Tonganoxie

Police officers mourn acting chief’s death

Tonganoxie is without its two top ranking law enforcement officers after the death of Lt. Mark Williams.

Williams, who died of a heart attack Saturday, had been serving as acting police chief while Chief Ken Carpenter is on active duty with the military in Kansas City. Carpenter is not expected to return to his police duties full time until mid-September.

“With the staff we have,” said City Administrator Shane Krull, “we will still have enough officers to be on the streets 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Sgt. John Putthoff will be the interim acting chief until a replacement can be named by the Tonganoxie City Council during its meeting next week.

Putthoff said morale at the department was low Monday.

“A lot of people looked up to him,” said Putthoff of Williams. “He’ll be missed.”

Courts

Dole Institute protesters face 5 misdemeanors

Charges were filed Monday against 10 people in Lawrence Municipal Court in connection with a July 21 protest and clash with police outside the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive.

At the time, protesters said they were demonstrating against “elitists” gathered at a $500-per-plate banquet as part of the Dole Institute of Politics dedication.

Each of the suspects faces the same five misdemeanor charges: illegally walking along a highway, failing to comply with a police order, unlawfully assembling with intent to cause violence, failure to obtain a permit to walk in the middle of a street, and acting in a manner to cause alarm or anger in others.

Those charged were: David J. Strano, 21, Lawrence; Grant W. Hays, 19, Lawrence; Tyler B. Harrison, 20, Pittsburg; Jeffrey A. Milner, 21, Lawrence; Dana N. Mundy, 48, Topeka; Vanessa B. Hays, 21, Lawrence; Dawn N. Rewolinski, 18, Denver; James A. Calway, 18, Leavenworth; Ely M. Fair, 19, Lawrence, and Eric T. Stuit, 19, Lawrence.

If convicted, sentences for each of the charges could include fines and jail terms of varying amounts. The 10 are to appear in court at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 10.

Kansas University

Chancellor to present $5,000 teaching awards

Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway on Thursday will lead an entourage to surprise faculty members and give them $5,000 Kemper teaching awards.

Twenty faculty members will receive the awards, which are in their eighth year. The first seven will be handed out Thursday, the first day of classes, with the remaining awarded between Friday and Sept. 10.

They are financed by the William T. Kemper Foundation and the KU Endowment Association, and are chosen by a panel of students, faculty and alumni.