Tomorrow's weather
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
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KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS 66601-3585
ansan
Warming up with mostly sunny skies.
Visit the official homepage of Kansas City Wizards' star Mo Johnston. It was featured in a Scottish paper last semester.
Online today
Tuesday
March 31,1998
Section:
A
Vol. 108 • No. 127
Sports today
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Stadium/1028/index.html
The Kentucky Wildcats captured their second NCAA Championship in three years by beating Utah 78-69 last night in San Antonio.
SEE PAGE 1B
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A towing-company employee tows a vehicle after the company received a complaint from the University of Kansas parking department. Kansas law allows towing companies to enter a vehicle to tow it, and the department takes an inventory of items in the vehicles. Photo by Eileen Bakri/ KANSAN
Towing leads to knowing
Kansas law allows companies to enter cars, take inventory
By Tamara Miller
Kansan staff writer
Susannah Rathbone is familiar with towing procedures in Kansas. She understands that if she parks her car illegally, she will have to pay a parking ticket and about $60 to get her car back.
However, Rathbone, Wichita freshman, said she does not understand why the towing company could unlock and get inside her car.
"I think that is private property," she said.
"If they can't tow it the way it is, they shouldn't tow it."
Don Kearns, parking department director,
said a towing company had the legal right
to use whatever means necessary to move an ilegally parked vehicle.
The University parking department
uses Quality Towing, 1146 Haskell Ave., when cars need to be towed, Keauns said.
Kenny Mather, Quality Towing owner,
said his company sometimes must get inside a vehicle to tow it. For example,
the vehicle may need to be shifted into neutral and rolled before it would be possible to secure the vehicle to the tow truck.
"When the vehicle is in our possession, we are contracted to do whatever it takes to move the vehicle," Mather said.
A parking department employee accompanies Quality Towing whenever a car is towed from University property, Mather said.
The parking department makes an inventory list of all possessions inside the vehicle.
Both the parking department and the towing company may report any items inside the car to the police, such as stolen parking permits or drug paraphenelia, Mather said.
"Parking is the area we rely upon to do
he said.
If suspicious items are reported to the police, the police place the car on hold, and the owner must contact the police before getting the vehicle from the towing company, said Sgt. Chris Keary of the KU Public Safety Office.
The police then ask the owner for consent to search the car. If the owner does not give consent, the police may apply for a search warrant, he said.
"If anyone calls us, we will investigate," he said.
Keary said a high number of stolen permits had been reported this semester during tows.
Keary said an inventory was taken during every tow. If the car is locked, a visual inventory is taken from outside the car. However, if the car is unlocked, an inventory can be taken from inside the car, he said.
Michele Kessler, associate director of Legal Services for Students, said this was legal because an inventory protects both the vehicle owner and the towing company if anything is stolen from the car.
"As far as privacy goes, cars don't rise to the level of your home," she said.
Attending event pays for some employees
Spring celebration allows short shifts KU worker says
The end-of-the-year University employees' outdoor festival is a celebration for some but an injustice for others.
By Melissa Ngo
mngo@kansas.com
Kansas staff writer
"MayFest began as an event to recognize the hard work that the University employees do," said Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, MayFest committee member.
However, Scott Getter, custodial supervisor, said the event led to the administration discriminating against some employees.
Getter said some offices closed early last year so employees could attend the event, and the employees still were paid for a
"I come to work at 5 a.m. and leave at 1:30 p.m., and I have to work the full eight hours," Getter said. "The second shift regularly begins at 5:30 p.m., but they didn't have to start work until 7 p.m., when MayFest ended, and they were still paid for eight hours of work."
Barbara McCain, MayFest committee chair, said the situation was a concern for the committee this year.
full workday.
Getter said he went to the provost and asked him to fix the problem but was unsuccessful.
"We have no solution on how to resolve this," McCain said. "There is no rule or official policy that says employees can be paid for any time they attend MayFest if it doesn't fall into their regular work day."
"This is textbook discrimination, affording one group a benefit not given to others." Getter said. "A group of employees was cheated."
Scott Getter
"This is textbook discrimination, affording one group a benefit not given to others. A group of employees was cheated."
McCain said some offices again would close early this year and that employees who chose not to work to attend the festival still would be paid for a full day's work.
The second-annual MayFest will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. May 5. The event is free and open to all employees of the University and their families.
custodial supervisor
MayFest
About 1,500 people attended last year's MayFest, and the committee expects 2,000 attend this year, Gronch贝-Teedsco said.
The event is paid for by dona-
MayFest will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. May 5.
Events include arts-and-craft dis plays, volleyball and a home run batting contest.
Registration deadline is today.
When: The second-annual
to 7 p.m. May 5.
Registration deadline is today.
For more information, visit the MayFest web page at
http://www.ukans.edu/~may fest
The event is free and open to all employees of the University and their families.
tions and money from the provost's office, Gronbeck- Tedesco said.
Events include arts-and-craft displays, volleyball and a home-run batting contest.
The registration deadline is today. For more information, visit the MayFest web page at http://www.ukans.edu/~may fest.
Severe weather
Erin Gibson, Wichita freshman, seeks shelter from the rain under the awning in front of Wescoe Hall. Gibson was waiting for a class yesterday. University of Kansas students can expect cloudy skies and a chance for showers again today. Photo by Roger Nomer/KANSAN
msheforgen@kansan.com
Forecasters warn of severe weather
Bv Marc Sheforgen
Kansan staff writer
Forty-eight twisters touched down in the sunflower state last year.
Remember that story about Dorothy and Toto? Well, we are in Kansas, and it is tornado season.
Yesterday, tornado watches and severe storm warnings were issued for much of northeast Kansas, and more severe weather could come later this week.
So know the drills, have the rain gear ready and, above all, pay attention.
Walter Geiger, a Lawrence senior who works at the University of Kansas' Weather Service Lab, said that with today's technology, people could avoid danger if they paid attention to the warnings.
"A lot of people don't get interested in the weather until something happens to them," he said. "People who are paranoid usually had a bad run-in with weather."
Gelger said severe-weather-
in the case of tornadoes, the National Weather Service now can warn residents eight to 15 minutes before a twister might hit their area.
related deaths had decreased significantly in the last 30 years because of advancements in warning systems.
The National Weather Service said that its goal was to inform people as early as possible about threatening conditions.
a severe weather watch means something could happen. A warning means take precautions now.
In the event of a tornado warning, take shelter in the northeast corner of a basement because tornadoes generally approach from the southwest.
The National Weather Service and the lab suggest these precautions during severe weather:
If caught in a vehicle and unable to get to shelter, lie in a ditch and cover your head.
For up to the minute weather information, students can call the Weather Service Lab at 864-4329.
Forecast:
Warming up with
sunny skies.
Forecast:
Still warmer, but expect another rainy day.
夏 10
Forecast:
Periods of clouds and sunshine throughout the day.