Atchison driver killed in hit-and-run accident

Valley Falls — An Atchison man died Saturday morning in a two-vehicle collision on Kansas Highway 4 in Valley Falls, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The driver of the second vehicle fled the scene and was apprehended later in Missouri, the Highway Patrol said.

Ralph A. Dudley, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene after the Oldsmobile Bravada he was driving struck an Infiniti that was making a U-turn, according to the KHP’s accident report. The collision caused the Oldsmobile to skid sideways and overturn into a ditch.

The driver of the Infiniti, James V. Gagne IV, 19, Kansas City, Mo., was not injured and drove away from the scene. No information was released by the KHP about where in Missouri Gagne was found or whether charges would be filed. The accident is still under investigation.

The accident was reported shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday.

Altruism

Applications taken for St. Patrick’s charity

Area nonprofit groups that serve children in Douglas County are encouraged to apply to become the beneficiary of the 2005 Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Each year the committee that organizes the downtown parade picks a charity to receive the proceeds generated by the event. The deadline for nonprofit groups to apply is Friday.

Applications can be downloaded at www.lawrencestpatricksdayparade.com. Applications also can be picked up at the following businesses: McDonald Chiropractic Clinic, 953 E. 23rd St.; Cottin’s Coast to Coast Hardware, 1832 Mass.; and KLWN/KLZR Radio, 3125 W. Sixth Street.

Holidays

Families can apply for Thanksgiving dinners

The Salvation Army today will begin accepting applications from families for Thanksgiving turkeys and trimmings.

Those who meet qualifications will receive groceries for a Thanksgiving dinner.

People applying must have photo identification, proof of residency, proof of income and Social Security cards for all household members. Other forms of identification, such as a birth certificate, can be used in place of a Social Security card.

Applications will be accepted from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 17 at the Salvation Army, 946 N.H.

The Salvation Army also is asking people to donate turkeys. Last year, about 250 families received a Thanksgiving dinner through the organization.

Safety

It’s time to change smoke-alarm batteries

Officials with the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical Department are urging area residents to use the end of daylight-saving time as an opportunity to change the batteries in their smoke alarms.

Daylight-saving time ended at 2 a.m. Sunday. Rich Barr, fire marshal for the department, said it’s a good reminder for people to perform maintenance on their smoke alarms.

In addition to changing batteries, Barr recommends that individuals and families develop escape routes from their homes and practice how they would react in the event of a fire.

Barr said the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years.