Yard waste pick-up schedule altered

Lawrence trash crews are altering their schedule this week because of the unusually large amount of material left on curbs over the weekend.

Thousands of tenants moved to different apartments with many apartment leases in the city expiring Aug. 1.

Collection crews were pulled off Monday’s regularly scheduled yard waste collection to help other trash crews. Yard waste now will be picked up with regularly scheduled trash today, Wednesday and Thursday.

AIDS researcher on radio program

A Kansas University professor researching a vaccination for AIDS will be featured Thursday on a Kansas City radio station.

Bill Narayan, professor and chair of microbiology, molecular genetics and immunology at the KU School of Medicine, will appear on “Up to Date” at 11 a.m. on KCUR, 89.3-FM.

Narayan will discuss his research and the recent United Nations Conference on AIDS in Bangkok, Thailand.

Highway patrol puts accident reports online

Topeka — The Kansas Highway Patrol is now posting its injury and fatality accident reports online.

The accidents will be posted immediately after dispatchers receive the reports from investigating troopers at www.accesskansas.org/khp-crashlogs/index.do.

The Web site allows a search for crashes in each county in the state, or by date or type of crash. The accidents will only include those worked by the Highway Patrol and not those investigated by troopers on the Kansas Turnpike or by city and county law enforcement agencies.

The crash logs will be available online for 10 days. The reports are preliminary and final official reports must be obtained by contacting the Kansas Highway Patrol records section at 122 S.W. Seventh St., Topeka 66603, or by calling (785) 296-6800 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The online reports are designed to free up dispatchers from handling calls from the public and news media so they can focus on emergencies, officials said.

KU fraternity chapter named best in country

The Kansas Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity has been named the best overall chapter in the nation.

The “Grand Chapter” designation was awarded during the fraternity’s national convention July 10 in San Diego.

The award is given to a chapter that balances programming and has produced “outstanding results for its members in every facet of fraternity life.”

The Kansas University chapter, with a house at 1602 W. 15th St., has 130 members and was founded in 1876.

Delivery boxes available for rural subscribers

The Journal-World announces the availability of delivery boxes for its subscribers who live in rural areas.

Typically these blue delivery boxes are placed next to the mailbox or at the end of the driveway. In some cases, the box may be located in an alternate location.

The boxes help prevent newspapers from getting wet or dusty. There is no charge for this service.

Call 843-1000 or toll free (800) 578-8748 to request either a new or replacement delivery box.

Senator named to interim committee

Topeka — State Sen. Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence, will serve on the interim Local Government committee, Senate President Dave Kerr announced last week.

The Local Government committee will study issues relating to the Kansas Open Records Act, including exceptions and whether various exceptions should be continued. The committee also will study city annexation laws, unilateral powers, the effectiveness of the procedures and plans on how cities can extend services to newly annexed areas.

The committee has 11 members: four senators and seven representatives.

Buhler was appointed to the Kansas Senate in 2003. He represents the Second District, which includes Lawrence and most of Douglas County.

Interim committees meet through the summer and fall months and report back to the Legislative Coordinating Council and the Legislature by the end of the year.