Activist to stroll into KU on trek for democracy

Seattle resident Jeanette Wallis is walking from her home in Washington to Washington, D.C.

She is making the journey with her black Labrador retriever, Sherpa. In the capital, she will deliver letters collected along the way. Wallis said her “walk for democracy” was an opportunity to educate people on getting involved and their right to petition the government to remedy injustices. She’s collected hundreds of letters.

Her motivation stems from the December 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. Wallis claims while walking home from a store she was tear-gassed by riot police.

The former psychiatric counselor plans to reach the capital in April.

Wallis will be on the KU campus from 10 a.m. to noon today at Wescoe Beach to collect grievances.

Land development: Wal-Mart project open for neighborhood input

People who live near the site of a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter in northwest Lawrence will get a chance to meet this week with company representatives and their Lawrence developers.

Wal-Mart’s project engineer and other company representatives will be in town to answer questions from neighbors from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the commons area at Quail Run School, 1130 Inverness Drive.

As proposed, the Wal-Mart would occupy 190,000 square feet plus another 9,000 square feet for an outdoor garden center at the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to present and share the plans and communicate with the neighbors,” said Bill Newsome, managing partner of Southwind Capital LLC, whose development firm notified 500 residences near the intersection about the meeting.

The Wal-Mart project is scheduled for review Oct. 23 by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission.

Politics: State representative dies after heart attack

Junction City State Rep. Bill Levinson died Monday at a Junction City hospital. He was 76.

Levinson’s wife, Inge, told KJCK radio in Junction City that Levinson died of a massive heart attack.

The Democrat and former Junction City mayor was completing his first term in the Kansas House. He was running for re-election against Republican Barbara Craft of Junction City.

Levinson was taken by ambulance Monday to Geary County Hospital, where he died in the emergency room just before 12:30 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Cyndy Platt said.

Inge Levinson appeared for her husband at a campaign rally Sunday. He had been ill for several weeks and unable to campaign recently.

6News Productions: ‘Sportsman’s Friend’ star visits ‘River City Weekly’

“River City Weekly” brings part two of “Discover Your Treasures” from the Watkins Community Museum of History as well as a new feature with Bill Snead, who talks with a favorite sportsman’s friend, Harold Ensley.

Snead, senior editor of the Lawrence Journal-World, provides a close-up glimpse of Harold Ensley writer, director, producer and star of the nationally syndicated outdoors show “The Sportsman’s Friend.”

Greg Hurd is host of “River City Weekly,” which premieres at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, with encores at 7:30 p.m. weekdays and at 9 a.m. Saturdays on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.