Vice President Cheney to visit Kansas City

Kansas City, Mo. — Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled today to visit Kansas City to attend a fund-raising luncheon for Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican, who is running for re-election in Missouri’s 6th Congressional District.

Cheney is scheduled to arrive in Kansas City late this morning and will speak at the luncheon at 12:30 p.m. in downtown Kansas City.

The vice president then is scheduled to leave Kansas City and head to Indianapolis.

Workers allegedly hang black doll above desk

Florissant, Mo. — Two bus drivers were suspended from their jobs Thursday after they and another white woman were accused of hanging a black doll above the desk of a black employee Wednesday.

A co-worker of the victim, bus driver Lillie Thomas, said a note on the doll read: “Help Mommy, they hung me.”

One of the suspended drivers, Kathie Lee, said the doll was a joke, and it was not her intent to offend anyone in any way. She is the wife of Florissant Councilman Timothy Lee, KSDK-TV in St. Louis reported.

Thomas said those responsible should have long suspensions or be fired.

“If she meant that as a joke, I didn’t feel it was a joke,” she said. “Stuff like that is never a joke. That represents lynching.”

Thomas said the doll wasn’t over her desk, but she asked two of the women to take it down because it was offensive.

She said they refused, saying they had not put it up.

Laidlaw Bus officials said the company had never had a similar incident, but that more workers could face disciplinary action.