Sesquicentennial panel cancels April meeting

The April 24 meeting of the Lawrence Sesquicentennial Commission has been canceled. The next meeting will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at the Lawrence Public Library Auditorium.

The meeting is open to the public.

Peace coalition honors community activists

Transportation and living wage advocates have been honored by Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice.

During an April 18 ceremony at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the coalition presented the Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice Award to Mary Michener and the Kaw Valley Living Wage Alliance.

Michener was recognized for her leadership in prodding the city to start a bus service, as well as her volunteer service to the Lawrence Public Library and Douglas County CASA. She also served as treasurer of the coalition and as editor of its newsletter, Peace Monitor.

The Kaw Valley Living Wage Alliance was honored for its work to change the city’s economic development policy by restricting tax abatements to companies that pay a living wage. Accepting the award for the alliance were Stephanie Harsin and Jennifer McAdam.

Mother weighs diversion in child-endangerment case

A Lawrence woman arrested last week after her young child was found wandering alone in the 3000 block of Iowa Street is considering seeking a diversion agreement.

Tiffany M. Knight, 27, 2401 W. 25th St., returned Tuesday to Douglas County District Court for an appearance before Judge Robert Fairchild. Knight is charged with endangering a child.

Knight’s attorney, Darla Lilley, told Fairchild her client may apply for entry into a diversion program. If the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office agrees, Knight would have to abide by certain rules for a specified period of time to have the charge dismissed.

Lawrence Police said Knight’s 4-year-old boy managed to leave their residence and was picked up by officers about 7:30 p.m. April 16. Police said they received calls from the public about the boy.

Knight was located about three hours later at her job.

The boy was placed in a foster home. During a court hearing last week, a judge ordered Knight to have only supervised visitation with her son.

Fairchild set Knight’s next court date for 1:30 p.m. June 4. She is free on her own recognizance.

Police DUI checkpoint brings seven arrests

Four people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after they were stopped at a police checkpoint late Friday night and early Saturday.

Police also arrested three people for possession of drugs, Sgt. Kirk Fultz said.

A total of 375 vehicles were checked as they passed through the northbound lane in the 700 block of North Second Street, Fultz said. About a dozen officers manned the checkpoint from 11:30 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday.

“The reaction from the people except for those who were arrested was favorable,” Fultz said.

In addition, nine people were cited for having open containers of alcoholic beverages.

One car tried to avoid the checkpoint, Fultz said. The car went through without stopping but officers stopped it a short distance away and the driver was arrested for being intoxicated, Fultz said.

A DUI saturation patrol will be conducted by police from 9:30 p.m. May 17 to 1:30 a.m. May 18, Fultz said. Four officers assigned to watch for intoxicated drivers will patrol the downtown area.

Health Care Access panel considers expansion options

A committee exploring whether to change Health Care Access’ approach to reaching the community’s medically uninsured on Tuesday discussed asking area employers to pick up some of the clinic’s costs.

The group also discussed the chances of passing a local sales tax to underwrite the clinic’s operations. Health Care Access provides health services to the area’s working poor.

“They liked the sales-tax idea, but they wanted to know more,” said Nikki Rhea, executive director at Health Care Access.

“They also liked the idea of shared responsibility, of getting or at least asking some of the bigger employers who don’t offer health insurance to get on board,” Rhea said.

The clinic’s long-range planning committee will meet May 21 to complete its recommendations, which will be presented to the clinic’s governing board on July 19.

Kansas University sets final exams

Kansas University has announced the following final examination:

Merlin White, ecology and evolutionary biology, “Taxonomic and molecular systematic studies of the Harpellales (Trichomycetes) toward understanding the diversity, evolution and dispersal of gut fungi,” 8:30 a.m. today, 8024 Haworth.

Troy Bassett, English, “Demonopolizing literary space: Authors, publishers, and the one-volume novel in late-victorian Britain,” 1:30 p.m. Friday, 3132 Wescoe.

Jan Kennedy, history of art, “Images of the soldier in 17th-century Dutch art,” 2:30 p.m. Friday, 211 Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.