Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $3 million grant

Topeka — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas has received a nearly $3 million grant to provide mentors to children of parents who are incarcerated.

The program is expected to reach 3,000 children across the state. Studies show that seven of 10 children who have one or more parent in prison are eventually incarcerated themselves.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Administration is for $925,000 per year for three years to enact a program founded by Wilson Goode, the former mayor of Philadelphia.

An additional $300,000 per year in private contributions is required to meet the terms of the grant.

Investigation

Teen taken to hospital after drinking at party

A teenager who apparently drank too much at a party at a rural residence Saturday night was taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, sparking an investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers learned of the party after they were dispatched shortly after 11 p.m. to investigate a report of an ill teenager in a car at the Baldwin Junction convenience store, at the intersection of U.S. Highways 59 and 56.

Some teenagers had left the party in a car driven by a sober driver, Sheriff’s Lt. Kathy Tate said. When they arrived at the convenience store, one of the teenagers had become ill. Parents were called, and a parent then called the sheriff’s office, Tate said.

A 16-year-old was taken to LMH by ambulance, and was treated and released. Tate declined to say whether the teen was a boy or a girl. Other teenagers were taken home by their parents, Tate said. She declined to release any other information about the incident other than to say an investigation was continuing.

Book signings

Local authors to appear at Kansas History Event

Five local writers will discuss and sign their recent publications on 19th century Kansas history from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Oread Books in the Kansas Union.

Scheduled to appear:

• Napoleon Crews, Lawrence, author of the continuing Fireside Novels series based on real incidents in Lawrence and Kansas history.
• Tom Mach, Lawrence, author of the recent novel “Sissy!,” which is set in the era of the Underground Railroad in Kansas and Quantrill’s Raid on Lawrence.
• Todd Mildfelt, Richmond, author of “The Secret Danites: Kansas’ First Jayhawkers,” which explores new information about an 1850s anti-slavery secret society.
• Mark Volmut and Judy Sweets, authors of the introduction for “The Narrative of John Doy of Lawrence, Kansas — A Plain, Unvarnished Tale.”

Event

Free tickets available for ethics discussion at KU

Free tickets still are available for this evening’s session with noted ethicist Michael Josephson and a panel including Kansas University men’s basketball coach Bill Self.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. event at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union are available at the Journal-World, 609 N.H., KU’s Student Union Activities office or at the door.

A noon session is sold out.

At the evening session, Josephson will discuss ethics with panelists Chancellor Robert Hemenway; state Rep. Kenny Wilk; William Docking, Kansas Board of Regents; Joan Hunt, KU Medical Center senior associate dean; Reginald Robinson, regents president and CEO; and Self.

Josephson’s visit is sponsored by the Journal-World, 6News and World Online.

He is founder and president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics.