LJWorld.com

Also from January 3

Audio clips

• Cole Aldrich talks about the Jayhawks holding on to their lead against Tennessee
• Guard Sherron Collins talks about the Jayhawks' toughness against Tennessee
• Junior Mario Little talks about playing in his first game at Allen Fieldhouse
• KU coach Bill Self

Births

• Amanda Hazel and Jeremie Boyd, Lawrence, a boy.
• Thongsy and Jack Pokphanh, Lawrence, a boy.
• Kory and Elizabeth Frank, Lawrence, a boy.
• Jared and Martha Flory, Baldwin City, a boy.

Couples

• Wedding: Rinck and Bartlow
• Wedding: Darting and Schulz
• Wedding: Pierron and York
• Engagement: Bell and White
• Anniversary: Hodge
• Anniversary: McPheeters

Obituaries

• John Walter Pozdro
• Rachel M. Crown, Baldwin City

On the street

• What was your most unique pet?

Photos

View all of this day's photos (60)

Photo galleries

Podcasts

• Press Conferences & Post-Game Interviews: KU junior Mario Little
• Press Conferences & Post-Game Interviews: KU guard Sherron Collins
• Press Conferences & Post-Game Interviews: KU center Cole Aldrich
• Press Conferences & Post-Game Interviews: KU coach Bill Self

Polls

Who should get the game ball after KU's 92-85 victory over Tennessee?

Poll results

Response	Percent
Sherron Collins		56%
The Allen Fieldhouse crowd		18%
Cole Aldrich		13%
Bill Self		6%
Jay Bilas		5%
Total	421

Who was KU's first-half MVP against Tennessee?

Poll results

Response	Percent
Sherron Collins		77%
Cole Aldrich		19%
Brady Morningstar		3%
Other		0%
Total	467

Which non-conference game are you more worried about?

Poll results

Response	Percent
KU vs. Tennessee		58%
KU at Michigan State		41%
Total	17

Would you consider taking Amtrak on a trip for business or pleasure in the next year?

Poll results

Response	Percent
Yes.		78%
No.		15%
Not sure.		6%
Total	1231

Videos

• KUSports.com online editor Jesse Newell & Journal-World sports editor Tom …

All stories

Israeli ground forces enter Gaza in escalation

By Ibrahim Barzak and Jason Keyser - Associated Press Writers

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A1

Israeli tanks and infantry entered Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a ground offensive that the military said would be a “lengthy operation” in a widening war on Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

FINAL: Collins’ 26 points, 9 assists lead KU to 92-85 win over No. 14 Tennessee

By Jesse Newell

11:44 a.m., January 3, 2009 Updated 08:24 p.m.

Cole Aldrich adds 22 points, 10 rebounds

Bombing at tribal lunch kills at least 23

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

An explosives-strapped man slipped into a luncheon gathering at a tribal leader’s home and blew himself up Friday, killing at least 23 people and wounding dozens.The attack in Youssifiyah, in the area once known as the Triangle of Death because of its extreme violence, came a day after the United States relinquished the lead on security to Iraqi forces throughout the country.

Military news

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D3

Caroline A. Williams graduated from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tenn., and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air National Guard.The six-week course prepares officer candidates for initial assignment as commissioned officers and for careers in the Air Force reserve components.

Crew fights off Somali pirates with water jets

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A3

Crewmen fired high-pressure water jets Friday to fight off heavily armed Somali pirates trying to board a Greek oil tanker in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, officials said. It was the fourth pirate attack of the new year.Armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, pirates in three speedboats twice tried to board the Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi but were driven away when the crew turned fire hoses on them and EU aircraft scrambled from a nearby European Union naval flotilla to help, shipping company and Greek government officials said.

Pump patrol

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B1

The Journal-World found gas prices as low as $1.44 at Wood Oil Co., 920 N. Second St.

Pearl radiates energy on court

By Gary Bedore

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

Bruce Pearl most likely will be decked out in a dapper black suit and orange tie for today’s Kansas-Tennessee nonconference basketball clash in Allen Fieldhouse.

People in the news

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D7

• John Travolta’s son, Jett, 16, dies• Will Smith voted top moneymaking star• Heather Locklear gets probation in DUI case• Charlie Rose mistakenly declares friend dead

U.S. parents want answers after milk scare

Adopted Chinese children showing symptoms potentially from tainted formula

By Deanna Martin - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A8

Beth Flanders was on her way to China to adopt her 17-month-old daughter in September when she received a warning from her adoption agency: An industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones had been found in Chinese baby formula, and parents should not feed it to their new children.

