Reward offered for burglary

Lecompton  A $200 reward is being offered to help solve a burglary last month at the building that once served as the First Democratic Headquarters of Kansas.

Someone forced open the front door to the building sometime in January, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said. Taken was a $50 wall plaque that said “This House Donated by Pat and Rae Estes,” a report said.

Also taken was a wooden sign on a post outside the front of the building proclaiming the site as the first Democratic headquarters.

The building belongs to the Lecompton Historical Society. The society is offering the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible through Douglas County Crime Stoppers.

Anyone with information can call 843-8477 (TIPS). Callers remain anonymous, but there will be a method for distributing the reward.

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 State legislature: Cloning legislation could affect research facilities

Topeka  Rep. Mary Pilcher Cook, R-Shawnee, has filed legislation to ban human cloning and said if the bill fails to progress she may attach it to legislation to build research facilities, including a biomedical center at Kansas University.

Last year, Cook added a ban on cloning research at public universities to an earlier version of the research facilities proposal. That measure was approved in the House, but it died in the Senate.

No such cloning research is going on at Kansas universities. But Cook said a ban is needed to prevent it in the future.

Cook also introduced a bill that would make it unlawful to conduct research on a human embryo that would destroy the embryo.

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 Crime: One arrested after bar fight

A dispute over a pool game and possibly a racial slur led to a brawl involving at least 25 people early Monday at JB Stouts Sports Bar and Grill, 721 Wakarusa Drive.

One man was arrested when he allegedly refused to stop fighting and became confrontational with police, Sgt. Mike Pattrick said.

Police were called to the bar about 12:20 a.m. on a report of people fighting inside the bar, Pattrick said. The first two officers to arrive found about 15 people yelling and pushing one another in the parking lot, he said. Ten more people were arguing at the front door.

Additional officers arrived and used pepper spray on one man who was confrontational with them, Pattrick said. The man then disappeared into the crowd.

Police arrested another man, John Watson, 37, Lawrence. He was issued a citation for disorderly conduct and ordered to appear in Lawrence Municipal Court. No one was injured.

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 Brain Teaser: Hughes quiz, Day 6

This is one in a series of questions to test your knowledge on Langston Hughes as part of the celebration of his 100th birthday. A new question will appear each day through Feb. 14. Each day’s answer will be posted at langstonhughes.ljworld.com.

6) Who is the famous character that Hughes created for his column in the Chicago Defender?

Answer to Monday’s question: “Merry-Go-Round.”

 Open space development: ECO2, ACOS collaborate

Alliance for the Conservation of Open Space, a group representing local ecological organizations, presented findings of a study Monday to ECO2, a Chamber of Commerce committee developing a plan to tie together land acquisition for industrial and open space land. About 15 people attended the meeting.

During a two-hour discussion, the groups talked about:

 How to fund ECO2’s proposed industrial and open-land acquisition program;

 Public education on the need for open space, and creation of jobs;

 How many staff are needed for the possible program.

At the end of the meeting, everyone agreed they had made progress and better understood each group’s desires.

“We’re extremely eager to work with ECO2,” said Bev Worster, a member of ACOS and League of Women Voters.