Area Briefs

Earth Day parade to reroute T buses

Lawrence buses will be re-routed downtown for today’s Earth Day parade at 11 a.m.

Riders will need to move boarding from Ninth and Massachusetts Streets to Ninth and New Hampshire, Seventh and Vermont and Ninth and Vermont.

Transit drivers can provide detailed information about the re-routes to riders. For more information on routes and schedules, phone 312-7054.

KU junior wins Udall scholarship

A Kansas University junior has been selected for a prestigious Morris K. Udall scholarship.

Courtney J. Miller, from Portland, Ore., won one of 80 scholarships worth $5,000 each awarded by the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation.

Miller is majoring in architecture and plans to pursue graduate degrees in programs that combine environmental policy and urban planning. Her career goal is to work on effective housing for American Indian communities.

Udall scholarships go to students planning careers in fields related to the environment and for American Indian and Alaska natives seeking careers in fields related to health care or tribal policy. Nine KU students have won Udall scholarships since 1998.

Two other KU students also received honorable mentions in the competition. They are Nicole M. Hipp, a St. Louis junior, and Amy L. Hammontree, an Overland Park sophomore.

Health officials issue Easter reminders

Topeka — State health officials recommend that live chicks and ducklings not be given as Easter gifts because the animals frequently carry salmonella bacteria.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and headache.

Salmonella may be transferred to a child’s hands when playing with the birds, and the bacteria may be ingested if the hands are not washed before eating.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment also reminds Kansans that hard-boiled eggs used as Easter eggs should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. Eggs left out any longer could lead to bacterial growth and foodborne illnesses, KDHE said.

Court ruling denies Realtor’s commission

The Kansas Court of Appeals on Friday said a Lawrence Realtor cannot collect a commission on the 1997 sale of a Lawrence property.

Richard Wright sued Raymond and June Shepherd. He said he deserved a commission on the $250,000 sale of their commercial property.

Wright was paid a 6 percent commission when Larry and Peggy Werkheiser agreed to lease the property in October 1997 for $1,800 a month. In December 1998, the Werkheisers purchased the property outright. Wright was paid no commission on the sale.

During the trial in Douglas County District Court, Judge Paula Martin found that the actual sale had come after the listing on the property expired — and that, according to the language of his contract, Wright was thus owed no additional commission.

The Kansas Court of Appeals on Friday upheld Martin’s ruling.

Lawrence resident loses appeal on technicality

The Kansas Supreme Court said Friday a Lawrence man won’t get a new day in court.

He didn’t file his appeals in time.

Dale McCormick was convicted in five separate Lawrence Municipal Court cases involving pet and traffic infractions on Nov. 9, 2001. He filed his appeals on Nov. 27, 2001.

State law requires the appeals to be filed within 10 days.

The Kansas Supreme Court said Friday that McCormick’s appeal was too late.