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Cancer institute director lauds KU center
LJWorld.com
KANSAS SUPREME COURT
Award limits for pain and suffering are upheld ———
Kevin Anderson/Special to the Journal-World
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DIRECTOR HAROLD VARMUS, RIGHT, SPEAKS at the Stowers Institute of Research on Friday in Fairway after taking a tour of the recently NCI-designated Kansas University Cancer Center. At left is Roy Jensen, Cancer Center director.
By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Nobel Prize winner tours facilities By Matt Erickson merickson@ljworld.com
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Designation from the National Cancer Institute will open up a world of opportunities for the Kansas University Cancer Center, NCI Director Harold Varmus said
Friday, but it will also create a new level of responsibility. Varmus visited the Kansas City area Friday on a trip he said was prompted by the KU Cancer Center’s newly won NCI designation. “My principal reason for
being here is to offer congratulations to our 67th NCI-designated cancer center at the University of Kansas,” Varmus said Friday afternoon during an event at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Mo. Varmus, a Nobel Prize-
winning scientist and a former director of the National Institutes of Health, spoke to an audience of researchers from the KU Cancer Center and the Stowers Institute, which served as a partner in the Please see CANCER, page 6A
Dr. Bob book program honors late A.D. and gives kids a leg up on health literacy By Karrey Britt kbritt@ljworld.com
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
CAMERON WILLIAMS, 3, with his mother Laura Williams, Lawrence, was one of the first two children to sign up for a library card and participate in the Dr. Bob book program during a reception Friday, at Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.
As 2-year-old Noah Newman and 3-year-old Cameron Williams received their first library cards Friday morning at Lawrence Public Library, they were surrounded by about 75 onlookers who were oohing and ahhing over them. They were juggling big cookies in one hand while trying to hold on to their moms’ hands with the other. “Just adorable,” one person whispered. The toddlers didn’t just receive their library cards but also a new book and bookmark in memory of former Kansas University Athletic Director Bob Frederick, who died
Local library’s cards catch on across the nation
Eudora woman’s case widely followed
in 2009 at age 69 after a bicycle accident. They were able to choose from a selection of books about nutrition, exercise and good sportsmanship — all values that Frederick embodied. Noah selected “Super Dog: The Heart of a Hero,” by Caralyn and Mark Buehner, while Cameron picked “Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z” by Lois Ehlert. “I think it’s wonderful to inspire early readers as well as healthy
TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court on Friday upheld a state law that limits jury awards to people harmed by medical malpractice in a case that stemmed from a botched surgery on a Eudora woman whose doctor removed the wrong ovary. In a 5-2 decision, the court ruled the $250,000 cap for pain and suffering was constitutional. One of the disputes was whether the 1988 law limiting awards violated the constitutional right to a jury trial. Writing for the majority, Justice Dan Biles said the Kansas Legislature may modify the right to a jury trial to promote the public The wrong ovary welfare and if an “adequate of Amy Miller, substitute remedy” is pro- of Eudora, was vided. removed during The cap has been touted a 2002 surgery. by its supporters as a way to make medical malpractice insurance more readily available and ensure that injuries were compensated. But in a sharply worded dissent, Justice Lee Johnson said, “Today, in my view, this court has incorrectly and unnecessarily limited jury involvement and allowed a segment of unfairly burdened Kansans to drown while maintaining higher profits for insurance companies and lower expenses for doctors. Shame on us.” Justice Carol Beier also dissented.
Doctor removed the wrong ovary In 2002, Amy Miller, of Eudora, who was 28 at the time, went in for surgery for removal of her right ovary. Dr. Carolyn Johnson, of Lawrence, removed Miller’s left ovary by mistake. In 2006, a Douglas County jury returned a verdict for Miller for nearly $760,000.
Please see PROGRAM, page 2A
Please see COURT, page 2A
Today’s banned book card ‘1984’ by George Orwell Artist: Dale Martin. Reason for banning: One of the most censored books, “1984” has been banned for being “pro-Communist and containing explicit sexual matter.” Excerpt from the artist’s statement: When I last reread “1984” in 2004, I was struck by how similar the descriptions were to happenings in the world today. Not just by how many of the party phrases in the book sounded eerily similar to sound bites coming out of the Bush administration, but also Orwell’s descriptions of cubicle-filled workplaces and rundown infrastructure.
By Sara Shepherd sshepherd@ljworld.com
Lawrence Public Library’s banned book trading cards are blowing up — even with no bubble gum in the pack. With requests to get them coming in from across the country, the library ordered a second printing and started selling packs online Thursday night. Emails from teachers, book lovers and other libraries started rolling into library
Saturday’s card, from the Lawrence Public Library’s 2012 Banned Books Week trading card project, is the last in the series to be featured. Pick up cards of your own at the library, 707 Vt., and the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H. See a photo gallery of the cards at LJWorld.com and Lawrence. com.
Please see BANNED, page 2A
INSIDE
Chilly Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 53
Low: 26
Today’s forecast, page 10A
6C 1C-6C 9A 2A
Events listings Faith Horoscope Movies
10A, 2B 9B, 10B 5C 4A
Opinion Puzzles Sports Television
8A 5C 1B-8B 10A, 2B, 5C
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Schools cited for pests Two Lawrence schools were recently cited for poor pest control, after roaches and mouse droppings were discovered during routine inspections. Page 3A
Vol.154/No.280 26 pages