Morning fire destroys house near Tonganoxie

Tonganoxie — A fire early Saturday morning destroyed a house about five miles southeast of Tonganoxie.

No one was injured in the blaze, which broke out about 1:30 a.m. at 20090 Douglas Road, according to the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s report listed Terry Willburn as the owner of the house.

Officers and firefighters from Stranger Township and other nearby fire departments found the house engulfed in flames when they arrived. All the contents of the house were lost, the report said.

No cause for the fire was listed, and no other information was available.

Recreation

State bike tour to make 30th anniversary trek

Participants in Biking Across Kansas will ride in the event’s 30th anniversary journey across the state beginning Saturday.

Riders begin at the Kansas/Colorado border just west of Sharon Springs and ride 489 miles in eight days. Most of the 800 participants are Kansans, though riders come from as far as California and Vermont for the event.

The cyclists’ final night together will be June 12 in Lawrence. On June 13 they head to Leavenworth and stop at the Missouri River, where Lewis and Clark made their historic journey in 1804. They will then have a picnic dinner in David Brewer Park.

Other overnight stops will be in Oakley, Hill City, Osborne, Lincoln, Chapman and St. Marys.

Memorial Day

Dole’s speech at PSU being offered on DVD

Former Sen. Bob Dole is going digital.

Olathe-based Something Different Video Productions will produce a DVD of the keynote speech Dole will present Monday when he dedicates the new Veterans Memorial Amphitheater at Pittsburg State University, shown above in an artist’s rendering.

The dedication is 2 p.m. Monday.

Dole, the national chairman of the World War II Memorial campaign, attended the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The DVD doesn’t have a launch date or a price yet, but those interested in reserving a copy can call Something Different at (620) 232-8433.