Effort to rename post office advances

Washington — The U.S. Senate has approved a bill to rename the post office at 3710 W. 73rd Terrace in Prairie Village after U.S. Sen. James Pearson, who owns a home in Baldwin.

Pearson served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot in the Naval Air Transport during World War II. He was assistant county attorney for Johnson County from 1952 to 1954, and a member of the Kansas Senate from 1956 to 1960. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1962 to 1978. He now spends time between homes in Washington D.C., Gloucester, Mass., and Baldwin.

The bill is now in the Committee on Government Reform in the House of Representatives.

Senators want K.C. as site for federal office

Washington — U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., are urging Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge to establish a Homeland Security Regional Office in Kansas City, Mo.

In a letter sent last week to the secretary, the senators noted Kansas City already has several federal regional offices, making government communication more efficient. They also pointed to Kansas City’s central location.

Accident closes Interstate 29 in K.C.

A tractor-trailer loaded with gasoline overturned and burned Saturday evening, closing Interstate 29 for several hours, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

The accident occurred about 7:45 p.m. just south of the I-29 and Interstate 635 intersection near Kansas City, said Sgt. John Hotz, public relations officer for the patrol.

The driver of the 18-wheeler was trying to turn off Interstate 635 and onto I-29 when he lost control of the truck, Hotz said. It overturned and quickly caught fire.

Witnesses told the patrol the truck driver was speeding, Hotz said.

The driver suffered burns and was taken to Liberty Hospital, then was transferred to University of Kansas Hospital.

Senator changes staffing

Washington — U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has announced his new communications team.

Brian Hart, who worked on Brownback’s staff from 1997 to 2000, has returned to be communications director.

He replaces Eric Hotmire who, after five years with Brownback, has accepted a position as a special assistant to the president and communications director for the Office of USA Freedom Corps, which oversees federal volunteer work.

Brownback also announced that Aaron Groote, who had been Brownback’s deputy press secretary, has been promoted to press secretary.

KU senior wins computer science award

A Kansas University student is one of two students to win a 2003-2004 Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association for Computing Machinery Student Chapter Scholarship Award.

Babak Yeganeh, a senior from Lawrence studying computer science, will receive the $1,000 prize. He was selected because of his academic record and involvement in the organization’s KU chapter.

Yeganeh, a Lawrence High School graduate, plans to graduate in December. He has helped build the Association for Computing Machinery KU chapter from a handful of members to about 50 members.