Phone line falls on school bus; retailers receive training on alcohol sales; several domestic violence incidents reported

Emergency workers respond to report of downed phone line on top of Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence bus. Photo by Mike Yoder.

The police scanner got me good yesterday when around 4:13 p.m. I heard:

“Report of a downed power line on top of a school bus. 1300 block of Maple Lane.”

Fearing the worst, I ran to my car and made it to the scene.

But then I was confused – and relieved – when I arrived. A firetruck and police vehicle were there with a Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence bus in the middle of the street. There was no downed power line in sight.

Turns out, it was actually a telephone line, weighed down by tree limbs, that had fallen on top of the bus.

Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence’s marketing and communications director Alissa Bauer said that the bus driver kept the kids safe by following protocol. He called dispatch to report the incident and kept the children on the bus as he waited for the line to be removed.

It seemed to be pretty exciting for the kids inside the big blue bus. Dozens of tiny hands waved at me through the windows.

Emergency workers were there fast; Lawrence Police Capt. Anthony Brixius told me when I arrived that the line was removed even before he got there. Shortly thereafter, the bus was back on its way. No one was injured in the incident.

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The Lawrence Police Department and the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Alcohol Beverage Control Division on Sunday coached 114 people from local bars, restaurants and liquor stores on lawful alcohol serving practices, Lawrence police spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley said.

Attendees of the eighth annual, free two-hour workshop for Lawrence alcohol retailers learned proactive training on what they can do to reduce alcohol violations at their establishments, McKinley said.

The training included education on ABC regulations and updates, fake IDs, occupancy and fire codes, enforcement procedures, server training and statutes and local ordinances.

This type of training sounds like it will really benefit those who attended. Since the 2014-2015 school year began, I have noticed law enforcement stepping up the number of bar checks. Just this past weekend, there were 26 alcohol complaints and 29 bar checks recorded on the 911 call log.
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Unfortunately, there were several domestic violence incidents Monday and Tuesday. Just one, however, led to an arrest. But before I give a brief rundown, I like to remind you that if you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, reach out for help. The Willow Domestic Violence Center in Lawrence has a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-770-3030 or (785) 843-3333.

Tuesday, 3:05 a.m.

A woman calls police to report that someone she has a domestic relationship with (i.e. significant other, family member, roommate, etc.) had “punched her in the face several times, causing her to fall to the ground,” held her down and threatened her with a knife, McKinley said.

The woman claimed the incident happened after she arrived home and found the person with several people. An argument ensued over whether to have the people leave the home, and it allegedly escalated to the violence, McKinley said.

But when officers arrived, they did not find that the victim had any visible signs of physical injury, nor did witness statements corroborate the woman’s claims, McKinley said. The officers did not make an arrest.
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Tuesday, 1:40 a.m.

Someone calls 911 saying that a woman told her to contact police because she had been beaten up in a domestic dispute, McKinley said. When officers arrive, they find several people at the home, including the caller, and talk to them.

McKinley said that police found some signs that that disturbance might have occurred, but they couldn’t find the victim in or around the home. The individuals in the home claimed that they had not seen any sort of physical altercation.

No arrests were made.
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Monday, 9:44 p.m.

A man and woman in a domestic relationship are drinking alcohol at home when they begin arguing, McKinley said. The man allegedly gets upset and leaves the residence.

The woman follows him and allegedly “struck him several times as he was leaving,” McKinley said. Police were called and found that the man did show signs of minor injuries.

Officers talk to the woman, who denied anything occurred beyond a verbal argument. She’s arrested on suspicion of domestic battery.
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And now for our regular roundup of police calls. As always, I’ll remind you that this is a list of noteworthy calls I pulled from the Lawrence Police Department call log. Not all calls yielded police reports, and many may have gone unsubstantiated. The list is meant to give you an idea of what kinds of calls police are responding to within a given time period.

This list is a collection of calls that police responded to between Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Violence

• Disturbance (verbal or physical arguments): 3

• (10-97) Domestic disturbance: 2

• Criminal threat: 2

Traffic

• (10-47) Noninjury accident: 9

Medical

• Medical: 4

• Alcohol poisoning: 1

Miscellaneous

• Indecent exposure: 1

• Suspicious activity: 5

• Prowler: 1

• Noise or Nuisance: 3

Drugs

• Drug Activity: 2

Welfare

• Child welfare check: 1

• Adult welfare check: 6

• Animal welfare: 5

• Missing adult: 1

• Runaway: 1

• Kidnapping: 1

Property crimes

• Shoptlifting: 2

• Stolen vehicle: 2

• Trespassing: 3

• Theft: 4