Snow expected tonight

A winter storm is headed toward Lawrence, bringing with it the area’s first chance this season to see a significant snowfall.

A winter storm watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for the Lawrence area and northeast Kansas starting tonight and continuing through Thursday morning.

Lawrence could see from 2 to 4 inches of snow by the time it ends Thursday, 6News forecaster Ross Janssen said. The exact path of the storm would determine snow amounts and that path was still uncertain Tuesday, he said.

Above, Dean Gore, an employee at Westlake Hardware, 711 W. 23rd St., pulled out snow removal products for customers in anticipation of tonight’s weather.

Even when the snow stops, temperatures will plunge into the single digits Thursday night, Janssen said.

Police: Authorities seek information in Baldwin district break-ins

Baldwin Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the vandals who last month broke into Baldwin High School and the Baldwin School District Office.

The vandalism is thought to have occurred sometime Dec. 30, according to police and Douglas County Sheriff’s officers. Schools were closed at the time for the holidays.

Vandals entered a shop building and other areas at the high school as well as Unified School District 348’s Administrative Office, police said.

Computers, desks, windows, interior walls and doors were damaged, police said. Total damage was estimated at more than $25,000.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Douglas County Crime Stoppers, 843-TIPS ( 8477). Callers remain anonymous, but a reward of up to $1,000 is possible for the arrest or conviction of the culprits.

Politics: Sebelius tops record for campaign spending

Topeka — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius spent a record $4.364 million in her election, according to the final campaign finance report for the election period.

Sebelius, a Democrat, defeated Republican Tim Shallenburger by 8 percentage points in the Nov. 5 election.

Shallenburger raised and spent approximately $2.37 million.

For the period from Oct. 25 through Dec. 31, Sebelius had $651,150 available to spend after raising $393,019 on top of a previous balance of $258,131.

She spent $583,971 mostly on television commercials and consultants. Prior to the final report, Sebelius had spent $3.78 million in her election effort.

Her total far exceeded the previous record of Republican Bill Graves, who spent $2.6 million in his 1998 re-election.

Crime: Police still searching for suspect in robbery

Lawrence Police and FBI agents continued their search Tuesday for the man who robbed Midwest Regional Credit Union.

Investigators were studying videotape from the financial institution’s security camera to try to identify the suspect, police said.

About 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, a man armed with a pistol and wearing a blue bandana over his face entered the credit union at Sixth and Maine streets, police said. He demanded money from at least one teller.

The suspect then left the building and fled to the south, witnesses said.

The robber, a white male in his early 20s, was wearing a stocking cap, gloves, jeans and a dark coat. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Douglas County Crime Stoppers, 843-TIPS (8477). Callers remain anonymous.