Washington, D.C.

Senator offers coffee to Kansans in capital

Sen. Sam Brownback is welcoming Kansas residents visiting the nation’s capital to his office for coffee every Thursday morning.

Kansans and their guests visiting Washington can swing by the Republican senator’s office for “Coffee with Sam” at 8:30 a.m. every Thursday the Senate is in session.

Interested visitors should R.S.V.P. any of Brownback’s offices in Kansas, or in Washington at (202) 224-6521.

Wellington

Doctor pledges $1 million to college

A retired doctor who credits Southwestern College with helping him earn a medical degree has repaid the school with a pledge of $1 million.

Ward Cole, 95, doubled as a dairy farmer and college student when he attended the school in the 1920s. A chemistry professor at the college helped him get into Kansas University, where he received a master’s degree in biochemistry and then his medical degree.

Cole worked as a physician in Wellington for more than 50 years, finally retiring at 80. He has also served on the college’s board of trustees for 50 years.

Cole’s gift includes real estate, stocks and bonds valued near $1 million.

The college will rename its women’s hall Ward M. Cole Hall on April 17, its Founders Day.

Wichita

Accident closes popular restaurant

The owners of Connie’s Mexico Cafe will close their restaurant for three weeks after a truck crashed into the cafe, killing the 22-year-old driver.

“We’ve gotten a lot of calls … from customers and have had them stopping by, checking on how we were doing,” said Salvador Renteria, whose wife’s family has run the restaurant since 1963.

Police said Rogelio Covarrubios was ejected from the pickup and died at the scene of Monday’s accident. Officers saw the pickup truck speeding about 2 a.m. a block from the popular restaurant. Investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology reports.