KU receives $700,000 from Wal-Mart: CJOnline - KU receives $700,000 from Wal-Mart

The Capital-Journal
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. CDT
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas today received a $700,000 donation from the Wal-Mart Foundation — the largest gift the foundation has given in Kansas — to develop a tutoring curriculum to be implemented nationwide at Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

KU’s Center for Research on Learning will use the money to help Boys and Girls Clubs’ staff and volunteers adopt a new model of tutoring that helps students complete homework assignments and build literacy skills. The project will build upon the Boys and Girls Clubs’ proven tutorial program, “Power Hour.”

The donation was announced today at an event at the Wal-Mart Store at 3300 Iowa St. in Lawrence.

Some reader comments with all the answers. But note not one for the above post about the gift Wal mart gave.

Police investigating stabbing: CJOnline - Police investigating stabbing

The Capital-Journal
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. CDT
A man was transported to a Topeka hospital early today with stab wounds not thought to be life-threatening.

A 46-year-old Topeka man told police officers that he was stabbed in the upper body about 1:30 a.m. while he was in the 800 block of N. Kansas Avenue, but he couldn’t provide a description of the attacker, and no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information on the incident may call detectives at 368-9400 or crime stoppers as 234-0007.

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Reader Comments
-1 Rating Posted by: jodisturgeon at May 28, 2008 at 09:29:50 AM
What? I can't believe it?! You mean to say somebody somewhere hasn't blamed our police department for this yet? (PLEASE understand I am being sarcastic!)

-1 Rating Posted by: wolfmoon83 at May 28, 2008 at 09:43:08 AM
You know, where were our Illustrious police force? Oh yea, they were probably having a DUI checklane somewhere away from the real crime areas in Topeka!

-4 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at May 28, 2008 at 10:01:15 AM
If they had a new helicopter, this would not have happened.

Posted by: T-TownTracker at May 28, 2008 at 10:02:58 AM
I'm glad my momma taught me not to walk through transient areas in the middle of the night.

Posted by: jimbo16 at May 28, 2008 at 10:46:56 AM
Why not go over there sometime and see how many illegals are living in that area. If you don't have a job and need money what better way to get it than that.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: oldcop at May 28, 2008 at 11:20:46 AM
My momma taught me not to go to North Topeka bars in the 800 blk. of N. Kansas at any time of the day or night.

-1 Rating Posted by: r2mcmullen at May 28, 2008 at 11:33:13 AM
Wolfmoon83 - You are absolutly correct! The TPD cares more about collecting fines than enforcing crime. They b***h about not enough people and no helecopter but they don't want to their real jobs. Drive around Topeka and I bet you can find a whole buttload of officers sitting in their vehicles. Talking to one another, eating donuts, drinking coffee. What is their job? If this is what a TPD officer is required to do, well, give me an application. The TPD needs to look deep inside their department and change their attitude towards the citizens of Topeka. We are not here just to give them a paycheck. Their responsibility needs to be our safty. They are falling way short of that right now and it has nothing to do with an officer shortage and a grouded helecopter!


+ 1 Rating Posted by: oldcop at May 28, 2008 at 12:34:42 PM
r2mcmullen,
There are always openings at TPD. The written exam is given several times each year. Just go to the Law Enforcement Center at 320 S. Kansas and go into the police lobby, ask for an exam card, and you're on your way. Of course if you're a convicted felon, have a DUI, drug conviction, etc. there might be a problem. The bottom line is that it really pays pretty well and the retirement is OUTSTANDING (trust me) so step up to the plate if you can do the job so well. The truth is that it's very difficult to find qualified people who can do the job right, so unless you make more than $50,000.00 a year or so where you're at, get to it if you think you can "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk".

+ 1 Rating Posted by: husky1 at May 28, 2008 at 12:49:44 PM
r2mcmullen
if being a idiot was against the law, you would be a FELONY

Posted by: wolfmoon83 at May 28, 2008 at 12:59:50 PM
I've said it before, if you're a drug dealer living over on Bryant, Dupont, Girard, etc. you basically have no money for the city. But if you can afford a car with insurance, tags and so on, then you can afford a $1500.00-2500.00 fine. If you live in a $10,000 crackerbox and deal crack you can't afford a fine and that means the taxpayers have to support your dumb-***** in jail!!!! That's why the cops aren't doing their job!!! I'm sure it comes from above ( mayor,city council, d/a)

Man you all have seen this before. An never ending desire for more $. This time the reader comments are about right. Many more at the site.

