Lawrence Journal-World 06-12-12

Page 1

APPLE’S NEW MAP APP

HOOPS AND GOALS

Google Maps dumped, Facebook integrated Business 6A

Perry Ellis hopes to maintain 4.0 GPA Sports 1B

L A W R E NC E

JOURNAL-WORLD ®

75 CENTS

45%3$!9 s *5.% s

City hits Water safe, despite odor, taste delay in recycling program ——

State law requires waiting until 2014 By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

A little-known state law will prevent Lawrence from starting a citywide curbside recycling program for at least two years. Lawrence city commissioners at their meeting today will be asked to start the process of gathering information on how much a citywide curbside program would cost. But staff members also are notifying commissioners a state law approved in 2011 will prohibit the city from starting a curbside recycling program before June 2014. “It is very disappointing, and the wisdom of it Cromwell seems pretty questionable to me,” said City Commissioner Aron Cromwell, who also spent more than a year leading the city’s Solid Waste Task Force. The state law requires two public hearing periods that total 120 days before the city can adopt a formal plan to start a curbside recycling program. Once a plan is adopted, however, the state law prohibits the city from starting the service for another 18 months. Cromwell said the 18-month waiting period is particularly problematic. He said the city likely will be seeking bids from private contractors to run the service. Contractors will be forced to give bids that predict what their costs will be 18 months in the future. “I think the end result will be that we’ll have a bid that Please see RECYCLING, page 7A

LJWorld.com

Candidates scrambling in wake of redistricting ———

Filing deadline brings scores to Topeka; some move to more favorable districts By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo

JAY LOVETT, A WATER TREATMENT TECHNICIAN for the city of Lawrence, collects a sample Monday at the Kaw River treatment plant. City leaders suspect that a type of algae byproduct called geosmin is lending the drinking water an unpleasant but harmless odor and taste.

Algae may be the culprit By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

Officials at the city’s two water treatment plants are running tests to determine what is causing odd taste and odor issues with the city’s drinking water, but are confident the water remains safe to consume.

“It is an aesthetics issue,” said Jeanette Klamm, a spokeswoman with the city’s Utilities Department. “There aren’t any health issues related to the taste and odor.” Klamm said the city had received at least 20 calls about the taste and odor issues by early Monday

morning. She said plant operators began noticing the issue during the weekend. City leaders already have a suspicion about what is causing the “earthy and musty” tastes and odors: algae. Now they just have to figure out what type of algae.

TOPEKA — On Friday, Robert Eye, an attorney from Lawrence, realized his residence was within the new 2nd Congressional District lines. On Monday, Eye, who has been active for years in politics, was standing in a long line to file papers with the Kansas secretary of state’s office to run as a Democratic candidate for the district. “The country is in the midst of a lot of change,” Eye said. He said that every day Kansans need a representative who will speak for them and not the wealthy elite. Eye was one of scores of Kansas Secrepeople who converged on tary of State the Memorial Building to Kris Kobach, who beat the noon deadline and had been critical file for newly drawn con- of the panel’s gressional, legislative and maps, said the State Board of Education of- silver lining would be a lot fices. The candidate scramble of fresh faces in was unprecedented in Kan- Kansas politics. sas history as a panel of three federal judges last week redrew political boundaries after the Legislature failed to accomplish the task during the 2012 session because of warring factions within the Kansas Republican Party. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who had been critical of the panel’s maps, said the silver lining would be a lot of fresh faces in Kansas politics. “I think that’s a good thing,” he said. After Kobach dropped the gavel to mark

Please see WATER, page 2A

Please see ELECTION, page 2A

Prosecutors still pondering action in case of gun in KU dorm room By George Diepenbrock gdiepenbrock@ljworld.com

Douglas County prosecutors are still reviewing whether to file charges against a 22-yearold Kansas University student who was accused of possessing a gun inside his scholarship hall room in April. A Lawrence attorney says the case illustrates constitutional

Student’s legal right to possess weapon not entirely clear questions because a student’s campus dorm room is considered a student’s home, where the Supreme Court has ruled it’s a fundamental right for residents to possess firearms for protection under the Second Amendment. “It’s an area of the law that

the courts have supported banning guns at government buildings, including universities. “Schools are sensitive places,” said Daniel Vice, senior attorney at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “The Supreme Court specifically said you can prohibit guns there.”

INSIDE

Less humid Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 83

is newly developing because of Supreme Court cases,” said defense attorney Carl Folsom, who is not involved in the case. “It seems like there’s not a lot of issues in Kansas at the state level.” Gun control advocates say the law is clear, however, and that

Low: 52

Today’s forecast, page 10A

6A 5B-10B 9A 2A

Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion

10A, 2B Puzzles 9B Sports 4A Television 8A

9B 1B-4B, 10B 4A, 2B, 9B

In the KU case, police said they were called to Battenfeld Scholarship hall, 1425 Alumni Place, by the COURTS hall director, who said she had received numerous reports

School board identifies $1.5M in possible funds The Lawrence school board may be able to shift allocation of up to $1.5 million for the next school year, but the move is likely a one-shot deal. Page 3A

Join us at Facebook.com/LJWorld and Twitter.com/LJWorld

SIGN UP TODAY! This Print advertisement is not redeemable for advertised deal. Get your deals voucher online at Lawrencedeals.com

Please see GUN, page 2A

Vol.154/No.164 20 pages


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.