Roads: New construction to alter 31st Street traffic access

Beginning Monday, contractors will be striping the north side of 31st Street from Ousdahl Road to Iowa Street. Crews also will be working to create a center turning lane, which will allow for left turns into the Pine Ridge Plaza and U.S. post office.

The city recommends that Pine Ridge Plaza shoppers travel south on Ousdahl Road and then west on 33rd Street to the access road that will lead them to the businesses along 31st Street.

Accidents: Five killed in crashes on Kansas roads

At least five people, including a 12-year-old girl, have died on Kansas roads just before and during the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The girl was a passenger in a Ford truck when the one-vehicle accident occurred about 8:40 a.m. Saturday near Burdett in Pawnee County.

Details of the crash were unavailable Saturday afternoon because it was still under investigation, a Kansas Highway Patrol dispatcher said. The girl’s name was not released pending notification of relatives.

On Wednesday, a Missouri woman was killed in a two-car collision in Dickinson County.

The patrol identified the victim as Diana Whitaker, 50, of Nixa, Mo. She was driving east on Kansas Highway 18 about 6:30 p.m. when another vehicle ran a stop sign on Kansas Highway 15 and struck her car.

Two people in the other car were taken to a hospital.

About 2 p.m. Wednesday – just before the official holiday counting period, which began at 6 p.m. Wednesday and runs through today- three generations of the same family were killed when the car they were in slammed into the back of a tractor-trailer in Seward County.

A car driven by Toby Sneddeker, 22, Jetmore, struck the rig as it was stopped on U.S. Highway 54 waiting to make a left turn, the patrol said.

Wanda Leasure, 77, of Dodge City, and her daughter, Jane Sneddeker, 44, of Jetmore, died at the scene. Toby Sneddeker died Wednesday night at a Wichita hospital.

Energy: Wind farm project continues despite setback

El Dorado – Despite another setback and slim chances of success, Kansas Wind Power LLC is not losing hope that it will eventually build a wind farm near Leon.

The Butler County Commission voted 2-1 last week to send the company’s proposal back to the county planning commission, which approved the proposal Nov. 6.

If approved again by the planning commission, the proposal must then receive a unanimous vote to move on.

Kansas Wind Power has several Kansas University connections. Steven McCabe, chairman of civil and environmental engineering, is helping the group with research. And two staff members – Troy Helming, CEO and chairman of the board, and Matt Gilhousen, director of operations – are KU graduates. The university also is considering purchasing power from the company.

Community: Senior Services board picks 2003 officers

The board of directors at Douglas County Senior Services has elected its slate of officers for 2003.

Debbie Heinrich will lead the board. She will be joined by Joe Marzluff, vice chairman; Victor Harrod, treasurer; and Charlene Winter, secretary.

Serving new terms on the board will be Dave Mattern, Fred Madaus, Lori Garber and Howard Baumgartel.

Douglas County Senior Services is a private, non-profit organization committed to creating opportunities that allow Douglas County residents 60 and older to remain independent and active in their homes and communities.