LINK seeking funds for kitchen accessibility

An organization that feeds Lawrence’s poor and homeless needs $15,000 to serve disabled guests.

Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen needs the money to buy a new elevator to serve guests in its kitchen, in the basement of First Christian Church at 10th and Kentucky streets. The old elevator has been out of service for a year.

“There are some good people who can’t come down,” said Herman Leon, the organization’s vice president.

The elevator replacement comes in a year that LINK, which serves more than 120 people a day, has seen donations from the community decline precipitously.

The organization already has set aside $1,000 for the new elevator. Donations can be sent to LINK at P.O. Box 442472, Lawrence 66044-8938.

Investigation

Former Perry resident victim of murder-suicide

A former Perry woman was found dead last week in her rural Morton, Wyo., home, a victim of an apparent murder-suicide, Fremont County, Wyo., Sheriff’s officers said.

Cindy Hickey, of LINK, looks over the broken elevator.

The bodies of Laurie Hanvy-Newport, 38, and a man identified as Rick Behner, 44, also of Morton, were found Thursday on the floor of the home they shared, officers said.

Newport was born and raised in Topeka. She lived in Perry for several years before moving three years ago to Wyoming, where she owned the Stage Stop Bar and Saloon.

An investigation into the deaths continues, Wyoming officials said.

Communications

Incoming spam slows some KU e-mail

Spam messages sent over the weekend to Kansas University computer servers snarled the campus e-mail system Monday.

Messages sent to campus accounts from off-campus accounts were slow in being delivered. In some cases, messages won’t be delivered until after noon today, according to an advisory on the KU Web site.

Allison Rose Lopez, a spokeswoman for KU Information Services, said she didn’t have additional information about the spam messages. Internal e-mail systems and outgoing messages from KU were not affected.

Crime

Police report theft of camera equipment

The Lawrence Police Department has reported more than $4,000 in camera equipment stolen from its Investigations and Training Center, 4820 W. 15th St.

A container of crime-scene investigation equipment, including various cameras and lenses, disappeared in August, but detectives assumed it had been checked out by someone, said Sgt. Mike Pattrick, a police spokesman.

The investigation, classified as “theft of lost or mislaid property,” is ongoing, Pattrick said.

Sheriff

Gun thefts investigated

Douglas County Sheriff’s officials are investigating two recent gun thefts.

Someone kicked in a door and stole two rifles and three shotguns valued at $4,000 Wednesday from a home in the 90 section of East 1550 Road south of Baldwin.

There were no signs of forced entry in a Nov. 13 burglary at a home in the 1100 section of East 100 Road in Berryton. Missing are an assortment of weapons worth more than $3,000, including two bows, two rifles and four shotguns, according to a report.