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SATURDAY • MARCH 29 • 2014
Outlines forming for trafficway link
LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN
Kansas will sue to stop listing of bird as threatened By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Topeka — Gov. Sam Brownback announced Friday that Kansas will sue to try to stop the federal government from listing the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. “This is an overreach by the federal government, and it’s another example of the Obama administration aggressively and unnecessarily intruding into John English/Special to the Journal-World our daily lives,” THIS AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS WORK on the eastern section of the South Lawrence Trafficway. This view shows where the Brownback said trafficway will connect to Kansas Highway 10. The camera is looking to the northeast, with K-10 across the top and the water at a news conferski lake at upper right. ence. A day earlier, Lesser prairie chicken the U.S. Department of Fish and VOTING RIGHTS Wildlife ruled that the lesser prairie chicken was in danger of extinction. The agency placed the bird on its threatened list but said that in an unprecedented move it would defer to Kansas and four By Roxana Hegeman Groups challenge federal court’s ruling that feds must help other states the job of managing conservaAssociated Press tion efforts and avoiding further regulation. the 10th the U.S. Election Assistance vened in the case on behalf Brownback said that isn’t good enough. Wichita — Voting rights U.S. CirCommission to immediately of the election commission. “It’s the declaration of threatened. That groups filed an appeal Fri- cuit Court modify a national voter reg- They include the League of was the line we did not want them to come day of a judge’s order that of Appeals istration form to add special Women Voters of the UnitPlease see BIRD, page 2A federal election officials challenges instructions requiring proof ed States, Project Vote Inc., must help Kansas and Ari- a ruling of citizenship for Kansas Inter Tribal Council of Arizona enforce state laws re- earlier this and Arizona residents. zona, Common Cause, AriCOURTS quiring new voters to pro- month by The appeal was filed by zona Advocacy Network, vide documentation proving U.S. District more than a dozen voting League of United Latin their U.S. citizenship. Judge Eric Melgren in Wich- rights groups and individu- American Citizens Arizona, A court filing sent to ita. Melgren had ordered als who had earlier inter-
Appeal filed in proof-of-citizenship case
Please see APPEAL, page 2A
Library leaders eye late July for opening
L
eaders of the Lawrence Public Library have bookmarked their calendars for late July. That’s when they are hoping to move into their refurbished library, which involved an $18 million expansion, at Seventh and Vermont streets. But library director Brad Allen said it is still a bit too early to announce a specific opening date. “What I can tell you is, we can’t wait,” Allen said. “I think it looks beautiful. The terra cotta looks great. I think the glass corners look great.” City commissioners at their meeting Tuesday will be asked to extend through July the lease for the temporary library space in the former Borders store at Seventh and New Hampshire streets. The city’s lease was scheduled to expire at the end of May, but tough weather conditions have slowed work. It costs the city about $12,000 a month to rent the space. “This space has worked really well, but I think everybody is ready to have a little bit of room to stretch out,” Allen said. — Chad Lawhorn
E-cigarettes banned from buildings on KU campus
By Sara Shepherd Twitter: @saramarieshep
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
CREWS PUT SIDING on the new Lawrence Public Library building Friday at the corner of Seventh and Vermont streets.
Electronic cigarette users at Kansas University now must go outside and get at least 20 feet away from buildings to light up on campus, just like smokers of traditional cigarettes. Evolving knowledge about e-cigarettes merited the policy change, KU human resources director Ola Faucher said. “In this particular case we’re really interested in health issues, and we’d rather be a little bit out front than necessarily wait on iron-clad information,” Faucher said. The provost’s office noted the change in a memo to deans, directors and department chairs this month, after KU, without fanfare, Please see SMOKE, page 2A
INSIDE
Sunny Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 61
Low: 36
Today’s forecast, page 12A
2A 1C-4C 6C 2A
Events listings Horoscope Opinion Puzzles
7A, 2B Sports 5C Television 11A 5C
1B-4B 12A, 2B
Chamber CEO search
Vol.156/No.87 24 pages
Lawrence Chamber of Commerce leaders said they will forego a national search for a new chamber president and CEO. Page 3A
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