Election: School board candidates face forum tonight

The general election campaign for Lawrence school board picks up steam tonight.

Eight candidates who survived last week’s primary are invited to a forum at Central Junior High School, 1400 Mass. Principal Ted Juneau will moderate the forum at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.

The candidates are Cindy Yulich, Michael Pomes, Mary Loveland, Leonard Ortiz, Sue Morgan, Rich Minder, Scott Morgan and Cille King.

Four seats on the board and the district’s proposed $59 million bond for school construction will be determined in the April 1 general election.

Education: KU again among top 10 in National Merit scholars

For the fourth year in a row, Kansas University ranks among the top 10 in the nation for enrolling National Merit scholars, according to data released Monday.

KU has 100 National Merit scholars this year, tying for eighth in the nation among public universities with Georgia Tech.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway made recruiting National Merit scholars a priority when he came to KU in 1995. However, officials announced late last year they would no longer always offer full-ride scholarships to out-of-state scholars, instead opting to recruit top students from Kansas.

KU also announced Monday that Hemenway will donate the $12,000 honorarium he is paid as chairman of the NCAA Division I board of directors to a scholarship fund for National Merit scholars.

Police: Accident injures two

Two Lawrence women were injured in a two-vehicle collision Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Clinton Parkway and Crossgate Drive.

Julie Hadl, 57, and Judy Hadl, 80, were taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, according to a Lawrence Police report. Judy Hadl was transferred to KU Med, Kansas City, Kan., where she was in critical condition Monday night, a hospital nursing supervisor said.

Julie Hadl remained at LMH Monday night in fair condition, a nursing supervisor said.

The Hadls were in a Ford Contour driven by Julie Hadl, traveling south on Crossgate. The Contour was struck in the intersection by a Toyota 4-Runner traveling east on Clinton Parkway, according to the report.

Jacob Baldwin, 22, Lawrence, was driving the Toyota. He was not seriously injured and was not transported to the hospital, according to the report.