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ATHLETICS TICKETS SCANDAL
Judge rules against former wife of ex-KU official By Roxana Hegeman Associated Press
WICHITA — The former wife of a Kansas University official caught in a ticket scalping scandal cannot keep money and property transferred to her in the couple’s divorce settle-
ment, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The decision comes in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. attorney’s office against Ben Kirtland, a former KU associate athletic director, and his ex-wife, Mary Jean Kirtland. Ben Kirtland was among several former KU of-
ficials convicted in a scheme that stole more than $2 million in athletics tickets, and prosecutors are now pursuing assets from defendants in the case. “Money was taken from the victims by fraud,” U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said in a written statement after
the ruling. “It is only right that it should be returned to the victims.” U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten ruled the government was entitled to void the transfers involving several accounts, stock, vehicles, as well as a money judgment. The government has
said the transferred property and money at issue were worth more than $400,000. Mary Jean Kirtland, who now lives in Cary, N.C., had argued that the government wanted to enforce a criminal restitution judgment against Please see TICKETS, page 4A Kirtland
Brownback won’t back Westboro Republican
KU enrollment numbers fall again
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Candidate says he doesn’t want support of ‘vile Catholic’ By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
KANSAS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WALK ALONG JAYHAWK BOULEVARD past Lippincott Hall on Thursday. Fall enrollment numbers show a 2.7 percent decline in overall enrollment but a 5.3 percent increase in freshman enrollment.
Freshman class size shows promise By Matt Erickson merickson@ljworld.com
ONLINE: Read more about KU’s enrollment numbers in Matt Erickson’s Heard on the Hill blog at LJWorld.com
Kansas University’s total fall enrollment fell for the fourth straight year in 2012, but of-
ficials said Thursday that the university’s incoming freshman class suggested improvement in the future. According to figures released by the Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday, the university’s total enrollment fell to 27,939, a drop of about 2.7 percent from 2011. Combined enrollment
on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses dropped 3.42 percent to 24,577. That decline was partially offset by a 2.8 percent increase in enrollment at the KU Medical Center to 3,362. The incoming class of freshmen increased in size for the Please see KU, page 4A
TOPEKA — Traditionally, Gov. Sam Brownback backs his fellow Republicans against Democrats in the general election, but he is not supporting Jack Wu, a Republican who is running for State Board of Education for the 4th District, which includes most of Lawrence. Wu Sherriene Jones-Sontag, a spokeswoman for Brownback, said Thursday the governor doesn’t support Wu, a Topeka resident who is a self-described follower of Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church. Wu is challenging incumbent State Board of Educa- Campbell tion member Carolyn Campbell, a Democrat from Topeka. Asked for comment on the governor’s decision, Wu responded in an email, saying, “As I’ve told other reporters, I don’t actively
Vitter
Please see ELECTION, page 2A
Report: Health insurance costs would go up under Romney By Karrey Britt kbritt@ljworld.com
Kansas families buying health insurance would pay nearly twice as much under proposals offered by presidential candidate Mitt Romney than under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, according to a report released Thursday.
Under Obama’s plan, it’s also estimated that 220,000 Kansans would gain insurance coverage by 2016, while under Romney’s plan 90,000 residents would lose coverage. Families USA, a national nonprof-
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it health consumer organization that claims to be nonpartisan, released a report that compared three health care plans:
ObamaCare — The Affordable Care Act that passed in 2010
RomneyCare — The Massachusetts health insurance reform law signed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006
RomneyCandidateCare — Health
Low: 50
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care proposals of presidential candidate Romney, which include repealing the Affordable Care Act and converting the Medicaid program to a block grant while reducing federal funding provided to states The report was produced with the help of three health analysts who participated Please see REPORT, page 6A
Child molester gets life A child sex offender, Lawrence McDonagh II, 61, of Tonganoxie, has been sentenced to life in prison after conviction on five counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Page 3A
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Vol.154/No.272 40 pages