Westar seeks $177 million rate hike: CJOnline - Westar seeks $177 million rate hike

The Capital-Journal
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 9:39 a.m. CDT
Westar Energy, Inc. today filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) a request to increase its rates $177 million to recover the cost of providing electric service to its customers.


Westar is seeking an increase in rates of about 15 percent for both its north and south regions. The increase in the northern region is $90 million and in the southern region it is $87.6 million.

The combined increase is $177.6 million, and for each region reflects an increase of just under 15 percent.

The average residential customer would see a per month increase of $9.62 in Westar’s northern region and $10.34 in Westar’s southern region, based on usage of 900 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. The national average retail rate is 9.2 cents per kWh. With the requested rate increase, Westar said its average rates will be 6.9 cents per kWh.

“On a combined basis, our average rates today are lower than they were 20 years ago,” said Bill Moore, Westar’s president and chief executive officer. “This is even more dramatic in our southern area, where our average rates are significantly lower than they were in 1988 — something in stark contrast to other energy costs.”

Westar management said the increase relates primarily to investments made in plant and equipment necessary to meet customers’ growing energy needs. “The lion’s share of the increase relates to our investment in new natural gas plants and our commitment to renewable wind energy, plus the costs of restoring our system following last December’s destructive ice storm,” Moore said.

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Reader Comments
+ 2 Rating Posted by: Kathie at May 28, 2008 at 10:53:04 AM
What! ANother increase! Our raise this year for state workers is 2.5% if we have to pay 15 more for our electricity, twice as much for gasoline and groceries I guess we will be even further in the hole than before.

Corporation Commission please think about this before you just wave the magic wand and let them have whatever they want. People who are already struggling will be the ones to pay for this. Check into what their profits are and how much they pay their execs in salaries and perks and see if they can't cut back in that area before just automatically asking more from their customers.

-2 Rating Posted by: marcottes3 at May 28, 2008 at 11:07:49 AM
Somebody has to pay for Whittig and Lake's attorney fees and you don't expect Westar to have to pay for it do you? It's not like they hired those guys and put them into positions of power and influence, you did by electing them to those posts, so it is only right that you should pay for their mistakes. I mean the fact that Whittig's house is only a million more than Cedar Crest is almost laughable. The new ceo has to have more than the ex ceo, so it stands to reason that we must raise our rates. PERIOD!@

+ 1 Rating Posted by: FYInformation at May 28, 2008 at 11:08:07 AM
You're lucky you got 2.5% - City workers only get a 1.5% increase, and IF you're in a union, you get that raise too. How about Westar stops paying their CEO $10 million a year!? Ever think about that!?
FYI

Almost 90 twisters reported in past week: CJOnline - Almost 90 twisters reported in past week

The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. CDT
WICHITA — Nearly 90 tornadoes were reported in Kansas as of Monday in a rough weather week that also included storms with large hail and record rainfall.

“It’s been kind of overwhelming,” said Larry Ruthi, meteorologist in charge of the Dodge City branch of the National Weather Service. “On Friday evening, we had five (large tornadoes) on the ground at the same time. It’s pretty amazing.”

Four people are believed to have died and several more were reported injured in the storms, officials said.

“We just had a constant barrage of storms, firing up along all these different boundaries,” said Chance Hayes, warning coordination meteorologist at the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service. “Typically this time of year they’re going to move through pretty quickly. But we just had one round after another.”

According to preliminary data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center, 87 tornadoes were reported in Kansas on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

The final number will likely be lower, officials say, because some of those reports are likely to be different angles of the same tornado.

While WaKeeney and Protection both reported damage from tornadoes, meteorologists said tornadoes nearly hit more than a dozen other cities, including Greensburg.

A wedge tornado lifted just before it reached Quinter on Friday night, and it touched back ìmWn again on the other side of town. A second large tornado passed just west of the town the same evening.

A tornado bearing down on Kinsley on Friday night lifted south of town, went over the Edwards County seat and touched down again on the other side of town, Ruthi said.

Another tornado fell apart as it neared Ransom on Friday night, he said.

“It definitely could have been much worse,” Hayes said.

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Reader Comments
-2 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at May 28, 2008 at 10:06:28 AM
Not enough CO2 in the air. They need more coal-fired power generators out there.

-3 Rating Posted by: TopekaIsBoring at May 28, 2008 at 02:01:40 PM
The lord god almighty is angry with America. Maybe the Phelps are right after all.

