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Kobach campaign fined $5,000 for errors in reporting funds Commissioner Mark Simpson said that the errors were a serious violation and that such failures undermine the integrity of elections. — The campaign of
By Scott Rothschild
srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach on Wednesday was hit with the maximum fine of $5,000 for errors in reporting nearly $80,000 in campaign
Kobach
A few clouds
High: 55
$750 fine from the “nonpolitical commission staff.” The ethics complaint was filed against Kobach’s campaign treasurer, Tom Arpke, a funds during his successful Ethics Commission, showed Republican state House memelection bid last year. a bias against conservative ber from Salina. Kobach said the fine levied Republicans, such as himself, Please see KOBACH, page 2A by the Kansas Governmental and ignored the recommended
Gauging the effects of an aging population
Low: 29
Today’s forecast, page 12A
INSIDE
State ethics officials also fined Rep. TerriLois Gregory, R-Baldwin City, $150 for requesting campaign contributions in an email she sent from her state account on a state-issued computer. See story, page 2A.
Group calls for required trash carts ———
Task force says not using cans or bags can save money, reduce injuries By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Free State junior has come a long way Though he had never started a varsity game before this football season, Kyle McFarland now serves as the starting quarterback on a winning team just one victory away from a district championship. McFarland and his teammates will get the chance to earn that district title Friday when Free State takes on Lawrence High School. Page 1B
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QUOTABLE
After the holiday, we see a lot of emergencies with orthodontic appliances that are broken or have come uncemented or crowns that have come off and that kind of thing.” — Dr. Kelli Henderson, of Growing Smiles, speaking of the downside of candy consumption during Halloween. Page 3A
COMING FRIDAY We’ll let you know about some proposed changes to Medicaid.
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Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
A GROUP OF WOMEN LAUGH ABOUT AN EXERCISE that has them mimic playing a piano during a morning workout Monday at Meadowlark Estates, 4430 Bauer Farm Drive, led by activity director Andrea Wyatt. “Are we playing Mozart?” inquired one woman. The Douglas County Retiree Attraction Task Force is on a mission to make Lawrence a retirement destination.
Attracting more retirees to town will have impact on jobs, services, schools Editor’s note: This concludes a three-part series examining the push to attract more retirees to Douglas County. By Aaron Couch
Gene Meyer, the CEO of Lawrence Memorial Hospital, said a slew of medical jobs would be needed to keep up with demand as Lawrence’s population ages.
acouch@ljworld.com
If Kansas University is not the Fountain of Youth, it is at least an age-defying tonic that helps keep Douglas County young. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts:
That between 2000 and 2030, the number of folks 65 and older in Douglas County will have increased by 39 percent.
Nationally, that older age group will have doubled during the same 30year period. So, it appears Lawrence
will remain a mecca for the young. But a local task force sees reason to change that, at least to some degree. Armed with studies forecasting the benefits of attracting people with spare cash and extra time to a community, the Douglas County Retiree Attraction Task Force is on a mission to make Lawrence a retirement destination. If the attempt to lure more retirees to Lawrence is successful,
that older population will have some impact on several aspects of life in Lawrence by creating greater demand for medical jobs, putting more stress on social services and even determining public school funding at the ballot box. Here is a closer look at some of the issues Lawrence will face:
Medical jobs In the next five years, at least 17 six-figure jobs
will be opening up in Lawrence. The city will need 10 new internal medicine physicians and seven general practitioners by 2016, according to a study by Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Gene Meyer, the hospital’s CEO, said a slew of medical jobs will be needed to keep up with demand. “There will be a wide range, from primary care, quality health care from the hospital and home services,” Meyer said. Many of those jobs, like nursing, come with good salaries and benefits. But not all will be high-paying. Home health aides — a profession expected to Please see RETIREES, page 7A
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Historic Resources Commission to consider proposed six-story development at Ninth and New Hampshire By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
A proposed six-story hotel in downtown Lawrence will face its first hurdle at City Hall today. The city’s Historic Resources Commission is scheduled to discuss a proposal to build a multi-story hotel, apartment and retail building at the southeast corner of Ninth and New Hampshire streets. The city’s historic resources staff has raised concerns about the proposed design of the building and how it would affect the historic elements of downtown Lawrence and the Rhode Island Historic District that is immediately east of the prop-
erty. But staff members also said they believe the project is ripe for a compromise. “From our perspective, there is an opportunity to work on the design elements,” said Scott McCullough, the city’s director of planning and development services. “The proposed use is fully appropriate for the site. There are just some design issues that we are hopeful everybody will want to work together on to resolve. We think it could be a great project for downtown.” Specifically, the city’s analysis raises concerns with:
The height of the building and how it relates
to the much shorter, more residential buildings that are in the neighborhood to the east.
The signs associated with the building, particularly a large lighted sign at the top of the six-story building that advertises the property as a TownePlace by Marriott hotel.
Exterior construction materials, such as ceramic tile, that have not traditionally been used in the downtown. The city-appointed Historic Resource Commission also will likely hear from east Lawrence neighbors. The neighborhood association sent a letter to the commission listing 15 concerns that neighbors had raised. The proposed
height of the building was near the top of the list. Bill Fleming, representative for the development group seeking to build the project, said the group’s members were willing to listen to possible compromises. But he said some changes could derail the project. “We’ll have a difficult time compromising on the issue of building height,” Fleming said. “We have to make our numbers work, and it makes it more difficult when the building gets shorter.” Fleming said the development team, which is led by Lawrence businessman Doug Compton and architect Mike Treanor, have Please see HISTORIC, page 2A
The trash cart rolls on. The city’s Solid Waste Task Force made its strongest statement yet that it believes residents should be required to use city-issued trash carts instead of trash cans or bags. The task force Wednesday evening unanimously agreed to include in its draft report a In order statement call- for the city ing for the city to increase the to have a automation of competitive its trash collec- operation tion system by requiring use and to of the carts. make good The task force progress, cited that the this is the carts will save the city money way the and cut down industry is on injuries going.” of sanitation workers because the carts — Charlie Sedlock, can be emptied task force member using hydraulic and manager for lifts rather than Hamm Inc. being lifted by employees. “In order for the city to have a competitive operation and to make good progress, this is the way the industry is going,” said Charlie Sedlock, a task force member who also is a manager for Hamm Inc., the company that operates the landfill used by the city. Task force members, though, weren’t able to reach such agreement on whether to create a pricing system that would charge people based on the amount of trash they set out each week. The task force has discussed a “variable rate pricing” system that would charge people based on the number of carts they use to contain their trash. A household that needs two carts from the city to manage its trash would pay more than a household that needs only one, for example. But task force members said they weren’t yet ready to include that idea in the draft report. Members said they wanted more information about how households that occasionally have more trash than can fit into one container would be charged. Several task force members said that such occasional overages shouldn’t force a household into renting a second cart from the city. “I just don’t think we have explored this concept in enough depth,” said Suzi Cammon, a task force member. The issue of curbside recycling also was determined to need more study by the task force. Task force members expressed a strong desire to add a curbside recycling component to the city’s service. But several members said they were concerned about what the public’s reaction would be to a system that required all households in the city to pay for
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Please see TRASH, page 7A