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Kursten Phelps or Leila
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 7,2001
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 51 VOLUME 112
City approves contract for fire station near campus
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
Several fire alarms have forced Grant Burchfield, McCollum Hall resident, outside this semester.
Because Burchfield, Des Moines, Iowa, freshman, has to wait outside anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, he said he was glad to hear the city was going to build a fire station near his hall at the intersection of 21st and Iowa streets.
"It would help reduce the time it takes them to get here," Burchfield said.
The closest fire station to the University of Kansas is station No. 1 at 746 Kentucky St.
746 Kentucky State Fire codes state that fire trucks need to arrive at the scene of 90 percent of calls within four minutes driving time, said Fire and Medical Chief Jim McSwain.
That isn't always possible because of the growth of Lawrence since 1982 when the last fire station was built, he said. A relocated station No. 2 is under construction on Harper Street.
McSwain said the city studied the growth of Lawrence in 1994 and began a comprehensive plan to relocate and build new fire stations
A station at a central location, such as 21st and Iowa streets, would give the city and University faster service. McSwain said.
In 1995, the city and the Kansas University Endowment Association began working on a plan in which the city would lease 2.25 acres of land from the Endowment Association to build the new station.
The city will have a 25-year lease with the option of renewing for another 25 years, said John Scarffe, director of communications for the association.
association The city will pay $1 a year for use of the land, which will go into a fund. Scarfie said.
Last night, the city commission approved the contract and construction on the new station is expected to begin in 2004, McSwain said, once the construction and relocation of fire station No. 2 was complete. Its new location will be on Harper Street instead of Haskell Avenue.
instead to Pressure.
The new station No. 5 will house the hook and ladder truck, now at station No.1, and the hazardous materials unit, now at station No.4, 2819 Stonebarn Terrace, McMewain said.
The station should be completed by 2005 and will have a staff of 12 firefighters.
"It's just really good for all of us," Scarffe said.
Contact Craigmile at 864-4810
Crash leads to prison time
Lawrence resident given 71-month sentence for February accident that killed KU student
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
Brandon Gentry, the man who pleaded guilty to killing Shyra McGee in a February car accident, was sentenced yesterday to 71 months in prison.
Judge Jack Murphy sentenced the 30-year-old Lawrence resident on one count of involuntary manslaughter; two counts of aggravated battery; one count of driving under the influence, second offense;
one count of speeding; and one count of failure to obey a traffic signal.
All five sentences will be served at the same time. Gentry will also have to pay $540 in fines for the DUI and two traffic offenses.
"This isn't about vengeance; this is about justice," said Assistant District Attorney Dave Zabel, speaking on
Shyra McGee
Zabel, speaking on behalf of the family. At yesterday's hearing, McGee's mother and husband addressed the court and Gentry's family.
id Genry's family.
"I'm going to continue to pray for you
Mr. Gentry," said John McGee, Shyra's husband. "I'm going to forgive you, but I will never forget you because I have reminders. My wife is gone."
Carol Martin. McGee's mother, said she forgive Gentry and asked his family to stick with him through this difficult time.
suck with him through it.
"Brandon needs you now. Be there.
Talk to him. Do it because you can,
because he's there," she said.
On Feb. 4, 2001, McGee was a passenger in a 1989 Honda Accord her husband was driving. Amber Sellers, Wichita junior, was in the back seat. After stopping at a traffic light on Monterey Way, her husband began to cross Sixth Street when the light turned green.
the night turned green. A 1992 Ford Explorer, driven by Gentry, struck McGee's car on the passenger side.
Gentry's blood-alcohol level was .28; the legal level in Kansas is .08.
It was his second accident while driving under the influence. The first was in 1997. No one was injured, and he was given probation.
In 1992, Gentry was convicted on charges of cultivating marijuana and received treatment as part of his sentencing.
The state of Kansas has sentencing guidelines that consider the nature of the offense and the defendant's criminal history in passing a sentence.
tory passing On Monday, Gentry's attorney Jim Rumsey asked Murphy to give Gentry probation, but Murphy denied the request.
