2 more fake $100 bills passed at businesses

Two more counterfeit $100 bills have surfaced at local businesses, bringing the total to three discovered in the past week.

All three of the bills were reported to have been used on June 27.

The most recently reported bills were discovered by a bank employee and were passed at Bed Bath & Beyond, 3106 Iowa, and Office Depot, 2525 Iowa, said Sgt. Dan Ward, a Lawrence Police spokesman.

Last week, the owner of Yellow House, 1904 Mass., reported that a family came into the variety store about 1 p.m. June 27 and bought a stove with a bogus $100 bill. It wasn’t until she actually felt the money later that night, she told the Journal-World, that she realized it was fake.

Crime

Man charged with kidnapping, arson

A Lawrence man has been charged with kidnapping his girlfriend and setting a couch on fire inside the couple’s trailer home in what police said was an attempt to kill himself and the woman.

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Vilai Inthaphanh, 26, with one count of kidnapping and one count of aggravated arson.

The incident happened about 2:39 a.m. Saturday at Gaslight Village, 1900 W. 31st St. The man held his 24-year-old girlfriend against her will and set fire to a couch and a curtain, according to a police report.

No one was injured.

During Inthaphanh’s first appearance Tuesday, District Court Judge Pro Tem Peggy Kittel set his bond at $30,000 and set his next court date for Monday.

July 4

City’s police respond to 300 fireworks calls

Lawrence Police responded to nearly 300 fireworks-related complaints during the Fourth of July weekend, about the same as during last year’s holiday weekend.

In all, officers received 294 complaints, including 38 on Saturday, 38 on Sunday and 184 on Monday, said Sgt. Dan Ward, a police spokesman. In most cases, officers simply gave a warning, but in 50 cases they took some kind of action, either by citing the person, confiscating the fireworks, or both.

Ward said on Tuesday that he did not have a breakdown of the number of citations. At peak times, it took officers up to two hours to respond to complaints.

Last year, the first year of the city’s fireworks ban, officers received 300 complaints.

Government

County to consider Sunday beer sales

Douglas County commissioners will consider a resolution today that will allow the sale of beer on Sunday in Douglas County restaurants.

The resolution will allow restaurants to sell beer. But the cereal malt beverage must be consumed on the premises of the business. The business also must have 30 percent or more of its gross receipts be from the sale of food for consumption on the premises.

If adopted, the resolution will apply to the entire county.

Commissioners will consider the resolution at 6:35 tonight at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Mass.

Commissioners also will solicit input from the public on the 2006 budget and consider a request from the Success by 6 Coalition of Douglas County for assistance in applying for a grant through the Early Learning Opportunities Act.