Muslims removed from flight receive apology from AirTran

By Brian Westley - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A4

AirTran Airways apologized Friday to nine Muslims kicked off a New Year’s Day flight to Florida after other passengers reported hearing a suspicious remark about airplane security. One of the passengers said the confusion started at Reagan National Airport just outside Washington, D.C., when he talked about the safest place to sit on an airplane.

Woman says dream saved her life

By Sue Nowicki - McClatchy Newspapers

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D8

When Anne Abruzzini of Turlock, Calif., had a dream in August 1997, she had no idea it would save her life. “I was dreaming, and I knew I was dreaming,” she said. “I was seeing this woman in medical clothing with brownish-blond hair. I was telling her I had a pain in my breast. I didn’t in real life, and I’m thinking, it’s silly of me to be dreaming this. At the same time, I thought, this woman doesn’t look anything like my girlfriends who are nurses, so why am I dreaming this?”

Democrats plan cool reception for Senate appointee

By Laurie Kellman - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A3

Senate Democratic leaders plan to grant few if any privileges next week to Roland Burris, the man picked by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to represent the state in the Senate, even if Burris arrives on Capitol Hill with the proper credentials.

KU 2008-09 scholarships and awards

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D5

Kansas University announces students who have been awarded academic scholarships for the 2008-2009 school year.

Saving embryos

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B6

To the editor: A recent letter about abortion elicited hundreds of comments at LJWorld.com. Several writers mentioned the practice of in-vitro fertilizations at fertility clinics that then destroy viable zygotes or store thousands of such fertilized eggs frozen.

2009 a big year for city’s schools

District has to find new superintendent, grapple with budget issues, athletic fields

By Lindsey Slater

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A1

The Lawrence school board has some big items to tackle in 2009. Members need to hire three top administrators, pay attention to the state budget and what it could mean locally, and oversee the progress of the new athletic fields at both high schools.

World’s oldest woman, 115, dies

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A8

A Portuguese woman who lived to see five of her great-great grandchildren born and was believed to have been the world’s oldest person died on Friday at the age of 115, officials said. Maria de Jesus died in an ambulance near the central Portuguese town of Tomar, town council officials said.

5 dead in KC car crashes in new year

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B3

Authorities say Kansas City has logged five traffic fatalities since the start of 2009. Police said a 23-year-old woman was killed and three other people were injured after a car crashed into a pickup truck at 5:30 a.m. Friday. One of the injured parties was reported in critical condition, while the driver of the truck escaped serious injury.

Tribute delayed

It took years, but anti-Hitler Germans are finally being honored as the heroes and heroines they were.

J-W Editorials

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B6

Germany had a low-profile group of World War II heroes and heroines that the populace originally treated as traitors. Eventually, however, citizens began to understand what these people did on their behalf, and now these patriots, though belatedly, are being honored and appreciated.

New ignition lock laws aim to foil drunken drivers

By Michael Tarm - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A4

Motorists convicted of driving drunk will have to install breath-monitoring gadgets in their cars under new laws taking effect in six states this week. The ignition interlocks prevent engines from starting until drivers blow into the alcohol detectors to prove they’re sober.

Obama team polishing stimulus measure

By Andrew Taylor - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A3

President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team is putting the finishing touches on an economic recovery plan that could run from $675 billion to $775 billion. Briefings for top congressional Democratic officials are likely this weekend or on Monday, a senior transition official said Friday.

GOP would block early try to seat Franken

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

A top Senate Republican said Friday his caucus would block any attempt to seat the winner of Minnesota’s close election until an anticipated court case is finished and an official election certificate is issued. Pending the counting of hundreds of unopened absentee ballots, Democrat Al Franken holds a 49-vote lead over incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, whose term expires at 11 a.m. today.

Losing superpower status could have a positive side

By Chris Ayres - Special to the Los Angeles Times

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B7

There has been much talk in the media about America’s threatened superpower status — a result of its near-fatal exposure to the Kryptonite of subprime mortgages, among other factors — and how the country will inevitably find itself going the way of that other once-undefeated political juggernaut, the dear old British Empire.

