L A W R E N C E
JOURNAL-WORLD
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75 CENTS
THURSDAY • JUNE 16 • 2011
Storm likely
In this competition, ‘there are no rules’
Low: 72
High: 88
Today’s forecast, page 12A
INSIDE
LJWorld.com
Regents: Tuition, funding go hand in hand By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Ex-Jayhawk stops by Self’s basketball camp NBA veteran Drew Gooden showcased his talents at a camp put on by Kansas University men’s basketball Bill Self in a game that pitted KU alumni players against current Jayhawks. The alumni team lost, 70-58. Page 1B HUMANE SOCIETY
Candidate for shelter director makes visit On Wednesday, members of the Lawrence Humane Society met with Dori Villalon to discuss her vision for the organization. The society’s president said Villalon was their “top candidate at this point” for a new shelter director. Page 3A LAWRENCE
Tax-exempt status of nonprofits revoked The Internal Revenue Service revoked the tax-exempt status of more than 100 Lawrence groups, with valid reasons. Some had only recently filed the correct documents, and some simply no longer exist. Page 4A
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QUOTABLE
It was just so stressful. It felt like we were living in Satan’s lair. That’s the only way to really explain it.” — Amber Sessions, whose family lived in a snake-infested house in Idaho for three months before they could no longer stand their slithering housemates. Page 8A
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photos
JENNIFER YBARRA, CO-MANAGER OF THE TOY STORE, 936 Mass., displays “Harry PotterWand Shop,” one of more than 80 entries in the store’s competition to see who can come up with the best Lego creation. Andre, who is competing in the age 11 and under division, described his entry as “Harry and Voldemort face off in front of the Wand Shop.”
Toy Store contest looking for your best Lego creation By Mark Fagan mfagan@ljworld.com
ONLINE: See a video and more photos at LJWorld.com
Ben built a soccer stadium, its scoreboard showing the U.S. National Team topping Canada by a goal. Hazel set up a Porta Potty, a dozen irate folks holding in line for a john that won’t soon become unoccupied. And then there’s Reilley — 8-year-old Reilley Moore — whose “Prison Base” features an unmanned spaceship used by sword-wielding bounty hunters, in ninja garb, who manage to apprehend an evasive skeleton. The undead figure didn’t stand a chance. “I just thought it would be cool,” said Reilley, who will be entering third grade at St. John Catholic School. “I just built it ran-
“Imperial Bunker on Endor,” by Parker, 12 and up. “Gotta Use the Porta Potty” by Hazel, 11 and under. domly.” Reilley’s imaginative whimsy may sound low key, but his work in plastic is among more than 80 entries that form the focal points of a high-profile contest in downtown Lawrence. The Toy Store, 936 Mass., is running a competition to see who can create the best Lego creation — anything, of most
COMING FRIDAY A group plans to gather at the Lawrence Arts Center to protest Gov. Brownback’s defunding of the Kansas Arts Commission.
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On heels of $20M, $4M more for KU Medical Center ——
This time, donation for spinal cord research is anonymous
any size — in two divisions: age 11 and under, and age 12 and up. The two who receive the most public votes will receive new Lego sets from the store, but the real winners already appear to be the dozens of people each day who stop by the store window or step inside to view the varied displays of interlocking items.
A sinking Titanic. A moving Ferris wheel. A “Lego Hamster,” billed as a “great pet, because you don’t have to feed it!” “There are no rules,” said Jhami Guffey, comanager of the store and contest organizer. “As long as they can bring it into the store, it’s OK. We don’t want to limit anything. We just want to blow people’s minds.”
Successful rural health program Swimming pool reopens in need of more funds By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
ahyland@ljworld.com
Please see DONATION, page 2A
Please see TUITION, page 2A
Please see LEGO, page 6A
By Andy Hyland
An anonymous donor has contributed $4 million to fund spinal cord research at Kansas University Medical Center. The research will be led by Peter Smith, director of KUMC’s Institute for Neurological Disorders and director of the Spinal Cord Injuries Repair Program, and Randolph Nudo, director of Smith the Landon Center on Aging. Smith’s research focuses on stem cells and their potential to alleviate spinal cord injuries. The research involves converting cells from a patient’s skin to cells that mimic stem cells, from which neurons can be generated. Nudo’s research uses microelectronics to develop a system Nudo that can stimulate healthy neurons above and below the injury to carry messages from the brain to other parts of the body. The donation supports the same kind of translational research that KUMC was recognized for
T O P E K A — Kansas Board of Regents members on Wednesday said legislators need to know that how much they fund schools — or don’t fund schools — affects how much students pay in tuition. “Tuition ought to be part of this discussion,” said acting regents chair Ed McKechnie. The board, which oversees higher education in Kansas, is preparing a proposed budget to be submitted to Gov. Sam Brownback and BOARD OF REGENTS the Legislature. Today, the board is expected to approve tuition increases for all six public universities, including Kansas University. KU has proposed increasing tuition and required fees from $4,012 to $4,234, a $222 or 5.5 percent increase for an undergraduate taking 15 hours. The tuition for a non-Kansas resident would increase from $9,504 to $10,179, a $675 increase or 7.1 percent. Graduate students would face a 5.5 percent increase for residents and 5.9 percent for nonresidents. Tuition and fees under the KU Compact — first-time, degreeseeking freshman — would be fixed for four years and would increase from $4,366 to $4,611, or
Kevin Anderson/Journal-World Photo
JACEY YANEK HELPS her 21-month-old daughter, Reagan, jump into the waterWednesday after the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center, 727 Ky., reopened. The pool was back in business at 5 p.m. Wednesday, after being closed since early Tuesday morning. A staff member on Tuesday noticed that the filtration pump had “seized up,” said Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department Aquatics Manager Jimmy Gibbs. An Olathe-based company built a new pump and installed it Wednesday, Gibbs said. The pump in question circulates and filters the pool water. Gibbs said that he does not expect any further problems with the pool equipment.
TOPEKA — A Kansas University-run scholarship program that puts physicians in underserved areas in the state has become such a success that it needs more money, officials said Wednesday. Kansas Board of Regents member Jarold Boettcher said the program “has a tremendous impact and is one we should work hard to protect.” In preliminary budget discussions, KU has requested authorization to seek $1.87 million in additional funding for the Medical Loan Program for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2012. The program is administered by the KU Medical Center and provides tuition, fees and a monthly stipend for students at the KU School of Medicine. The loans can be repaid by entering a primary care specialty and then practicing in an underserved county in Kansas for one year for each year of loan support. Historically, the program has Please see DOCTORS, page 2A