Overland Park woman dies after I-70 wreck

A woman who suffered injuries in a head-on collision Monday on Interstate Highway 70 has died.

Kandy Bandad, 43, of Overland Park, died shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday at University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.

Bandad was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane near the Bonner Springs Exit, when she struck the pickup truck of Asher Tucker, 21, of Bonner Springs, according to a Kansas Turnpike Authority dispatcher. Officials believe Bandad missed her exit and turned around illegally.

Tucker was taken to Overland Park Regional Hospital, where he remains in good condition, said Gene Hallinan, a hospital spokesman.

Douglas County

Building construction moving on schedule

Construction of two Douglas County buildings is on schedule, a county official said Thursday.

“We should have them completed by late spring,” said Assistant County Administrator Pam Madl.

Weigel Construction Inc., of Olathe, is constructing two buildings at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds southeast of 19th and Harper streets. The cost of the project is about $730,000.

One of the buildings is for office space, equipment storage and a repair shop for the county’s Department of Buildings and Grounds, which maintains the fairgrounds and other county properties. The second building will hold documents, including court files.

Emergency

Sprinklers prevent large fire at pizza shop

The sprinkler system at Glory Days Pizza, 4821 W. Sixth St., did its job early Thursday morning, preventing a fire that officials estimated could have cost $1 million in damages.

According to a report released by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, an automatic alarm at the west Lawrence pizza shop brought firefighters to the scene. Upon arrival, they noticed light smoke in the building. The firemen forced their way through the front door, and they found that a sprinkler head had quelled a small fire at the back of the store.

The fire department estimated damage from the small fire would cost $1,000 to repair, as opposed to the million dollar price tag a full blown fire at the facility could have caused.

Science standards hearing rescheduled

A Topeka public hearing on Kansas science education standards has been rescheduled for Feb. 23. This week’s hearing was canceled because of bad weather.

Feb. 23’s hearing will be at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

Hearings are also scheduled in Derby and Hays.

The Derby public hearing was scheduled for Thursday night at Derby Middle School, 801 E. Madison. The Hays hearing will be Tuesday at Hays High School, 2300 E. 13th St. All of the hearings will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.