Jury trial scheduled for suspect in cat slaying
A 22-year-old Lawrence man is to appear before a jury in three months to face a misdemeanor charge of mangling a feline and throwing its body into a trash container at a Lawrence apartment complex.
Brett R. Rizzo appeared Tuesday in Douglas County District Court, where Judge Robert Fairchild scheduled a jury trial for June 13. Rizzo was accompanied by his attorney, David Brown.
The mutilated remains of "Mama Cat" were found the night of Jan. 16 by maintenance workers at Meadowbrook apartment complex. Lawrence Police and Animal Control officers were called the next morning to investigate the death of the animal, which apartment complex employees had adopted.
Along with the dead cat, officers found blood stains on a wall, a balcony and a door of an apartment.
Rizzo was arrested after police investigated the death, but he remained free pending the trial.
Education dean candidate interviewing on campus
The sixth and final candidate vying to be dean of the Kansas University School of Education is interviewing for the position this week.
Henry T. Frierson, professor of educational psychology and director of the Research Education Support Program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, arrived Tuesday on campus and will continue meeting with faculty, staff and students through Thursday.
Other candidates who have interviewed for the dean position are Dianne E. Ashby, Illinois State University; Larry H. Ebbers, Iowa State University; Angela Lumpkin, State University of West Georgia; Eileen Oliver, California State University-San Marcos; and Jerry D. Bailey, interim dean of education and director of the Institute for Educational Research and Public Service at KU.
KU professor picks up Pew Fellowship award
Tracy Russo, assistant professor of communication studies at Kansas University, will receive a fellowship to study the way people portray themselves on the Internet.
Russo was awarded one of 30 Pew National Fellowships for Carnegie Scholars. She will use the $6,000 stipend to create an online lab to test how students react to others online. Winners also will meet together for two two-week sessions in California.
The research will focus on interaction on online education courses, Russo said. She already has conducted several online classes.
"Some people seem to other students as real, and some didn't," she said. "We've done some research in this area, and what we find is there are some real differences in the way people are perceived."
KU Chamber Choir to give short concert
The Kansas University Chamber Choir and Instrumental Ensemble will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Room 130 in Murphy Hall.
The singers and musicians will perform the 30-minute program at the American Choral Directors Assn. national convention March 16-17 in San Antonio. The convention marks the first time the KU Chamber Choir has performed at such a prestigious national convention, which draws about 6,000 choral directors from around the world.
Simon Carrington, director of KU choral activities, is director of the KU Chamber Choir. The accompanist is Lori Dunn.
Cottonwood to host one-day art show
Cottonwood Retirement Services will have its third annual art show from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Arts Center, 200 W. Ninth St.
The theme, "Kaleidoscope," represents the different media and sources of inspiration included in the show. The works are created by people who have had little or no formal art training.
Eleven artists will present about 50 artworks, including paintings, pressed-flower collage cards and sculptures. The artwork will be sold at a silent auction during the event.
Artists participating in the show are John Thomas Allen, Lawrence Barnes, Bernard Berger, Teresa Brown, Jules Marshall, Bill McKenzie, Randy Sparks, Carol Thiry, Ruby Jean Thomas, Charles Tipton and Linda Vigna.
Cottonwood Inc. is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with developmental disabilities shape their own futures by providing residential, employment and community support.
Market analysis of Ottawa to be presented tonight
Ottawa A market analysis of Ottawa will be presented at the city's quarterly town meeting.
Doyle Hyett of HyettPalma, based in Alexandria, Va., will announce the results of a market analysis his company conducted in January.
The Ottawa Main Street Assn. will use the study's results to help guide it in restoring and revitalizing the downtown district. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. today at the Carnegie Cultural Center, Fifth and Main streets.
For information, call Julie Prideaux, the association's executive director, at (785) 242-2085.
Area archivists to meet in Olathe
Olathe The Kansas City Area Archivists will meet this week.
The meeting, which is open to the public, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Johnson County Archives in the Johnson County Administration Building adjacent to the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Olathe.
Jerry Motsinger, director of the Johnson County Archives, will conduct a tour of the state-of-the-art facility housing Johnson County's historic marriage, criminal, tax, real estate and coroner records. Motsinger also may talk about Kansas City area cemeteries.
The Kansas City Area Archivists Steering Committee will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday. For more information, call the Johnson County Archives at (913) 715-0400.
Cholesterol screenings offered to public
Lawrence Memorial Hospital will offer a cholesterol screening to help people avoid heart disease.
Screenings will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. today in the HealthSource Room. The cost is $5 a person, and no appointment is necessary.
According to community education coordinator Aynsley Anderson, fasting is not necessary before the screenings and results will be known in five minutes.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.