Posted by: TopekaIsBoring at May 28, 2008 at 03:41:53 PM
Negative ratings?!? What? You people don't believe that your god controls the weather?

We got reader comments that ring loud and clear.

Teen jailed after baby found in trash: CJOnline - Teen jailed after baby found in trash
The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. CDT
McPHERSON — Authorities say a central Kansas teenager is in custody after her 6-week-old daughter was found alive, wrapped inside a blanket in a trash bin.

McPherson police say they received a call Tuesday morning from an 18-year-old woman claiming that her baby was abducted from her home while she was showering. Police said the woman told them that a relative may have snatched the child, but that claim was unfounded.

By then an officer searching an alley near the woman’s home found the infant in the trash bin. The child was taken to a McPherson hospital and appeared to be in good health.

Authorities said the mother could face aggravated endangerment charges.

Police said the trash in the bin where the baby was found would have been picked up Tuesday if it hadn’t been for the one-day holiday delay.

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Reader Comments
+ 4 Rating Posted by: kaylaw at May 28, 2008 at 08:24:56 AM
Now THIS is what the "right to lifers" should be screaming about. I wonder if someone "counseled" her into believing that abortion was wrong. Oh, I forgot - the right to life folks only want the baby born and could not care less about what happens afterward....

-4 Rating Posted by: thejokeisonus at May 28, 2008 at 08:33:16 AM
"...could not care less about what happens afterward...."
You made an ***** of yourself with that statement.

-7 Rating Posted by: averyds at May 28, 2008 at 08:34:20 AM
Kaylaw,don't blame it on the right to life people,blame it on her parents and people like you that support abortion.

-7 Rating Posted by: 65impala at May 28, 2008 at 08:42:32 AM
kaylaw That is the most asinine statement I have ever read on this forum, and I have seen much idiocy here.

-13 Rating Posted by: ToepkanForTrueJustice at May 28, 2008 at 08:45:11 AM
The babies chance at life and survival is much greater in that trash can than at an abortion clinic. As bad as this mother is she looks like an angel compared to Dr. Tiller, Kathleen Sebilious, or any other parent (I use that term loosely), that would drop off their baby (viable fetus) at an abortion clinic.

Posted by: foofoo at May 28, 2008 at 08:52:11 AM
Jeez, who knew this would turn into a rabid anti-abortion forum! Wow, it doesn't take much to trigger you folks, does it...Question, though.... ...are any of you WOMEN?

+ 8 Rating Posted by: the7wonders at May 28, 2008 at 08:54:56 AM
It is sad that this girl abandoned her baby. It is true though, that most Pro-lifers only care about the children while they are in the womb. After the babies are born nobody seems to care anymore. A lot of girls are forced to have unwanted babies and then are full of anger and resentment afterwards. I'm not saying that abortion is the answer.We need to educate more. Kids arent brought up right these days. Where are the boundaries? Abstinance until marriage should be taught in homes and schools.
If parents instilled more values and morals in their children, we wouldnt have these young girls getting pregnant ....now would we?

-5 Rating Posted by: bojangles at May 28, 2008 at 08:55:41 AM
wow kaylaw, I was going tell you how much of an a$$ you made out of yourself with your statement. Looks like there's no need. It's been taken care of.

Posted by: bojangles at May 28, 2008 at 08:57:09 AM
Very well said 7wonders...

+ 3 Rating Posted by: CntryGurl7 at May 28, 2008 at 08:58:30 AM
Okay I am pro-life, why aren't they showing these teens about adoption and not just abortion or having to keep the child? If a young girl has an abortion it will affect her the rest of her life and possibly could prevent her from having kids when she wants them, I have a family member that happened to. But why don't they let them know that if they aren't sure they want to keep the child there are other alternatives, any family members want to help or place the child up for adoption. It takes a lot more heart to do that then to walk in and abort a child.

-7 Rating Posted by: thejokeisonus at May 28, 2008 at 08:58:59 AM
"It is true though, that most Pro-lifers only care about the children while they are in the womb."
It must also be true, the7wonders, that your parents were pro-life (or are you not real?). That being the case, you must be saying that they didn't care about you after you were born. I'm sorry for you.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: nissanzx1 at May 28, 2008 at 09:03:28 AM
Regardless of the stupid pro-murder comment: Lock this mother up, take the child into custody--problem solved.

Posted by: the7wonders at May 28, 2008 at 09:13:08 AM
To theJOKEisonus......

