Wakarusa Township to close road today for bridge repair

Wakarusa Township road department announced it will close the section of North 1000 Road west of East 1200 Road from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, according to Tim McNish, road department spokesman. Road crews will be replacing a bridge concrete box culvert, McNish said.

Two vandalism incidents reported after KU loss

Despite a disappointing loss by Kansas University in the NCAA Tournament Saturday night, only two reports of vandalism occurred on campus, KU Public Safety officers said Monday.

The glass on a bulletin board outside Watson Library was broken, causing damage listed at $80, Lt. Schuyler Bailey said. A window also was broken at Learned Hall. Damage was listed at $50.

Both incidents were reported or discovered late Saturday, but officers do not know if the vandalism had anything to do with post-game rowdiness, Bailey said.

“We had some groups of kids walking on campus but it was really pretty well-behaved,” Bailey said.

Streets leading into the heart of the campus were blocked off during the game between KU and Maryland. About 8,000 fans watched the game on the big screen Saturday night in Memorial Stadium.

Trial date set in G. Willikers rest room videotaping case

A Lawrence man will be tried June 19 in Franklin County District Court for allegedly videotaping women in a restaurant rest room.

The new trial date for Darrin A. Votaw, 31, was set during a hearing Monday morning before Franklin County Judge Edwin Smith. Smith also will preside over the trial.

Votaw was arrested in February by Ottawa Police and charged with 15 misdemeanor counts of eavesdropping. The arrest came after police investigated allegations of videotaping occurring in the women’s rest room at G. Willikers Bar and Deli, 306 Main St.

Votaw was one of the owners of the restaurant at the time.

Library offers all-day poetry

Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt., will celebrate National Poetry month with its first all-day poetry reading, which will honor Lawrence native Langston Hughes.

Every half hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, a Lawrence resident or library staff member will read selected Hughes poems over the library’s public address system. Selections include “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “Peace,” “A Dream Deferred,” and others.

April marks the seventh anniversary of National Poetry month.

Deadline approaching for FEMA assistance

Kansans who suffered damage from the ice storm have less than a week left to apply for state or federal disaster assistance.

Monday is the last day renters, homeowners or business owners may apply for assistance by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency at (800) 621-FEMA between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. People with hearing or speech impairments can call TTY at (800) 462-7585.

To receive aid, people must reside in one of the 35 counties declared for assistance. In the Lawrence area, these counties include Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth and Shawnee counties.