LJWorld.com

At what moment did you realize you wanted to become a journalist (videographer, meteorologist, sports reporter, etc.)? And if there wasn't a specific point in time, what was the motivating factor?
I knew when I was very young I wanted to be in television. I can remember watching the news with my parents and wanting to be just like the anchors on tv (even though they never waved back to me).

When you really want to relax and let your hair down in Lawrence, where do you go and what do you do?
Rick's Place -- I like the people, the laid back atmosphere and their adult beverages.

What comes to your mind as the most memorable local story you've covered?
The tornado -- I can still see it all so clearly in my mind. All the people in the streets trying to make sure everyone was okay, shocked at what had happened. On, a lighter note. The Free State High School 'No Provocative Dancing' Video. I laugh everytime I see the Firebird mascot 'dirty dancing.'

If you couldn't be a reporter, what occupation would you want to try?
A veterinarian, since I love animals. If that didn't work, I would like to work at Victoria's Secret.

Which two people do you admire most? One should be someone you know. The other, someone you've never met.
I know I can only choose one that I know, but I would have to say my parents. They are the strongest, most hard working people I know. The other would be Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one song to listen to and one book to read for the duration, what would they be?
If there was a song titled, 'Get Me Off This Island,' that would be the song. But if not, I would go with... 'By Your Side'-- by Sade. And my favorite book of all time.. 'Where The Wild Things Are'

If they were going to execute you tomorrow, rightly or wrongly, what would your last meal consist of?
Although I would be too scared to eat, I would have to go with my grandma's fried chicken, my aunt's baked macaroni and cheese, my mom's mashed potatoes and my nana's lasagna. And there is no way I am going to eat any vegetables or fruit.

Recent stories

Third-grader had talent for fiddling

Century School student dies in horseback riding accident

By Mike Belt & Sharita Hutton

March 25, 2004

A vacation trip to Central America turned into tragedy for an 8-year-old Eudora boy who died from injuries suffered in a horseback-riding accident.

Lawrence couple see gay marriage as civil rights issue

By Sharita Hutton

March 6, 2004

Should a proposed Kansas constitutional amendment banning gay marriage show up on the Nov. 2 ballot, Lawrence residents Michael Silverman and David Greenbaum are among those who won’t be voting for it. Silverman, a 32-year-old software engineer, and Greenbaum, a 33-year-old computer consultant, have tried every way they know to make their 10-year relationship a recognized marriage.

High school papers test freedoms

Sex issues put student journalists’ rights under the microscope

By Lindsay Hanson & Sharita Hutton

February 29, 2004

Nathan Lindsey and Sadie Callan know their Lawrence classmates have sex, talk about sex and think about sex. They also know a school board member can’t keep them from printing stories about sex in their student newspapers. And that’s just what they’re doing.

Board seeks more information on school calendar proposals

By Sharita Hutton

February 10, 2004

After hearing several calendar-change ideas Monday night from the Lawrence Education Assn., the Lawrence school board asked the group to gather more information on how such changes would save the district money.

Car pulled from river in Lawrence

By Sharita Hutton

January 23, 2004

(Updated Friday at 3:21 p.m.) A car pulled from the Kaw River early this morning likely was put there on purpose, according to workers who removed the vehicle. “There were signs that this was something that was done on purpose,” said Kevin Raash from TransMasters, a towing service in North Lawrence. “We got the call to remove the car from the river just after 8 this morning,” Raash said. The late-model, four-door Ford Mystique with Stafford County license plate SDW 206, was found almost completely submerged.

Yearbooks of yore raise revenue, fashion alarm for today’s young

By Sharita Hutton

January 23, 2004

Want to know what Lawrence schools Supt. Randy Weseman looked like with all his hair? Curious to see what Free State High School basketball coach Jack Schreiner looked like in the 1980s? Now you can.

District opens center for parent resources

By Sharita Hutton

January 14, 2004

Lawrence parents now have a place to go learn more about the No Child Left Behind Act, Adequate Yearly Progress Reports and even ways to help children with their homework.

Library shelves memorial to 9-11 victim

By Sharita Hutton

January 7, 2004

The memorial to a former Lawrence student who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was short-lived at the Lawrence Public Library.

Web site invites students around the nation to grade their teachers

By Sharita Hutton

December 4, 2003

It’s not just students earning grades anymore; now teachers also are subject to evaluation.

Shoppers hit stores for holiday bargains

Area residents join in annual gift pursuit

By Sharita Hutton

November 29, 2003

To say some got an early start on their holiday shopping Friday doesn’t quite do justice for die-hard bargain hunters like Tina Taspard. “I left at 5 this morning,” said Taspard, who was shopping mid-morning Friday at SuperTarget, 3201 Iowa. “I drove to Atchison, did a little shopping there before heading back here to Lawrence.”

Full story list