MY parents were brought up right and waited until they got married to have children. There was never a need for them to be "pro-life" or "pro-choice", because they did things the RIGHT WAY...the way God intended.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: PaxtonOUT99 at May 28, 2008 at 09:23:03 AM
It is true though, that most Pro-lifers only care about the children while they are in the womb. After the babies are born nobody seems to care anymore.????????

our modern culture has pigeon holed "Pro-Live"into a womans issue. For me making a decision to be pr Life also dictates my ideas aobut capitol punishment and War.

Be very careful when you put the word MOST or ALL on a statement like that... I would grant you that some people are pro life for the wrong reasons and with the wroing motivation. but MOST of the pro lifers that I know also have or have considered adoption, donate to charitys for children and are very loving to their own children.

As far as this case... the news guy made it sound like she put the baby in the dumpster very carefully as he said it "in a safe. what she decided would be a safe place" then went home and called the police. It doesn't sound like she wanted the baby gone she wanted attention and drama. STUPID yes but I question if this was a bad atempt at a joke or if this was a true attempt to get rid of the baby. Reguardless I hope she never regains custody and gets help for herself.



+ 5 Rating Posted by: jcanemp at May 28, 2008 at 09:23:50 AM
Wow. Mention abortion and the radicals come out of the woodwork. I have no stake in this issue either way. What I do see from the outside looking in is that the issue is most often argued by "Pro Life" advocates from an irrelevant platform. Most often the decision by a woman to abort or not abort is a medical issue, not a religious ceremony. I am not pro-life or pro-abortion but I am pro-common sense and in favor of what is best for ALL involved in a decision that serious. That would include the mother first, then the father, siblings, future child, and society in general. It's a very hard decision and ultimately the only person qualified to make that decision is the mother. On the other hand, I can't imagine a woman wanting to abort a pregancy under most normal circumstances. In cases of rape, incest, or physical danger to the mother, that decision---a medical decision--- becomes easier and understandable.

Posted by: nephrt at May 28, 2008 at 09:39:17 AM
Too bad she didnt just take the baby to one to the "no questions asked" facilities, ex. hospital, police dept, etc. Due to the holiday it didnt get dumped.

+ 1 Rating Posted by: nephrt at May 28, 2008 at 09:43:55 AM
Redo.....too bad she didn't just take the baby to one of the 'no questions asked" facilities, ex. a hospital, police and fire depts., etc. Due to the holiday, trash pickup is a day off, so it didnt get dumped.

Posted by: oldcop at May 28, 2008 at 09:51:29 AM
It's true. She could have simply gone to the nearest hospital and given her child to a staff member and walked away with no criminal charges.

Reader comments included.

Government defends drug law constitutionality: CJOnline - Government defends drug law constitutionality

The Associated Press
Published Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. CDT
WICHITA — Prosecutors on Wednesday defended the constitutionality of federal drug laws, spurning defense arguments seeking dismissal of an indictment charging a Kansas physician with illegally prescribing narcotic painkillers linked to 56 overdose deaths.

Court documents filed by the government in the criminal case against Dr. Stephen Schneider and his wife, Linda, noted the arguments raised by the couple’s criminal defense attorneys are reminiscent of a thwarted civil complaint filed earlier this year on behalf of their patients by the Pain Relief Network.

In the latest round of legal maneuverings, defense attorneys challenged the Controlled Substances Act as unconstitutionally vague because it fails to fully inform physicians of what specific conduct is illegal and therefore criminalizes their medical decisions.

But prosecutors cited a litany of previous court rulings supporting their contention that the CSA allows Congress to regulate medical practice by barring doctors from writing prescriptions as a way to engage in illicit drug dealing.

The government argued that the allegations against the Schneiders were matters of fact for a jury to determine, and the statute was not unconstitutionally vague.

The Schneiders face federal charges including conspiracy, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, health care fraud, illegal money transactions and money laundering. The government charged the doctor and his wife with directly causing four deaths and contributing to the deaths of 11 other patients cited in the indictment.

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Reader Comments
Posted by: TBuckl9501 at May 29, 2008 at 09:46:36 AM
The Controlled Substances Act enacted by our Government is unconstitutional from the day it was wriiten and will remain unconstitutional until these laws reflect the majority of the people of America, which it does not. This Act is unlawful and violates each American's rights granted by GOD, not man. This ACT was approved by a minority of Congress and was intended to be just another aspect of the JIM CROW laws of this country. Its main focus was on the Mexican people and depriving them of thier culture. When history is written those who committed this crime will take their proper place as violators of the U.S. Constitution and the rights of the people of this great land. This law is wrong and will always be wrong and no lies will hide this fact.

