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NEWS Bill Cosby will answer Friday to the University's invitation for him to speak at Homecoming PAGE 3A
SPORTS
After a knee injury and months of rehabilitation, Janaina Correa is back on the court with the volleyball team. PAGE 1B
KANSAN
VOL.115 ISSUE 6
www.kansan.com
17-year-old defendant faces court
BY AMANDA O'TOLE
aotole@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2004
The 17-year-old charged with the murder of KU graduate student Teri Lea Mathis Zenner had his first day in court yesterday in Olathe.
Ellmaker appeared at 11 a.m. yesterday in Courtroom 13 at the Johnson County Courthouse, 100 N. Kansas Ave.
yesterday in Ontario.
Andrew Ellmaker was arrested Aug. 17 on charges of aggravated battery of his mother and Zenner's murder after police were called to a house fire and stabbing in Overland Park. Zenner was working with Ellmaker as a case manager for the Johnson County Mental Health Center when she was killed.
Terri Issa, assistant to Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison, said the hearing lasted only about five minutes.
She said Morrison, Assistant District Attorney John Fritz, prosecuting attorneys and defense attorney Joe Diossegy agreed to meet later to choose psychiatric counsel to determine if Ellmaker is competent enough to stand trial.
Dioszegy filed a motion with the court to have Eldmayer's competency tested.
David Gottlieb, a KU law professor, said a competency test would determine whether Ellmaker is able to understand that he is being charged with Zenner's murder and if he is able to assist his attorney in his defense.
If a person failed the competency test, the court would move to have the accused committed to a health institution. Gottlieb said.
Judge Brenda Cameron should either accept or reject the defense's motion to have Ellmaker tested at the next court appearance, Sept. 1 at 9 a.m., Issa said.
But if Ellmaker is declared incompetent, the district attorney can order to have his competency tested again.
If he passed, a trial would follow.
The prosecution submitted a motion last week to have Ellmaker tried as an adult, but the motion has not yet been addressed.
Gottlieb said it would be fairly unusual if a 17-year-old was tried as a minor for a first-degree murder charge.
Gottlieb said the prosecution would want to seek punishment to the full extent of the law.
The maximum penalty for an adult convicted in Kansas of first-degree murder is life imprisonment without the possibility for parole, he said.
— Edited by Paige Worthy
Lightning kills sirens
BY ANDY HYLAND AND NIKOLA ROWE
editor@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITERS
Two of Lawrence's tornado sirens were silent during Monday's warnings after they were struck by lightning. The two sirens, one in Eudora Tech Park and one in Lawrence's fairgrounds, were disabled.
As of yesterday, the sirens were not working in Lawrence, but repairs were scheduled to begin, said Paula Phillips, director of the Douglas County Emergency Management Center.
The city of Lawrence has three sirens to alert residents of a tornado, but one has been out of commission for months because of construction. Phillips said that the two sirens damaged by the lightning strikes should have been working by yesterday evening, in case another severe storm should occur.
The lightning strikes occurred after the second sounding at 8:45 p.m. Monday night. The sirens first sounded at 6:30 p.m. when spotters sighted a funnel near Clinton Lake, Phillips said. Two power lines went down in Lawrence on Monday night but all power was back on Tuesday morning.
Phillips said that the more severe problem of the storm was the rain. The worst flooding occurred on West Ninth Street, Wakarusa and Harvard streets and 23rd Street and Ousdahl, said Mark Bradford, Deputy Chief of the Lawrence-Douglas County fire and medical department.
Buildings on the University of
Kansas campus sustained some storm damage. Dan Lara, of University Relations, said there was minor flooding on the first floor of Oliver Hall, where no residents live.
The water has been cleaned up, and everything is back to normal, he said.
Students also reported flooding in Watson Library and Sellards Scholarship Hall, which is on the eastern edge of campus.
The Lawrence police department performed 16 water rescues during the hours of 7 p.m. and midnight at 19th Street, Harper Street and Wakarusa and Harvard streets, said Police Sergeant Dan Ward.
One water rescue included removing a person from a flooded vehicle and moving that person to a safe area.
"People wanted us to rescue their vehicles as well, but we just didn't have time for that." Ward said.
It was a busy night for the police department. The department responded to 100 calls in five hours on Monday night, with only 14 officers and two supervisors on duty.
Phillips said people should stay inside during the next storm.
"It only takes 12 inches of moving water to move a car and you don't know what is under that water." she said.
The roads would take a lot less rain for flooding to occur after Monday's storm, so flooding will be more likely to happen if a storm hits soon, Phillips said.
Edited by Rupal Gor
Sensational snips
Hair trends for women are moving to toward a layered and textured look, while long straight layers are making waves as well. Here a patron of Sakaroff's, 12 E. Eighth Street, has her hair cut. The beach blonde hairdos of summer are fading, making way for fresh fall styles. New fashions include extensions for women, longer hair for men and the Ivy League cut. See page 8A
Groups recruit to build unity, diversity
Alpha Phi Alpha's William Clayton, Kansas City, Mo., junior, right, reacts to Anthony Brown's. Grandview senior, move in dominoes as Deanna Watson, Kansas City senior, looks on.
BY AUSTIN CASTER
acaster@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITE
When Jose Interiano came to the University of Kansas in the fall of 2001, he wanted to find an organization that he could identify with. He said he knew that feat could be harder as a Latino on a predominantly white campus.
a predominantly white Interiano, Wichita senior, found exactly what he was looking for: a historically Hispanic fraternity, SigmaLambda Beta.
The fraternity is not exclusive to Hispanic men, but fosters values shared throughout the Hispanic community.
throughout the U.S. Intertiano now serves as public relations chair for the National Pan-Hellenic Council and helps other
NPHC, the umbrella organization for historically black, Latino and Asian sororities and fraternities, has been hosting recruitment activities throughout this week and will continue today and tomorrow. NPHC continues to recruit throughout the semester.
young students who feel they would fit into a multicultural sorority or fraternity find their place at the University
Tonight all chapters will participate in a modified game of Family Feud. The game begins at 6 p.m. in the Relays Room on the 2nd floor of the Kansas Union.
"Some view us as competitive with each other," Interiano said. "We wanted to demonstrate unity within the council and show we're all friends in an informal setting."
NPHC will also host an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Ivakhawk Room at the Kansas Union.
Representatives from each fraternity and sorority will answer questions about life in the multicultural Greek community and ways to get involved.
"I think on a University campus there should be something for everyone," said Landrum, president of Zeta Phi Beta and first vice-president of NPHC.
The University Daily Kansan
111 Stauffer Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-4810
© 2004 The University Daily Kansan
She wouldn't feel out of place in a traditional sorority, she said. But Landrum preferred the traditionally multicultural Greek system.
Edited by Rupal Gor
Better Bites
--index
Students will find plenty more healthy food choices at the Hawk Shop and other convienience stores on campus. PAGE 5A
City Commission
The city commission was briefed last night about Monday's storm. Emergency crews mostly helped stranded motorists. PAGE 3A
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News Briefs ... 2A
Weather ... 2A
Opinion ... 1B
Sports ... 1B
Contacts ... 4B
Crossword ... 4B
Classifieds ... 5B
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