L A W R E N C E
JOURNAL-WORLD
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SATURDAY • AUGUST 6 • 2011
LJWorld.com
KU will not pursue civil case against ticket felons By George Diepenbrock gdiepenbrock@ljworld.com
Kansas University officials won’t file a civil lawsuit against former athletics department employees who stole $2 million in a football and basketball ticket scheme, a KU spokesman said Friday.
Warm and humid
High: 93
“The cost of pursuing civil litigation against the ticket conspirators really outweighs the benefits to the institution,” said Tim Caboni, KU’s vice chancellor for public affairs. “We checked with our outside counsel. They understood, and they agreed with us.” A federal judge has sentenced
four former Kansas Athletics Inc. employees — Ben Kirtland, Rodney Jones, Charlette Blubaugh and Kassie Liebsch — and one department consultant, Tom Blubaugh, to federal prison after their guilty pleas in the cash-for-tickets scam Please see TICKETS, page 2A C. Blubaugh
T. Blubaugh
Liebsch
A smashing good time at the fair
Low: 74
Today’s forecast, page 8A
INSIDE Basketball player had difficult road to KU Kansas University freshman women’s basketball player Asia Boyd and her family have lived through pain, severe financial hardships and fire. Asia and her family now look to make the most of her opportunity at KU. Page 1B
Two officials with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services met Friday with local leaders behind closed doors to talk about ways to keep the Lawrence SRS office open, but none of the participants would discuss what was said. Page 2A
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— Linda McNish, on cancer. She and her sister, Betty Jo Corel, both pictured above, have both been diagnosed with the disease and are each other’s biggest supporters as they battle it. Page 3A
COMING SUNDAY We’ll be at the local prayer vigil for the future of Social and Rehabilitation Services.
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INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Faith Forum Horoscope Movies Opinion Poll Puzzles Sports Television Vol.153/No.218
6A 1C-6C 8C 2A 8A, 2B 8B 7C 5A 7A 2A 7C 1B-5B 5A, 2B, 7C 24 pages
Wittig to get $36M from Westar Former CEO will also get $3.1 million in legal fees and $2.7 million in stock compensation
Local, SRS leaders meet, but stay mum
It takes away everything except family, and that’s who you lean on.”
Kirtland
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LAWRENCE
QUOTABLE
Jones
John Young/Journal-World Photo
JEFF HAUT, LAWRENCE, LOOKS FOR A CAR TO SMASH during the annual demolition derby Friday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper St.
Drivers, spectators get dirty at derby
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By Joe Preiner jpreiner@ljworld.com
ONLINE: Watch the video at LJWorld.com
For the majority of people attending the demolition derby Friday night at the Douglas County Fair, the evening was spent dodging dirt clods and cheering. The packed grandstands surrounding the dirt arena moved with the moments, celebrating every crash and flame. The event, arguably the most popular of all the annual fair’s attractions, had something for everyone, including spectator fights, automobile carnage and a marriage proposal — she said yes. The big show took center stage at the fairgrounds, 2110 Harper St., with multiple heats of destruction that lasted more than three hours. Lawrence resident Wendy Laxton has been attending demo derbies for the better part of two decades. She watched it Friday with a smile on her face. “It’s just the excitement,” she said. “I like to see them crashing the cars.” The ramming wasn’t all chaotic though, as Topeka resident Mike Redman could tell you. A former derby driver himself, he said he enjoyed watching the different
TOPEKA (AP) — Former Westar Energy executive David Wittig will receive $36 million plus legal fees to settle a long-running dispute with the utility company. Wittig served prison time for a bank case before federal charges that he looted Westar were dropped. The Topeka Capital Journal reported Thursday that the settlement also will give Wittig $3.1 million in legal fees. The company also will release $2.7 million in stock compensation to Wittig. An arbitration settlement was completed in July, the utility said. Westar spokeswoman Gina Penzig said the sum will I knew be paid with money share- with him holders set basically aside, not by winning in ratepayers. “We believe court, I knew this closes the he was going chapter,” she to get a huge added. Wittig and payday from former top Westar strategy offi- Energy.” cer Douglas Lake were indicted in — Dan Lykins, a 2003 on Topeka attorney and charges they Westar shareholder conspired to for more than 25 inflate their years compensation at the Topekabased company and then tried to hide their actions. They also were charged with wire fraud and money laundering. The first trial ended in mistrial when jurors couldn’t reach a verdict. Convictions stemming from a second federal trial were overturned by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. Federal prosecutors filed new charges against Wittig and Lake, ultimately dropping the criminal case in August 2010. Wittig faced one count of conspiracy and 14 counts of circumvention of Westar’s internal financial controls. Lake, of New Canaan, Conn., faced one count of conspiracy and 13 counts of circumvention of internal financial controls. Lake settled with the company this spring for $21 million and $5.3 million in legal fees. Dan Lykins, a Topeka attorney
John Young/Journal-World Photo
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
strategies unfold. “It’s more about keeping your car running and moving,” he said. “That’s the stressful part.” And while hundreds of spectators cheered on the show, behind the scenes drivers and their friends worked to piece together the leftovers for the event’s final showdown. Among them were Lawrence residents D.J. Davis and friend John Green. The two worked alongside a slew of others with torches, sledgehammers and tools in what resembled a car graveyard.
ABOVE, Brent Parmer, Baldwin City, waits in line to have his car inspected before the derby Friday at the fairgrounds. AT LEFT, Tessa Gottstein, 11, comforts her Limousin heifer Licorice by stroking its tail, which got Gottstein and her friend laughing Friday at the Douglas County Fair. Gottstein, a Palmyra 4-H’er, won champion and reserve champion in the Limousin class at the fair. “Outside of derby it’s friendship,” Davis said of his relationships with other drivers. “But in here it’s just business.” That business pays dividends to the survivors, with Friday night’s champion, Nick Erlacher, claiming nearly $2,000 in winnings. “I try to win for the money,” Davis said. “But really we just go out there together to have fun.” The fair will wrap up events today before packing up and heading out Sunday. — Reporter Joe Preiner can be reached at 832-6314.
Please see WITTIG, page 2A Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org
Teachers union in Lawrence district OKs new master agreement Teachers and other licensed personnel in the Lawrence school district ratified a master agreement that includes pay raises of $1,250 for the coming year. In balloting that ended Friday, members of the bargaining unit — teachers, counselors, librarians and others — voted 458-7 to accept the
deal negotiated between the Lawrence Education Association and the district, through the Lawrence school board. The agreement now goes to the board for its ratification Monday night. The board meets at 7 p.m. at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive. “We did come to an agreement
that, for the most part, everybody could agree on,” said Beth Maloun, union vice president and a special educator at Prairie Park School. “The teachers are pretty satisfied.” The agreement also includes provisions regarding health insurance, working conditions and other matters for at least 880 licensed educators.
Former Westar CEO David Wittig in 2002