West Lawrence group forms new association

A new neighborhood association will meet at 10 a.m. today in Mustard Seed Christian Fellowship, 700 Wakarusa Drive.

The West Lawrence Neighborhood Assn. is for residents of the area west of Wakarusa Drive, between Sixth and 15th streets.

“I think it was the Wal-Mart issue that inspired us,” member Alan Coles said, referring to the proposal for a Wal-Mart Supercenter at Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive.

“But we also see other issues, such as street plans, safety, the Harvard and Wakarusa intersection, that sort of thing,” he said. “We expect to, in the long run, spend more time on those issues than on Wal-Mart.”

LMH endowment names new leaders

The Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Assn. announced the election of new leadership and additions to the board of directors at its annual meeting earlier this month.

Scot Buxton, vice president of Charlton Manley Insurance, is the new president and John Nitcher, a Lawrence attorney, has been named vice president.

Bob Georgeson, retired president of Douglas County Bank, will serve as treasurer, and Dr. Patricia Denning, a physician at Watkins Student Health Center at Kansas University, is secretary.

The endowment association also welcomed several new board members: Connie Sollars, a community volunteer; Bill Lienhard, retired vice president at US Bank; and Dr. Scott Thelman, president of Lawrence Plastic Surgery.

Outgoing board members Dr. Chris Fevurly, Marlene Penny and Bill Salome were honored for their years of service.

Suspect still uncharged in Lawrence robbery

The Osage City man police say robbed a Lawrence bank has yet to be charged.

Quintin W. Kivitter, 28, was arrested Feb. 11 and charged in U.S. District Court with robbing Olpe State Bank near Emporia. Afterward, Lawrence police said they’d linked him to the Jan. 13 robbery of Midwest Regional Credit Union, 1015 W. Sixth St.

As of Friday, however, Kivitter had not been charged in U.S. District Court with the Lawrence robbery, said Kena Rice, a spokeswoman for U.S. Atty. Eric Melgren.

Kivitter faces one charge of bank robbery and another of carrying a firearm during a robbery. Both stem from the Olpe robbery, Rice said.

Kivitter has not yet entered a formal plea, she said.

Center plans weeklong blood drive at KU

A blood drive will be conducted next week at Kansas University.

Blood donations for Community Blood Center will be at these times and locations:

• 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Kansas Union’s Kansas Room.
• Noon-7 p.m. Thursday, McCollum Hall lobby.
• Noon-7 p.m. Friday, Oliver Hall lobby.

All registered donors will receive a T-shirt and a “goodie bag.” For an appointment, visit a sign-up table in the KU Union through Wednesday.

The Community Blood Center must collect 550 pints of blood each day to meet needs.