TURNING 108
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SLT timeline, access points detailed at meeting
Making the most of a day off
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Crews won’t do traditional ‘scarifying’ of land as first construction step By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
of numbers and value,” said Doug Stephens, broker at Stephens Real Estate. “I think there is more optimism in the housing market than there has been in awhile.” Lawrence may be benefiting from a recovery that has started to take hold in Kansas City. Longhofer said the Kansas City market seemed to have “found its footing in 2012.” Home sales are projected to grow by 18 percent in 2012, or by an estimated 1,500 sales. But Lawrence isn’t entirely out of the woods. Longhofer said Lawrence could face downward pressure from the west, depending on what Topeka’s market does
Now we are getting down to the nitty-gritty of the South Lawrence Trafficway. About 35 people showed up for a midday meeting at Lawrence City Hall on Friday to learn details about the SLT project that once were hard to contemplate: items like construction timelines, phasing and access control issues. “I know there has been a lot of discussion about this project in the community over the years,” said Jonathan Mar- The project is expected burger, proj- to directly damage ect manager for the Kansas about 50 acres of D e p a r t m e n t wetlands. Crews are of Transpor- expected to keep that tation. “But we are mov- area to a minimum by ing forward building the road about now. That is 300 feet at a time, and the message then using the newly we are trying to get across built road to bring all today.” construction equipMarburger ment in and out of the said KDOT expects to have a area. contractor selected by September 2013, and some construction work could begin a few weeks thereafter. The project is expected to be finished no later than Fall 2016. The first part of the construction project likely will be the most controversial. Marburger said laying down the significant amounts of fill material in the Baker Wetlands between Haskell Avenue and Louisiana Street will be among the first orders of business.
Please see HOUSING, page 2A
Please see SLT, page 2A
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
LAWRENCE HIGH SENIOR MALLORY THOMPSON, right, dumps a shovel full of gravel into a wheelbarrow behind classmate Shelby Steichen as the two and other LHS students worked to fill in areas around the baseball diamond Friday. About a dozen LHS student volunteers and some faculty members spent the morning working on such projects as a beautification effort on a day when classes were not in session because of parent-teacher conferences.
Lawrence real estate market called one of hottest in the state By Chad Lawhorn
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If there is one market where I would say I’m still concerned about the underlying fundamentals, it Lawrence is rebounding would be Topeka. That could have a spillover strongly from a “double-dip hangover” that left the city’s effect for Lawrence.” clawhorn@ljworld.com
real estate industry languishing longer than most other Kansas communities, according to a Wichita State economist. Stanley Longhofer, director of Wichita State’s Center for Real Estate, told members of the Lawrence Board of Realtors on Friday that he now sees Lawrence as one of the hottest real estate markets in the state, after it appears to have put a rough 2011 behind it. “You certainly didn’t have the type of numbers you would like to see in 2011,”
— Stanley Longhofer, director of Wichita State’s Center for Real Estate Longhofer told Realtors. “And that was different than the rest of the state. For some reason, Lawrence had a double-dip hangover, but since the end of last year there has been very strong growth.” The Lawrence Board of Realtors released it numbers for home sales through September, and the city is on pace to see 2012 totals top 2011 sales by 25 percent. Home sales through the first
nine months of the year totaled 723, up from 577 a year ago. Longhofer said he is forecasting Lawrence in 2013 to post sales growth of 15.8 percent, the strongest growth of any of the state’s metro markets. Local Realtors said they have seen signs of a turnaround. “We have seen an absolute improvement in terms
Republican endorsements of Democrats in legislative races draw ire of GOP leader By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — Six Republican state senators have endorsed Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley, and a Republican group of former legislators announced support of a bipartisan group of legislative candidates. The endorsements illustrate the rift in the Republican Party between conservatives led by Gov. Sam Brownback and moderate Republicans. Hensley, of Topeka, faces Republican Casey Moore, also of Topeka, in the race for the 19th Senate District, which includes western Douglas County. Clay Barker, executive director of
the Kansas Republican Party, criticized the Republican state senators who endorsed Democrats. “These individuals were, and continue to be, out of touch with their district’s Hensley Republican voters,” Barker said. Barker added, “I find it disturbing that several of these Democratendorsing senators continue to serve on the board of the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee and, therefore, have a fiduciary duty to support all Republican candidates. Their conduct and lack of fidelity to
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srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — Two days after Gov. Sam Brownback urged Kansans to report anonymously about waste in public schools, the administration on Friday launched a new website to report waste, fraud, and abuse throughout state government. Secretary of Administration Dennis Taylor said he hoped the website will make “it easier for Kansans to report what they witness or experience when they interact with state government.” People can input their information anonymously or provide contact information if they would like to contacted. On Wednesday, Brownback announced the establishment of a website where people can anonymously report their experiences with inefficient spending in the public school system to the Gover-
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By Scott Rothschild
nor’s School Efficiency Task Force. That brought a sharp response from some Democrats who said Brownback was trying to “demonize” schools instead of helping them deal with cuts in funding over the past several years. The website seeking input on waste in all of state government was launched by the Officer of the Repealer, which Brownback established to identify laws, regulations and executive orders that are out of date, unreasonable and burdensome. The office reviewed 650 suggestions submitted by Kansans, 37 of which have been repealed. The office, however, made headlines for not recommending repeal of the state law that criminalizes gay sex even though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled such laws unconstitutional. The new website for Kansans to submit suggestions on state government is http://repealer.ks.gov/ReportForm.aspx.
Please see GOP, page 2A
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KU’s 100th homecoming Kansas University will celebrate its 100th homecoming next week with some new twists on the event’s ageold traditions. Page 3A
Vol.154/No.294 26 pages