University Daily Kansan, October 18, 1983
Page 3
NEWS BRIEFS From Area Staff and Wire Reports
Gas company asks the KCC for $2.4 million rate hike
TOPEKA - A natural gas company serving southwest Kansas asked the Kansas Corporation Commission yesterday for a $2.4 million rate hike, partly to offset sales losses it blamed on the federal Payment-In-Kind program.
If granted, the rate hike requested by Peoples Natural Gas Co. would increase the average residential customer's bill by between $1.80 and $2.30 a month. KCC spokesman Tom Taylor said.
The KCC, which regulates utility rates, began hearings yesterday on the proposal that would affect 33,100 customers in southwest and south capital cities.
Frank Rathbun, manager of rates, said that Peoples had lost at least $225,000 in irrigation sales volume this year because of the PIK program, which encourages farmers to keep part of their crop acreage idle to help diminish grain surpluses. Natural gas is used widely as fuel for irrigation systems.
KC police capture convicted rapist
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police yesterday captured a convicted rapist who had escaped from a Kansas correctional institution in a house where he had gone to buy a gun to "take care of unfunished business."
Daniel Wood, 22, was captured in the home of a friend about 7:10 p.m.
Almost 10 hours after he escaped from the Kansas Reception and
involvement unit.
Wood was convicted of a series of crimes that began Dec. 9, 1982, including the theft of a car in Kansas City, Mo., the shooting of a police detective who pursued him across the state line and the rape and sodomy of a Merriam woman in her apartment.
Kansas City police surrounded the home last night after receiving a telephone tip, said Detective Steve Kramer, who captured Wood.
Group to study Lawrence economy
The Lawrence Economic Task Force yesterday made plans to research 11 issues that concern economic development in the city.
City Commissioner Mike Amyx, chairman of the task force, said that the group would put together a file on Lawrence economic development. The task force will then present four or five suggestions to the City管理局 how the commission can improve the Lawrence business climate.
As part of the research, City Manager Buford Watson and Gary Toebben, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, will make a presentation about what the city does to encourage new business to move to Lawrence.
ddder task force members will investigate vocational education, high-technology job opportunities, marketing, the city's labor force, financial tools, industrial parks, service industries and reasons why the city might be inhibiting economic development.
The next task force meeting will be on Nov. 21.
KU prof wins broadcasting award
A University of Kansas journalism professor has won second place in a national broadcasting competition for a 1982 broadcast of his
Gaucer M. Pickett, professor of journalism, and Beth Meyers, engineer for the show, won second place in the Edwin H. "Major" Armstrong Awards competition in the educational radio category, said Alan Berman. KANI director of development.
The awards, which are determined annually by the school of journalism at Columbia University in New York City, were made Friday night in New York. The Canadian Broadcasting System won first place in the category.
Pickett won a George Foster Peabody Award in 1973 for his show, which has been on the air for 10 years. KANU has won two previous Armstrong Awards, in 1971 and 1974, for excellence in music programming
The episode of Pickett's show that won the Armstrong Award was entitled "The Great Age of the Radio Commentator." The weekly show can be heard on KANU at 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
ON THE RECORD
ABOUT $350 WORTH of sweaters, jeans and other clothes were stolen sometime between 6 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday from the Gamma Phi Beta sorority in the 1300 block of West Campus Road, police said. The clothes were stolen from closets in the sorority. There are no suspects, police said.
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Do you have a news tip, sports tip or photo idea? Call the Kansan news desk at (913) 484-480
The number for the Kansan Advertising Office is (913) 864-4358
GAME TOKENS
Bring in this coupon
Expires Fri. Oct. 21
$5.00
No other coupons accepted with these offers.
50
for
THE
Committee urges city to delay decision on downtown plans
The Lawrence City Commission is moving too quickly in deciding between two plans for downtown redevelopment, the Downtown Improvement Committee said yesterday.
By JOHN HOOGESTEGER Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
The City Commission has set today as its deadline for selecting one of two
A second redevelopment plan was unveiled 12 days ago. In light of the second plan, the DIC yesterday told members of the City Commission that they should take more time in evidence with proposals before making a decision.
PETE WHITENIGHT, president of the DIC, said the main problem that the City Commission faces at its meeting tonight is reconciling the problem of taking past downtown planning into consideration when coming to a decision. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. on streets, Sixth and Massachusetts Hall.
Although they took no action, members of the DIC told the four commissioners that not enough information was available on the newest downtown plan, submitted by Town Center Venture Corp. of Lawrence.
If the commission chooses a developer tonight, it will essentially be picking both a site and a plan at the same time. Generally, redevelopment is picked first; a site is picked, then a developer is chosen, and finally a plan is developed.
Sizer Realty Co. Inc., Kenner, La. was the official developer of record for five months earlier this year. Now the owners' center are both under consideration.
The DIC worked with Sizeler to develop its plan, which calls for a shopping center in the 700 and 800 blocks downtown, east The plan would require rebuilding New Hampshire Street to the east.
THE TOWN CENTER plan proposes to build a retail shopping center in the 600 block downtown, between Vermont Street and the alley east of Massachusetts.
Need a haircut at
a good price?
Just-a-Cut $9
No. Appl.
Nov.
842 1798
925 Iowa
Hairport
setts Street. The mail would block Massachusetts street and reroute traffic onto Vermont and New Hampshire streets.
