Briefs

Faces and places

The Internal Revenue Service announced special tax relief for Kansas and Missouri residents in the Presidential Disaster Areas that were struck by severe storms and tornadoes beginning May 4.

The relief includes certain tax filing and payment extensions, interest and penalty abatement and potential disaster loss tax refunds.

The Kansas disaster areas include the following counties: Anderson, Cherokee, Douglas, Labette, Leavenworth, Miami, Neosho, Osage, Woodson and Wyandotte.

For more information of the special tax relief, call the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

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Lawrence resident Steve Six, an attorney for Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman in Kansas City, Mo., obtained an $8.3 million judgment in a personal injury case in Johnson County. Six represented Cory Pronold, a 13-year-old boy, who was injured during a vehicle accident involving a tire failure.

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Housing and Credit Counseling Inc. recently added elected members to its board of directors for 2003. Newly elected members are: Stephanie Burdett, Kansas Rehabilitation Hospital; Loretta Moore, Washburn University Law School; Mike Astle, real estate investor; Dale Somers, Wright, Henson, Somers, Sebelius, Clark & Baker; Ronnie Ramnarine, Colmery-O’Neil VA Hospital; Debbie Orr, Fidelity State Bank; John Hartnett, Stormont-Vail Health Care West; and Valerie Nelson, Heritage Bank.

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Todd Harris, president of Peoples Bank in Lawrence, announced that the bank was donating $4,692.82 to the area chapter of the American Red Cross. All monies collected and donated were to help victims of the recent storms.

Peoples Bank provided a 50 percent match of all donations received during the recent fund-raising campaign.

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After tornadoes ripped through Missouri and Kansas on May 4, Meredith Corp.’s Midwest Living magazine and Meredith Broadcasting Group’s CBS affiliate, KCTV Channel 5 in Kansas City raised more than $60,000 to help victims of the storms.

Midwest Living magazine donated $5,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, specially earmarked for aid to Midwest tornado victims. That gift will be matched by another $5,000 from Meredith Corp.

In addition to the contribution by Midwest Living, KCTV, the Meredith television station that serves the Kansas City area, donated $2,500 to the Salvation Army and raised more than $50,000 from viewers during an on-air fund-raiser.

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Peoples Bank has announced that Janet Current has been hired as store manager of the Peoples location at 4831 W. Sixth St. in Lawrence. Current previously served as a personal banker and consumer lender for CornerBank in Lawrence. She has more than 24 years of financial service experience.

As store manager her responsibilities will include supervising bank activities within the Wakarusa location.

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Kansas victims of the recent tornadoes may request replacement copies of certified vital records at no cost. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has authorized the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to waive fees for certified copies of birth certificates and marriage licenses for tornado victims in Allen, Anderson, Douglas, Linn, Osage and Woodson counties.

Eligible residents who need Kansas birth or marriage records that were lost in tornadoes, are encouraged to call the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka at (785) 296-1405. A staff member will interview each caller to establish eligibility for issuance of the requested records, help ensure retrieval of the correct records and verify that the applicant’s home or residence was destroyed or damaged by a tornado.

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Leslie Heusted, program director of the Kansas University Memorial Union, has been elected to the board of directors of the National Association for Campus Activities. Her term began May 1. As a member of the board of directors, Heusted will participate in the implementation and review of the goals, procedures and actions of the association. The NACA Foundation’s primary purpose is the development and delivery of educational programs and services for college students, professional staff and others who work in the field of campus activities.

Honors and awards

Jim Pine, radiologist for Reed Medical Group, received the first-place award from the Kansas Society of Radiological Technologist in the category of Tangential Patella. He submitted a special knee film at the annual convention. The award was based on quality, technical excellence, patient positioning, and processing technical excellence.

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Amelia Magerl and Murphy Ray, sixth-graders at Prairie Park School, were recognized as outstanding students. They were presented with awards from Capitol Federal Savings during a ceremony May 22 at the school. The awards were based on academics, aptitude, attitude and attendance.

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Kate Kelly, general manager of the Days Inn in Lawrence, was awarded the 2002 ZMC Hotels Rookie of the Year Award during its recent managers’ conference in Duluth, Minn. The award is given to a general manager who quickly grasps the overall operations of the hotel, understands and follows standards and procedures and who has established good personnel relationships and proper rapport with the hotel staff. Kelly was promoted to general manager of the Days Inn last year.

Coming events

The Kansas University Small Business Development Center in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Revenue will present a seminar “Meet the Taxman: KDOR State Tax Workshop for Small Businesses,” on Wednesday.

The seminar will feature a discussion on state sales tax topics, such as sales taxes and employee withholding taxes.

The seminar will be from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce offices at 734 Vt. Registration is $10 and can be made by calling 843-8844.

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The Kansas Department of Commerce & Housing will honor hundreds of Kansas businesses next month when it hosts regional ceremonies across the state as part of Kansas Business Appreciation Month.

Kansas Department of Commerce & Housing officials, led by Lt. Governor John Moore, will recognize businesses in four categories: distribution, manufacturing, retail and service. At each regional ceremony, one company in each of those categories will win a Regional Achievement Award.

The locations and dates of the six regional awards ceremonies are as follows:

  • noon, June 6, Rice County Activity Center, 1145 Highway 56E, Lyons;
  • noon, June 10, Fisher Community Center, 201 E. Iowa, Hiawatha;
  • noon June 11, S.S. Peters and Paul Catholic Parish Center, 730 Court Street, Clay Center;
  • noon June 16, Gateway, No. 1 Morgan Drive, Oberlin;
  • noon June 17, Plaza Hotel, 1911 E. Kansas Ave., Garden City;
  • noon June 19, Eureka Country Club, 1563 N. Road, Eureka.