Lawrence soldier earns Bronze Star in Iraq

A Lawrence man was recently awarded the Bronze Star for his heroics earlier this year in the Iraq war, his parents said.

Army Staff Sgt. Jon-Marc Thibodeau, a 1992 Lawrence High School graduate, earned the medal for his combat actions last spring after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, his father, Joe Thibodeau, said. Jon-Marc is a medic with the 101st Airborne Division.

“We don’t know precisely what he did because he’s kind of embarrassed about it and all the attention,” Joe Thibodeau said.

The Thibodeaus do know that their son’s actions took place at the Iraqi town of Najaf. Jon-Marc told his parents he had called in counterfire on the enemy.

“That’s not something a medic is supposed to have to do,” Joe Thibodeau said.

Their son also may have earned the medal for treating several wounded while having to work without supervision of a physician’s assistant, Joe Thibodeau said.

Jon-Marc received the medal Nov. 11. He is still serving in Iraq.

Roads

Two treated at hospitals after icy-road wrecks

At least two Lawrence residents were treated in hospitals because of traffic accidents during or after Tuesday night’s ice and snow storm.

About 2 a.m. Wednesday, a 1996 Ford Explorer driven by Erin E. O’Neill, 18, hit an ice patch, skidded, went into a ditch and overturned on northbound U.S. Highway 59 near Baldwin Junction. An ambulance took O’Neill to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released. A passenger in her vehicle wasn’t injured.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday, a 1984 Chevrolet driven by Adam L. Hadl, 20, entered a ditch and rolled twice on westbound U.S. Highway 40 near Big Springs. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, where he was treated and released.

At least 36 people got into minor accidents or slid off the road in Douglas County from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, dispatchers said.

Government

U.S. Senate confirms former resident for post

A former Lawrence resident has been confirmed to lead the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

Scott Bloch was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to lead the office. He will enforce several laws, including the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act and the Hatch Act, which governs political activities by federal employees.

Bloch had been deputy director and counsel to the Task Force for Faith-based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Justice before President Bush nominated him for a five-year term in the Special Counsel’s Office.

Bloch earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Kansas University, and taught at KU from 1996 to 2001. He also practiced law at the Stevens & Brand firm in Lawrence.

Lawrence

New police officers hit streets this weekend

The Lawrence Police Department’s newest officers have graduated from the state’s police academy in Hutchinson and will soon hit the streets.

After finishing at Hutchinson earlier this fall, the officers returned to Lawrence for six weeks of local training– more than what’s required by the state. They’ll finish Friday and begin patrol Sunday, police spokesman Sgt. Mike Pattrick said.

The group of new hires includes two officers with previous experience: Daniel Ashley, of Wichita, and Shawn Daubert, of Salina.

The remaining recruits are Anthony Brixius, Wichita; Dustin Chase, Lawrence; Casey Cooper, Topeka; Michael Goodnow, Olathe; Harold “Myron” Grady Jr., Kansas City, Kan.; Jay Rozell, Topeka; Roger Stockman, Kansas City, Mo.; Teressa Storch, Ottawa; and Leslie Stumpff, Eudora.