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Hurricane helps avert total crop disaster here
By Adam Strunk
astrunk@ljworld.com
Hurricane Isaac left a wake of destruction across the South, but it may have saved Douglas County’s soybean crop. The leftovers of the storm and the cool, wet weather cycle that followed have some area farmers dusting off the combine instead of the mower. “If we’d have had a few more weeks of hot, dry weather, a lot of the beans would have been baled,” said Matthew Vajnar, Ottawa Co-op grain merchandiser. “We were looking at a potential disaster mid-August.” Vajnar thought area soybeans would now yield 10 to 15 bushels per acre. It’s far below an average crop, which would make 30 to 35 bushels per acre, but after this summer, area farmers will take it. Please see CROPS, page 2A
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
KANSAS UNIVERSITY STUDENT COLBY LISTON, 18, sits with his father, Matt Liston, during an interview Sept. 10 at his home in Derby. Colby lost both of his legs below the knee after being pinned between two vehicles during an accident Aug. 26 on Tennessee Street. Colby says he is remaining positive and looking forward to being fitted for prosthetic legs.
Officials want Just weeks after losing both of his legs, better education KU student embracing new challenges coordination
By Shaun Hittle sdhittle@ljworld.com
ONLINE: See the video at LJWorld.com
Colby Liston, an 18-yearold Kansas University student from Derby, lights up when asked about some early research he’s done on prosthetic legs. Such as learning about micro-processor knee joints that act like a “computer” in your knee, Liston explained.
Colby was just a week into his first semester at KU, majoring in petroleum engineering, when the accident happened. He’d been planning on walking onto the KU track and field team. “It’s pretty cool stuff,” he said. Two weeks after both of Liston’s legs were severed in a car accident in Lawrence, he’s back at home. A little bored, he admits. Antsy. But adjusting to a life without legs? No big deal.
“It didn’t take long at all,” said Liston, with a shrug. “It’s a lot easier to sit here and say ‘in five weeks I’ll be walking,’ instead of ‘I’ll be in a wheelchair for five weeks.”
‘The call’ At their Derby home,
Colby’s dad, Matt Liston, a veteran member of the Derby Police Department, talks about “the call” in the early-morning hours of Aug. 26. Colby’s brother, Tyson, who plays football at Missouri Western State University, called Matt after hearing about the accident from someone who was with Colby at the time. “‘I’m heading to LawPlease see STUDENT, page 2A
Area ‘Survivor’ contestant back home, guarding secret By Rob Roberts rroberts@theworldco.info
The filming for “Survivor: Philippines” wrapped up four months ago, and the tribe has spoken for the last time. But Carter Williams, a 24-year-old Shawnee resident and one of the 18 castaways selected for the show, has to remain mum when the inevitable questions are asked: Were you the sole survivor? Did you win the $1 million? Details about who outwitted, outplayed and outlasted the others remain a tightly guarded secret as the CBS series returns for
its 25th season, prea cross-country coach miering Sept. 19. and his brother, PresBut among Wilton, coaches track. liams’ acquainCarter ran distant tances, it’s no seevents in high school cret that the lean, and at Biola Universiblond-haired athlete ty in Southern Califorwas prepared for the nia, where he graduatphysical rigors ed with an athletic of the island training degree competition. in May 2011. Carter is a Since then, 2007 graduate he has helped of Maranatha coach runners Christian at Maranatha Academy in and Blue ValShawnee, ley North High where his School. Since mother, his return from Bianca the Philippines W i l this May, he has liams, is been coaching at Carter Williams, of Shawnee
Classified Comics Dilbert Events listings
Low: 39
Today’s forecast, page 10A
Please see SURVIVOR, page 2A
INSIDE
Storm chance
High: 73
Solution 1 CrossFit, a gym at 8160 Monticello Terrace in Shawnee. CrossFit training involves constantly varied, highintensity movement during workouts that last from five to 30 minutes and combine everything from running and jumping to pull-ups and kettlebell swings. “When people come in, they don’t know what the workout is until they see it on the whiteboard,” said J.R. Kuchta, owner of Solution 1 CrossFit. “CrossFit prepares you for the unknown and the unknowable,” of which Survivor
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By Scott Rothschild
srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — State officials want to revive a group to work on ways to better align education from pre-kindergarten through college. In meetings of the Kansas Board of Regents and State Board of Education, members have said there is a need for the state to continue improving coordination of all aspects of education and training. On Thursday, the Board of Regents, during its monthly meeting, is expected to approve a set of goals that includes working to establish an Education System Coordinating Council. Under the proposal, the council will be composed of two Board of Regents members, two members of the State Board of Education, the commissioner of education and the chief executive officer of the regents. The council will identify one to three projects per year aimed at improving integration of the education system between pre-kinderSCHOOLS garten and higher education. A similar effort was made in 2008 by executive order from then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. That order established the Kansas P-20 Education Council, which issued its final report just days after Gov. Sam Brownback took office in January 2011. The P-20 Council had 22 members representing education and the business community. Its final report recommended strengthening early-childhood education and exploring ways to align education sectors. At a recent meeting of the Legislative Educational Planning Committee, legislators said they would like coordinating efforts to continue. “I don’t want to lose that,” said state Rep. Steve Huebert, R-Valley Center. Regents President and CEO Andy Tompkins said the way the Education System Coordinating Council is proposed may make it easier to keep it going.
Harvest celebration
Vol.154/No.261 36 pages
Garden and food enthusiasts attend the Fall Harvest Festival at a local country market to learn about healthy, home-grown foods. Page 3A
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