2A
The Inside Front
Friday October 8,1999
News
from campus, the state the nation and the world
CAMPUS
Former KU secretary gets probation for theft
Constance Conboy, a former secretary in the Office of Minority Affairs, now the Office of Multicultural Affairs will serve 24 months of probation for one count of felony theft and two counts of misdemeanor theft. She also will have to pay restitution. Her restitution hearing is set for 9 a.m., Nov. 5. Jerry Little, Douglas County assistant district attorney has requested restitution in the amount of $23,000.
District Attorney Christine Tonkavich said that the acts Conboy committed were presumptive probation cases in this state. However, having a felony charge on her record will make it difficult for her to find further employment, and she will be ordered to pay restitution, she said.
"I hope this will send a message to the University community and the larger community that internal theft is stealing, and it will be treated the same as any theft," she said. Conboy was found guilty on Sept. 3 after she pleaded no contest to the three counts.
The funds were reported missing Feb. 5 by Sherwood Thompson, who was director of minority affairs at the time. The thefts occurred between May 7, 1997, and Sept. 18, 1998.
Alton Scales, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said he could not comment because the incident predated him.
"There's no one in the office here now who was there when she was in the office," Scales said.
Prowler haunts window, peers in at lone student
Lesley Simmons
A 26-year-old KU student was sitting in her bedroom in her house when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye.
When a face looked back at her, she started screaming.
Thinking it was a tree branch, she looked to the window.
"I just screamed and got out of the room as soon as it registered," she said.
Lawrence police said the window peeper was spotted at 10:15 p.m. at the 1600 block of West 20th Terrace. The suspect is a Caucasian male in his 20s with dark hair.
— Katie Hollar
Fraternity to honor brother with 80-mile leukemia run
Some members of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity will be running legs of a nearly 80-mile-long relay between
their chapter house, 1540 Louisiana St.,
and Manhattan today.
In the annual Fiji Run for Leukemia, the fraternity members will transport the football for Saturday's game between the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.
The event is in memory of a Kansas State fraternity member, Rod Morgan, who died of leukemia in 1974.
University members raised more than $18,000 in pledges, making their total contribution in the past 25 years more than $353,000, and qualifying them as the largest donor to the Kansas Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America.
Fraternity members from both universities will run 50-yard legs beginning at 9:45 a.m. They will run through campus to Massachusetts Street and then to Highway 24 toward Manhattan.
"It's not physically tormenting," said George Ubinas, Dallas junior and member of the University chapter. "You run for 50 yards at a time, jump into a car, listen to music and talk to the guys. It's fun. It's a really good way to get to know another chapter of your fraternity."
— Lori O'Toole
NATION
MARIETTA, Ga.—Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is asking a judge to force his estranged wife to return money he says she is hoarding
Gingrich accuses wife of hoarding shared cash
Randy Evans, Gingrich's attorney, filed a motion Wednesday in Cobb County Superior Court asking that Marianne Gingrich be forced to transfer the money to a joint account within 14 days. It threatens a contempt action if she refuses.
The couple agreed last month to set up the joint account and transfer assets into it until their divorce is final. Evans said Marianne Gingrich still owed the account tens of thousands of dollars. Newt Gingrich has returned to $35,000, while Marianne Gingrich has returned only several thousand, he said.
Marianne Gingrich's attorney, John Mayue, has denied the allegations. Harvey Cohen, the accountant hired to manage the joint account, said he was not aware of any improprieties by either party.
Wednesday's motion was one of a series filed by Newt Gingrich this week in an effort to take the offensive against his wife, who has sought to force him to face formal questioning about his personal and financial affairs. Marianne Gingrich also wants to question Callista Bisek, a congressional aide to whom Newt Gingrich has been linked romantically.
Giuliani's art objection gives Hillary poll boost
Newt Gingrich separated from his wife of 18 years in May and filed for divorce in July.
ALBANY, N.Y.—New York Mayor Rudolph Gulman was hurt by his battle against a controversial art exhibit, narrowing the gap between him and Hillary Rodham Clinton in a possible Senate race, a poll released yesterday.
The statewide poll, from Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion, found Giuliani favored by 46 percent of voters surveyed while 42 percent opted for Clinton, a statistical dead heat because of the poll's margin of error. In a Marist poll out last month, Giuliani led by 49 percent to 40 percent.
The new poll found the mayor's unfavorable rating among New York voters had climbed to 39 percent, the same level as the first lady. In last month's poll, the mayor's unfavorable rating was at 30 percent while Clinton's was at 40 percent
30 percent of those polled this time said their opinion of Giuliani had gotten worse, while 21 percent said their opinion of him had improved.
