Tonganoxie: High bids stall water plant project

Tonganoxie — Selecting a bid for construction of a new wastewater treatment plant adjacent to the existing one has been put on hold by the Tonganoxie City Council.

The two bids the council received for the project were higher than the city’s cost estimate, City Administrator Shane Krull said.

City officials estimated the cost of a new plant to be $2.3 million to $3 million. One of the bids, from CAS Construction, Topeka, was for $4.1 million. The second bid, from Irvinbilt Co., Chillicothe, Mo., was for $4.11 million.

City officials plan to meet with contractors to discuss the bids before the council takes up the issue again at its next meeting April 28.

Channel 6: Musician Schumann topic of ‘River City Weekly’

The genius and mental illness of 19th-century German composer and pianist Robert Schumann are discussed by John Tibbetts, Kansas University associate professor of theater and film, with host Greg Hurd on “River City Weekly.” Tibbetts shares highlights from his 13-part radio series, “The World of Robert Schumann,” airing at 8 p.m. Mondays through May 26 on KANU, 91.5 FM.

Bone-density screening is the subject of an all-new “Better Health” from Lawrence Memorial Hospital with Aynsley Anderson, LMH Community Education Coordinator.

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

Community: Silent auction raises $58,500 for arts center

The 23rd annual Lawrence Art Auction raised about $58,500 for the Lawrence Arts Center.

A record number of artists, 193, donated a record number of works, 220, for the silent and live auctions Saturday at the Arts Center, 940 N.H.

About 580 people attended the festivities.

This year’s total fell short of last year’s, when more than $60,000 was raised for the center’s exhibition program.

Student life: Lawrence grads chosen for KU orientation posts

Three Lawrence natives are among the 20 Kansas University students selected to work as orientation assistants this summer at KU.

Lawrence High School graduates Patrick Bengtson, a sophomore, and Christina Schnose, a senior, and Free State High School graduate Elizabeth Morel, a junior, will help guide incoming freshmen, transfer students and readmitted students through the ins and outs of life at KU.

The students were selected after a process of essays, group interaction activities, a five-minute speech and final interview.