Lawrence Journal-World 04-08-11

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L A W R E N C E

JOURNAL-WORLD

®

75 CENTS

FRIDAY • APRIL 8 • 2011

High: 76

Radiation detected in state via Japan

Here we go!

Clouds fade away

LJWorld.com

Low: 62

Today’s forecast, page 10A

INSIDE

——

No health risks posed to Kansans, officials say

Morris twins declare for NBA draft

By Scott Rothschild

Kansas University’s Marcus and Markieff Morris announced they had signed with an agent Thursday, meaning they will forgo their senior seasons at KU and enter the NBA draft. Page 1B

srothschild@ljworld.com

BUSINESS

Ford CEO Alan Mulally wins hall of fame spot

Kevin Anderson/Journal-World Photos

WEARING HER LUIGI HELMET AND CROOKED MUSTACHE, Jestina Matulka, a freshman from Silver Lake, tries to keep her lead during a heat of the Kansas Kart race. HEATHER KAPLIN, AT LEFT, A VOLUNTEER with SUA, hands out banana peels to racers as they came by. Racers rode oversized tricycles through an obstacle course and getting items such as balls, water balloons and banana peels.

Lawrence native Alan Mulally has been honored with a place in the Kansas Business Hall of Fame at Emporia State University for his work in financially stabilizing the Ford Motor Co. Page 3A

Students re-create video game Student Union Activities hosted the first ever Kansas Kart races Thursday at the parking lot of the Kansas University Visitors Center, 1502 Iowa, on Daisy Hill. The event is based on the Mario Kart series of racing video games.

NATION

No deal reached in spending talks President Barack Obama said Thursday after meeting with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that progress has been made in congressional budget negotiations, but no deal has been reached. The deadline to avert a government shutdown is today. Page 6A

QUOTABLE

I’m always surprised by the first day of market. You never know what people will bring.” — Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market coordinator Tom Buller, speaking of the market’s opening day, which will be this Saturday in the 800 block of New Hampshire. Page 2A

COMING SATURDAY We chat with the man who will be Lawrence's next mayor to see what his vision is for the city.

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INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion Poll Puzzles Sports Television Vol.153/No.98

10A 6B-10B 9A 2A 10A 9B 5A 8A 2A 9B 1B-5B 5A, 2B, 9B 36 pages

Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org

Government shutdown would close national parks By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

TOPEKA — Just when the Battle of Black Jack was getting some national buzz, the government threatens to shut down. If Republicans and Democrats in Washington can’t reach an agreement on a budget by midnight, much of the federal government closes shop, and that means shutting down the 394 parks and historic sites run by the U.S. National Park Service. That includes the Topeka-based Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, which currently features an exhibit on the Battle of Black Jack. The battle fought in Douglas County in 1856 is being called the first fight in the lead-up to the Civil War. David Barna, chief spokesman for the National Park Service, said that if the government shuts down, all the national parks, monuments, war sites and preserves would close, all visitors would have to leave and 17,000 workers would be on furlough. The national parks are getting

about 800,000 visitors per day. “That’s the big impact,” he said. “They (visitors) won’t have this experience, which is really sad.” In addition, the agency’s website also would be shut As for how down. It receives a Kansas will be million hits per affected, Gov. day, mostly from Sam Brownback’s school children office is taking a working on class reports and adults wait-and-see planning their approach. vacations. Social Security recipients would still get monthly checks, but military troops would not receive their full paychecks, according to the federal government. The air traffic control system would continue, as would emergency response agencies and the Border Patrol. In Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback’s office was taking a wait-and-see attitude. Brownback’s spokeswoman, Sherriene Jones-Sontag, said the

office wasn’t going to answer questions about a federal shutdown until it happened because there were so many variables in what could be affected. At Kansas University, spokesman Jack Martin said grants and additional requests by students for financial aid could be delayed. Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug said as far as county services go, people won’t see any difference at all. And in the agricultural sector, reports indicate that services related to law enforcement and public health, such as meat, poultry, eggs and grain inspections would continue. Funds have also been made available for nutrition programs and food stamps. The Kansas Department of Transportation reports that a federal shutdown would have no effect on highway projects. The federal transportation funding law was extended by President Barack Obama through Sept. 30, according to KDOT spokesman Steve Swartz. — Statehouse reporter Scott Rothschild can be reached at 785-423-0668.

TOPEKA — State officials said Thursday that “minuscule” levels of radiation from the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan have been detected in Kansas but posed no health threat. “We understand the concern Kansans may have,” said Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, who is also a surgeon. “What we are seeing is a minuscule blip on the meter. The consensus remains from international, national and state health experts that this does not pose a Colyer health risk to Kansans,” Colyer said. The magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 started a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Dai-chi facility. Explosions rocked two reactor buildings resulting in the release of dangerous nuclear radiation. The Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other federal agencies in the United States have been monitoring the situation. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment conducts a wide variety of soil, air, water, vegetation and animal life samplings on a weekly and quarterly basis. KDHE Secretary Robert Moser, who also is a physician, said the elevated levels of radiation in the United States, including Kansas, were expected. “While these levels are well below any need for public concern, we are working with county health departments in case Kansans have any questions,” Moser said. “We will also continue to monitor our state’s environment and report future spikes in these levels if they were to occur,” he said. Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman said the Kansas food supply is safe and secure. The Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture has been working on the situation with the Japanese government to ensure imported food is safe to eat, officials said. Officials advised Kansans against taking potassium iodide, which can block radioactive iodine. Potassium iodide is only appropriate when one is close to an incident at a nuclear facility, they said. — Statehouse reporter Scott Rothschild can be reached at 785-423-0668.

Plastic grocery bags no longer to be available at The Merc boxes near the check-out lane that can also be used. So why are plastic bags so bad? Well, here’s a look at some of the numbers:

By Christine Metz cmetz@ljworld.com

“Paper or plastic?” will soon become a question of the past for those who shop at The Merc, 901 Iowa. By Earth Day, April 22, the community food cooperative will no longer provide plastic bags. The change comes at the request of shoppers, who when surveyed overwhelming said they want to see the bags gone, store operations manager Brain Phillips said. Don’t worry; shoppers won’t be asked to haul out armfuls of groceries to their

100 billion to 1 trillion

An estimate of how many shopping bags are manufactured across the world yearly. car. The store will still provide paper bags (ones that are made of a 100-percent recycled fiber and have the Forest Stewardship Council seal of approval), and there is a supply of recycled cardboard

100 years

An estimate of how long it takes a plastic bag to decompose.

60

Average number of plastic

bags a family of four collects in one month.

.06

Percentage of plastic bags taken to recycling centers.

46,000

Pieces of plastic found floating in each square mile of the ocean, according to a 2006 United Nations Report.

2nd

Plastic bags’ ranking in a list of 43 different types of refuse found in the ocean.

Cigarette butts were the most common, according to the Ocean Conservancy.

5 cents

The discount The Merc provides to customers who bring their own reusable bags. Last year, The Merc gave a discount for more than 210,000 reusable bags, a total of more than $10,000.

25

Percentage of Merc customers who bring their own bags.


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