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River level bodes well for end to drought
Park construction moving at rockin’ pace
By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com
Judging by the Kansas River, you would have to say the drought is over in the Lawrence area. Since Sunday, the Kansas River has been discharging more than 20,000 cubic feet of water per second at Lawrence, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, though it dipped below that number Tuesday afternoon. To put that in perspective, the Friends of the Kaw recommends that novices and beginners only float when the river is under 5,000 cubic feet per While it’s relatively second. “We’re not at better, particularly flood stage, but compared to the we’re certainly getting close,” western part of the said Laura Cal- state, we haven’t well, riverkeep- totally erased the er for Friends of the Kaw, who deficits (from 2012).” says that people should stay off — Mark Svoboda, climatolothe river when gist with the National Drought it’s this high. Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb. “Unless we get more rain, though, it’ll go down pretty quickly.” Heavy rainfall in the region of late has increased the river’s discharge from 1,500 cubic feet per second a week ago (that number was just 600 in the spring). However, it’s probably too soon to say the dry conditions are a thing of the past, as the area has a lot of ground to make up from last year’s severe lack of precipitation. “What’s really helped has been the cooler temperatures this summer, and the localized heavy rainfall,” said Mark Svoboda, climatologist with the National Drought Mitiga-
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John English/Special to the Journal-World
THE ROCK CHALK PARK DEVELOPMENT, northeast of the intersection of the South Lawrence Trafficway and Sixth Street, has made considerable progress since the start of construction. The development will include a proposed $25 million city-owned recreation center, along with track and field, softball and soccer facilities for Kansas University. This view to the northwest, taken July 31, shows the track and field at upper left with concrete forms in place for seating on both sides. The throwing field will be next to the track at the upper right in this photo. Adjacent to the track at center will be the KU soccer field. A softball field will fill the space at upper right. Out of the frame at right will be the land where the city recreation center will be located. The majority of the parking at the site will be at bottom center and bottom right in this photograph.
Money, guns, drugs in no short supply ————
Million-dollar bust unprecedented, but seizures often worth sizable fortune By Ian Cummings icummings@ljworld.com
When police announced the seizure of $1 million worth of methamphetamine in Douglas County earlier this week, the case was remarkable because it was the largest meth bust ever in
Lawrence. But, though it often goes unremarked, large amounts of cash, drugs, and guns have been seized from homes in Lawrence in previous cases by a special unit within law enforcement tasked with such investigations. The details and scope
of the raids are typically shrouded from public view, but court documents show that local drug enforcement officers have carried out at least six search warrants on Lawrence residences over the past year, in which they seized about $70,000 in cash, as well as 10 guns.
As in the case of last week’s high-dollar methamphetamine seizure, authorities typically decline to discuss the operations of the Douglas County Drug Enforcement Unit, citing the protection of undercover officers and the needs of long-term Please see DRUGS, page 2A
Please see DROUGHT, page 2A
Transmission is key for renewable energy By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com
Peter Hancock/Journal-World Photo
PHILIP MOELLER, LEFT, a commissioner with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, meets with Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, at the new Bowersock power plant in North Lawrence. FERC played a key role in getting the new hydroelectric plant up and running.
One of the federal government’s top energy officials said Tuesday that the new Bowersock Mills & Power Co. plant in North Lawrence the best example of an energy project that was partially funded with the federal stimulus program. “It’s clean, it’s long-term, and it took a heck of a lot of effort to get it,” said Philip Moeller, one of five members on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or
Federal regulator lauds Bowersock plant FERC, the agency that licensed the new plant. “Compared to a lot of other ones, this one’s up and going, and will benefit the citizens for decades to come.” But Moeller, along with state Rep. Tom Sloan, a Lawrence Republican, said producing renewable energy from plants like the Bowersock dam, or wind farms in western Kansas, is only part of the challenge facing the United States. The bigger challenge, they said, is build-
ing transmission systems that can carry that energy to the urban centers where it is most needed.
Cooperation needed And that’s a challenge, both men said, where state governments, rather than federal regulators, will have to play a leading role. “That’s an issue I’m working on,” Sloan said, while he and Moeller toured the new Bowersock generating plant Tuesday morning.
Sloan said he invited Moeller to Lawrence this week to meet informally with officials from other states, as well as utilities and transmission companies, to talk about ways to expand regional and national power grids that can move energy from wind farms in places like sparsely-populated western Kansas to the “load centers” where the need for more energy is the greatest. “You have all that wind in western Kansas, and for years there was very little Please see ENERGY, page 4A
City asked to consider fee change to boost solar energy projects By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Hundreds of Douglas County homes a year may have a new incentive to add solar panels to their roofs under a plan crafted by a local solar panel company and an area bank. On Tuesday, Lawrence city commissioners got their first look at the idea, and agreed to study
whether to provide an incentive to increase solar panel installations as well. Aron Cromwell, a former Lawrence city commissioner and the CEO of Lawrence-based Cromwell Environmental, and Baldwin City-based Mid America Bank have created a partnership to provide leases to homeowners and small businesses that want to begin produc-
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Today’s forecast, page 10A
Commissioners referred the request, which would be likely to reduce fees by about $500 on average, to the city’s Building Code Board of Appeals for further review. Cromwell said the proposed building permit fee reduction is part of an effort to lower the amount of upfront costs a homeowner has to pay to undertake a solar project. Currently,
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ing solar energy. “We have been talking about ways to get solar to take off here, and we think we have one,” Cromwell said. City commissioners at their weekly meeting were asked to consider a change in city code that would reduce the building permit fees required to install solar panels on homes and businesses.
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he said a typical residential solar project may cost $20,000 to $30,000. “A lot of people in Lawrence want to do solar,” said Cromwell, who has been installing units since 2000. “If they had a choice to pay $100 per month to Westar or pay $100 per month to have solar, they would choose solar. But they don’t always have the money to meet the up-
front costs.”
Leasing proposal Cromwell earlier this year approached Mid America Bank about creating a leasing program that allows all the purchase and installation costs of a solar project to be spread over a 15-year lease period. Cromwell said the goal
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A Jefferson County case of attempted murder will go to trial a third time in November. A mistrial and a hung jury have previously been declared in the case involving two Valley Falls men. Page 3A
Please see CITY, page 2A
Vol.155/No.219 24 pages