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FRIDAY • JANUARY 10 • 2014
Suspend social media policy now, professors say By Ben Unglesbee bunglesbee@ljworld.com
More than 80 distinguished professors from Kansas University and Kansas State University have signed a letter asking the Kansas Board of Regents to suspend a recently passed social media policy while the regents review it.
The letter expressed “continued concern” among its signers while also stating that they “appreciate that the Board has invited representatives from the universities to review” it. They asked the regents to suspend the policy in the meantime.
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The policy is in place right now. It’s not been put on hold, as far as I know. What we consider a dangerous policy is in force.” — Ann Cudd, KU vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies and distinguished professor of philosophy
Please see POLICY, page 2A
Cloudy, some rain
High: 42
“With the policy in place during this period of review, faculty and staff at Kansas universities would no longer have freedom of speech, nor the academic freedom necessary to do their jobs, nor tenure,” they write. Philip Nel, a distinguished
Die-hards queue up for rivalry
Low: 26
Today’s forecast, page 10A
INSIDE
Teen charged in assault pleads Matthew Barnett, 19, pleaded guilty to child endangerment of Daisy Coleman, who said Barnett raped her when she was 14 at a party in Maryville, Mo. Page 6A
“
QUOTABLE
Because she lied to me.” — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on why he fired his deputy chief of staff after a traffic tie-up investigation. Page 6A
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INDEX Business 2A Classified 5B-10B Comics 9A Deaths 2A Events listings 10A, 2B Horoscope 9B Movies 4A Opinion 8A Puzzles 9B Sports 1B-4B Television 10A, 2B Vol.156/No.10 28 pages
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
MATTHEW CANTER, A KANSAS UNIVERSITY JUNIOR from Olathe, rests in his sleeping bag Thursday morning at Allen Fieldhouse. Students began forming a line early for Saturday’s men’s basketball game against Kansas State University. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Read more about KU basketball in sports, page 1B.
Local enrollment in Obamacare on the rise insurance marketplace, gbruce@ljworld.com which are for people who make between one Melinda Henderson and four times federal thought she was going poverty. to continue to be uninBut after a Christmas sured even after the Af- bonus put the 60-yearfordable Care old above the Act went into poverty leveffect Jan. 1. el, she made The Lawenough — yes, rence bookenough — to keeper didn’t qualify for govexpect to earn ernment aid more than the at HealthCare. HEALTH federal povgov. She qualierty level, or fied for a silver $11,490, so she wouldn’t plan, which covers 70 have qualified for Med- percent of expenses, icaid, since Kansas has for about $60 a month elected not to expand and a $250 annual dethe program to child- ductible. less adults. Nor did “This may not be the she think she could get Please see ENROLL, page 2A subsidies on the health By Giles Bruce
‘Mini-explosion in retail’ predicted for Lawrence ————
Store vacancy rates dropping, especially downtown By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
There should be some happy shoppers in Lawrence. The city’s retail industry awakened in 2013, with store vacancy rates hitting some of their lower levels in recent memory, according to a new report by the Lawrence commercial real estate firm Colliers International. “The demand for retail is finally there again,” said Allison Vance Moore, senior vice president with Colliers’ Lawrence operations. “I think we’re
Lawrence’s vacancy rate was well below the average Kansas City vacancy rate of about 9 percent and below the U.S. average of about 7 percent. at the beginning of a game-changing year for Lawrence. By Lawrence standards, I think we’re going to see a bit of a mini-explosion in retail.” The signs of it started to show up in late 2013. According to the com-
pany’s annual study of the market, Lawrence’s retail sector finished the year with a vacancy rate of 4.4 percent, down from 5.4 percent a year ago. Lawrence’s vacancy rate was well below the average Kansas City vacancy rate of about 9 percent and below the U.S. average of about 7 percent. Downtown’s vacancy rate was among the strongest in the city, dipping to 1.8 percent, down from 4.4 percent a year ago and 7.4 percent at the end of 2011. Downtown’s vacancy Please see RETAIL, page 2A