High schools to unite for Project Graduation

Graduates of Lawrence High School, Free State High School and Bishop Seabury Academy will celebrate together May 25 at Project Graduation 2003.

More than 600 students are expected at the alcohol- and drug-free event from 11 p.m. May 25 to 4 a.m. May 26 at The Granada, 1020 Mass.

There will be dancing, food, games and prizes. Festivities culminate with a drawing for a used vehicle donated by Ellena Honda.

All seniors attending will receive commemorative T-shirts.

The LHS and Free State contingent will include seniors in the Lawrence Alternative High School program. Bishop Seabury is a private Episcopal school east of Lawrence.

Education

Wal-Mart award honors Lawrence Latin teacher

The Latin teacher at Free State and Lawrence high schools Wednesday was named teacher of the year by the local Wal-Mart store.

Anne Shaw was honored at LHS with a $1,000 donation from Wal-Mart to the school. She also walked away with an honorary Wal-Mart greeter’s vest.

The presentation was to have occurred Tuesday to coincide with National Teacher’s Day, but bad weather forced postponement.

The retail giant teams with Phi Delta Kappa International’s education association for the annual awards program. Executives at 3,400 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores donated $3.4 million this year in honor of outstanding teachers.

Last year, the district’s Wal-Mart teacher of the year was Avian Bear, band director at Free State.

Crime

K.C. firefighter pleads no contest in drug case

Kansas City, Kan. — A former fire captain pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges he delivered methamphetamine while on duty.

A judge subsequently found David J. Bortka, an 18-year veteran of the Kansas City, Kan., fire department, guilty of several drug-related felonies, including attempted manufacture of meth and selling the drug within 1,000 feet of a middle school.

Bortka, 55, of Kansas City, Kan., entered his plea as a jury waited outside the courtroom.

Police said Bortka, who was suspended without pay after his arrest on June 21, committed the crimes at Fire Station No. 16, across the street from Turner Middle School.

According to testimony at Bortka’s October preliminary hearing, he gave meth to an informant at his fire station in June. Police then found eight individually wrapped bags of meth in his duffel bag at the station and later discovered other drugs at his home and barn in Kansas City, Kan.

The search also yielded materials needed to make meth and more than $7,000 cash.