Blood center needs type O immediately

The Community Blood Center is putting out a call for type O blood donors to help replenish the supply of the universal donor type.

Several hospitals in the area have used a dramatically larger-than-normal supply for their patients during the past week. The demand has required the center to import more than 400 pints of blood from other areas, center officials said.

The increased demand comes at a time when the area’s type O blood supply was already at a one-day level because of a late and long-lasting flu season, officials said.

The Lawrence Community Blood Center is at 1410 Kasold Drive in the Orchards Corners Shopping Center.

ACLU chapter leader to be honored for work

The League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County will pay tribute to Mary Davidson Tuesday when she receives the Helen Fluker Open and Accessible Government Award.

The league confers the award annually to a county resident whose efforts have promoted improvement in government.

Davidson was nominated for her work with the Douglas County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which she helped to reactivate in 2002. During her tenure as the chapter president, Davidson helped organize several public forums on key civil liberties issues, such as the USA Patriot Act, citizens’ rights when stopped by the police and the Freedom of Information Act.

Under Davidson the local ACLU was the most active chapter in Kansas and Western Missouri and its membership doubled.

A dinner will be held in Davidson’s honor in the Smith Center at Brandon Woods, 4730 Brandon Woods Terrace. It will open at 6 p.m. and dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. Cost for the dinner is $12.

Reservations can be made by calling Rita Spradlin, 749-4107. Friday is the reservation deadline.