Lawrence Journal-World 04-30-11

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A ROYAL OBSESSION World’s eyes on London 3A, 7A

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Conservatives High winds create dusty work seek more cuts to schools, social services ——

Several Republicans and Democrats contend proposal slices too deeply and is too late

Please see BUDGET, page 5A

The number of people who are homeless is increasing in Douglas County, and so are the odds that they’re female, a new report from City Hall suggests. Homeless totals in early 2011 grew to 226 people — up from 104 in 2009 — according to an official “point-in-time” count conducted by city and county leaders once every two years. The survey also found that the number of women who are homeless increased sharply, rising to 44 percent in 2011 compared with 25 percent in 2009. Loring Henderson, director of the Lawrence Community Shelter, said the numbers were a Loring Henderson, mixed bag. “I don’t think the number of director of the homeless people has really grown Lawrence at all,” he said. “I just think the Community count is better. I don’t know that you can rely on 226 being a good Shelter, thinks the numbers number either, but it is better.” Henderson said he thinks the haven’t grown; new report does a better job of the way of showing who is homeless and counting has some of the reasons why. He agrees with the f inding that simply improved.

Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

OTTAWA CO-OP MANAGER CHRIS HETHERINGTON waits for a semi to fill with corn as the dust is carried away during Friday’s excessively windy weather.

Intersection camera to help fight crime By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

There’s a new crimefighter in town, and it’s hanging from a traffic light in west Lawrence. The Lawrence Police Department confirmed Friday that it has installed video cameras at the intersection of Clinton Parkway and Wakarusa Drive to capture the license plate numbers of vehicles suspected in a crime. “We would like to take a look at having cameras installed in other intersections, depending on how well they work and how the public reacts to them,” said Sgt. Matt Sarna, a spokesman for the department. “But right now, we’re just in the test phase.” The cameras are connected to a system that allows police officers to enter the plate number of a suspect’s vehicle, for example, into a computer system. The camera then keeps an eye out for the license plate and sends an immediate notification to the police department once it is spotted. Sarna said department leaders examined a similar system that is in place in the Kansas City

metro areas. He said the cameras likely could be useful in finding vehicles associated with robberies, child abduction cases or other instances where a tag number is known and time is of the essence. The cameras will not be used to ticket motorists who run red lights. Such systems are used in other states, but the city’s traffic engineer said that red-light cameras are not legal in Kansas. The state Legislature would have to pass a new law that would allow people to be ticketed in such a manner. Sarna also said the system is not set up to record live video at the intersection. He said the department plans to use the system only as a “community safety initiative during an emergency.” The cameras were purchased with grant funds, but details about their cost weren’t immediately available Friday afternoon. Sarna said the only cost to the city was installation, which he said was nominal. — City reporter Chad Lawhorn can be reached at 832-6362. Follow him at Twitter.com/clawhorn_ljw

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Please see HOMELESS, page 2A

Cables are not a ‘silver bullet’ to stop wrecks, KDOT warns By George Diepenbrock

George Diepenbrock/Journal-World Photo

gdiepenbrock@ljworld.com

OLATHE — Kansas Department of Transportation officials told reporters Friday afternoon that cable median barriers on divided highways weren’t a “silver bullet” in stopping all accidents as the state studies the safety of Kansas Highway 10. “Cable barriers are not benign. They don’t solve all the problems and can in some situations create problems,” KDOT Secretary Deb Miller said Friday. “So our deliberations must center on whether they provide more benefits or create more liabilities. The question isn’t, do we

Opinion Puzzles Sports Television

Low: 37

Today’s forecast, page 10A

women have become a larger percentage of the homeless population. That also means more children. The latest report found 69 children who were homeless.

KANSAS HIGHWAY 10

INSIDE

Storm chance Business Classified Comics Deaths

up, especially among women

clawhorn@ljworld.com

srothschild@ljworld.com

TOPEKA — Conservative Republicans on Friday sought more cuts to schools, social services and prisons. The proposal — crafted by House Appropriations Committee members Anthony Brown of Eudora, Owen Donohoe of Shawnee and Kasha Kelley of Arkansas City — would slice another $138 million from a previous budget approved by the House. Donohoe said the measure reflected frustration felt by some legislators who have been encouraged by Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, to propose deeper cuts but then have been unable to see them through. “All I’ve heard from the governor and everybody is bring us cuts and we’ll consider them,” Donohoe said. Donohoe also said the proposal would produce a state budget ending balance of $200 million, which is much larger than previous budget proposals. Brownback has said he wants a healthy ending balance to cover potential revenue shortfalls later in the year. He noted that former Gov. Mark Parkinson made budget cuts because of revenue decreases. “That’s not the Kansas way, to over-appropriate,” Brownback said. “It would be wise to have bigger ending balances.” But several Republicans and Democrats on the Appropriations Committee said the proposed cuts were too deep and were being proposed too late in

Homeless rate By Chad Lawhorn

By Scott Rothschild

High: 67

LJWorld.com

SATURDAY • APRIL 30 • 2011

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ALI SHUTT, mother of 5-year-old Cainan Shutt, who was killed April 16 on Kansas Highway 10, talks to the media Friday in Olathe at a KDOT news conference regarding the potential installation of K-10 median barriers. have the money? The question is, is this the right strategy?” Miller and state transportation engineer Jerry Younger spoke to the media days after Gov. Sam Brownback directed Miller to reopen a study into the use of Please see KDOT, page 2A

COMING SUNDAY An analysis finds a curious discrepancy between tax values for homes and what they actually sell for.

Vol.153/No.120 28 pages

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


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