St. Patrick’s Day

Mass. Street to close at noon for parade

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

Massachusetts Street will close at noon 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.

Health

Free guide lists county’s smoke-free restaurants

Looking for a place where you can eat without being bothered by secondhand smoke?

There are 110 local restaurants you can choose from, and they are all listed in the second edition of the Douglas County Smoke-Free Restaurant Guide. The latest edition includes 50 new restaurant listings.

The creation of the guide was sponsored by the Douglas County Community Health Improvement Project (CHIP) Special Committee on Tobacco Prevention. The free guide can be picked up at restaurants, libraries, doctor’s offices, schools, hotels and motels, and day-care centers.

Committee members said they would be happy if the smoke-free guide wasn’t necessary next year. CHIP supports a ban on smoking in public places, which the Lawrence City Commission is considering.

Rock Chalk Revue

Charity benefit falls below last year’s total

Rock Chalk Revue, the annual musical put on by Kansas University greek organizations, raised $40,000 for charity this year.

The money benefits United Way of Douglas County. The show ran Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Lied Center.

The donation was down about $12,000 from last year. Megan Randall, executive producer, said the decrease was due to slower-than-normal ticket sales and fewer donations from area businesses.

Democratic caucuses

County district goes 100 percent for Kerry

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry was given an easy victory Saturday in Douglas County Democratic caucuses, thanks mainly to the county’s 19th Kansas Senate District.

Those participating in the caucus from that district gave all 11 of its delegates to Kerry, according to state Democratic Party officials. The caucus was held in Topeka’s Highland Park High School.

Other caucuses were held at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the Baldwin Public Library.

The total delegate count for Douglas County was: Kerry, 16; Dennis Kucinich, 7; and Howard Dean, 4.

The 19th District is represented by Sen. Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka.

6Productions

Medal of Honor recipient is guest on ‘River City’

World War II combat veteran Walter Ehlers talks about his role in D-Day, the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy, this week on “River City Weekly.”

Ehlers was a staff sergeant with the U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. He tells of his actions in combat with German forces June 9-10, 1944, near Goville, France, which led to his receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor.

“River City Weekly,” hosted by Greg Hurd, premieres on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with replays at 7:30 weeknights, 9 a.m. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Mondays, and 10 a.m. Tuesdays.