Sneak preview of statue for Capitol here Saturday

Area residents will be able to get a close look at Ad Astra, the 22-foot statue depicting a Kansa Indian warrior, just days before it is placed on top of the Capitol dome in Topeka.

The bronze statue, the arm of which is pictured above, will be in Lawrence from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrence Visitor Center, 402 N. Second St.

It will be on display from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Hidden Glen Arts Festival, south of Kansas Highway 10 on Cedar Creek Parkway.

The statue will make stops Sunday in Parsons, Iola and Emporia before being placed Monday on top of the Capitol.

The sculpture, created by Richard Bergen of Salina, has been on a statewide tour since Sept. 21. The 30-city tour is a fund-raising and educational event.

Bergen said another $100,000 to $200,000 in private funds is needed to pay for the statue.

In addition, the state is spending an estimated $614,000 to reinforce the dome for the statue.

Courts

Testimony interrupted in peeping Tom case

A DNA expert’s testimony was stopped only minutes after it began Thursday in the civil trial of a landlord accused of spying on his tenants.

Douglas County District Court Judge Jack Murphy ruled that additional Lawrence Police officers who collected evidence being used against William J. Lemesany needed to testify first.

Murphy made his ruling after Lemesany’s attorney, Mike Riling, objected to the testimony of Lance Antle, a forensic biologist with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Antle was being questioned by Peter Jouras, attorney for eight former tenants of Parkway Terrace Apartments, 2340 Murphy Drive, who are suing Lemesany and his wife, Mary Lemesany, for invasion of privacy and negligence.

The plaintiffs say William Lemesany spied on them through peepholes drilled into apartment bedroom and bathroom walls.

The additional witnesses will be called to testify today about where exactly semen samples and other evidence in maintenance hallways adjoining the apartments were found.

Lemesany also faces 10 counts of eavesdropping in a pending criminal case.

City celebrates bus day with rides, free T-shirts

Mayor Sue Hack and her friend, Mary Ann Willette, took the T to do errands, and bus officials handed out 400 T-shirts to other riders Thursday as part of “Communities in Motion” day.

“People are thrilled when you give them a free T-shirt,” said Lisa Patterson, the city’s communications coordinator who helped pass out the prizes.

The day was part of a national initiative to educate communities about the value of public transportation.

Aside from prizes, officials from the T took an off-duty bus around town to explain how and why to use the city bus. Visitors toured the bus and heard a presentation by staff.