Supply route to Afghanistan reopened

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

Pakistan has reopened the main supply route for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan after blocking it for three days during an operation against militants blamed for repeated attacks on convoys in the Khyber Pass, an official said.

Thousands of shoes tie up freeway traffic

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

State troopers are looking for a charity to take thousands of shoes that were dumped on a Miami expressway, tying up rush hour traffic. Lt. Pat Santangelo says the Florida Highway Patrol received a call about the shoes Friday morning.

Corrections department ends men’s boot camp

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B8

The Kansas Department of Corrections says it has notified Labette County officials of its plans to stop operating the men’s boot camp in the county. Budget cuts prompted the move, which takes effect July 1. “This is one of the ways that we can reduce our budget,” said Bill Miskell, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Corrections. “We’re looking — for fiscal year 2010 — at reducing our budget in excess of $13 million.”

Delegation to hear resident feedback

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B1

Before the state’s legislative session gets under way, local politicians want to listen to their constituents. The Douglas County legislative delegation is having pre-session hearings from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Curriculum Conference room of the Lawrence school district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive. Area organizations have been invited to present their legislative agendas and issues at the hearing.

Foreign workers under stress as unemployment rises

Laid-off employees applying for temporary visas to stay in country while looking for new jobs

By Amy Taxin - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A7

For foreign professionals in the United States, the rising unemployment rate is especially daunting. Laid-off foreign workers are scrambling for temporary visas and seeking advice from immigration attorneys about how long they can legally stay in the country while hunting for jobs.

Anti-tax group chapter gets new director

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B2

The Kansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity is getting a new director. He is Derrick Sontag, of Topeka, who is leaving a similar job with the National Federation of Independent Business. Sontag starts Monday at AFP. He’ll replace Alan Cobb, who’s been promoted to national director of AFP’s state operations.

Authorities to speak on missing child case

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B1

Authorities in a south-central Kansas county will conduct a news conference Monday about the apparent disappearance of a boy nearly a decade ago. The news conference in Butler County comes after investigators found something Wednesday at the Pine Ridge mobile home park south of Towanda, where the boy once lived.

911 caller reports drunken driver: herself

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

Police get calls about drunken drivers all the time, but rarely do they come from the alleged offender. A 17-year-old girl in Bismarck called 911 on New Year’s Eve “to report herself driving under the influence,” police Lt. Randy Ziegler said. “I’ve never heard of such a thing happening, and neither has anyone here.” The girl told authorities her location shortly before midnight Wednesday and officers found her in a parked car near downtown, Ziegler said.

Survey: Recession to worsen in months ahead

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B4

The recession will worsen and unemployment rates will likely soar in nine Midwest and Plains states over the next few months, but a new survey of business leaders suggests the region may fare better than the nation as a whole.

Leader urges calm amid presidential revote

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A3

Ghana’s leader appealed for calm and urged his people to accept the results of a tight presidential election as voters in a single district cast ballots Friday that could decide the West African nation’s next president. The ruling party candidate, however, said the race was not over and his party would challenge the results in court.

It’s time for Cotton to move on

By Gil LeBreton - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C2

My favorite Cotton-Bowl-at-the-Cotton-Bowl memory? That’s easy. I didn’t even see it. Indeed, I was there on New Year’s Day, 1986, when the great Bo Jackson of Auburn turned a simple screen pass into a 73-yard touchdown for one of the Cotton Bowl classic’s most unforgettable plays. It proved to be the highlight of an otherwise one-sided 36-16 Texas A&M victory.

Be safe around eggs

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

Eggs can be found in 93 percent of American refrigerators. Follow these safety tips from the American Egg Board to enjoy economical eggs all year.

Blood donations slip during holidays

By Shaun Hittle

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B1

As people around the area celebrate the new year, probably one of the last things on their minds is donating blood. But the busyness surrounding this time of year creates an unintended consequence: low blood supplies for area blood banks. “People forget to donate blood over the holidays,” said Norma Dixon, communications manager for the Central Plains Region of the American Red Cross.

Utah trips Tribe, finishes unbeaten

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C5

Undefeated, and uninvited. Led by Brian Johnson and a swarming defense, No. 7 Utah completed its perfect season by upsetting fourth-ranked Alabama, 31-17, in the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. After piling up wins in the Mountain West Conference against a schedule deemed soft, the Utes (13-0) were left out of the BCS national championship game in favor of perennial powers Florida and Oklahoma, even though both have one loss.

