Baldwin police file suit

A lawsuit alleging defamation and violations of constitutional rights was filed by four Baldwin Police officers last week in U.S. District Court, Kansas City, Kan.

The officers filing the lawsuit were Cpl. William B. Dempsey, Eric J. Garcia, Charles W. Hensley II and Charles R. Woolsoncroft. Named as defendants were the city of Baldwin, mayor, city administrator and city council. Damages in excess of $75,000 are sought.

The lawsuit maintains the officers’ First and 14th amendment rights were violated following events that began in 2001 and continued into 2002.

The officers said in the lawsuit they were victims of harassment after complaints were made in 2001 about another officer’s conduct. That officer, Glendon Rhea, is no longer with the department.

The lawsuit was filed Jan. 7, but City Administrator Larry Paine said Tuesday he was unaware the lawsuit had been filed. He declined to comment.

Senator apologizes over DUI arrest

Topeka (ap) — Responding to reports of his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving, a state senator apologized publicly Tuesday to his colleagues.

“Politically, my views, my intentions and my thoughts are all the same as they were three weeks ago, and they will be throughout the session,” Sen. Ed Pugh, R-Wamego, said on the Senate floor.

Pugh did not specifically mention his Jan. 3 arrest following a noninjury accident in downtown Topeka.

“I apologized for anything they perceived to be injurious to the body from press accounts,” Pugh said later.

Pugh faces a pretrial hearing March 18 in Topeka Municipal Court on charges of drunken driving and not having liability insurance. His attorney has said Pugh can prove he has insurance.

46 seek positions on court of appeals

Topeka (ap) — Ten district court judges and 36 attorneys have applied for two openings on the Kansas Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court Nominating Commission plans to interview the applicants on Feb. 3-4, then give Gov. Kathleen Sebelius the names of three finalists for each position.

The vacancies resulted from Judge Robert Gernon’s appointment to the Kansas Supreme Court in December and this year’s addition of one judgeship to the 10-member Court of Appeals.

The district judges who have applied are: Bryce Abbott, Sedgwick County; Rebecca W. Crotty, Finney; Stephen Hill, Miami; Jennifer Jones, Sedgwick; Steve Leben, Johnson; Thomas Malone, Sedgwick; David Mikesic, Wyandotte; Kim Schroeder, Stevens; David Stutzman, Riley; and Thomas Wilson, Seward.

Among the attorneys are Rep. Ward Loyd, R-Garden City, and former Rep. David Heinemann, a Republican who used to hold Loyd’s legislative seat.

Also among the applicants was Natalie Haag, who served as chief counsel for former Gov. Bill Graves, also a Republican.

City plans extension of George Williams Way

Lawrence city commissioners agreed Tuesday night to extend George Williams Way from its current endpoint at Harvard Road north to Sixth Street.

But commissioners said they would do it without levying a special tax assessment on one adjacent landowner who would have had to pay nearly $290,000 for the new road.

Christine Collister, whose family has owned a home and land for 33 years on what will be the southeast corner of Sixth Street and George Williams Way, said she had no plans to develop her land. She said it was unfair for the city to burden her with additional taxes just because surrounding properties were developing and needed the road.

Commissioners agreed and instructed city staffers to develop a policy that will allow them not to tax Collister — unless she decides to develop the land. At that point, the tax bill would come due.

The road construction will cost an estimated $2.5 million. Officials said construction could begin within a year.

KU seeks input on scholarship hall

A first joint meeting of committees giving input on the creation of a new Kansas University scholarship hall will be at 7:30 a.m. today in the banquet room of Mrs. E’s Dining Commons on campus.

KU’s building committee usually has all control over such matters, but it is inviting community input following a bruising battle with the Oread Neighborhood Assn. and Lawrence Preservation Alliance. It ended last year with then-Gov. Bill Graves’ decision to tear down century-old homes in the 1300 block of Ohio Street to make way for the new hall.