Posted by: todd34 at May 29, 2008 at 10:23:31 AM
tbucki9501- If you are going to make such outlandish claims make sure you have some substance to back it. Your first point it way off base as NO LAWS

Posted by: todd34 at May 29, 2008 at 10:24:55 AM
are ever passed with a "minority of Congress", it takes a majority vote to get anything passed. Please give us facts as to why this act is unconstitutional.

-4 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at May 29, 2008 at 10:44:57 AM


To all the CJ bloggers, farewell.

For those who feel compelled to write their own opinions in this public forum for all victims, friends and families to see, I must suggest my favorite book:

"As A Gentleman Would Say" by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis"

It's the best 10 buck you'll ever spend on Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more

+ 1 Rating Posted by: myhorsesowner at May 29, 2008 at 11:13:11 AM
Can someone explain what the heck TBuck is ranting about? I guess I fail to see the connect between the information contained in the article and the Jim Crow laws and Mexican people. By the way, he/she refers to "American's rights granted by God" and then in the following sentences he/she refers to "the Mexican people". Is he talking about Americans or Mexicans? Once a Mexican becomes a citizen, isn't he also an American? (I know about dual citizenship, but they are referring to living in America and American law).

I understand following traditions and customs of their past culture. But shouldn't "the Mexican people" follow the laws of American culture if they live here?

I don't think that controlled substances are a part of Mexican culture anyway, are they? How does racism play into the Controlled Substances Act?

Posted by: blexican at May 29, 2008 at 11:58:03 AM
I think Tbuck is reffering to the original passing of the 1970 control substances act, which was evolved from former statutes in Texas and Louisiana that outlawed marijuana. One of the main reasons that the original laws were passed in El Paso Texas was to curtail the Mexican population in the early 1900's, many of whom used marijuana. The laws were largely xenophobic, and at the time America had a much more open door policy to immigrants, particularly Mexicans. The laws were pushed by lumber lobbyists, who were losing revenue because of the diversity of the use of hemp in many products. The Mexicans are credited with bringing marijuana to New Orleans, where it was very popular with black jazz players who slowly migrated northeast, eventually becoming a bedrock of jazz tradition in Harlem. Many of the nations drug laws were originally passed to simply arrest Mexicans and black people, because drug use, particularly marijuana, was very popular. Watch "Hooked, Illegal Drugs and How They Got There".

Posted by: myhorsesowner at May 29, 2008 at 12:19:18 PM
Blexican,

Thanks for the clarification and education on this matter.

Although, I may not always agree with you on certain issues and while your views are more liberal than my conservative views; most times you have very intelligent, informed posts.
You are a very articulate and educated person. Just remember to take it easy on us country people when someone puts down other races on these posts (such as those who run down the HP area) we're not all bumpkins and rednecks.

Thanks again.

Posted by: blexican at May 29, 2008 at 01:15:38 PM
Thank you myhorse. I too am a conservative, fiscally. I just truly despise social conservatism, because I feel that the government has should have a lesser role in my home, and often conservatism is linked to religious values. I appreciate the values that many conservatives argue for, but I believe that government oversight, instead of good parenting, is not the way to improve society.

Posted by: mlurp at May 29, 2008 at 01:29:49 PM
The only mistake in the act is that marijuana is classed with the very dangerous ones. Our society would save a lot of $ if this one drug were to be classed upon its own.
Allowing judges to save jail/prison space for the ones whom deserve it. And give probation/testing or house arrest to th eones charged for use. Now the dealers would be in another situation and face prison.

Purple Heart recipient to be honored at races: CJOnline - Purple Heart recipient to be honored at races

The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. CDT
This weekend, during the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, world champion Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher and the entire U.S. Army Racing team will recognize Fort Riley soldier Erika Foster, thanking her for her dedication and service to the Army and to the country.


Foster, a self-proclaimed NHRA fan, earned a Purple Heart during a recent tour in Iraq. She was born in Fort Worth, Texas, spent her childhood in Augusta, Ga., and graduated from high school in Newport, Tenn.

She joined the Army nearly three years ago and spent 15 months in Iraq as part of the 97th Military Police Battalion. She was injured in 2007 when an improvised explosive device exploded within 10 feet of her convoy.

Once photobucket gets running right I have some scanned items to post.