Chancellor to honor KU’s debate program

A public forum tonight will celebrate 50 years of excellence in competitive debate at Kansas University.

The event, part of the first Chancellor’s Debate Forum, will be at 7 p.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics and will focus on the topic, “Public Talk About Issues: Can Debate About Policy Be Both Sensible and Civil?”

Panelists include Congressman Dennis Moore; Mark Gidley, former U.S. assistant attorney general and a KU national debate champion; Jim McLean, chief speech writer for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; Bill Hensley, a Wichita attorney; and Diana Carlin, dean of the Graduate School and international programs at KU.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway also will honor Hubert Bell and Bill Arnold, who won the 1954 national debate championship, the first of four such titles won by KU debaters.

Gunshots reported in downtown fight

A brawl led to gunshots being fired early Wednesday in downtown Lawrence.

Police were called to the west alley of the 1000 block of Mass. Street shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday after a fight broke out involving an estimated nine people.

The fight ended when someone fired several gunshots. No one was injured, but a bullet hit the rear window of a van parked nearby, causing an estimated $500 damage.

Police, who arrived after those involved in the fight had dispersed, recovered spent shell casings in the area. As of Thursday, officers had not contacted any suspects.

Deputies to patrol for drunken drivers

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be on the lookout for drunk drivers tonight and early Saturday.

The department announced Thursday it will conduct a D.U.I. “saturation patrol” at undisclosed locations around the county from 11:30 p.m. today to 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

Five extra deputies, in addition to regular patrol officers, will be assigned to the patrol. The deputies are paid with money from a grant through the Kansas Department of Transportation.