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WEDNESDAY • NOVEMBER 19 • 2014
City approves most of Rock Chalk Park payment By Chad Lawhorn Twitter: @clawhorn_ljw
Most of the check will be in the mail soon. Lawrence city commissioners, on a 3-1 vote, agreed Tuesday evening to pay the bulk of the $10.45 mil-
lion city taxpayers owe for shared infrastructure at the Rock Chalk Park sports complex. But the city plans to temporarily withhold payment from its private partner for about $1.3 million worth of professional fees, legal
costs, interest and other costs until the city has more time to study those expenses. “They have done the work and we owe them the money,” City Commissioner Bob Schumm said. “I know when I do work and it is
time to get paid, I want to get paid.” A private firm led by Lawrence businessman Thomas Fritzel built the infrastructure as part of a no-bid contract that was part of a unique public-private partnership related to
30
The percentage of Douglas County families that Just Food expects to have fed by the end of the year
By Caitlin Doornbos
By Sara Shepherd
Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos
Twitter: @saramarieshep
Elizabeth O’Brien remembers a Christmas without anything. She and her five children were homeless at the time, falling to sleep on Christmas Eve in a hospital lobby. In the morning, there was no holiday feast. Her son, O’Brien recalled, had cut a branch off a pine tree and stuck it in a bucket of sand, a makeshift Christmas tree to lift the family’s spirit. O’Brien, 69, now works at Just Food, 1000 E. 11th St., where staff and volunteers are aiming to provide Thanksgiving dinners to those in need so they can have a more comfortable holiday than she had that year. Just Food is working to give
Kansas University officials this week underlined the severity of sexual assault allegations at a fraternity and said that members’ lack of cooperation was drawing out KU’s investigation. KU and police continue to withhold details — even from fraternity leaders — about what reportedly happened at the Kappa Sigma house over homecoming weekend, with KU describing it only as “allegations of multiple instances of sexual misconduct.” But Tim Caboni, KU’s vice chancellor of public affairs, reiterated Tuesday that KU considers the allegations both serious and organizational in nature. Caboni “There’s a reason the entire organization was put on suspension, not an individual,” he said. “When these allegations were made and the chapter was suspended, the chancellor said the allegations were both serious and disturbing. And nothing has changed about the allegations.” KU placed Kappa Sigma on interim suspension Sept. 30 and has said the fraternity should remain suspended because it poses a threat to campus. Members still live at the house but have ceased fraternity operations.
Please see FOOD, page 2A
Want to help? Donations toward holiday dinners can be made in person at Hy-Vee grocery store, 3504 Clinton Parkway, online at www.justfoodfund.org or by check to Just Food at 1000 E. 11th St., Lawrence, KS 66046.
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
LUCILLE EGGENBERGER, OF LAWRENCE, a volunteer for Just Food, packs one of many Thanksgiving boxes that the agency is making available to the community. The agency is aiming to provide holiday meals to at least 1,200 families this year.
INSIDE
Sunny, cold Business Classified Comics Crave
High: 38
Low: 13
Today’s forecast, page 8A
Please see PAYMENT, page 8A Schumm
Frat leaders, KU at odds over assault investigation
Record food pantry preparations Agency aims to feed 500 more families than it did last year
the Rock Chalk Park complex. In recent days questions had arisen about several fees Fritzel’s firm has submitted for reimbursement. Previously the city was being asked to pay for a little
2A 1D-8D 7A 1B-7B
Deaths Events listings Horoscope Opinion
2A Puzzles 8A, 2C Sports 7D Television 6A
7D 1C-6C 8A, 2C
Please see KAPPA, page 2A
Gay marriage ruling
Vol.156/No.323 30 pages
The Kansas Supreme Court has cleared the way for more gay marriages by lifting its hold on marriage licenses in Johnson County. Page 3A
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