St. Patrick’s Day parade to affect city traffic

The St. Patrick’s Day parade will affect traffic between noon and 2 p.m. Wednesday in downtown and North Lawrence.

Starting at noon, Massachusetts Street will be closed to through traffic from Sixth Street to 14th Street. The parade, which begins at 1 p.m., will continue over the river bridge to North Second Street and down Locust Street to North Ninth Street.

During the parade, the Lawrence Transit System will move boarding locations to Ninth and Vermont streets and Ninth and New Hampshire streets.

Transit drivers can provide more information about affected routes. For more information, call 312-7054.

Driver dies after wreck

Meriden — A Meriden woman injured in a two-vehicle collision Friday night died Sunday at Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center in Topeka.

Lori Wellman, 40, was the driver of a 1995 Ford Explorer that was struck as it attempted to make a left turn off Kansas Highway 4 in Meriden, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report. Her son, Christopher Wellman, and the driver of the other vehicle both were injured in the accident and taken to Stormont-Vail but were treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Lori Wellman had worked for the workers compensation division of the Kansas Insurance Department in Topeka since 1984.

Veritas school’s annual book sale under way

Veritas Christian School is having its third annual book sale this week.

A variety of books for children and adults will be offered at the school, 256 N. Mich.

The sale will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday.

Lawrence artists in Capitol exhibit

The works of five Lawrence artists will be on display today at the Capitol in Topeka.

Robert Sudlow, Lisa Grossman, Louis Copt, James Nedresky and Stan Herd will be part of an exhibit by 21 Kansas artists titled “Inspired: Kansas Artists and the Flint Hills.” Organizer Don Lambert, of Topeka, says it’s the first time for such an exhibit outside Chase County, where an exhibit and auction of Flint Hills works have occurred during the last few years.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will speak at 10:20 a.m. today at the second-floor rotunda, where the exhibit will hang.

Washburn faculty forum to focus on Iraq

Topeka — “Winning the Peace? A Forum on Iraq” will begin at 7:30 p.m. today in Room 100 of Henderson Learning Resources Center at Washburn University. The event is open to the public.

Washburn faculty members Russell Burton, sociology; Tom Prasch, history; and Bob Beatty and Chris Hamilton, political science, will participate in the forum. Rachel Goossen, history faculty member, will moderate.

For information, call (785) 231-1010, ext. 2060.

Westar stockholders file responses in lawsuit

Attorneys representing stockholders who claim they were defrauded by former Westar Energy Inc. officials on Monday filed legal responses to motions to dismiss the class-action lawsuit.

The federal lawsuit accuses former Westar chief executive David Wittig, his lieutenants and several board members of artificially inflating the company’s stock price by concealing Westar’s financial troubles.

Past board members named in the lawsuit include Gene Budig, a former Kansas University chancellor; Frank Becker, a prominent KU alumnus and Lawrence businessman; and Capitol Federal Savings executive John Dicus.

John Nettles, also named in the lawsuit, remains on the Westar board.

Undersheriff formally announces bid

Surrounded by friends and family, Undersheriff Ken McGovern formally announced his candidacy for sheriff in a news conference Monday at the Douglas County Courthouse.

“Right now I feel that what the former sheriffs have brought here has been working and will work,” he said. “I think this department is respected and always will be respected.”

McGovern, a Republican, said that if elected, he would help improve efficiency in the department, develop its strengths through training and enhance its technology.