Police fatally shoot armed history buff

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A7

A college student dressed in a vintage German military uniform who was fatally shot by police on New Year’s Day was a harmless, eccentric history buff, his family and friends said Friday. Miles Murphy, a University of Washington senior, was shot several times at his apartment early Thursday after police said he pointed a rifle affixed with a bayonet at officers and refused orders to drop the weapon.

Who’s this? Ala. hot line calls go to Calif. homes

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A7

There used to be a time when people who called Linda Jahraus’ home in Laguna Beach, Calif., were actually wanting to speak to her or her husband. But for the past several months, the majority of callers have been trying to reach an Alabama unemployment hot line. The call confusion has added to the frustrations of the state’s unemployed and has left at least two California households hoping for a little less ringing in the new year.

How to lighten your drinks

McClatchy Newspapers

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C8

Here are some tips for cutting the calories, carbohydrates and fat in alcoholic beverages:

Horoscopes

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D7

You open up to many new possibilities this year, especially involving real estate, your domestic life and your family. You will like what happens if you let go of a need to be controlling. If you are single, you certainly draw your share of admirers. If you are attached, a new gentleness emanates from you to your sweetie, infusing your bond.

Historians battle Wal-Mart over key Civil War site

By Steve Szkotak - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A4

Wal-Mart wants to build a Supercenter within a cannonshot of where Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant first fought, a proposal that has preservationists rallying to protect the key Civil War site. A who’s who of historians including filmmaker Ken Burns and Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough sent a letter last month to H. Lee Scott, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., urging the company to build somewhere farther from the Wilderness Battlefield.

Bankruptcies

January 3, 2009 in print edition on E1

Douglas County residents or businesses filing for bankruptcy protection during the week ended Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Kansas, according to court records.

Brady finding his role

By Tom Keegan

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

In both the Temple and Arizona games, Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self gave sophomore Brady Morningstar the most difficult defensive assignment and simplified it for him.

Gary Bedore’s KU basketball notebook

By Gary Bedore

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C3

Tennessee forward Wayne Chism, who was taken off the court on a stretcher after banging his head and back on the court after going up for a blocked shot in the Volunteers’ last game, practiced Friday and is expected to play today.

Israel must seek ‘total victory’

By Cal Thomas

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B6

Hamas, a group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, are the Nazis of modern times. Israel is right to pound military targets inside Gaza, but much of the violence Israel brought on itself by giving up land it had to know would be used to rain down death on its civilians. That is always the pattern.

Kansas lawmaker to push new bill on financial literacy

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B5

A Wichita legislator wants to make financial literacy a requirement for high school graduation in Kansas. Rep. Melody McCray-Miller, a Democrat, says she’s working on a proposal to make sure schools teach children about personal finance from kindergarten through the 12th grade. She says she worries about Americans’ increasing debt and their use of payday loans.

Great Bend officer charged with DUI

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B2

A Great Bend police officer is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after a one-vehicle crash while he was off duty. Police say 23-year-old officer Dustin Parker of Ellinwood was not hurt in the crash at 4 a.m. Wednesday. His passenger — 24-year-old Great Bend officer Beau Brough — suffered minor injuries and received hospital treatment.

KS taxes fall below expectations

By John Hanna - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B8

Kansas collected 7.2 percent less than anticipated in general tax revenues in December, a sign that its budget problems might not have hit bottom. “It’s obviously not looking good at all,” incoming Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jay Emler, a Lindsborg Republican, said Friday.

Guarding Green

Defending Lawrence star a daunting task

By Matt Tait

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

Through six games this season, Lawrence High senior Dorian Green has shown us — and lamenting opponents — the total package. He’s scored in transition, drained shots off the dribble and swished many of his spot-up and step-back opportunities.

Rare Bugatti supercar found in garage

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

It was the equivalent of finding an old Picasso or an unknown Beatles tape hidden away in your uncle’s attic. Relatives of Dr. Harold Carr found an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante — a Holy Grail for car collectors — as they were going through his belongings after his death.

Sri Lankan troops capture separatists’ de facto capital

By Ravi Nessman - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A8

Sri Lankan forces captured the Tamil Tigers’ de facto capital Friday, winning a major victory in a decades-long battle to destroy the ethnic separatists and crush their dream of establishing an independent state.The rebels, who still control 620 square miles of northeastern jungle — an area about the size of Los Angeles — swiftly sent the message they would fight on.

