Lawrence Journal-World 07-26-13

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Kids learn about urban farming Lawrence & State 3A

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Benefits, costs of ‘Hard 50’ session debated

FAIR AND SQUARE

By John Hanna Associated Press

John Young/Journal-World Photo

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD HALLEY FLORY raised her goat, Chip, to show at the Douglas County Fair, which runs today through Aug. 3.

TOPEKA — Attorney General Derek Schmidt acknowledged Thursday that rewriting Kansas’ “Hard 50” law still may not preserve the sentence for pending firstdegree murder cases, but he said the state will be in a better legal position if legislators approve a fix during a special session instead of waiting. Schmidt said his office is working on a proposal responding to a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month Schmidt about mandatory minimum sentences that raises questions about the law’s constitutionality. The statute allows judges to sentence people convicted of premeditated murder to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years. The Republican attorney general asked GOP Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday to call the Republican-dominated Legislature into special session by mid-September to rewrite the “Hard 50” law. Legislators formally adjourned June 20 — three days afPlease see HARD 50, page 2A

NORTH LAWRENCE

Sandrats still hope to build memorial

GARRETT HART, 11, is participating in the 4-H SpaceTech project at the fair with his model rocket, while MASON KELSO, 17, right, participates with his cat, Indiana Jones, in the 4-H pet show.

By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com

Organizers of the North Lawrence sandrat memorial hope to get it built after all, after a lack of interest and funding has thus far delayed the project. “Sandrat” was once used as a derogatory term to describe North Lawrencians, who over time came to embrace the moniker. The term’s origins range from the colorful to, literally, the rats in the sand along the Kansas River. The sandrats have annual reunions that draw a few hundred people to North Lawrence on the first Saturday of June. A few years back, some of them approached local artist Elden Tefft to build a sandrat sculpture. He began creating Sandy the Sandrat to act as the group’s official mascot. Reunion organizers later proposed housing the sculpture in a plaza on the north

For 4-H members, it’s about so much more than winning By Caitlin Doornbos cvdoornbos@ljworld.com

F

rom woodworking to robots, cattle to photography, dozens of 4-H members will compete in the Douglas County Fair’s numerous events, contests and exhibitions this week. For months, 7- to 18-yearolds across the county have been perfecting their projects in hopes of taking home one of the traditional 4-H ribbons. Still, many of those involved say the true prizes are not the purple or blue ribbons, but the lessons learned and memories made. Here are four of their stories.

Please see SANDRAT, page 2A

Confidence Halley Flory is usually as quiet as the green pastures on her farm south of Baldwin City. At 8 years old, she’s more than cautious about “stranger Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo

Please see FAIR, page 2A DAISY JOHNSON, 17, will be showing her llama, Phoebe, at the fair.

INSIDE

Early storm Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 83

Low: 57

Today’s forecast, page 12A

2A 6B-10B 11A 2A

Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion

12A, 2B Puzzles 11B Sports 4A Television 10A

Join us at Facebook.com/LJWorld and Twitter.com/LJWorld

11B 1B-5B 12A, 2B

A model of the planned memorial to be built

Estate gift for KU A $1.36 million estate gift will go toward the scholarship fund for Kansas University journalism students. Page 3A

Vol.155/No.207 32 pages


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