Senators want Fieldhouse seating to change
By Luke Daley Kansan staff writer
Matt Dwyer is convinced that different student seating that makes students more visible to the rest of the fans, could intensify the atmosphere at Kansas basketball home games.
"We don't want to uproot the whole seating arrangement," said Dwyer, off-campus senator. "We're not taking away any seats from any group. We're just moving them around."
He said he and other members of the Delta Force coalition would present their argument within the next two weeks to the University of Kansas Athletics Corporation.
Kansas Athletics Corporal Richard Konzem, KUAC associate director, said he would be glad to hear suggestions, but added that it would be hard to change the current seating system.
"If it's not broke, don't fix it," he said. "This is arguably the best environment for college basketball."
Improving student seating at basketball games was one of the platform issues of Delta Force last year during Student Senate elections.
One of about 15 proposed changes that Dwyer and other Delta Force members will present to the KUAC is moving student seating from the south end of Allen Fieldhouse to join the students located at the north end, giving them more sideline seating access near the northwest corner.
Wes Goodner, administration assistant to the ticket office at Duke University, said undergraduate students sat in the first seven or eight rows on both sidelines of Cameron Indoor Stadium, being more visible during televised games. He said graduate students sat in the first nine rows on each end of the court.
Dwyer said no matter where the students sat, their seating would have to stretch from the bottom of the sections because of view concerns.
cerns.
Travis Tasset, Dodge City senior, said giving the students better seating would completely change the atmosphere during games.
change the atmosphere during it.
"It would have a domino effect on the rest of the fans." Tasset said. "The alumni isn't what makes the atmosphere great. It's the students."
He said that he didn't think the KUAC would change the seating.
change the seating. "I think that they put too much emphasis on the alumni," Tasset said.
Contact Daley at 864-4910
Allen Fieldhouse Seating
The top diagram is the current seating arrangement and the one below is a seating proposal that was part of a petition last year. Delta Force members have developed several more proposals which will be presented to the University in the next few weeks.
Source: www.kusports.com/multimedia/fancoverage.html
Trial set for scholarship halls residents' lawsuit
By Paul Smith Kansan staff writer
After more than two years of litigation, a lawsuit brought by the residents of Watkins and Miller Scholarship Halls against Bank of America and the University of Kansas will go to court on June 19.
been negligent and mistreated David Brown, attorney for the scholarship hall residents, said the
The lawsuit alleges that Bank of America's management of the trust fund for the scholarship halls has been negligent and fraudulent.
The halls are partially supported by the Elizabeth Miller-Watkins trust fund, which has grown to about $3 million from its original investment of $250,000.
trial was necessary.
investment of the Kaill Kuiper, president of the Miller-Watkins Halls Preservation Committee, said the residents had no idea how the trust fund money was being spent.
"Our main goal is just to get line-by-line accounting from the bank," said Kaipier, Salina senior.
Brown said the next phase of the
"Other regulatory agencies have looked at this case, including the State Attorney General's office," she said. "They found the trust is managed properly."
case would include depositions of Bank of America and University officials, as well as residents and alumnae of the halls.
Representative from Bank of America could not be reached for comment.
Lynn Bretz, interim director of University Relations, said the University welcomed the setting of the trial dates.
The Douglas County District Court ruled last year that the residents of the scholarship halls should be the beneficiaries of the trust fund. The Kansas Court of Appeals denied an appeal from Bank of America, and the state supreme court declined to review that decision.
that decision. While the lawsuit was originally brought solely against Bank of America, the University requested inclusion in the suit.
Contact Smith at 864-4810
INSIDETODAY
Women from Miller (foreground) and Watkins Scholarship Halls attended a hearing with the University yesterday. Scholarship hall residents have requested to see University records from its trust fund.
WORLD NEWS...7A
HOROSCOPES...11A
WEATHER ...14A
CROSSWORD ...14A
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
NEWS: Students discuss the implications of U.S. bombings on Afghanistan during Ramadan.
SEX COLUMN: More helpful hints on sex toys from Meghan Bainum.
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
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