Family escapes fire in home

A Tuesday afternoon fire heavily damaged a house in North Lawrence, but the occupants were able to escape without injury.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical responded to the blaze shortly after 3 p.m. Firefighters found heavy smoke in every room of the house at 443 Maple Lane, Deputy Chief Mark Bradford said. The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes.

The Brian Proctor family was living in the house and had been there for only a week, Bradford said.

The Douglas County Chapter of the American Red Cross is providing assistance to the family.

The cause of the fire and the amount of damage it caused were still to be determined Tuesday night.

Wakarusa Music fest

Driver arrested on drug charges

Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival patron on suspicion of dealing cocaine after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a ditch early Monday while leaving the festival, according to a report.

Bryan J. Evans, 25, Jacksonville, Fla., crashed his Subaru Outback about 5 a.m. Monday on North 1200 Road east of Clinton Lake State Park.

When sheriff’s officers arrived, they found a white powder believed to be cocaine on Evans, Undersheriff Steve Hornberger said. They arrested him for possession with intent to sell cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while intoxicated and failure to pay a drug tax.

Evans remained in the Douglas County Jail on Tuesday afternoon.

Investigation

Police complete embezzlement report

Lawrence Police have finished investigating a report that an employee of a local bowling-supply business embezzled more than $180,000 between 1992 and 2004.

The missing money from Jayhawk Bowling Supply, 355 N. Iowa, was discovered and reported to police in October. Police believe the 50-year-old suspect, who no longer works for the business, stole the money by improperly writing checks drawn on the business’s bank account.

Police have contacted the suspect, but so far no arrests have been made. Sgt. Dan Ward, a police spokesman, said the case possibly would be forwarded to Dist. Atty. Charles Branson’s office.

Health department

Web site provides illness updates

Douglas County residents can get updates online about how the West Nile virus and recreational water illnesses may be affecting the community.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department has a new Web site, www.kalhd.org/lhd/lawdoug, that will be continually updated. The site provides information about health concerns and seasonal illnesses.

It also features information about different programs offered by the department and hours of operation, local health officials said.

The new Web site is the result of a partnership between the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments and the Kansas University School of Medicine in Wichita.