TEACHERS PUT ON A SHOW!
School district staff, educators sing, dance and joke in the Foundation Follies fundraiser 3A
L A W R E NC E
Journal-World
®
75 cents
LJWorld.com
SATURDAY • APRIL 19 • 2014
Teacher contract discussion on hold
Throwing their weight around
———
Talks with district delayed until school finance issues resolved By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photos
FANS LINE THE SIDELINES AND THE ROOFTOPS to watch Reese Hoffa, 2102 Olympic bronze medalist, throw the shot put Friday during the fourth annual Lawrence Downtown Shot Put event. Hoffa was a fan favorite, but the event was won by Christian Cantwell. Below, Kurt Roberts winds up to throw the shot put during the event.
Downtown shot put draws crowd By Joanna Hlavacek jhlavacek@ljworld.com
Corporation, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Sports Corporation, hosted the fourth annual event last night in downtown Lawrence. After Kansas Athletics in March announced it would pull funding for this year’s competition, event organizers at LSC were left little time to secure financial support. Checks from private donors helped organizers reach an approximate
Amid a cloud of white powder, Christian Cantwell grips the shot put and nestles it into the side of his neck. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound shot putter spins around a few times to gain momentum and releases the 16-pound lead ball into the air. A few seconds later, the shot put falls with a thud at the opposite end of the limestone pit. The crowd erupts in cheers, and the Please see SHOT PUT, page 2A herculean Cantwell is decreed the winner of this year’s Downtown Shot l Get shot put and Put competition. Kansas Relays results The Lawrence Sports in Sports. Page 1B
Please see TEACHER, page 2A
Sebelius not seeking U.S. Senate seat By John Hanna Associated Press
Prosecutor alleges far-flung drug conspiracy By Stephen Montemayor Twitter: @smontemayor
The woman leading the prosecution of three men standing trial in federal court in a $17 million drug conspiracy case called Friday’s opening statement the “preview to a motion picture.” And, in this case, she said, the title is “Operation Living Large #2.” Assistant U.S. Attorney
Terra Moreel — each head adamong the 43 dressed a defendants 12-member charged in jury formed connection late Friday with an alafternoon leged sevenafter nearly year contwo days spiracy that R. Dahda of selec- L. Dahda involved the tion. Standfunneling of ing trial are Lawrence twins drugs and cash between KanLos Rovell Dahda, Roosevelt sas and California. Rico Dahda and Justin PickFriday’s statement began
Classified Comics Deaths Events listings
High: 75
Low: 53
Today’s forecast, page 10A
a trial that is expected to last until at least mid-June. The Dahdas sat next to each other and their attorneys before Judge Kathryn Vratil, and Pickel sat with his attorney at a table in front of them. Pickel showed little emotion during the first two days of trial, but the Dahdas cracked smiles and occasionally chuckled whenever Please see TRIAL, page 2A
INSIDE
Partly sunny 1C-5C 6C 2A 5A, 2B
Faith Horoscope Opinion Puzzles
The Lawrence school district has postponed any further discussions with the local teachers union regarding a new contract for next year until issues surrounding school finance are resolved by the Kansas LEGISLATURE Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback, officials said. The two sides were scheduled to meet again on Monday, but the district sent out notice this week that it is postponing any further meeting until at least May 5, by which time the Legislature is expected to have finished its work. The House and Senate will reconvene
7B Society 5C Sports 9A Television 5C
Join us at Facebook.com/LJWorld and Twitter.com/LJWorld
8A 1B-6B 10A, 2B
Topeka — Departing U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is not considering running for the U.S. Senate, a spokeswoman said Friday. The statement from HHS Spokeswoman Dori Salcido is in line with comments from Sebelius’ fellow Democrats about speculation that she’d return to Kansas this year to run for the seat held by three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts. Sebelius served two terms Sebelius as Kansas governor before joining President Barack Obama’s administration five years ago. Sebelius’ husband, Gary, is a federal magistrate whose courtroom is in Topeka, and they own a 3,700-square-foot home in the city, worth almost $358,000, according to local property tax records. They raised Please see SEBELIUS, page 2A
Court blasts new law In a rare public statement, the Kansas Supreme Court denounces a bill signed into law by Gov. Sam Brownback, saying the law will weaken the courts. Page 3A
Vol.156/No.108 24 pages