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THURSDAY • AUGUST 7 • 2014
‘COMMUNITY’ RULES AT VINLAND FAIR S&P chops T bond rating By Giles Bruce
Twitter: @GilesBruce
hree days of old-time family fun kick off in Baldwin City today. The 107th annual Vinland Fair, which features tractor pulls, sack races and homemade pies, takes place at 1736 N. 700 Road through Saturday. “It’s just more of a community fair: no carnival, old-fashioned,” explained Mike Eckman, member of the Vinland Fair board. “And there’s supposed to be great weather.” Eckman said the Friday night tractor pull generally brings out the biggest crowd, and this year features a performance by musical group Rural Harmony. And new to the fair for 2014 is the Renegade Pullers lawn mower pull on Saturday. The fair is free to the public, except for the food, which includes a homemade chicken noodle dinner on Friday and homemade fruit pies all three days. In addition, construction is now complete on Haskell Avenue between 23rd and 31st streets, the main route from Lawrence to Vinland.
‘Unbalanced budget,’ tax shortfalls drop Kansas to AA By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
LARRY CRAIG, A MEMBER OF THE VINLAND FAIR BOARD, walks through the Vinland Fair Fairgrounds Exhibit building Wednesday after making some preparations for the opening of the fair today.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE All day — Build-a-scarecrow show; antique quilt and apron show 2 p.m. — Farm-skills contest; horseshoe
pitching training for all ages 6 p.m. — Talent show (entries must be made to Matt Kirby by 2 p.m. at 785-594-3849) 6:30 p.m. — Poultry
7:15 p.m. — Flower show judging 7:30 p.m. — Alferd Packer Memorial String Band performs
show (entries must be in place by 6 p.m.) 7 p.m. — Baldwin High School band performs; rabbit show (entries must be in place by 6:30 p.m.)
MORE SCHEDULE, 2A
TOPEKA — Fresh off a closer-than-expected primary race, Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday held a victory party at the state Republican headquarters in Topeka, claiming credit for improving the economy and the state’s financial position. But the celebration was quickly dampened with news that Standard & Poors, a leading credit rating agency, had just downgraded the state’s bond rating, due largely to the tax cuts Please see RATING, page 4A
This week’s Lawrence Living How well can you navigate Kansas’ landscape of pinot grigio and cab sav? 6 PAGES INSIDE
Poll finds Kansas worst for uninsured By Giles Bruce
Number of residents without health coverage rose more than any other state’s
Twitter: @GilesBruce
Kansas’ uninsured rate has risen in the ing given that the The alternative of past year more than state didn’t expand any other state’s, acMedicaid or set up doing nothing means cording to a Gallup a state-based health we will continue to have Well-Being poll reinsurance exchange leased this week. under the Afford- people not getting While Kansas able Care Act, com- access to health care.” health policy experts monly known as HEALTH say the uninsured Obamacare. — Sandy Praeger, rate likely didn’t increase 5 “The 10 states that had Kansas insurance commissioner percentage points from 2013 the biggest decline in uninto 2014, as the poll states, sured were states that did they note the survey rePlease see POLL, page 2A sults aren’t totally surpris-
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INSIDE
Thunderstorms Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 88
Low: 68
Today’s forecast, page 10A
2A 1C-8C 9A 2A
Events listings Going Out Horoscope Opinion
5A, 2B Puzzles 6A-7A Sports 8C Television 8A
8C 1B-6B 10A, 2B
MORE INSIDE l Douglas County voters bucked statewide trends in Tuesday’s primaries. 3A
ELECTION
2014
l U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who won her primary, has agreed to debate Democrat Margie Wakefield. 5A l Few, if any, Kansas
voters who registered without providing proof of citizenship voted in federal races Tuesday. 5A
Back to the gridiron
Vol.156/No.219 30 pages
Beginning Friday, the Kansas University football team will hop back onto the practice field for the first time in months. What can you expect? Page 1B
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