Mayor announces hours for trick-or-treating

Mayor Sue Hack has declared 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday as trick-or-treating hours for Halloween “Beggars Night” activities.

Downtown merchants will cater to trick-or-treaters, like the one pictured above, between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The city’s Utilities Department provided Halloween candy collection bags to elementary schools in advance of the holiday. The bags include reflective materials to make young trick-or-treaters more visible to drivers.

In her proclamation, Hack also urged parents to accompany children on their rounds and to inspect all treats before they’re eaten.

Scare: Worries over; daughter reports from Costa Rica

Contrary to her mother’s worst fears, Portia Metzler isn’t missing in Costa Rica.

Metzler, 21, sent her mother an e-mail Monday evening letting her know she was “having a blast down here” and would be returning around Nov. 11.

The e-mail arrived after Metzler’s mother, Janette Kroeger, Lawrence, had alerted the media that she and her ex-husband hadn’t heard from their daughter in 17 days and feared she was missing.

“We are all very relieved,” said Mel Kroeger, Janette Kroeger’s husband and Portia Metzler’s stepfather.

Kroeger said his stepdaughter had been camping in a “location without cyber cafes or access to a telephone” and hadn’t bothered to let either of her parents know her whereabouts.

Business: Chamber board to meet, select interim director

Jean Milstead is expected to be named interim president and CEO of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce today, now that the business group’s top executive has taken another job.

Milstead, a retired executive for Douglas County Bank, will be recommended to chamber leaders as a temporary replacement for Bill Sepic, who is leaving Lawrence after 2 1/2 years as the chamber’s president and CEO.

Kelvin Heck, chamber chairman, said the group’s 24-member board would be asked to approve Milstead’s selection during a 7 a.m. meeting. Sepic also is scheduled to formally tender his resignation, and board members are expected to open a national search to hire his replacement.

Sepic starts work Dec. 1 as president and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce in Lansing, Mich. His hiring was announced Tuesday by Tom Chirgwin, chair of the Lansing chamber.

6News Productions: Kansas elections topic of ‘River City Weekly’

“River City Weekly” previews the upcoming Kansas elections with Lawrence Journal-World government reporter Dave Ranney, political reporter Scott Rothschild and editorial page editor Ann Gardner.

Ranney, Rothschild, Gardner and host Greg Hurd discuss the key issues in the 2nd and 3rd congressional district races, as well as the attorney general and gubernatorial races.

“River City Weekly” airs on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 and premieres at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with encore showings at 7:30 weeknights and 9 a.m. Saturdays.