Storage business reports break-in

For the third time in as many months, a Lawrence rental storage business was the target of crime.

Sometime Saturday night or Sunday, padlocks were cut off of 11 storage units at A-One Mini Storage, 1717 W. 31st St., Lawrence Police said.

All but four of the units were vacant at the time, police said. Taken from one of those units were stereo equipment, a box of clothes and a backpack for losses of $735. Losses are undetermined, if any, in the other units.

In December, two other storage businesses were hit by burglars. More than 40 units each were forced open at Public Storage, 2223 Haskell Ave., and Plaza Storage, 2300 W. 31st St. No arrests have been made.

Piglets, sow die in fire

Firefighters say they believe a heat lamp being used to warm baby pigs may have led to their demise in a Tuesday afternoon fire in northwest Douglas County.

Shortly after 5 p.m., a neighbor reported a fire in a 10-by-20 foot Quonset behind the residence of Mark E. Zeller, 178 N. 1900 Road, Lecompton firefighter Danny Rake said.

Residents of the property were able to rescue one sow from the blaze, but another sow and 18 piglets were killed in the fire, Fire Chief LeRoy Boucher said.

He said the fire started when a heat lamp ignited straw inside the structure.

When firefighters arrived, residents were carrying buckets of water from the house to the Quonset, Rake said, which probably kept the fire from spreading beyond the structure.

A damage estimate was not available Tuesday night.

Baker University to explore ‘ultimate frontier’

Students and teachers will get a glimpse of careers in space exploration today at Rice Auditorium at Baker University.

Baker University will offer a day-long program, “Exploration of the Ultimate Frontier,” to give high school students and their upper-level mathematics, science and computer science teachers the opportunity to explore different careers.

Retired Adm. Richard Truly, a former astronaut who works at Midwest Research Institute, will present “An Astronaut’s View of the Earth.” Chuck Groetsch, a professor from the University of Cincinnati, will present “The Physics of the Electric Guitar.”

Resource fair to provide information for disabled

Douglas/Jefferson County Transition Council is sponsoring a resource fair for people with disabilities and their families from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive.

The fair will provide an opportunity for families and other residents to gain firsthand information about available services and service providers. Participating agencies will represent services available for individuals from birth to adulthood.

Additionally, concurrent seminars for parents and students will be every 30 minutes from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Childcare and refreshments will be provided.