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TUESDAY • MARCH 15 • 2011
Lawmaker ‘jokes’ that immigrants should be shot ‘I was just speaking like a southeast Kansas person,’ he says By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
T O P E K A — A legislator said Monday it might be a good idea to control illegal immigration the way the feral hog population
Peck
Warmer
High: 56
Low: 31
Today’s forecast, page 10A
INSIDE
has been controlled: with gunmen shooting from helicopters. Rep. Virgil Peck, R-Tyro, said he was just joking, but that his comment did reflect frustration with the problem of illegal immigration.
Peck made his comment during a discussion by the House Appropriations Committee on state spending for controlling feral swine. After one of the committee members talked about a pro-
gram that uses hunters in helicopters to shoot wild swine, Peck suggested that may be a way to control illegal immigration. Appropriations Chairman Marc Rhoades, R-Newton, said Peck’s comment was inappropriate.
Rhoades said he thought Peck was joking, but added, “Hopefully he won’t do it again.” Asked about his comment, Peck was unapologetic. “I was just speaking like a southeast Kansas person,” he said. Please see LAWMAKER, page 2A
Grinstead resigns from Humane Society
Consensus building on closure, consolidations
By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com
Consolidations Mark Bradford, the board’s vice president, said that work needed to start soon on plans to consolidate schools, and not just because the district faces an estimated $3 million decline in revenue for the next school year. Six schools — Cordley, Hillcrest, Kennedy, New York, Pinckney and Sunset Hill — have been identified by the task force as candidates for consolidation, to become either three or four schools within three to five years. A bond issue should be sought to f inance construction of new or expanded schools to accommodate consolidation, and to upgrade other elementary schools throughout the district, the task force said. All affected school communities should be given a voice in helping shape the plan that goes to the board for approval, for submission to voters.
Midge Grinstead has resigned as executive director of the Lawrence Humane Society, according to a statement from the society’s board of directors. The board has appointed Mike Wildgen, former Lawrence city manager, as the society’s interim executive director. He will work with animal welfare consultants to ensure the health and well-being of the pets in the shelter’s care during his interim leadership. “We greatly appreciate Mike’s willingness to serve during this interim period,” said Megan Grinstead Hiebert, president of the Lawrence Humane Society Board in the statement. “We thank Midge for her contributions to the Lawrence Humane Soci- Wildgen ety and animal welfare over the past 14 years. We wish her well in her future pursuits.” Reached on the phone Monday evening, Hiebert refused to comment beyond the statement, except to say that the board would seek to continue to build on Grinstead’s “positive effect on our community.” She opted not to say whether Grinstead was asked to resign, whether any reasons were given by Grinstead or the board for her resignation, whether the board would seek to change any existing policies of the shelter or give any details about a timeline for finding a permanent replacement. “All I’d like to say right now is that she has resigned and we continue to give updates as we go,” Hiebert said. The board placed Grinstead on administrative leave for 28 days in the fall for unspecified personnel reasons. She returned in November. And in February, the shelter announced it would pay $10,000 in back pay to work-
Please see SCHOOLS, page 2A
Please see GRINSTEAD, page 2A
Morningstar, Morrises have winning attitude Being able to keep the team loose will be key to advancing in the NCAA Tournament, and KU coach Bill Self says Brady Morningstar and Marcus Morris, above, along with Markieff Morris, can keep the Jayhawks from getting wound up too tight. Page 1B
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QUOTABLE
We are so much more aware now that it is preventable and treatable if caught early. We are not as afraid to talk about it. I can proudly say that my brother has saved many lives, probably thousands of them.” — Lawrence resident Sally Monahan Zogry, speaking about the importance of screening for colon cancer. Her older brother, Jay Monahan, died of the disease at age 42. He was a lawyer and MSNBC News legal analyst and husband of Katie Couric. Page 3A
COMING WEDNESDAY City Hall leaders are trying to determine why Lawrence has such a high percentage of water and utility bills that incur late fees each month.
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INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion Poll Puzzles Sports Television Vol.153/No.74
7A 6B-8B 9A 2A 10A, 2B 9B 5A 8A 2A 9B 1B-5B, 10B 5A, 2B, 9B 20 pages
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photos
LAWRENCE SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT RICK DOLL, foreground, addresses school board members Monday night during discussions on how to move forward on a task force’s recommendations. Possibilities facing the school board included closing schools and/or consolidating several others. From left are Doll, school board President Rich Minder, Vice President Mark Bradford, Marlene Merrill, Bob Byers, Mary Loveland, Vanessa Sanburn and Scott Morgan.
School board, community show support By Mark Fagan mfagan@ljworld.com
Consensus is spreading. The Lawrence Elementary School Facility Vision Task Force’s consensus plan — close one school next year, then consolidate six schools into three or four within the next three to five years — picked up support Monday night from some key constituencies: ● Several members of the Lawrence school board, the group that formed the task force last year and will be responsible for implementing or adjusting its recommendations in the coming weeks and months. ● An increasing number of influential members of the former Save Our Neighborhood Schools advocacy group, whose opposition to closure initiatives last year led to formation of the task force. ● And even at least one parent of children at Wakarusa Valley School, which would close next
DISTRICT PARENTS, concerned about their neighborhood schools, listen to the Lawrence school board’s discussion on how to move forward on a task force’s recommendations to close or consolidate schools. year if the board follows through with the task force’s recommendations. “I’m not here to change your mind,” said Dean Dunlap, a father of eight who lives just southeast of Clinton Lake, about a mile from the school. “I would have come to the same conclusion. I’m willing to take, or bite, the bullet. I understand the situation now.” While the acceptance is far from unanimous — 19
Officials at Kansas’ nuclear power plant monitoring situation in Japan By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org
people spoke up during Monday night’s board meeting, including at least eight criticizing the possibility of Pinckney School being closed — the recommendations forged after eight months of task force work are showing signs of gaining traction at district headquarters. A formal public hearing is set for March 28 to consider whether to close Wakarusa Valley.
Wolf Creek nuclear power plant officials said Monday that they are watching developments in Japan closely to see whether lessons can be learned from the plant disasters occurring there. “We are closely monitoring it as an industry,” said Jenny Hageman, spokeswoman for the Wolf Creek plant, a 1,200-megawatt facility 52 miles south of Lawrence. Japanese officials are dealing
with crises at several nuclear plants in the wake of the country’s earthquake and tsunami that have left at least 10,000 dead. Hageman said U.S. nuclear power officials are offering to help Japan. She said the chance of an earthquake affecting Wolf Creek is much smaller than in Japan. Tornadoes would be the more likely disaster to hit the plant, and Hageman said Wolf Creek’s containment structure can withstand winds of 300 mph. Wolf Creek is running at 100 percent capacity but will be shut down
on Saturday for about seven weeks for scheduled maintenance, which will include the replacement of four giant rotors and turbines. This operation constitutes the largest modification of the plant since it started operating in 1985, she said. Michael Murray, a nuclear physicist at Kansas University, said Japanese officials are trying their hardest to address the problems, but they face great obstacles. “The crucial thing at the moment is that the fuel rods be kept under water,” Murray said. “The problem
they are having is that the general level of devastation from the tsunami” has hindered their efforts. Murray said there is no evidence of a rupture in the containment cases at these units. “What needs to happen now is make sure there is not enough buildup of steam or hydrogen to crack the containment vessel,” he said. — Statehouse reporter Scott Rothschild can be reached at 785-423-0668.
● The latest from Japan. Page 7A.