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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
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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
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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
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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