Former sheriff takes job with D.A.R.E.

Topeka — Former Douglas County Sheriff Rick Trapp is the new statewide coordinator of the Kansas Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program.

Trapp was appointed to the position Tuesday by Kansas Atty. Gen. Phill Kline. He will work in Kline’s office.

“During his three decades of service in law enforcement, Rick has seen firsthand the devastation caused by drug abuse and the importance of drug prevention education,” Kline said.

Trapp served one term as sheriff and decided not to seek re-election. He left office in January. Prior to becoming sheriff, he worked nearly 16 years as deputy Douglas County district attorney and was director of special prosecutions. He also worked as a special agent and legal adviser with the FBI.

City of Lawrence

Plastic bags forbidden for yard waste disposal

People still tossing grass and leaves into plastic bags for the city of Lawrence’s Solid Waste Division to collect on Mondays need to stop.

According to a city ordinance, yard waste only will be accepted if it is in trash cans, carts or compostable yard waste bags, which are available at area grocery, hardware and garden stores.

Eliminating plastic bags means increased efficiency in collecting yard waste, improved safety for workers and a decrease of plastic contaminating the community compost, according to city officials.

Citywide yard trimming collection is on Monday mornings from March through Dec. 19 this year. People should set grass, leaves and other small yard trimmings out by 6 a.m. There will be no pick-ups on Memorial Day, July 4, Aug. 1 or Labor Day.

For more information about yard trimming pick-ups, go online to www.lawrencerecycles.org/ lawnnews.shtml.

Kansas University

Chancellor to chat at www.ljworld.com

Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway will take questions in an online chat this afternoon on the Journal-World’s Web site.

That chat begins at 2 p.m. at ljworld.com. Readers may submit questions early, log on and participate live during the chat or read the transcript later.

Lawrence schools

District to discuss teacher salaries today

Lawrence teachers are expected to respond late this afternoon to the school board’s recent offer to guarantee a “step increase” in pay for the current and 2005-06 school years.

The increase would be based on experience and/or postgraduate hours of education.

To pay for the increase, board members promised to carve the needed $1 million from the district’s 2005-06 budget.

Teachers and board members have agreed not to discuss their offers and counteroffers outside formal negotiation meetings.

Today’s 90-minute session begins at 4:30 p.m. in the district’s central office, 110 McDonald Drive. It’s open to the public.

LHS to open film fest

Lawrence High School is host to a two-day film festival that begins today.

The film festival, called Focus, will feature films in several categories from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the LHS cafeteria, 1901 La. Those categories include documentary, experimental, music video, drama, comedy, advertising and school promotion.

Awards will be presented at a ceremony from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, which will include a viewing of the winning films.

Tree knocks out power

A tree fell on a power line Tuesday evening, cutting off electricity to several blocks in the Holcom Park area of southern Lawrence, according to Westar Energy officials.

About 1,000 customers were without power for about an hour, a utility spokesman said.

The outage occurred when a tree fell while someone was doing yard work, a spokesman said.