Pretrial hearing slated in bank robbery case

The former Kansas University student charged with robbing three Lawrence banks is back in Kansas and awaiting an appearance next month in federal court in Kansas City, Kan.

Jeffrey R. Cox, 21, had a first appearance Wednesday before Judge James P. O’Hara in Kansas City after being transported from Atlanta, where he was arrested in late December. Cox is charged with robbing three Lawrence banks — University National Bank, Central National Bank and Douglas County Bank — at gunpoint from February to December 2003.

In addition to three counts of bank robbery, he faces one charge of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.

Cox will appear March 22 for a hearing on pretrial motions.

Government

State sells 150 vehicles

Topeka — The state got out of the used-car business Thursday after selling nearly 150 vehicles as part of a move to trim the state fleet.

The sale started Feb. 5. As of the last day of sales, there were 145 vehicles sold for a total of $512,794 — or an average sale price of about $3,536.

More vehicles remain, but state officials said those would be sold at a series of auctions to dealers only.

National register

State board to consider historic neighborhoods

Five Lawrence neighborhoods will be considered by a state board Saturday for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places:

• Downtown Lawrence, which covers properties along Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets, mostly between Seventh and Park streets.
• Pinckney No. 1 which mostly covers properties in the 400 and 500 blocks of Tennessee, Ohio and Louisiana streets.
• Pinckney No. 2, which includes the 300 block and part of the 400 block of Indiana Street.
• North Rhode Island, which covers most properties along Rhode Island Street, between Seventh and 12th streets, and a few properties in the 1200 block of Rhode Island.
• South Rhode Island, which covers most of the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Rhode Island Street, as well as the 1300 block of New Hampshire.

The Historic Sites Board of Review will consider the nominations at 1 p.m. Saturday in the museum classroom of the Kansas History Center, 6425 S.W. Sixth Ave., Topeka. The board’s recommendations will be passed to the National Park Service.

History

Museum to offer lecture about early blacks at KU

The perseverance of black students attending Kansas University early in the school’s history will be discussed during a lecture Saturday at the Watkins Community Museum of History.

Amber Reagan-Kendrick’s lecture, “Struggle and Success: African Americans and the University of Kansas, The Early Years,” is set for 2 p.m. at the Museum, 1047 Mass. The discussion will address the students’ desire for attaining equality and freedom through education in Kansas, and their ability to endure a hostile environment on the way to success.

Reagan-Kendrick is associate director of the Health Careers Pathways Program, and previously worked in KU’s Office of Minority Affairs, where she developed the African American History Quiz Bowl and served as editor for One Community.