Visit from Perry Ellis lights up Special Olympics basketball player's life

What a cool thing for Perry Ellis to do! Hope Sedgwick County has a Special Olympics team that young Tony plays for.

June 7, 2013 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Liberal group to hold mock funeral for Kansas to protest Brownback's tax measures

What will be interesting to see come November, 2014 is whether Kansas voters conduct not a mock funeral but an actual political one where a whole body of political thought ("conservative" Republicanism) gets cast away in favor of a return to more traditional Republican values and methods.

19 months to go. Buckle up for safety, amigos.

June 5, 2013 at 8:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Gun fears unfounded

Can't post a No Weapons sign unless security checkpoints are in place to enforce it? Listen to how ignorant that argument sounds, Mr. Mertz.

By that logic, the Kansas farmer who fails to outfit his land with an expensive combination of No Hunting signs, security cameras and 24/7 armed guards has no choice but to let all armed hunters enter onto his property anytime they wish.

If you respect the county and city public servants who work for you, a No Weapons sign posted at their buildings should be enough to motivate you to respect the owner's wishes. What on earth makes you think the general public should pay multi-thousands for security guards just because you can't take no for an answer?

June 5, 2013 at 8:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Editorial: In harm’s way

Maybe after the Oklahoma City-area fatalities some storm chasers will modify their strategy? Namely, break off a chase if the supercell approaches a large population metro area (where there's the everpresent threat of getting marooned in stalled traffic).

Instead of driving into a metro area just to stay a half step ahead of the tornado's path, bypass the metro area altogether. Drive out ahead of the supercell's path by relocating to a point beyond the metro confines. Visibility is better, airborne debris is less a worry and where escape routes are less crowded.

One of those judgment calls every storm chaser makes sooner or later.

June 5, 2013 at 8:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Gun fears unfounded

You'd think that anyone who passes the background check required to obtain a concealed carry permit is also a polite person, the type who respects the rights and wishes of property owners who prefer their property kept free of guns and knives.

This is basically what counties and cities are telling the Kansas legislature and CC permit holders: "We don't want ANYONE's guns and knives brought onto our county and municipal owned properties unless it's done by law enforcement people. Our employees feel more secure when firearms and other dangerous weapons are not getting carried into the public workplace. Permit holders are always welcome to come in; just don't bring in your weapons, please."

Now that's a pretty simple request; nothing hard to figure out.

For the state of Kansas to compel municipalities and county governments to allow firearms and knives on their property over the personal and official objections of staff and elected local representatives, such insistence by the state is both rude and arrogant. And I might add that CC permit holders who aggressively work to overwhelm this sensible objection by public servants are doing more harm than good in terms of furthering the acceptance of concealed carry.

Indeed, their insistence on bringing concealed weapons into buildings despite signs saying "No Weapons", and doing that simply because they hold a CC permit, is tantamount to hunters deliberately ignoring "No Hunting" signs posted by farmers and committing illegal trespass and poaching game animals simply because they're carrying a shotgun and have a valid Kansas hunting license.

June 5, 2013 at 7:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Voting power

Good Letter to the Editor.

May 27, 2013 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Vet responds

Dr. Willson and Operation Wildlife are both to be commended for educating the public on the danger of approaching, or improperly handling, animals that appear in need of rescue.

Once while paddling the Delaware River, I happened upon a great blue heron that had gotten one of its wings and a leg tangled in monofilament fishing line. A pitiful sight; I knew the bird was doomed unless that fishing line was cut free soon. So I maneuvered my canoe close, hoping for an opportunity to pin the bird. But the heron kept hopping ahead just beyond my reach; I couldn't grab it and finally left the scene feeling very disappointed that I'd been unable to help.

Relating this encounter to a wildlife volunteer later that same day, the volunteer told me how lucky I was not to have grabbed the bird. He told me about a wildlife volunteer in Florida who got killed after picking up an injured heron. The bird drew back its long neck, then with a lightning-quick stroke drove its long, sharp beak into the volunteer's neck like an Indian lance, puncturing the volunteer's carotid artery and killing the volunteer there on the spot. Same thing might have happened to me.

In another, similar local encounter, one winter day while paddling the Kaw River I happened across an adult bald eagle that was walking on the ground struggling in an obvious state of physical distress. Wounded or sick, I didn't know which. Our national bird: no way was I about to just let it die there. But due to the current speed at that particular spot, plus the almost vertical riverbank, I had no way to get out of my canoe, approach the eagle and throw my jacket over its head (which I'd seen done on TV as a way to calm birds of prey).

Relating this encounter days later to a federal wildlife biologist who is a bald eagle specialist, the biologist assured me how lucky I was for having been unable to reach the bird. A bald eagle, he told me, can drive home those 8 long talons with a force of over 200 lbs. pressure. If somehow the bird had grabbed hold of me...well, eagles don't let go until they're ready, and it could have been an hour or more before I was released. Meantime, the bird's talons could have punctured vital arteries, veins and nerves, not to mention what it could have done to me with its hooked beak.

Point being it's easy, it's an instinctive reaction, for us humans to be led by our feelings of compassion and concern into attempting direct physical contact with sick or injured wild animals. Happens all the time.

I was lucky twice, and I won't roll the dice again. Not because I don't care, but because I lack the protective gear and training to do such a high-risk task safely.

May 26, 2013 at 1:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Higher education officials say concealed carry on campus probably inevitable in the future

Why would a concealed carry permit holder feel the need to remain armed once he or she enters onto a state university campus? Our universities have long had in place some rather sophisticated security setups, plus they've got state-certified uniformed law enforcement officers on duty who openly carry firearms. Openly carry.

For the benefit of those who may have forgotten, an open carry law enforcement officer is legally pre-cleared to blow away with lethal gunfire violence, if necessary, any person or animal that is threatening to cause imminent death or serious bodily harm to a student, staff member or university grounds visitor?

When university security departments need help, they radio for it. And then lots more state-certified help shows up quick, fast and in a hurry.

Concealed carry on campus. Right. Okay, can we please now re-focus on the threat to university students soon to be done by the legislature having removed income taxation from the state's business owners, some of whom are multi-billionnaires?

May 15, 2013 at 11:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Crown auto dealership wins Lawrence business of the year award

Great to see Crown Toyota win this award. They deserve it. Their service department crew recently found and corrected an aggravating engine problem, a malfunction that was caused by haphazard maintenance work performed by an independent shop. Now my 10-year old paid-for truck runs like a factory new rollout, and if you think that's not a huge relief then you haven't looked at new vehicle sticker prices lately.

May 9, 2013 at 9:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Coach’s error

That tournament loss to Michigan was not Elijah Johnson's fault, or anybody else's fault. Every player we had on the floor that game missed a few shots, or a free throw, or committed a turnover, a foul, some mental mistake. Things like that happen every game to every player, yet still KU almost won that game.

A painful loss for us, to be sure. But consider: KU went deeper into the tournament than the other Big 12 conference teams. And KU got beat fair and square, in overtime, by a Michigan team that's playing for the championship Monday night. So the loss to Michigan wasn't one of those deals where KU got beat by a bunch of chumps who were just lucky enough to have a good night. Michigan's good.

I'm very grateful for the exciting wins this season. Many of those wins would never have happened if not for Elijah Johnson's excellent play. His coming here was a blessing to KU.

April 7, 2013 at 10:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )