Conviction stands in fatal shooting

Topeka – The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Douglas County conviction of Michael W. Kesserling, who was sentenced to life in prison for a fatal shooting near Lecompton.

Kesselring, of Topeka, was sentenced to life in prison in connection with the slaying of Dale Miller, whose body was found in 2001.

Miller had disappeared in 2000 after he was suspected of stealing from a drug syndicate two duffel bags full of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine

Witnesses testified that Kesselring was seen with two co-defendants the night of the crime.

Kesserling, who denied that he killed Miller, was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping.

He appealed his convictions on numerous grounds, all of which were rejected by the court in a unanimous decision.

Courts

Randle might be made to speak of alcohol

Prosecutors are recommending that a former Kansas University football player speak out about the effects of alcohol as part of his sentence for two counts of battery.

John Randle recently entered a plea in Douglas County District Court in connection with two batteries: one on March 13 outside It’s Brothers Bar & Grill, 1105 Mass., and one on April 16 outside The Granada.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical personnel transport a man who was seated on the passenger side of the car at right, which collided head-on with the red Pontiac at the curve connecting 31st Street with Kasold Drive. All three people involved in the accident were transported to the hospital on Friday.

Prosecutors are recommending that he do 120 hours of community service or spend 50 hours speaking to student-athletes about alcohol. They’re also recommending a 48-hour jail sentence for each count.

Randle was kicked off the team after a series of arrests.

He will be sentenced July 21.

Civics

Girls State coming to KU this weekend

More than 400 incoming high school seniors will be in Lawrence starting Sunday for the 63rd annual American Legion Auxiliary Kansas Sunflower Girls State.

The events kick off Sunday at Kansas University and will continue through Friday.

The girls will study about Kansas government, with presenters including Sandy Praeger, insurance commissioner; Ron Thornburgh, secretary of state; Lynn Jenkins, state treasurer; state Rep. Barbara Ballard of Lawrence; and Judge G. Joseph Pierron, a Lawrence resident on the Kansas Court of Appeals.

In addition to the classes, delegates will campaign and hold general elections for office. They will hold an inauguration ceremony June 9 at the Lied Center.

Crime

Police investigating sexual assault

Police are investigating a 42-year-old Lawrence man accused of sexually assaulting and sodomizing a 21-year-old Overland Park man.

Police said the incident happened March 26 between midnight and 9 a.m. at the suspect’s residence.

The victim did not report the alleged crime until nearly two months later.

The suspect has not been arrested.

3 injured in accident

Three people were transported Friday evening to a local hospital with injuries after a two-vehicle accident in Lawrence.

The accident happened about 5:45 p.m. Friday near Kasold Drive and 31st Street.

Teresa Koder, 25, Lawrence, was driving a blue-gray Honda Accord westbound on 31st Street, said Lawrence Police Sgt. Catherine Born. The vehicle collided head-on with a red Pontiac Grand Am driven by Lawrence resident Courtney Nowak when it went crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.

Koder and Nowak, 24, both were transported by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical Department to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Josh Backouver, a passenger in Koder’s car, also was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Backouver’s age wasn’t available.

Condition reports weren’t readily available for Backouver, Koder and Nowak.

The accident did cause police officers to close down some of the road and direct traffic through open lanes, backing up some traffic along 31st Street and Kasold Drive.

KU grad to lead architecture institute

A Kansas University graduate has been picked to lead the American Institute of Architects.

R.K. Stewart, who received a bachelor’s degree in environmental design in 1974, will lead the organization, which has a membership of about 75,000 architects.

Stewart is a principal at Gensler Architecture, Design & Planning Worldwide, based in San Francisco.

He previously has served as AIA’s national vice president, regional director and council president for San Francisco and the state of California.

Police cruiser allegedly hit by drunken driver

A Eudora Police officer on routine patrol was hit by a suspected drunken driver.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident which occurred last Friday just as the Memorial Day weekend was beginning. The accident report was made public Friday.

A sheriff’s department spokeswoman said the 31-year-old female officer was heading south on Church Street when a 46-year-old Chesterfield, Mo., woman driving a sport utility vehicle ran a stop sign on the Kansas Highway 10 offramp, striking the patrol car on the driver’s side.

The officer was treated and released at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

The other driver, Rochelle O’Rourke, was booked into Douglas County Jail on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

KU professor starts scholarship program

A business professor at Kansas University has started a scholarship to support undergraduate students pursuing dual degrees in East Asian studies and business.

Jill Kleinberg, who has taught at KU since 1988, established the scholarship, which will provide an annual award of $1,000 to support either an experience in study abroad or a business internship in an East Asian country.

Kleinberg lived in Japan for five years and has studied business and culture in Japan, China and Mexico. Her teaching specialty is comparative and cross-cultural management.