Lawrence Journal-World 07-20-12

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SIDEWALK EXTRAVAGANZA

LJWorld.com

DUI fatalities drop sharply in wake of recent law ———

Ignition interlocks after first offense appear to be effective By Shaun Hittle sdhittle@ljworld.com

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photos

SHOPPERS CROWD AROUND BINS of clothes at Urban Outfitters, 1013 Mass., shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday, searching out bargains at the annual Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale.

On assignment: Staffers scout deals Staff Reports

Here’s what we know. Yesterday’s high temperature, as thousands scoured sale items at the Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale, was over 100 degrees. But with stores slicing prices by as much as 75 percent,

the heat was just one more obstacle on the way to huge sales. The temperatures kept some shoppers away, store owners said. Dave Seal, owner of Framewoods, 819 Mass., has participated in the sidewalk sale

CHRIS COLLISTER, OF LAWRENCE, considers a couple of hats for sale while shopping Thursday at the annual Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale. “I need one for mowing,” Collister said.

Please see SALE, page 6A

When lawmakers passed legislation in 2011 requiring an ignition interlock for those convicted of their first drunken driving offense, one of the main goals was cutting down on alcohol-related traffic fatalities. After a year, it appears the law is working, according to preliminary data released by the Kansas Department of Transportation. Between July 1, 2011 — when the state’s new DUI ignition interlock law went into effect — and June 30, 2012, the state recorded 59 alcohol-related traffic fatalities, compared with 125 and 137, respectively, for the previous two years. “I think it’s exciting news,” said Greg Benefiel, a Douglas County assistant district attorney who served on the Kansas DUI Commission, which helped craft the legislation. Douglas County Sheriff Ken McGovern also served on the commission. Kansas had lagged behind the country in reducing alcohol-related fatalities, seeing increases in recent years as numbers dropped across the country. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities averaged 116 a year between 2000 and 2010 in the state. Please see DUI, page 2A

Kansas now among states granted No Child Left Behind waivers TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas is among the latest states granted a waiver from key provisions of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, federal officials announced Thursday. President Barack Obama told states last fall they could seek a waiver from an unpopular requirement that all students test proficient in math and reading by 2014. To get waivers, states must take actions that the Obama administration favors. All told, 32 states have

now been granted waivers, and four have outstanding requests. Kansas joined Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington, D.C., as the newest batch of waiver recipients. “I’m extremely pleased with the plan that has been advanced with the approval of our state’s flexibility request,” Kansas Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker said in a news

By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com

Rick Doll, Lawrence schools superintendent, welcomed Thursday’s news that Kansas had received a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law. “It’s a very positive development, and one that we had expected, quite honestly,” Doll said. “We are excited that the accountability for our students will change.”

Please see WAIVER, page 2A

He said the district would still be held accountable for whether its students were learning, but would now be able to use different standards and metrics. Doll The new standards would allow the district to focus on different skills, such as critical thinking and

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problem solving, he said. Under No Child Left Behind, schools had to focus on very specific content that would appear on tests. The district will be implementing new curriculum standards that will feature assessments that will measure the new skills, he said. “There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done,” he said, but he thought local educators generally viewed the move away from No Child Left Behind as a positive one.

Panel looks at health reform

Vol.154/No.202 40 pages

While Gov. Sam Brownback wants to wait on health care reform, Kansas hospitals, insurance companies and the Insurance Department are moving ahead with changes. Page 3A

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