One-vehicle accident sends three to LMH

Three people were treated and released at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Tuesday after their car went out of control and struck the median concrete barrier on the Kansas Turnpike.

The accident was reported at 10:38 a.m. in the eastbound lanes three miles east of Lawrence, according to the Kansas Turnpike Authority. Only one vehicle, a 1992 Mazda, was involved.

Suffering minor injuries were Jennifer Palgren, 19, the driver, and Whitney Palgren, 17, both of Salina, and Matt Rorabaugh, 20. They were taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Vandalism

Candidate’s office building spray painted with graffiti

Someone spray painted Democratic Dist. Atty. candidate Charles Branson’s last name and a swastika on an exterior wall of his office at 11th and New Hampshire streets.

Branson learned of the graffiti Sunday while attending a family member’s funeral in Missouri. He said he had no idea who did it.

“I can’t imagine anybody I’d come into contact with would do anything like that,” he said. “I think somebody’s being stupid or being ignorant.”

Branson said a group of volunteers, including a “Good Samaritan” passerby, teamed up Monday to scrub off the paint. It remained slightly visible Tuesday.

“We’re happy that people came out and helped us out,” he said.

Schedule

Group cancels forum on education funding

A forum on higher education funding scheduled for today has been canceled.

The forum, which had been scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics, apparently didn’t draw many reservations. An e-mail from Bill Hall, chairman of Kansas Citizens for Higher Education, blamed the change on “summer schedules.”

He said the event, which was set to highlight a need for university funding, would be rescheduled for the fall. No date has been set.