L A W R E N C E
JOURNAL-WORLD
®
75 CENTS
LJWorld.com
MONDAY • JUNE 6 • 2011
String of fatality accidents underscores randomness ————
After relative lull in 2010, 5 people have already died this year in county By George Diepenbrock gdiepenbrock@ljworld.com
When a piece of metal last Tuesday struck and later killed Cindy Burnett through the windshield that was supposed to protect her, the Lyndon woman became the fifth person to die on a Douglas County road so far this year. That’s already nearly twice as many deaths than occurred in all of 2010, when three people were killed in traffic accidents in Douglas County. Burnett also became the fourth person to die in less than two months — a period that started with a high-prof ile crossover crash April 16 on
Hot, humid
High: 96
Low: 69
Today’s forecast, page 10A
INSIDE
Bike trail designed for riders to take break
Kansas Highway 10 near Eudora that killed 5-year-old Cainan Shutt and the driver of the other car. That accident has spurred a study on the safety of the median of the major commuter highway between Lawrence and the suburban Kansas City area. But at this point, the number of traffic deaths in Douglas County so far this year doesn’t seem to be approaching a record, compared with two decades worth of Kansas Department of Transportation data. For example, 18 people died on Douglas County roadways in 1995, the most in statistics reviewed starting with 1990. More recently 14 people died in
2008 and 2003, and 15 were killed in 2006 crashes. Steven Schrock, a Kansas University assistant professor of civil engineering, said it’s not uncommon for a few fatality crashes in one area to occur with a short time after a long period when there are zero or very few, which can cause emotional reactions from the public. “They’re random by definition,” said Schrock, who studies highway safety. He said state transportation officials must examine several years worth of data to determine trends about safety on specific roadways, which is what Gov.
DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES investigate a vehicle that was struck by a piece of metal that flew off another vehicle. Cindy Burnett, 48, of Lyndon, was killed in the accident on the South Lawrence Trafficway last Tuesday.
Please see ACCIDENTS, page 2A
Richard Gwin/Journal-World File Photo
District reconfigures space to fit students Grade shifts create new needs in existing buildings
The Lawrence Mountain Bike Association recently pitched in to make one member’s By Mark Fagan vision a reality: a new trail along the mfagan@ljworld.com Kansas River levee with a scenic view. School’s out for summer, Page 3A opening up space for construction and remodeling SPORTS crews to move in. Workers both employed Incoming freshman and hired by the Lawrence already a big hit school district are fanning out across the district, hanBasketball recruit Ben McLemore signed autographs for 2 1/2 hours on Sunday for dling jobs large and small before stuwave after wave of wide-eyed youngsters dents return Summeron hand for orientation at the four-day to their time is a Bill Self basketball camp. Page 1B respective good time classrooms and camto get caught up.” puses in Like any game of August. “That’s chicken, it’s about who — Superintendent our compleblinks first.” Rick Doll tion date, and we will — Ed Haislmaier, senior research fellow at have them ready,” said Tom the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Bracciano, the district’s division director for construcHealth Policy, a conservative think-tank, on Indiana’s new law that cuts funding for tion and maintenance. Among sites seeing the the Planned Parenthood organization. The state risks losing more than $4 billion most work this summer will be Broken Arrow School, in Medicaid money. Page 6A West Middle School and Free State and Lawrence high places where COMING TUESDAY schools, changes brought on by district reconfiguration — movSocial media websites such as ing sixth grade into middle Facebook serve as living memori- schools and ninth grade into als for the deceased. the high schools — are prompting some of the most substantial work. Adding another grade level means welcoming more than Facebook.com/LJWorld 300 more students at each Twitter.com/LJWorld high school, leading to plans for boosting capacity and
“
“
QUOTABLE
FOLLOW US INDEX
Classified Comics Deaths Dilbert Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion Puzzles Sports Television Vol.153/No.157
4B-10B 9A 2A 10A 10A, 2B 9B 5A 8A 9B 1B-3B 5A 36 pages
Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
BRIAN POPE, FATHER OF A FREE STATE baseball player, left, visits with Chris Culp with Lawrence Landscape, as Culp and a crew install new Versa-Lok block bleachers at the Free State High School baseball field on Friday. New bleachers will be installed for soccer and baseball at both high schools and also for softball at Free State. Lawrence High also will be getting donor-financed upgrades at field entrances and around scoreboards. Schools across the district are also undergoing remodeling to create or upgrade classroom spaces. efficiency in cafeterias, classrooms and hallways — installing new doors, expanding teaching space and adding lockers where needed. Lawrence High’s annex also is being remodeled to make room for more classrooms. New bleachers will be installed for soccer and baseball at both schools and also for softball at Free State. Lawrence High also will be getting donorfinanced upgrades at field entrances and around scoreboards.
Scheduled for reconstruction at Lawrence High, 1901 La.: a traffic path that runs north of the annex and soccer field and along the south side of the main building to include curbs, gutters and improved drainage. “It’s a mess,” Bracciano said. Among sites slated for work: ● Central Middle School: Reconstruct the parking lot on the south side of the school. “It’s been a perpetual problem,” Bracciano said. ● West Middle School:
Replace auditorium roof. ● Lawrence High: Replace roof of old science wing. ● Broken Arrow: Install a wall to separate former sixthgrade pod. ● Free State: Relocate jewelry shop; install a wall to split a large classroom into two smaller ones. ● Langston Hughes School: Convert two resource rooms into a computer lab. The projects will be financed using money in the district’s capital outlay budget, revenues set aside to
address major projects and maintenance at school buildings and sites. The district addresses maintenance needs throughout the school year, but major work typically is reserved for when classes aren’t in session. “Summertime is a good time to get caught up,” said Rick Doll, district superintendent. — Schools reporter Mark Fagan can be reached at 832-7188. Follow him at Twitter.com/MarkFaganLJW.
Greensburg has advice for towns torn up by tornadoes: Be patient GREENSBURG (AP) — Officials in the south-central Kansas town of Greensburg, which was nearly wiped out by a tornado four years ago, have some advice for other tornado-ravaged towns: Take time rebuilding. Greensburg hosted a meeting Thursday with representatives from Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the eastern Kansas town of Reading. An April tornado killed 43 people in Tuscaloosa. Last month, a tornado hit Reading, killing one resident and damaging 200 homes. The visitors spent two days in Greensburg last week to see how the town recovered after a May 2007 tornado destroyed most of Greensburg’s infrastructure and homes and left 11 dead. The visitors have toured rebuilding
“
I encourage Tuscaloosa to think long and hard before rebuilding.” — Greensburg school Superintendent Darin Headrick projects, including Greensburg’s hospital, county school and city hall. They also heard from Greensburg city leaders who explained how they found ways to crawl out of the rubble. One recurring message was, don’t rush to put things back together. “I encourage Tuscaloosa to think long and hard before rebuilding,” school Superintendent Darin Headrick told The Hutchinson News. Instead of
doing it quickly, think about how rebuilding might serve the community for future generations. Kiowa County Memorial Hospital administrator Mary Sweet also said that in moving forward AP File Photos it was possible to be better than GREENSBURG IS SHOWN on May 5, 2007, above, the before the tornado. She encourday after a tornado leveled much of the town, and in aged community leaders not to April 2008, below, as rebuilding efforts were picking up. spend money on old technology but to move into the future. “Ask for help. I hate to say this,” Sweet said. “But play the tornado card you have in your hand.” In a disaster it’s vital to leave use all options when it comes to finding resources, said Chuck Banks, senior manager with Deloitte Financial Advisory Services. He encouraged the group Please see GREENSBURG, page 2A