29th Street and Haskell Road block at 2720 Oregon St., said he was taken by surprise when he discovered the news by reading

said. “We pay so much in taxes, you’d think they could send us a letter.” But Kimberly Qualls, a KDOT spokeswoman, said the state rarely sent personal notifications of construction and that this project was being a sign on the way to work last handled in the usual way. week. “This is just a two-block clo“I’m frustrated that the city sure,” Qualls said. “It’s being or state weren’t communicatPlease see HASKELL, page 2A ing with us about this,” Baker

After respite, area drying again By Ben Unglesbee bunglesbee@ljworld.com

After a brief reprieve in the fall, Douglas County and eastern Kansas are again facing dry conditions, with much of the western part of the state in drought. Douglas County saw normal moisture levels in November for the first time since the 2012 drought, the worst in the U.S. in more than 25 years. But the break didn’t last long. By the end of the November, the U.S. Drought Monitor again listed Douglas County as abnormally dry. By Jan. 28, every county in eastern Kansas had joined Please see DRY, page 2A

Man pleads not guilty in wife’s death; negotiations continue By Stephen Montemayor smontemayor@ljworld.com

Larry L. Hopkins, a 67-yearold Lawrence man charged with first-degree murder in the November 2013 shooting death of his wife, pleaded not guilty on Friday as prosecutors and Hopkins’ own lawyer work on negotiating a plea deal. Hopkins entered the plea in Douglas County District Court

after waiving a formal reading of the prosecution’s charges against him. Judge Michael Malone set an April 14 jury trial date. As Hopkins rose from his seat and prepared to leave the courtroom, he became emotional and at one point removed his glasses to wipe away tears. Defense attorney Clinton Lee said Hopkins has been going through a grieving process while in jail since his Nov. 5 arrest after the death of

his 61-year-old wife, Margaret Hopkins. “He and his wife from what I can gather had a close, loving relationship,” Lee said. “ W h e n e v e r Hopkins you lose a close loved one it’s traumatic. The longer he’s sat there, he’s been

thinking about it.” Lee said he and prosecutors are in plea negotiations. Hopkins is in Douglas County Jail on a $150,000 bond. Lawrence police allege that Hopkins shot his wife in their home in the 1600 block of West 2nd Terrace because of her ongoing health problems. Among her ailments were arthritis, diabetes, nerve damage and knee trouble. Family and neighbors have

said that Larry Hopkins served as Margaret’s primary caregiver but that his health had also begun to deteriorate in recent years. In addition to heart problems, Larry Hopkins had a stroke a little more than a year ago. On Friday, Lee said Larry Hopkins is now stable and receiving regular care. Hopkins is scheduled to return to court on April 3 for a pretrial hearing.

Grant to further Lawrence’s image as cradle of basketball By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

A $15,000 state grant is expected to help area tourism officials spread the message that Lawrence is a must-stop destination for basketball fans around the world. “Lawrence is where basketball grew into itself and became a worldwide sport,” said Christine Metz Howard, who previously served as the communications and marketing manager for the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau and was a grant writer for the project. “We can tell that story better than anyone else in the world.”

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The Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau on Friday was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to develop a documentary on Lawrence’s basketball history and Naismith a logo that promotes Lawrence as “the cradle of basketball.” Although James Naismith didn’t invent the game of basketball here, Lawrence was his longtime home, and he was Kansas University’s first coach. Longtime KU coach Phog Allen often is cited as the father of basketball coaching and was the leader of the effort to get basketball added as an Olympic sport.

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The city’s basketball credentials are expected to get a boost, perhaps as soon as this year, when construction work begins on a new $18 million center to house Naismith’s original rules of basketball. KU alumnus David Booth and his wife, Suzanne, purchased the rules for $4.3 million in 2010. The new center will be built adjacent to historic Allen Fieldhouse. Howard, who now works in public affairs for KU, said the grant application envisioned producing about a 25-minute video on the area’s basketball history. The video could be shown at the Lawrence Visitors Center and other locations in the community. It also would be produced in a way that would allow for segments of it to be shown online. Top officials with the CVB weren’t available on Friday to provide further details.

Drug crime sentencing A Lawrence woman who operated a daycare in the city was sentenced to 14 months in prison on drug charges. Page 3A

Vol.156/No.32 26 pages


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