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THURSDAY • MARCH 26 • 2015
HIGH MARKS FOR HEALTH Douglas County among Kansas leaders 4 Fewer children in poverty
4 No drinking water violations
Senate OKs budget that cuts $9.4M for KU By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
4 More graduates
The Kansas Senate on Wednesday passed a preliminary budget bill that funds most state government agencies for the next two years, even though it cannot be funded without significant tax increases that neither the House nor Senate have started to address. The final budget lawmakers are expected to LEGISLATURE pass in May could look far different, depending on how large of and what types of tax increases the Republican-dominated Legislature is willing to pass to fill in the gaps. The bill includes a $9.4 million cut over two years for funding of the Lawrence campus of Kansas University.
above average 4 Fewer teenage births
4 Less air pollution
Please see KU, page 2A l Brownback signs schools bill. 2A l Teacher contracts bill rejected. 4A
Commission Several factors drive No. 8 overall ranking candidates talk transit issues “ Below average Shutterstock Illustration
By Karen Dillon
Twitter: @karensdillon
D
ouglas County citizens are some of the healthiest people in the state of Kansas, according to the annual County Health Rankings report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin. For the second year in a row, Douglas County ranked as the eighth healthiest Kansas county. Riley County and Johnson County were first and second. Decatur and Woodson counties were next to last and last. The study uses 35 measures that include health behaviors, social and economic factors and physical environment to gauge how healthy a county’s citizens are. “The big picture view for me is there is a lot that goes into figuring
l Violent crime l Sexually transmitted
infections l Severe housing problems l Excessive drinking out the health in our community,” said Dan Partridge, director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. “This goes beyond the normal framework when people think about health. Health happens at a lot of different places.” Lawrence does well compared to the rest of the state in a number of areas: high school graduation, fewer children in poverty, less air pollution, no drinking water violations and fewer teen births — 13
—Dan Partridge, director of the LawrenceDouglas County Health Department last year compared to an average of 40 across the state. But its rankings fall with high numbers of violent crime and sexually transmitted infections, severe housing problems and excessive drinking, according to the report. “When you look at us as opposed to the rest of the herd, Please see HEALTH, page 2A
Business Classified Comics Deaths
Low: 27
Today’s forecast, page 8A
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Events listings Going Out Horoscope Opinion
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By Chad Lawhorn
Twitter: @clawhorn_ljw
The six candidates for the Lawrence City Commission are divided on how to reorganize the city’s public transit system. Candidates at Wednesday evening’s candidate forum sponsored by the Voter Education Coalition were split on whether building a new multimillion dollar transit hub near 21st and Iowa streets CITY COMMISSION would improve the city’s public transit system, also known as the T. Candidates Stuart Boley and Matthew Herbert both said they thought the location, which is basically just south of Fire Station No. 5, was too remote. Please see TRANSIT, page 8A
INSIDE
Partly cloudy
High: 55
We can be getting better, but if we are not getting better faster than other counties, then we fall behind.”
Puzzles Sports Television USA Today
9C 1C-3C 8A, 2C 1B-8B
Tech center boost County commissioners have approved funding for the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, set to open this fall. Page 3A
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Vol.157/No.85 26 pages