State to sell vehicles to local governments

Topeka — Several hundred state vehicles are up for sale to nonprofit organizations and local units of government.

The vehicles have been deemed excess by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who ordered the elimination of the state employee Central Motor Pool and a moratorium on new vehicle purchases.

A complete list of vehicles for sale can be seen at www.da.state.ks.us. Directions to the temporary sales lot at Forbes Field also are on the Web site.

More information is available during weekday office hours at (785) 296-8070.

Government

Statehouse library opens legislative hot line

The library within the Kansas Statehouse today will open its legislative hot line, providing callers with free access to information on bills, committee meetings, voting records and the legislative processes.

The hot line’s toll-free number: (800) 432-3942.

The library maintains a permanent index of past bills, amendments, journals, conference committee reports and more than 70 years of newspaper clippings.

Sesquicentennial

Book discussions conducted online

Online book discussions celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Kansas territory will begin Wednesday.

The discussions, organized by KU Continuing Education, include audiotaped presentations from a four-part book series conducted last fall at the Lawrence Public Library. Transcripts of the discussions are available at www.kuce.org/kt.

The four books scheduled for discussion are “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe; “The Englishman in Kansas” by Thomas Gladstone; “John Brown: The Legend Revisited” by Merrill Peterson; and “The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton” by Jane Smiley.

KU Continuing Education also has developed a one-hour credit class surrounding the discussions. More information on the class can be found at the Web site.

Health

Classes to help families understand mental illness

The Kansas Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill is offering a free, 12-week course for Lawrence-area families of people who are mentally ill.

Beginning next week, classes will convene at 4 p.m. on Sundays at the Lawrence Community Building, 115 W. 11th St. Each class is expected to last about two and a half hours.

Topics will include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

For more information, call instructors Robin Williamson, 832-9585, or Christine Arentson, 842-0328.