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SATURDAY • APRIL 11 • 2015
Low voter turnout a complex problem Ignorance of political process, apathy and focus on presidential elections all contribute to weak city vote totals
VOTER TURNOUT
CITYWIDE 18.03%
(10,853 of 60,210)
UNDER 10% Precinct 41.02 0.00% (0 of 9)
ON TUESDAY IN LAWRENCE
OVER 30%
Precinct 10 0.20% (2 of 1012)
Precinct 19 34.64% (443 of 1279)
Precinct 30.02 2.96% (25 of 844)
Precinct 48 31.50% (419 of 1330)
41
Precinct 37.02 3.17% (4 of 126)
Precinct 47 30.62% (192 of 627)
By Chad Lawhorn Twitter: @clawhorn_ljw
I
f you wonder why voter turnout is so low in many local elections, Michael A. Smith, an associate professor of political science at Emporia State University, suggests you talk to some local politicians. “A classic story I Most voters hear from people in are not political government is that constituents are to- science tally confused about professors.” what various levels of government do,” — Michael A. Smith, Smith said. Emporia State University Smith tells the story about how one professor
Precinct 25 5.56% (70 of 1260)
Precinct 13 30.56% (298 of 975)
Precinct 7 6.13% (59 of 963)
13
“
W A K A R U S A
Precinct 8 6.85% (70 of 1022)
6TH 9TH 7
48
Kansas state lawmaker during the Bill Clinton presidency got a telephone call from a constituent urging him to not vote for the impeachment of Clinton. The lawmaker didn’t have the strength to explain that such matters weren’t decided in Topeka. “He just said, ‘I’ll vote against that the first chance that I get,’” Smith said. The point?
25 10
Precinct 36.01 9.61% (90 of 937)
19TH 36
23RD
47
30 I O W A
Precinct 32 8.16% (82 of 1005)
8
B. BILLINGS
19
Precinct 34.02 7.14% (23 of 322)
M A S S
37
34
Nick Gerik/Journal-World graphic; data courtesy of the Douglas County Elections Office
32
UNDER 15%
Please see TURNOUT, page 10A
OVER 20%
Detective: Death was assisted Topeka man charged in plot suicide, murder suspect said to bomb Fort Riley for ISIS By Caitlin Doornbos Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos
Douglas County District Judge Peggy Kittel said she needs time to review evidence before she can rule whether a 49-year-old Eudora man charged with first-degree murder should be bound over for trial. Ronald Eugene Heskett is charged in the death of Lawrence resident Vance “Van” Moulton, 65. Heskett worked as a home health care atten-
dant for Moulton, who had cerebral palsy. Moulton was found dead of asphyxiation on Sept. 12, 2014, at his residence at Prairie Ridge Place Apartments, 2424 Heskett Melrose Lane. Douglas County Coroner Erik Mitchell testified during the first portion of Heskett’s preliminary hearing March 27 that a “consistent area of compression surrounding his entire neck” had caused
Business Classified Comics Deaths
Low: 50
Today’s forecast, page 10A
By Nicholas Clayton and John Hanna Associated Press
Topeka — A man charged Friday with plotting a suicide bomb attack on a Kansas military base to help the Islamic State group was mentally ill and was acting strangely only days before his arrest, according to a Muslim cleric who said he was counseling him at the request of the FBI. John T. Booker Jr., 20, of Topeka, is accused Please see SUSPECT, page 2A of planning a suicide at-
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High: 73
the asphyxiation. On Friday, the final part of Heskett’s preliminary hearing took place. At that hearing, Lawrence Detective Sam Harvey testified that Heskett told investigators in September that the death was an assisted suicide. Harvey testified Friday that Heskett said Moulton had discussed
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tack at Fort Riley, about 70 miles west of Topeka. Prosecutors allege he told a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of the terrorist group, and said he believed such an attack was justified because the Quran “says to kill your enemies wherever they are,” according to a criminal complaint. Authorities arrested Booker on Friday as he was trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000 pound
Vintage revisioning
bomb outside the Army post. The criminal complaint filed in federal court in Topeka charges him with three crimes, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The top federal prosecutor for Kansas also charged another Topeka man, Alexander E. Blair, 28, with failing to report Booker’s plans to authorities. The complaint alleges that Blair and Booker shared some “extremist views” and that Please see PLOT, page 5A
Vol.157/No.101 28 pages
Kansas University architecture students have transformed an old Airstream camper into a lab on wheels. Page 3A
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