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THURSDAY • MARCH 19 • 2015
Trial video: McLinn admits killing Sasko By Caitlin Doornbos Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos
Sarah Gonzales McLinn, 20, of Lawrence, appears emotionless while confessing to the brutal slaying of 52-year-old Harold “Hal” Sasko in a video of her police interview following her arrest in Florida last year. McLinn is charged with intentional, premeditated murder in the Jan. 14, 2014, death of Sasko, a Law-
20-year-old says she practiced on rabbits before slicing roommate’s throat
rence resident. McLinn lived with Sasko at the time of his death and had previously worked for him at Sasko’s CiCi’s Pizza restaurant. Jurors saw video of her post-arrest interview Wednesday, the second day of testimony. McLinn sat quietly in a purple cardigan as Lawrence detective M.T. Brown showed
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jurors footage from his interview That’s when I ran it with her from Jan. 26, 2014, the day through with the blade face after she was arrested on a warrant in Everglades National Park. down, and I then pulled down.” In the video, McLinn was seen speaking with Brown and detective Jaime Lawson. She spoke nonchalantly and — Sarah Gonzalez McLinn, charged with murder in the death of Harold “Hal” Sasko Please see MCLINN, page 4A
DCCF funds help meet needs
Not exactly built for speed
Bert Nash receives grant toward new van purchase By Sara Shepherd Twitter: @saramarieshep
Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center provides important services for children. But it can be hard to get the youths physically We fund there to take advantage of the whole those services. community.” This is one example of the type of hole that, for the past 15 years, the — Marilyn Hull, Douglas County Com- foundation program munity Foundation has officer existed to fill. The foundation on Wednesday announced the recipients of its annual community grants, the largest of which was $15,000 to Bert Nash to help buy a van to transport children and families to
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Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
THREE TURTLES HUSTLE TO BE THE FIRST to step over the hula hoop during a race for students at the Spring Break Wildlife Camp on Wednesday at Prairie Park Nature Center. The campers were introduced to various amphibious animals during the camp’s section on wetland ecosystems.
School finance battle raises constitutional questions, concerns By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
A Kansas University law professor said one result of the new school finance law passed by the Legislature this week could be to halt the ongoing lawsuit over school funding and force the plaintiffs to start over with a new case. “That’s a possibility,” said Rick Levy, who teaches consti- Levy tutional law at KU. “I think, personally, it’s hard to say it’s moot when there’s only a temporary alteration in place. If there was a more permanent plan in place, I think the argument might be stronger.” But he said another possibility is that the battle between the Legislature and the courts
could lead to the kind of constitutional crisis that occurred in 2005, when lawmakers initially refused to comply with a Supreme Court order to increase school funding, and the court threatened to close public schools until the Legislature did comply. “Obviously, the first outcome is one that would avoid, at least for the time being, any serious conflict,” Levy said. “In the second case, the court says we’re not going to accept the Legislature’s actions, and then the ball goes back into the (hands) of the political branches, and they have to decide how to react. And I don’t think that would be pretty.” Please see QUESTIONS, page 4A
l Senate considers bill that would force universities
to recognize exclusive student groups. Page 3A
Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 51
Low: 31
Today’s forecast, page 8A
l A breakdown of top grant recipients,
2A 5C-8C 10C 2A
from Bert Nash to Just Food. Page 2A
Senate rejects bill to limit oil drilling near existing structures
WAKARUSA
these jack pumps basically in somebody’s back yard or next to their barn,” Holland Topeka — The Kansas said. “If we had this 500-foot Senate on Wednesday distance barrier, that would rejected a proposal that actually put a little bit of prowould have prevented tection, providing safety for oil companies from drill- livestock, pets, other proping new wells within 500 erty and, most importantly, feet of an existchildren.” ing home or other Under current structure. state regulations, Sen. Tom Holthe holders of oil land, D-Baldwin and gas leases in City, said he ofnortheast Kansas fered the amendare allowed to place ment in response LEGISLATURE a well on every 2.5 to concerns from acres. Many leases, constituents in southeast however, contain restricDouglas County, where new tions that say wells canresidential development has not be placed near existing occurred on land where pre- structures. existing oil leases are on reBut according to residents cord. near Baldwin City, where Many of those oil leases new drilling has taken place, had been dormant for de- oil operators interpret that cades. But with the develop- clause to mean structures ment of new technology, in- that existed at the time the cluding hydraulic fracturing, lease was signed. Some of or “fracking,” Holland said those leases date back to the there has been a resurgence early 1900s. of drilling activity, and resiHolland said he has ofdents have learned they fered a bill each of the last have little say over where two legislative sessions to those pumps are located. Please see OIL, page 4A “We’re talking about By Peter Hancock
Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
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Money missing from fire fund investigated By Karen Dillon Twitter: @KarenSDillon
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating allegations about money missing from a fund associated with the Wakarusa Township Fire Department, a spokesman said. On Wednesday, Gerald Dwyer, a Wakarusa Township board member, told the JournalWorld that a sheriff’s investigator spoke to him about three or four weeks ago about money missing from the so-called firemen’s fund. In an email, sheriff’s department spokesman Lt. Steve Lewis said the department had received information “regarding the alleged actions of a former WTFD employee.” “We initiated an investigation into the matter. The investigation continues, and once completed, will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review,” Lewis said. Dwyer said money — he does not know how much — is or was missing from the firemen’s fund, a private bank account to which firefighters deposit stipends they receive for emergency calls. The funds are
INSIDE: GOING OUT 1C-4C 8A, 2C 1B-8B
Meet Sylvan Esso. 6A
Please see FIRE, page 2A
Vol.157/No.78 28 pages