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Groups band together to push for policy on drone use By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Drones aren’t yet multiplying in Lawrence, but the people who are against them appear to be. Five area civil rights and political organizations have banded together to ask city commissioners to make Lawrence one of the first cities in the nation to pass an ordinance limiting the ability of police or other city departments to use drones.
“The concern would be having drones in place 24 hours a day for surveillance purposes,” said Ben Jones, a leader of the Lawrence-based Kansans for Responsible Drone Use. “That may not happen tomorrow, but we also understand that technology is advancing.” Mayor Mike Dever said he’s willing to consider a policy, although he points out that the city doesn’t own any drones and doesn’t plan to in the fore-
seeable future. “If we’re interested in having drones, then we probably would need to have a policy,” Dever said. “I personally don’t foresee any application for drones that I would see as a reasonable extension of city oversight or law enforcement activities.” Jones’ group asked city commissioners in May to consider a city policy. Commissioners said they would take the matter under advisement, but it
hasn’t yet appeared again for further discussion. Now, Jones is hoping a broad-based coalition of groups asking for a policy will spur action. Jones is presenting a letter of support from the Douglas County Libertarians, the Douglas County Republican Party, the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, MadreLawrence, and Kansas University’s Young Americans for Liberty. “We’ve spent the sum-
mer trying to build support among community groups, and it really is support across the political spectrum,” Jones said. Jana Rea, chairwoman of the Douglas County Republican Party, said the idea of a local policy makes sense given the national news about how contentious surveillance programs by the federal government have become. “In this climate, we’re finding out about liberties we have lost after the
fact,” Rea said. “I think it is real prudent to put a policy in place now.” A local policy would not hold any sway over how the federal government chooses to use drones in federal airspace. Proponents aren’t asking for the local policy to apply to potential commercial use of drones either. “In Kansas I know they have been talked about as a tool for farmers to Please see DRONE, page 4A
City provides more details on new rental registration program
Through fabric and thread
By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
From dirty furnace filters to leaky roofs, Lawrence landlords may want to start making a list and checking it twice. City inspectors are moving closer to checking every rental unit in the city for those types of violations and a whole lot more. The city will hold a meeting from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday at Lawrence City Hall to go over the type of violations the city will be looking for and how often city inspectors ... Our hope will visit properties after a proposed is that landlords rental registration will look at these and licensing pro- issues and start gram begins, probbeing proactive ably in early 2014. “We’re planning to get their to do a lot of public properties in outreach before this good condition.” begins, and our hope is that landlords will look at these issues — Brian Jimenez, city code and start being pro- enforcement manager active to get their properties in good condition,” said Brian Jimenez, the city’s code enforcement manager. Here’s a look at some of the key details.
All rental properties must register with the city once a year. Properties will be charged an annual license fee based on how many rental units they have to register. The fee schedule includes: $10 per dwelling unit for properties with 1 to 50 units; $9 per dwelling unit for properties with 51 to 100 units; $8 per unit for properties 101 to 150 units; $7 per dwelling unit for 151 units or more.
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Quilt tells story of black people’s role in raid By Sara Shepherd sshepherd@ljworld.com
They’re not the politicians and community leaders one usually hears about in the best-known stories of Quantrill’s raid. But they were important, and one Lawrence artist is telling their story in her own way — through fabric and thread. Marla Jackson’s latest quilt, “Still We Rise,” highlights the role black people played in the raid and the border war that surrounded it. Funded by a grant from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage
Area, Jackson and a handful of area teenagers finished the quilt just in time for Wednesday’s 150th anniversary of the Lawrence massacre. “It’s to make you really think,” Jackson said. “Most people don’t know African-Americans were part of this.” The teens — two each from Lawrence, Topeka and Ottawa — have been working with Jackson since April, and the grant enabled Jackson to pay them for their time. They helped her with historical research and
For complete coverage of the 150th anniversary of Quantrill’s Raid, including stories from our Aug. 11 special edition, go to ljworld.com/quantrill150.
Please see QUILT, page 2A
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ABOVE, Marla Jackson, left, discusses “Still We Rise” with Alyssia Ivory, 17, of Topeka, front, Tiffany Jirik,16, of Topeka, and Kenyan Bell, 15, of Lawrence, on Sunday. AT LEFT, is the quilt, which was finished in time for the 150th anniversary of Quantrill’s raid.
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Vol.155/No.232 20 pages
Attorney General Derek Schmidt on Monday released the language he wants legislators to consider when addressing the Kansas “Hard 50” law during next month’s special session. Page 3A
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