The many faces of Lawrence
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Journal-World ®
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SUNDAY • APRIL 19 • 2015
LJWorld.com
Faculty diversity improves at KU But enhanced recruiting still faces hurdles including Midwest location, prestige By Sara Shepherd Twitter: @saramarieshep
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photos
EIGHTY-YEAR-OLD HERMAN EDWARDS, a Jefferson County resident, sits on a bag of feed as he waits for a tire to be repaired by Midland Farm Store tire shop employee Bruce Romero on Monday at the Midland Farm Store. Store owner Jill Tregemba says her older customers often appreciate the sense of nostalgia that the store creates. TOP PHOTO: The sun sets behind a row of diesel pumps at the store. BELOW: Kirk Sours, a cattleman from Tonganoxie, is a regular at the store. See the video at ljworld.com/midlandfarm.
Please see DIVERSITY, page 2A
A quiet life in the country? Neighbors, tree farm clash over noise, traffic
Area farm store keeps agriculture, neighborliness on permanent display
I
t is another day in the life of a big retail executive. Jill Tregemba is co-owner of the Midland Farm Store, which of course is big retail. It is the largest farm store at Midland Junction, although to be clear, we’re not talking about height here. The grain elevator next door is clearly taller. Regardless, retail bigwigs spend a lot of time worrying about credit card security issues these days, especially after high-profile breaches at places like Target and others. Sometimes it is overseas hackers who cause the problems. Sometimes it is a nasty
Kansas University professors are still mostly white, but slightly less white than they were a few years ago. Administrators say it’s a sign that a recently revamped and more exhaustive hiring process is helping KU meet a long-term — and highly challenging — goal of increasing faculty diversity. Instead of relying only KANSAS on applications and reUNIVERSITY sumes to choose three finalists, for most faculty hires, to bring to campus, KU’s Hiring for Excellence protocols add another layer, said Mary Lee Hummert, vice provost for faculty development. Now search committees first narrow the field to nine applicants, who are then interviewed
Lawhorn’s Lawrence
By Karen Dillon Twitter: @karensdillon
Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
computer virus. Sometimes it is John. John has run off and left his credit card on the counter of the Midland Junction farm store, clerk Mindy Rousselo yells
across the room to Jill. number,” Jill says. Oh boy. Dig out the Sure enough. credit card security “Yeah, we’ll hang onto policy. Alert the PR folks. it until you come back We’ve got ourselves a full by,” she says just before blown . . . hold on. Please see STORE, page 5A “I think I have his cell
“It used to be that everybody’s grandma or grandpa grew up on a farm. But that isn’t the case anymore. It is important for people to understand the importance of agriculture.” — Jill Tregemba, co-owner of the Midland Farm Store
One of Kathleen Robson’s finest moments was in 1993 when she bought land along a gravel road in south-central Douglas County. “I bought it when I was 22 years old,” Robson said. “It was the proudest day of my life.” But about eight years There ago, Robson and her neighbors say, the country life is a limit changed. to the A 400-plus-acre treegrowing operation opened authority of in two locations, one across the county from Robson’s home and to fix that another about a mile away. Loma Vista tree farm situation.” brought a lot of traffic, noise and trash, neighbors — County said. Administrator Despite neighbors’ com- Craig Weinaug plaints, government agencies say they can’t take action because the activities at Loma Vista are allowed on land zoned for agricultural
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Please see RURAL, page 6A
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Back to school Returning soon, Kansas University’s weeklong Mini College puts students of all ages back in class. Page 3A
Vol.157/No.109 36 pages