Lawrence Journal-World 12-09-2016

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BLUE VALLEY ROUTS LAWRENCE HIGH, 80-54. SPORTS, 1D SPACE TRAVEL PIONEER, FORMER SENATOR JOHN GLENN DIES AT 95.

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Friday • December 9 • 2016

Companies tied to area developer owe $1.7M in tax

PUBLISHED SINCE 1891

SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL INCIDENT

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Compton recently received millions in public incentives

By Rochelle Valverde

The city made good faith decisions, did their part. And we’ve also given this individual and maybe others in that group incentives and they are essentially not following through as good citizens.”

rvalverde@ljworld.com

About the same time that local developer Doug Compton was provided millions in public incentives for recent downtown projects, another of his city-backed ventures was racking up hundreds of thousands in delinquent taxes. “The city made good faith decisions, did their part,” said City Commissioner Lisa Larsen. “And we’ve also given this individual and maybe others in that group incentives and they are essentially not following through as good citizens.” After years of nonpayment, those delinquencies amount to more than $1.7 million in back taxes and other payments to the city and other local

— City Commissioner Lisa Larsen

governments, according to calculations by the Journal-World. The existence of serious delinquencies, though not the total figure, was brought to the attention of the City Commission this week.

> TAX, 2A

1 defendant in suit over inmate’s death offers settlement ———

Hearing date not yet set confidentially between the VNA and Hammers’ father, Joe Harvey, who Though the cause of filed the lawsuit in April Rachel Hammers’ death 2015. inside the Douglas As of Thursday mornCounty Jail remains in ing, a hearing had not dispute, one defendant yet been scheduled rein her ongoing, wrong- garding the settlement ful death lawsuit has offer. The hearing is offered to settle also meant so the the matter pricase’s judge, Carvately. los Murguia, may The Douglas designate porCounty Visittions of the ofing Nurses Asfer to Hammers’ sociation, which children, who are until this year minors, the filing COURTS provided medisays. cal services to If approved, the jail, filed a motion in the settlement will disfederal court on Tues- miss all claims against day requesting a hearing the VNA, the filing for a judge to approve says. their settlement offer. > SUIT, 2A The deal was negotiated By Conrad Swanson

cswanson@ljworld.com

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VOL. 158 / NO. 344 / 28 PAGES

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo

SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL, 2734 LOUISIANA ST., IS PICTURED THURSDAY.

Teacher, district made deal ———

Details were withheld in exchange for promise not to sue unanswered: Neither the district nor Cobb would comment on the specific findings of the investigation. Instead, awrence school district the settlement agreement officials entered into a sheds more light on the efChris Cobb, the teacher settlement agreement forts of the district and Cobb who resigned, said in with the teacher acto keep the investigation out a written statement cused of making racist of the public’s eye. Among released Thursday that he comments to a South Middle the details of the agreement was unjustly accused of School class, agreeing to — which was titled a “resigmaking racist comments. withhold information about nation sumthe district’s investigation mary” and Read Cobb’s statement, in exchange for a promise was signed by Page 5A. that the district would not be Cobb and Susued. perintendent District officials released Kyle Hayden a copy of the settlement — are: l While on agreement Thursday after the resigned” his position of 17 administraJournal-World filed a Kansas years with the district. tive leave, Open Records request seeking “My decision to accept the Hayden Cobb will the document. The agreement District’s offer was based, receive full pay and benefits identified the teacher as Chris in part, on my concern that, for the remainder of the Cobb, a longtime social studin light of the fact that in school year. ies teacher at South who had today’s environment where l There will be no referbecome the subject of much perception is reality and popublic speculation since the litical correctness trumps the ence to the investigation in his personnel file, and the investigation was announced truth, my continued presin October. ence in the classroom would district will not refer any of the information related to Until Thursday’s release only serve to inflame the of the document, the district intended divisions caused by the investigation to the Kansas State Board of Education. had refused to identify the my detractors,” Cobb said. l If prospective employteacher, and Cobb also had “This, of course, would have ers call the district to inquire declined to make any public imposed further distraction about Cobb’s time with the comments. Following the to the students’ learning release, Cobb issued a writenvironment to which I have district, the district will not ten statement saying he was devoted my career and about reveal the investigation and only will respond that “he unjustly accused by a source which I care deeply.” voluntarily resigned.” having a “well documented Thursday’s new informahistory of falsehoods.” tion answers some questions > TEACHER, 5A He said he “reluctantly but leaves a central one By Joanna Hlavacek

jhlavacek@ljworld.com

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City’s legislative priorities include K-10 work By Rochelle Valverde rvalverde@ljworld.com

The recent completion of the South Lawrence Trafficway has added another focus to the city’s annual list of priorities for Kansas lawmakers. New to the city’s list, which includes 23 items this year, is the identification of funding for a lane expansion for the west leg of Kansas Highway

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Teacher denies wrongdoing

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The design (for a lane expansion) has been discussed, but there has not been any funding, and that could be something that we want to encourage the state to identify.”

— Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard

10, which adjoins the new portion of the trafficway. “The design has been discussed, but there has not been any funding, and that could be

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something that we want to encourage the state to identify,” Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard told the Lawrence City Commission at its

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meeting this week. The commission voted unanimously to approve the priorities, including the item encouraging the state to fund the four-lane expansion. Currently, that section of the highway only has two lanes, and an expansion could improve the highway’s intersection with Kasold Drive, among other intersections.

> PRIORITIES, 2A


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