Education

Alumni donate $100,000 to KU

Two Kansas University alumni with ties to the television industry have donated $100,000 to the university.

Half of the gift from Steve and Barbara Nash Mills, of Beverly Hills, Calif., will establish an award fund for special education and educational psychology research. The other $50,000 will be split between student awards for film projects and travel expenses of debate team members.

Steve Mills received his liberal arts degree from KU in 1951, the same year his wife received her degree in education.

Steve Mills spent his career in the television industry, including serving as director and vice president of programs for ABC Television and vice president for movies and miniseries at CBS. He helped bring several filming projects to his home state, including “Parade,” “Murder Ordained” and “Burden of Proof.”

Barbara Nash Mills is the daughter of Bert Nash, a former KU professor and Lawrence community mental health leader who is the namesake of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. She is a psychologist in the field of family counseling.

Crime

Attorney general warns of phone scam

Atty. Gen. Phill Kline warned Thursday of a phone scam targeting residents statewide, especially senior citizens.

The scam involves a phone solicitation promising $200 in gasoline vouchers in exchange for a $3.95 processing fee to be drafted directly from the person’s checking account.

A bank notified Kline’s office of the scam after finding that nearly a dozen customers had fallen for the scam and that someone had tried to use the information to make unauthorized withdrawals.

As of Thursday, the scam had been reported in Olathe, Paola, Louisburg, LaCygne, and Osawatomie.

Kline urged Kansans to avoid giving their account information to any unknown person on the phone and to use a major credit card for purchases as the result of a phone solicitation.

Kansans who think they’ve been victimized by a scam should notify the Atty. Gen.’s Consumer Protection and Antitrust division at 1-800-432-2310.

Crime

Lawrence woman reports sexual assault

A 20-year-old Lawrence woman told police an acquaintance sexually assaulted her early Saturday.

The woman had been out drinking with friends when she returned to her sister’s residence in southwest Lawrence and went to sleep, said Sgt. Dan Ward, a Lawrence Police spokesman. She told police she awoke about 5:30 a.m. and found the suspect, a 21-year-old male, in bed with her and touching her inappropriately.

She reported the incident to police on Saturday evening. No arrests have been made.

Health

Flu shots available to any residents

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department has about 90 doses of flu vaccine up for grabs and — as of Thursday — all people are now eligible for a shot.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment officials have lifted restrictions on who is eligible for a flu shot.

A shortage of flu vaccine in October caused health officials to only allow people designated in high priority groups to receive a flu shot from public health departments.

Because of an increasing amount of vaccine arriving in the state since mid-November and decreasing demand for flu shots, KDHE officials decided to make the remaining vaccine available to anyone who wants it.

Locally, flu shots will be given during regular Health Department clinic hours, The clinic will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at 200 Maine.

Flu shots cost $12 for children 3 and younger and $17 for all others.