Higher education

Budigs establish second teaching award at KU

Former Kansas University Chancellor Gene Budig and his wife, Gretchen, have donated money to create a new teaching award in the school of social welfare.

The award will be given annually to a social welfare faculty member who demonstrates excellent teaching skills. The Budigs established a similar award after they left KU in 1994.

The amounts of the gift and award were not disclosed by the KU Endowment Association.

K. Jean Peterson, associate professor, and Charlie Rapp, professor, will receive the awards this year.

In a statement, Budig said he hoped the gift would spur others to donate to KU.

“It is an ideal time to step forward and offer special assistance to the academic programs,” he said. “Faculty and students need to be encouraged during these difficult economic times.”

Budig now serves as senior adviser to Bud Selig, commissioner of major league baseball. The Budigs now live in Princeton, N.J.

De Soto

Clues sought after shot fired in toddler’s bedroom

A 2-year-old boy escaped injury when someone fired a shotgun into his bedroom in De Soto, authorities said.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department said the shot was fired shortly after midnight Tuesday. It sprayed the boy’s room with broken glass and buckshot — he was in his parents’ bedroom, because he couldn’t sleep.

The family appeared to be a random target, Sheriff’s Detective Mike Pfannenstiel said.

Authorities were looking for a white Ford Ranger and a dark Mercury Cougar seen in the area at the time. Police said someone got out of the Ranger and fired a shot at the family’s home.