Fire crews called to Pet World store

A heating and cooling unit was the source of a minor fire Wednesday morning on the roof of Pet World, 711 W. 23rd St.

No animals had to be evacuated, and the fire didn’t spread inside the store, said Mark Bradford, deputy chief of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical. Still, three fire trucks, two ambulances, police cars and an animal-control van came to the scene as a precaution.

Michelle Smith, store manager, said that about 11:30 a.m. she heard a loud “boom” and moments later smoke began coming through the grates. Then a woman from Douglas County Bank, a neighboring business, called to tell her the roof was on fire, Smith said.

Smith said the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, shown above examining the roof, responded “really quickly.”

Store employees said they were allowed back inside about an hour after the fire was reported.

Event

KU geophysicist to give tsunami lecture

A Kansas University geophysicist will explain the science behind earthquake-spawned tsunamis, including the one that killed more than 123,000 people in southeast Asia, during a lecture tonight.

Don Steeples will present “Tsunami 101: Everything You Wanted to Know” at 7:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics on KU’s west campus.

Steeples will draw on material from a course that he teaches for KU.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session will follow.

Commissioner delays candidacy announcement

Lawrence City Commissioner David Schauner still hasn’t officially announced he is seeking re-election.

Schauner had scheduled an announcement for Tuesday afternoon, but canceled the event after the area was enveloped in an ice storm. Schauner is expected to announce that he’ll seek a second term on the commission. He hasn’t yet set a date for a new announcement.

Schauner is one of three commissioners who have terms that end in April. Commissioner Sue Hack has announced her candidacy. Commissioner David Dunfield said he won’t seek another term.

Other declared candidates are Mike Amyx, a former mayor and downtown business owner, and Tom Bracciano, a Lawrence school district administrator.

Candidates have until noon on Jan. 25 to file.

County commission conducts little business

Douglas County Commissioners met for 30 minutes in an executive session regarding personnel issues Wednesday night.

The commissioners made no decisions and only approved standard items, such as minutes from past meetings and accounts payable, following the executive session.

No other businesses was discussed outside of the executive session.