Greek organizations sponsor ninth annual run/walk

Two Kansas University greek organizations on Saturday will sponsor their annual run, walk and roll to benefit a local charity.

The Ninth Annual Scott McHorter & Emily Nelson 5K Run, Walk and Roll will begin at 11 a.m. at the Kansas River levee trail.

Proceeds from the event, a philanthropy of Kansas University’s Pi Beta Phi sorority and Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, will go to Natural Ties of Lawrence, a student-run program that builds relationships between KU students and Lawrence residents with disabilities, and ARC of Dallas.

Anyone is welcome to participate. Registration is $10 and includes a T-shirt.

Participants can run, walk or “roll”  which might include bicycling, Rollerblading or even pushing a baby in a stroller  the 5-kilometer course.

For more information, contact Jill Wilkinson at 312-5208.

Suspect allegedly steals police officer’s flashlight

A bar patron became unruly with Lawrence Police early Thursday morning after he was allegedly found with a flashlight taken from an officer’s belt.

About 1:30 a.m., police arrived at Club 508, 508 Locust St., for a bar check. After an officer questioned someone he thought might be too young to drink, he realized his flashlight had been removed from the back of his belt.

The flashlight, valued at $100, was then seen sticking from the front pocket of a 20-year-old Lawrence man who was in the bar, police reported.

The suspect became belligerent and had to be restrained after the officer approached him, Sgt. Mike Pattrick said. The suspect was placed in a patrol car with a caged back seat to be transported to the Douglas County Jail, Pattrick said.

The 20-year-old was booked into jail for misdemeanor theft and later released. The date of his appearance in Municipal Court was unavailable, and it was not known Thursday if other charges might be filed.

Independent filmmaker seeking cast, crew members

Kansas City, Mo. Â An independent, low-budget movie is looking for cast members.

Christopher Forbes, the producer and director of “The Notorious Colonel Steel,” will be at Recycled Sounds, 3941 Main St., from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Saturday. He will accept head shots, resumes, tapes and other materials from those interested in being in the movie. Actors age 20-70 and most crew positions are needed.

Forbes’ first film, “Resurrection Mary,” will be shown in May at the Cannes Film Festival and is booked for theatrical distribution in the fall.

For information about the film, e-mail Resurrectionmary@hotmail.com or call Forbes at (620) 521-2440.

Lawrence teen-ager arrested on rape warrant

A Lawrence man was arrested Tuesday afternoon by Douglas County Sheriff’s officers on a rape warrant.

The suspect, 19, was later released from jail on $10,000 bond with orders to appear at 3 p.m. April 30 in Douglas County District Court.

Little information is being released about the charge at this time. Douglas County Dist. Atty. Christine Kenney said the victim, a girl, was a minor. Kenney said the incident was believed to have occurred about a year ago.

The Journal-World generally doesn’t publish the names of suspects in sex crimes unless they have been convicted.

Blood drive scheduled for today in bank lobby

A blood drive will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the lobby of the US Bank, 900 Mass.

Kansas Blood Services, which has its Community Blood Center at 535 Gateway Drive, is handling the drive, which is sponsored by the bank.

No specific goal has been set for blood donations. But bank and blood center officials note that the Lawrence community uses about 565 pints of blood a day.

Photography exhibit

honors those with AIDS

“The Faces of AIDS,” a photography exhibit honoring the lives of those with HIV/AIDS, is on display through Sunday at Paradise Cafe, 728 Mass.

The exhibit includes 30 photographs, including those of Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita residents.

The photographs can be seen from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. today and Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

KU graduates to present career conference

Three Kansas University graduates will return to campus today to tell graduate students and faculty members about careers outside academia.

The free event, which is open to any KU student or faculty member, will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Adams Alumni Center.

Speakers will be:

 Jackson Harrell, who has a doctorate in communication studies and 20 years of experience in public relations.

 Paul Fairchild, who has a doctorate in philosophy and 30 years of experience as a computer consultant.

 Kristin Letourneau, who has a doctorate in social psychology and is senior data manager at an Overland Park publishing company.

Topeka VA service center to continue operations

A Topeka center that provides a variety of services for area veterans will remain open.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday that it had decided to continue operations at the Shared Service Center, Topeka.

“VA has taken into consideration the outstanding quality of our employees, the essential service they provide, as well as the potential role the Shared Service Center could provide with respect to VA programs,” Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi wrote in a letter to U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts.

In March, Roberts and other Kansas congressmen urged the VA to reconsider plans to close the center, which employs 260 people.