Credit Union robber sentenced to prison

A 29-year-old Osage City man was sentenced Friday to 17 years and one month in federal prison for robbing the Midwest Regional Credit Union, 1015 W. Sixth St., and five other area banks.

Quentin Wayne Kivitter admitted in a plea to the Jan. 13 robbery, as well as to robberies of banks in Pomona, Edgerton, Silver Lake and Olpe.

Congressional hopeful to kick off campaign

Nancy Boyda is sponsoring a luncheon and fund-raiser Sunday in Topeka to formally announce her Democratic candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District seat held by Republican Jim Ryun.

The luncheon, free to the public, will start at 12:30 p.m. at American Legion Post No. 400 in Topeka.

Although Sunday will be her formal announcement, Boyda, of Topeka, has been campaigning for 10 weeks.

Congressman to discuss Bush’s faith initiative

A coalition of local churches is sponsoring a Thanksgiving feast Sunday featuring a talk by U.S. Congressman Jim Ryun, R-Kan.

Ryun will talk about President Bush’s faith-based initiative and how churches can interact with the government.

The nine churches in the Lawrence Association of Evangelicals are coordinating the free event. Sponsors will collect an offering to benefit the Heartland Medical Clinic’s services for people without medical insurance.

Music by the Common Thread vocal group will begin at 6 p.m., and Ryun’s speech about 7 p.m. in Building 21 at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds. The event is open to the community.

County Road 1029 reopens to traffic

Douglas County Road 1029 is open for traffic once again, a month earlier than expected.

Crews from Perry-based Hamm Inc. took advantage of good weather and finished installation this week of two drainage culverts along 1029, just north of the road’s intersection with County Road 438, also known as the Farmer’s Turnpike.

County Road 1029, which runs north to Lecompton, hadn’t been expected to reopen until just before Christmas.

Restitution completed to Ozawkie firefighters

The former Ozawkie firefighter accused of stealing tax money from a firefighters’ relief fund has made amends.

In early 2001, the then-treasurer of the Ozawkie Fire Fighters Relief Assn., Thomas E. Gibson, admitted taking $10,000 from an account used for insurance premiums, medical expenses and other uses.

He initially repaid $7,000. Ozawkie firefighters tried unsuccessfully for months to get Jefferson County Atty. Jim Vanderbilt to take action against Gibson for failing to repay the remaining $3,000.

Jesse DeGarmo, the group’s current treasurer, said Gibson recently repaid the balance.

Students to perform concert Sunday

The Lawrence Youth Symphony and the All City Honor Band will perform a free concert at 2 p.m. Sunday in the auditorium at Central Junior High, 1400 Mass.

The Youth Symphony is made up of Lawrence orchestra and band students in grades seven-10. The All City Honor Band includes freshmen from the four junior highs.

Thanksgiving baskets still needing butter

The Salvation Army needs about 180 containers of butter to help fill about 230 Thanksgiving baskets, which already include turkey, cranberry sauce and candy, said Rich Forney, administrator for the Salvation Army, 946 N.H.

The group also continues to seek additional turkeys and boxes of mashed potatoes. Donations will be taken through Monday.

For more information, call the Salvation Army at (785) 843-4188.