Fire in courtroom quickly extinguished
Amid construction at the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, a small fire started Thursday afternoon in one of the district court judge's courtrooms.
Apparently, a spark from a welder's torch being used on the second level landed in Judge Jean Shepherd's courtroom below and started a fire, said Pam Madl, director of administrative services. The fire began about 12:45 p.m. and burned about 10 minutes before staff extinguished it, she said. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical was called, but the fire was put out before firefighters arrived.
The county is in the middle of a $4.3 million expansion and renovation to the law enforcement building.
Valuation appeals hold steady this year
Though property valuations increased again this year, no more people than usual have filed appeals.
On Wednesday, County Appraiser Marion Johnson said his department had received 630 appeal hearing requests, which is an average number compared to previous years.
"During the last week, we always anticipate about 1,000 to 1,200 more appeals," he said. "It's pretty much the same as we had last year."
In 2000, the county held 1,600 hearings, representing about 5 percent of the county's land parcels. About 45 percent of the hearings resulted in value changes. Appeal hearings started Monday; the average hearing lasts about 20 minutes.
To file an appeal, people must fill out the bottom portion of the valuation notice and return it to the appraiser's office before 5 p.m. March 30.
Shawnee
Fourth teen dies of accident injuries
A teen-age boy injured last week in a traffic accident that killed his younger brother and two other boys died Thursday at a Kansas City, Mo., hospital, police said.
The latest victim was David Thurman, 16, driver of a car that collided with another car last Thursday on Johnson Drive in Shawnee. The crash happened near the Hocker Grove Middle School, where the other three victims were students.
Those boys, all 14, were Thurman's brother, Joshua, Matthew Cadwell and Kevin Kranker. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
David Thurman was a junior at Shawnee Mission North High School. Witnesses told police Thurman's car had been racing with another. Investigators said Thurman's vehicle spun out of control on rain-slick pavement and crossed into the opposite lane, where it collided with another car.
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