Elderly shopper reports purse snatching

A man snatched an 81-year-old Lawrence woman’s purse Sunday as she put groceries into her car outside Dillons, 1015 W. 23rd St., according to a Lawrence Police report.

The incident happened about 5 p.m. The woman felt a tug on her shoulder and turned around to see the man running away with her purse, said Sgt. Mike Pattrick, a police spokesman. The purse contained $45 in cash, a retirement check for $488, a driver’s license and other items, according to the report.

Police said Tuesday they had no suspects.

Sentencing postponed in drug-possession case

Sentencing has been postponed until Feb. 2 for a defendant featured in a recent Journal-World article about drug-sentencing discrepancies.

Dezerro D. Smith, 33, Kansas City, Kan., could face 10 years in prison for third-time cocaine possession — a stiffer sentence than many violent felons receive.

Or, he could be sent to drug treatment if it’s determined that his crime falls under a new state law that requires addiction-treatment programs instead of prison for drug offenders.

A prosecutor has said he’ll argue Smith doesn’t qualify for the drug-treatment law because his offense happened before July 1, but Smith’s attorney, Jessica Kunen, said she planned to challenge that.

Smith was not in court Tuesday because his parole on a prior cocaine-possession case had been revoked after his conviction of the third-time offense, Kunen said.

State senator intends to run for re-election

State Sen. Kay O’Connor, R-Olathe, announced Tuesday that she would seek a second four-year term in 2004.

“My husband put it best,” she said. “It’s like cooking a big meal — I’m not done yet. There are things that need to be done.”

State Rep. Rob Boyer, R-Olathe, said he would run for her seat.

O’Connor, 62, sparked controversy in 2001 after a Kansas City Star reporter overheard her questioning the merits of women having the right to vote. O’Connor, a conservative, later accused the newspaper of being out to get her, a charge the Star denied.

In a press release, O’Connor raised concerns that Boyer “would pander to the pro-abortion interest groups.”

“She can say that, but I would suggest that the most important issues facing the state right now are the economy and the education of our children,” Boyer said. “I’m all for schools. She’s for vouchers.”