Lawrence Journal-World 08-28-13

Page 1

A LOOK AT THE LIONS

TRY A BLT PIZZA

Previewing Lawrence High fall sports Sports 1B

Classic sandwich transformed on grill Food 10B

L A W R E NC E

JOURNAL-WORLD ®

AP Photo

75 CENTS

7%$.%3$!9 s !5'534 s

LJWorld.com

Military force against Syria likely, Roberts says But ground war unlikely, senator tells Lawrence audience

By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts said Tuesday that it appears the United States is headed for war in Syria, especially in light of recent reports that government forces there used chemical weapons against Syrian rebels. “I don’t see any way out of it,” the Kansas Republi-

can said in a speech to the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce during a luncheon Tuesday. “I think (President Barack Obama) has to use military force.” But Roberts said he believes the American people are “war-weary,” and he does not believe military action

will involve sending ground forces into Syria. “We’re not going to put boots on the ground,” he said. “I don’t think this president would put boots on the ground anyway. He is taking boots off the ground. He did that in Iraq.” Roberts’ comments came

on the same day that the White House said it was considering military options, but that those options do not involve taking down the regime of Syrian President Bashar Hafez Assad. During his speech in Lawrence, Roberts indicated that he doesn’t believe the

president has decided what the aim of any U.S. military action should be. And he strongly urged the president to consult with Congress bePlease see ROBERTS, page 2A

Read the article on the

latest in Syria. Page 7A

Roberts

Court strikes down gun law similar to Kansas’

Early corn harvest underway

———

Ninth Circuit appellate ruling says Congress can use interstate commerce power to regulate firearms By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo

LYLE NUNEMAKER CUTS CORN FOR SILAGE, which will be fed to livestock, Tuesday northeast of Lawrence.

Most area farmers waiting, though By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com

The early corn harvest in Douglas County is underway, though most farmers are waiting for their grain to dry more before they cut it. Some area farmers have started cutting corn for silage, or feed for their cattle, while the majority of producers likely have a few more weeks to go before the harvest begins in earnest. With Mother Nature involved, though, that’s always subject to change.

“When you end up with a week to 10 days of 90-degree-plus weather and no moisture, it could come along quicker than we were anticipating a week ago,” said Bill Wood, director of Douglas County Extension. “I don’t see any rain forecast, so we could be harvesting corn and grain in 10 days, though I think the majority of it will be beyond that.” The plants are mainly still green at this point, a result of the recent rains and late planting season,

so what’s being cut now is mostly silage and highmoisture corn, he added. Either way, 2013’s local corn harvest figures to be better than the last two, when a severe drought hurt production. Wood says he expects yields to be closer to the eight-year average of 99 bushels per acre (that number was 46 last year). Steve Wilson, of Baldwin Feed Co. in Baldwin City, said it could be another month or longer before the area corn harvest gets underway. However, he pre-

dicts the yields will be better than the past few years, particularly around Baldwin City, which he said received rain at just the right time, around midsummer. Ideally for harvest, the weather would be a little less hot and dry right now. Plus, local soybean fields are also maturing and in need of moisture. “If you can talk your weatherman into getting us another inch or two of rain in the coming days,” Wood said, “you’d make a lot of people happy.”

TOPEKA — A federal appeals court has ruled against a state law like the one in Kansas that declares federal firearms regulations don’t apply to guns made and kept in the state. Last week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court decision against the 2009 Montana Firearms Freedom Act. The 9th Circuit doesn’t include Kansas, but the decision focuses In April, on a law that U.S. Atis similar to torney the Second Amendment General Protection Act, Eric Holdwhich was aper wrote proved by the Kansas Legisa letter to lature this year Kansas and signed Gov. Sam Brownback by Gov. Sam warning that the Brownback. The Second Kansas law was Amendment Protection Act unconstitutional. excludes from federal regulation any gun made or owned in Kansas. It will allow law enforcement in Kansas to charge and convict federal authorities with crimes if they try to enforce action against a Kansas-protected gun. In April, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder wrote a letter to Brownback saying that the Kansas law was unconstitutional. Holder also warned that the federal government “will take all appropriate action, including litigation if necessary, to prevent the State of Kansas from interfering with the activities of federal officials enforcing federal law.” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt Please see GUN, page 2A

Community Foundation receives largest single gift in its history By Giles Bruce

Having lived here since 1972, I feel that Lawrence is my home, even though I no longer have County family here. It’s a wonderful place to live.”

gbruce@ljworld.com

The Douglas Community Foundation received the largest single gift in its 13-year history Tuesday when the Gill-Harrison Foundation bequeathed a generous donation. In announcing the gift, the amount of which was not

— Beth Harrison, whose family made the recent donation disclosed, benefactor Beth Harrison spoke about her love for Lawrence. “Having lived here since

INSIDE

Hot, humid Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 96

Low: 73

Today’s forecast, page 10A

1972, I feel that Lawrence is my home, even though I no longer have family here,” said Harrison, whose husband,

Phil, a longtime local real estate and insurance executive, died in 2011 at age 68. “It’s a wonderful place to live.” Asked what she liked about the community, Harrison, now a resident of Naples, Fla., who still spends time in Lawrence, responded: “I love all of the cultural opportunities available here in Lawrence. We have all of

2A 1C-10C 7B 2A

Events listings Food Horoscope Movies

10A, 2B 10B 9C 4A

Opinion Puzzles Sports Television

9A 9C 1B-6B 10A, 2B, 9C

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

the activities of a large city with the friendliness of a smaller community.” The previous largest single gift to the Community Foundation was the $4 million Lawrence philanthropist Tensie Oldfather gave in 2000 to start the organization, which supports a vari- Tensie Oldfather started the founPlease see GIFT, page 2A dation in 2000.

Get rid of the couches City commissioners Tuesday narrowly passed a citywide ban of upholstered furniture on porches, decks and patios. Page 3A

Vol.155/No.240 30 pages


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.