Highway Patrol

Jefferson County crash critically injures driver

Meriden — A Meriden man was critically injured Friday night when two vehicles collided on Kansas Highway 4 in Jefferson County.

Raymond Rauch, 33, was driving a car northbound on the highway when he was struck while attempting to turn west onto 62nd Street, 2 miles south of Meriden, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report.

A southbound vehicle driven by Adam P. Phillips, 39, Topeka, hit Rauch’s car, the report states. Phillips wasn’t hurt. The accident was reported at 9:22 p.m.

Rauch was in critical condition Saturday at University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kan.

Politics

Governor won’t reveal education plans early

Topeka — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius probably will turn down an invitation from Republicans to discuss her plans on school finance before the legislative session starts, her office said.

Sebelius, a Democrat, has said she would announce her education plan Jan. 12 during her State of the State speech.

But Rep. Kathe Decker, R-Clay Center, and chairwoman of a joint committee on the school-finance formula, sent an invitation to Sebelius to speak to the panel before the session.

Decker said that would give lawmakers and the governor more time to work on the system, which has been declared unconstitutional for failing to provide adequate funds and distributing funds unequally.

But Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said Sebelius was sticking to her plans.

White House Christmas

Dole Institute ornaments decorate Kansas tree

The stained-glass American flag at the Dole Institute of Politics may be the largest in the world, but it’s a miniature version of the flag that’s hit the big-time this week.

Twenty pewter Christmas ornaments depicting the flag adorn the Kansas Christmas tree at the White House. President Bush lit the Kansas tree and trees representing the other states during a ceremony Thursday.

Topeka artist Anita Wolgast has designed the Kansas ornaments since 1981. She also produced 20 purple, football-shaped ornaments to represent Kansas State University’s gridiron success.

Versions of the Dole Institute ornament are available at the institute on KU’s west campus and at several shops in Topeka.

Vickers Memorial Series

Former congressman to give lecture at KU

Former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts will speak early next year at Kansas University.

Watts, a Republican who served in the U.S. House from 1994 to 2002, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Lied Center. His lecture will be titled “Our Nation Today.”

His lecture is part of the Vickers Memorial Lecture Series at the KU business school.

The event is free and open to the public.