Jayhawks play tough in another loss SPORTS, 1B
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SUNDAY • OCTOBER 19 • 2014
LJWorld.com
Kansas education cuts among nation’s largest By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
Topeka — Direct state funding for public schools in Kansas is still nearly 15 percent less than it was before the start of the Great Recession, according to a report from the Center for
Washington, D.C., think tank report shows per-pupil spending down $861 since 2008 Budget Policies and Priorities, a Washington think tank. That makes Kansas one of 30 states where K-12 education funding still has not fully recovered, and it ranks fifth in the nation in terms
of the percentage size of the cuts out of the 47 states examined. Measured in inflationadjusted dollars, the report said per-pupil spending in Kansas is $861 less than it was in 2008, the fourth-
largest cut in the nation. Those cuts, the center said, have slowed those states’ economic recovery because school districts, which are major employers in many communities, have not been able to rehire staff
‘You don’t want to let the blindness define you’
who were laid off. The cuts also undermine educational reforms, including new educational standards and new testing systems, that Kansas and other states are Please see CUTS, page 2A
SCHOOLS
Roberts, Brownback regaining ground Nov. 4 voter turnout most likely to decide close races, poll-watcher says By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
Topeka — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and Sen. Pat Roberts, long thought to be in grave danger of losing their bids for re-election, now appear to be recovering and, according to polls, have pulled even with or slightly ahead of their Democratic and independent rivals. The average of all the valid polls taken this season now show Brownback and Democrat Paul Davis almost dead even, with Brownback holdBrownback ing a 0.3 percentage point lead, while Roberts trails independent Greg Orman by an average of only 1.2 percentage points, according to Insight Kansas, a group of political science professors from several universities in the state. “We’re getting to the point Davis where, in these close races, who turns out to vote is going to be really important,” said Washburn
ELECTION
2014
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
LAWRENCE RESIDENT RENEE MORGAN PLAYS HER BASS in her home on Thursday. Three years ago, Morgan began losing her sight as she was diagnosed with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. Since losing most of her vision, Morgan says she has taken to meditation and playing the bass as a healing mechanism.
A beautiful vision of life after loss
T
urning 42 years old really was a pain in the rear. Renee Morgan figured that must be the case. One morning in February 2011, she woke up and “pretty much couldn’t see.” Everything was very blurry. She assumed that age was starting to catch
up to her, so she went to a place like LensCrafters for some glasses. They quickly sent her to an ophthalmologist, who quickly sent her to a more specialized ophthalmologist. It took a while, but finally one of Please see VISION, page 6A
Low: 47
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Chad Lawhorn
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Vol.156/No.292 40 pages
Mild weather lured thousands of people to line the streets of Baldwin City for the Maple Leaf Festival kickoff. Check out today’s lineup of events. Page 3A
Trash and Recycling Collection Schedule Residential recycling collection service is every-other-week starting on:
WEEK 1 - OCTOBER
Tues., Oct. 21 - Households with Tuesday trash service east of Kasold Drive Wed., Oct. 22 - Households with Wednesday trash service east of Kasold Drive Thurs., Oct. 23 - Households with Thursday trash service east of Kasold Drive Fri., Oct. 24 - Households with Friday trash service (all)
WEEK 2 - OCTOBER
Tues., Oct. 28 - Households with Tuesday trash service west of Kasold Drive Wed., Oct. 29 - Households with Wednesday trash service west of Kasold Drive Thurs., Oct. 30 - Households with Thursday trash service west of Kasold Drive
To receive recycling service notifications and to download the service calendar, sign up online today at notify.lawrenceks.org.
QUESTIONS? Solid Waste Division solidwaste@lawrenceks.org (785) 832-3032