Game show gets in your head

By Kevin McDonough

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D7

Remember Joe Rogan? The former comedian/actor appeared on “NewsRadio” and then had his career upended by a stint on “Fear Factor” that lasted longer than anyone — including Rogan and the show’s producers — had any right to expect. He now hosts the new hidden-camera series “Game Show in My Head” (today, 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., CBS).

State governor contenders can’t transfer funds

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B3

Sen. Sam Brownback and Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh have served in elected office since the 1990s, but they can’t tap funds raised for previous races in running for governor in 2010. So they appear to be spending it ahead of time.

Fort Riley construction continues

By John Milburn - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B2

Army officials said last month that they are about halfway through a $1.7 billion construction boom that was started to handle the return of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley. About $500 million worth of those projects were related to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decisions to bring additional soldiers to Fort Riley, including the return of the 1st Infantry Division from Germany.

Student tapped as finalist for Air Force band seat

By Elvyn Jones

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B1

Katie McKeirnan said the voice of the clarinet explains her six-year love affair with the instrument. “I just love the sound,” she said. “It’s so versatile. You can go so low, but then you can go so high. It imitates the human voice so well. A lot of clarinet pieces are so operatic. It’s telling a story, almost like it could speak.”

2 killed when pickup hits cow, crashes

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B3

Two Hutchinson men are dead after the pickup truck they were in struck a cow and slammed into two trees in rural Reno County. Sheriff Randy Henderson said the crash occurred sometime between 6 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday on a road northwest of Hutchinson. Deputies say 21-year-old James Kennedy was driving the truck when it hit the cow, went out of control and crashed into the trees.

Conference play means March Madness on horizon

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C6

The start of a new year means a couple of big things as far as college basketball is concerned with conference play getting under way in earnest and the talk of who’s in and who’s out of the NCAA Tournament just around the calendar corner.

Some states consider taxing mileage instead of gasoline

By Ryan Kost - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A1

Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles.

Mississippi shocks Texas Tech, 47-34

The Associated Press

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C5

There were backflips across midfield, 50-yard dashes carrying oversized flags and a team-wide sprint to the student section. Ole Miss waited five years to feel this good and the Rebels were going to enjoy every second of it.

‘Black-and-white twins’ born to couple twice

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A3

A mixed-race British couple has defied the odds — twice — by producing two sets of twins in which one sibling appears to be black and the other white. Dean Durrant’s newborn daughter Miya has dark skin like him. Twin sister Leah has fair skin like her blue-eyed, red-haired mother, Alison Spooner.

Abstinence, education can go together

By Ellen Goodman

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B6

I hate to bring this up right now when the ink is barely dry on your New Year’s resolution. But if history is any guide, you are likely to fall off the assorted wagons to which you are currently lashed. I don’t say this to disparage your willpower. Hang onto that celery stick for dear life.

Trusting health: In God’s hands

By Sarah Henning

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

First things first: Tom Cruise is a Scientologist. At no time will he ever show up at Lawrence’s Christian Science Society at 1701 Mass. Nor do the folks who attend that church happen to wear white lab coats and play with beakers of foaming liquid at their weekly services. Christian Scientists are neither scientists by trade nor Scientologists.

Little might play today vs. Tennessee

By Gary Bedore

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

Mario Little does not want to red-shirt this season. “I came here to play,” said Little, last year’s top-ranked junior college player out of Chipola (Fla.) College.

Farmers paid to help prairie chickens

By Cheryl Wittenauer - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B4

Farmland owners in certain counties can give prairie chickens a boost while earning income in an unsettling economy. A new state-federal program will pay farmland owners in 11 Missouri counties to set aside land as habitat and nesting grounds for prairie chickens, which once roamed the state’s prairies in the hundreds of thousands.

Kentucky turns back E. Carolina

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C5

Ventrell Jenkins barreled his 285-pound frame 56 yards with the ball in his arm, but it would take some improvisation to reach the end zone and help Kentucky achieve history.

Faith Forum: What is a good resolution for people of faith?

By Randy Beeman & Peter Luckey

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C1

• Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t• Find ways to live for others, not yourself

Palestinians flee Gaza as U.N. warns of humanitarian crisis

By Aron Heller and Ibrahim Barzak - Associated Press Writers

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

Israel allowed several hundred Palestinians with foreign passports to flee Gaza on Friday, even as its warplanes bombed a mosque it said was used to store weapons and destroyed homes of more than a dozen Hamas operatives.

