Volunteers spruce up Drop-In Center landscape

About 20 volunteers, many of them homeless, spent much of Thursday afternoon planting flowers in front of the Community Drop-In Center, 214 W. 10th St.

Joshua Anthony, a volunteer and client at the center, digs a trench for flowers.

The sprucing up marked the center’s participation in the upcoming citywide Day of Caring on Saturday coordinated by the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, 2518 Ridge Court.

“Instead of our staff and consumers going out and volunteering somewhere else, we thought we’d sort of stay here and do it ourselves,” said center director Tami Clark. “It gives the people here the power to make a difference without having to rely on others.”

Four Lawrence-area nurseries donated plants for the project.

City

Smoking ban discussion postponed until May 4

Further Lawrence City Commission discussion of a proposed ban on smoking in bars and restaurants will wait until early May.

Commissioner Boog Highberger said Wednesday he was willing to reconsider the commission’s decision this week to put the issue to a vote of Lawrence residents.

But the commission won’t discuss the issue at its next meeting, 6:35 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts. Commissioner Sue Hack will be absent, and her colleagues want all members available to decide the matter.

All members of the commission should be available for the following meeting, 6:45 p.m. May 4 at City Hall.

Police

Shoplifting incident leads to chase, arrest

Lawrence Police arrested a 25-year-old Olathe man Thursday morning after he allegedly shoplifted and punched a security guard who tried to apprehend him.

A guard at Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa, confronted the man about 11:04 a.m. on suspicion he was trying to steal two compact discs, said Sgt. Mike Pattrick, a police spokesman.

The man punched the guard in an attempt to escape, but the guard wasn’t injured. Other store employees chased the man across Iowa Street and onto a bicycle path. When police arrived, they found the man emerging from a line of trees and arrested him at Easy Living mobile home park, 3323 Iowa, Pattrick said.

Police say they found the compact discs on the ground at a nearby car dealership and arrested the man on suspicion of theft and battery. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail.

Gasoline Prices

Pump Patrol seeks deals

The Journal-World has found Lawrence gasoline prices as low as $1.70 at Presta Phillips 66, 602 W. Ninth St., and Citgo, 2005 W. Ninth St.

If you find a lower price, please report it to the Pump Patrol at 832-7154.