THE CASTLE TEA ROOM
The committee raised several questions about the plan, including questions on the ability of Town Center to finance the project.
The members of Town Center, including project coordinator Duane Schwanda, have shown individual financial information to City Manager Peter Curran. We have not provided any details on the financing for Town Center Venture Corp.
Watson said that the members of Town Center had shown him more net worth than Sizeler had. However, the figures are not comparable because providing company financial statements rather than personal statements.
The City Commission could agree to enter into a contract with Town Center at a given time provided that the city's requirements in that time.
COMMISSIONER NANCY SHONTZ, the only commissioner who has opposed selecting the Town Center plan, said that if the commission picked a plan tonight, Sizerel would not necessarily be ruled out.
Mayor David Longhurst said he was not reluctant to enter into that type of agreement with Town Center. Longhurst supports development in the 600 block, but said he didn't want the commission to take action unless the commissioners were comfortable with the decision.
phone. 843-1151
Wittenight said he thought that the last collection was the last gasp for downstairs.
"I'll either go now or die," he said.
"You would have a terrible time finding
awful."
THE DIC IS still on record supporting Sizerel's Scheme 4, which was accepted by the city in March. The committee has also shown general support for Option 3, which is a city variation on Scheme 4.
Selling something?
Place a want ad.
Call 864-4358.
The committee declined to make any recommendation about the Town Center proposal because not enough information was available.
COMMONWEALTH THEATRES
Computerark
HILLCREST 1
V7TH AND IOWA
TELEPHONE B42-B400
Eve, 7:35-9:25
Mat, 2:15 Sat.-Sun.
WOODY ALLEN  MIA FARROW
Remarkable WORLD
Zelig
Davis, Mati 21:50 Sat-Sun
Mat, 21:50 Sun
400 years of training in the art
of suburban death
unfashioned on
20th century America
HILLCREST 2
ST. AND JONES
TELEPHONE 814-8400
KNOOWLEDE EDUCATION
COMMODORE EPSON MORROW DESIGNS
VICIOR 900X OKTAKA
23 & 50 Lacoste MAKRO Shop Checking Center: 841-0094
HISTORY 3
Java, 1942. A Test of the Human Spirit
DRIVID MERRY CHRISTMAS,
BOSS, 2018
Eat - 7-24, 7-25, 7-26, 21R
HILLCREST 3 9TH AND 10TH AVE. FALLERDALE MARKET
CINEMA 1 3197 AND IOWA TELEPHONE 842-7560
MARY STEENBURGEN DUDLEY MOORE
ROMANTIC COMEDY!
Eye. 7:35-9:35
Mat. 2:00 Sat.-Sun.
The 'night star action stars one big chic
a bumpy humor and flirtation in THE
BIG CHILL
Pete Cohen • Press Magazine
BIG CHILL
9:30 PM • Sun. 8:00 PM • Mon. 7:30 PM
Testimony of police officer to be heard in murder trial
By MICHAEL PAUL Staff Reporter
A police officer who found the body of 94-year-old Harry Puckett will testify today in the first-degree trial of James Chadwick Fourhour.
The trial began yesterday in Douglas County District Court and will continue today at 9 a.m.
During opening arguments, Douglas County District Attorney Jerry Harper told the jury of five men and seven women that officer Susan Hadl would testify that Puckett's blood-stained body was in the southeast corner of the room of his home at 1109 Delaware St.
Puckett was killed earlier late June 24 or early June 25, according to the complaint filed by the district attorney's office.
STANTON HAZLET, Fourthborn his appointed attorney, said during opening arguments that Hadl would also testify that blood was found up to 15 feet away from the body. Hazlet contended that whoever Puckett also would probably have gotten blood on his clothing.
But Hazlett said tests run by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on the clothes confiscated from Fourth Street were the investigation were inconclusive.
Hazlett also said that a plywood board found near Puckett's body was the most crucial piece of evidence in the case. He said two footprints were found on the board. A KBI analyst will be called to
testify about the foot impressions, Hazlett said, and will testify that Fourhon's shoes did not make those impressions.
Harper agreed during his opening arguments that tests run by the KBI on evidence seized from the scene of the murder were inconclusive. But he said the testimony of two Lawrence residents, Danny Jennings and Mark Evilisor, would be conclusive.
HE SAID THEY would testify that Fourcheen came to a park on June 24 and proposed "to rob a man in the house with no water or electricity" Puckett, Harper said, had lived in a home with no water or electricity.
Harpar said that Jennings would testify that he accompanied Fourhour to Puckett's home and saw him enter the home. Jennings, a juvenile, had been granted immunity to testify in the trial.
Hazlett told the jury to consider the "substantial concessions" by the state for Jennings' testimony when he was treated in testimony during the trial.
Richard Stanxin, Lawrence police chief, said that he was called to the Puckett residence at about 5 p.m. June 25. He said he did not enter the house but said the house was cluttered with debris, which would make the search for evidence more difficult than in other investigations.
Fourhour, 27, 824 Arkansas St., has also been charged with aggravated burglary. He was arrested at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1 to both charges. He has been held in Douglas County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.
NATIONAL TOURING COMPANY
Friday, October 28
Kansas Union Ballroom
8:00 p.m.
$4.00 Students with K.U. I.D.
$5.00 General Public
Tickets available at SUA Office