Club news

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D5

The Wednesday Afternoon Duplicate Bridge Club’s game of Dec. 17 was directed by Chris Lane. The North-South winners were Klee Zaricky and Betty Collier, first in A and B; Virginia Johnston and Virginia Seaver, second in A; Jean Khatib and Ann Thompson, third in A and second in B; and Chuck Hedges and Clarice Broz, fourth in A and third in B.

New state treasurer takes oath Monday

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B2

Dennis McKinney will be sworn in as state treasurer at 3 p.m. Monday. The ceremony will be at the Statehouse in the House chamber, where McKinney, a Greensburg Democrat, has served as House minority leader since January 2003. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed McKinney to replace Republican Lynn Jenkins, whose last day was Friday. Jenkins won the seat for the 2nd Congressional District in eastern Kansas.

Pittsburg school initiatives blend technology into classroom settings

By Andra Bryan - The Joplin Globe

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B5

When Pittsburg teacher Sherry Turnbull began her career in the late 1970s, she used a chalkboard to communicate concepts and facts to students, and they used handcrafted posters to communicate what they had learned.

Scouting news

January 3, 2009 in print edition on D3

Dominick Matthew Reiske, Lawrence, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He is a member of Boy Scout Troop 52 and Venture Crew 2691. Reiske will be recognized at a court of honor ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at St. John the Evangelist Church, 1234 Ky.

Library plans to collect sermons for inauguration

By Kamala Lane - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A5

Inauguration-week sermons would be videotaped to highlight Barack Obama’s rise to power in an unprecedented quest by the Library of Congress to capture this transfer of power for future generations. The folks at the library’s American Folklife Center are soliciting churches, synagogues, mosques and others for copies of sermons or passionate speeches that focus on the significance of the Jan. 20 inauguration of Obama as the country’s first black president.

Bush: Hamas attacks an ‘act of terror’

By Ben Feller - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A2

President George W. Bush on Friday branded the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel an “act of terror” and outlined his own condition for a cease-fire in Gaza, saying no peace deal would be acceptable without monitoring to halt the flow of smuggled weapons to terrorist groups.

Oil: from boom to bust

Kansas industry dealing with plunging prices

By Mike Belt

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A1

The black gold rush is over. After a tumultuous year that saw oil prices reach $140 per barrel before collapsing to the current $40 level, the Kansas oil industry is making adjustments. “I had always told people that probably the only thing that would bring the price down would be a global recession, and boy, did we get a global recession,” said Nick Powell, president and director of Colt Energy Inc., in Fairway.

Wall Street enjoys upbeat start to ’09

By Tim Paradis - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A3

Wall Street started 2009 with a big rally Friday as investors, brushing aside a disappointing report on manufacturing, sent the Dow Jones industrials up more than 250 points and to their first close above 9,000 in two months. All the major indexes shot up more than 6 percent for the week.

States eager for Obama transit plan

By Beth Fouhy - Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2009 in print edition on A5

President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to overhaul the nation’s roads, bridges and transit systems has local officials clamoring for their share of those federal dollars despite concerns that creating millions of jobs won’t deliver the intended jolt to the economy.

Car-train collision kills motorist in Olathe

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B2

A railroad spokesman says a motorist killed in a train collision in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe had parked on the tracks. Steve Forsberg of BNSF told KSHB-TV in Kansas City that a video camera mounted on the train appears to confirm the crews reports that the car backed into the path of the oncoming freight train. The crew blew the horn and applied the brakes but was unable to stop in time.

Colts’ Manning NFL MVP

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C2

Peyton Manning took a different approach to earning a record-tying third Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award.

On the record

January 3, 2009 in print edition on B2

Area law enforcement agencies made eight drunken-driving or alcohol-related arrests on New Year’s Eve or early in the morning on New Year’s Day, according to Douglas Count Jail Records. Lawrence police arrested five people on charges of operating a vehicle under the influence or driving while intoxicated. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper also made one DUI arrest early Thursday on Interstate 70.

Variety marks top Christian albums of 2008

By Rich Copley - McClatchy Newspapers

January 3, 2009 in print edition on C8

A few decades ago, Christian rock pioneer Steve Taylor penned a line that is exceedingly appropriate to faith-based pop: “If your music’s saying nothing, save it for the dentist’s chair.”