Liberal

Fatal fire blamed on propane leak

A propane leak helped cause a fatal fire at a home in rural Seward County, a fire official said, but it’s unclear what ignited the gas.

Samantha Alvarez, 15, of Guymon, Okla., was killed in the June 23 blaze at the north-central Seward County home of her stepfather’s family.

Alvarez’s stepfather, Leland Lambert, his wife, Natalie Lambert, and the couple’s two children suffered minor injuries, according to Seward County Fire Chief Mike Rice.

The fire happened a day after a new gas line was installed, Rice said, but it’s unclear whether that work contributed to the blaze.

The leak was apparently along the pre-existing line, he said, and propane accumulated in a crawl space in the home.

The fire destroyed the house.

“It blew the walls out of the house, and what was left of the house (and) the foundation was fully involved in fire,” Rice said.

Baldwin

KDOT sets open house on U.S. 59 project

The Kansas Department of Transportation will hold an open house about the U.S. Highway 59 improvement project from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 7 at Baldwin High School, 415 N. Eisenhower.

Information will be displayed showing details of the selected alignment for the project to improve the highway from Ottawa north to the Franklin-Douglas county line.

KDOT has been working on a plan to turn an 18-mile stretch of the road between Lawrence and Ottawa into a four-lane freeway 300 feet east of the current highway. The project will be put out to bid in 2007.

KDOT staff and representatives from the consulting engineers will be available at the open house to answer questions from the public, listen to comments and discuss various aspects of the project.

No formal presentation is planned, and visitors are welcome any time during the two-hour event.