"Clearly, the museum controversy has had some impact on Giuliani's negative rating, but it hasn't created a stampede toward Hillary," said Marist pollster Lee Mingoff.
Korean War atrocities finally investigated
WORLD
SEOUL, South Korea—The South Korean government began a field investigation yesterday that will look into allegations that hundreds of Korean refugees were killed by U.S. soldiers in the early days of the Korean War.
It marked the first time government investigators had formal interviews with people who have long contended that retreating American soldiers kept South Korean refugees under a railroad bridge at the hamlet of No Gun Ri and killed hundreds of them in July 1950.
The investigators also visited the bullet-scarred railroad bridge.
"On behalf of the government, we offer a sincere apology for coming to this scene so late, nearly 50 years after the incident happened," said Park Chul-ug, leader of an eight-member investigation team.
American veterans confirmed last week the accounts by South Korean villagers who said they saw U.S. forces shoot civilians. South Korean survivors estimated 300 civilians were shot to death and an additional 100 died in a preceding air attack. Previously, both Washington and Seoul had rejected the survivors' claims. The United States and South Korean governments promise thorough investigations.
The Associated Press
Police say accounts differ in hate crime
Katie Hollar
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
By Katie Hollar
The real danger in last Thursday's hate crime is that it was based on perception, said Buck Rowland, LesBiGayTransgender lionism.
"The victim was beat up because they thought he was gay." Rowland said. "No one should be beaten up for anything, least of all the perceptions we have about people."
At 10:08 a.m. Sept. 30, a 25-year-old University of Kansas employee was attacked by two men at the 800 block of Massachusetts Street. The two suspects, David Hutson and Chris Whidden, were arrested that night on battery charges.
Sgt. George Wheeler, Lawrence police officer, said the victim's and suspects' stories differed.
There are two times in every story, he said. Wheeler said the suspects said that the victim called them a name. Provoked by his insult, they began to beat him.
The victim said he was walking down the street when the suspect made comments to him about the way he walked, called him a name, then beat him up.
Wheeler pointed to two consistencies in the accounts: the homosexual slur and the battery itself. The insult was enough to classify the battery as
"The victim was beat up because they thought he was gay. No one should be beaten up for anything, least of all the perceptions we have about people."
Buck Rowland LesBiGayTransgender liaison
a hate crime, Wheeler said.
The victim appeared Monday on Rowland's "Queer Talk" show on KJHK 90.7. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Court proceedings have begun for the suspects. Both suspects were scheduled for preliminary hearings on Tuesday. Court-appointed counsel was ordered for Whidden. A continuance was granted in Hutson's case; his next appearance is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12.
Battery is punishable with between 48 hours and six months in jail and a $200 to $500 fine. Hate crime perpetrators do not face additional punishment in Kansas.
ON THE RECORD
- Edited by Julia Nicholson
A KU staff member reported a wooden window frame broken between 11:30 p.m. Oct. 1 and 7:45 p.m. 4 at room 149 in the Burge Union. The window frame was unhurt at $100
A KU student hit another student's car while attempting to back out of a parking lot stall at 1 p.m. Sept. 29 at lot 124 by Amini Scholarship Hall, the KU Public Safety Office said.
A KU student's car was struck by an unknown
driver between 7:50 a.m. and 12:50 p.m.
Wednesday at lot 90 by Memorial Stadium, the KU Public Safety Office said. The damage was estimated at $300.
A KU student's cellular phone was stolen between 1.pm and 1.30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Riverfront Plaza, Lawrence police said. The phone was valued at $90.
ON CAMPUS
The University chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America is sponsoring a booth with information about breast cancer from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in front of the Kansas Union, Call Annela Dissmeer at 864-2428
The African Studies Resource Center and Hall Center for the Humanities are sponsoring a lecture by Babacar Kanté, dean of the faculty of law and sciences at the University Gaston Berger in St. Louis, Sénégal, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Centennial Room in the Kansas Union. The programs is "Democratic Transitions and Constitutionalism in Africa." Call Pia Thielmann at 864-3745.
KU Badminton Club is practicing from 6 to 10 p.m. today and tomorrow in rooms 211 and 212 Robinson Center. Call Tee or Kevin at 843-2267.
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center is celebrating Mass at 4:45 p.m. tomorrow and at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday at the center, 1631 Crescent Road. Call Sister Vicki at 843-0357.
The Air Force ROTC is having a carwash for Habitat for Humanity from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow at Checkers Foods, 2300 Louisiana St. Coll Jason Bard at 838-9549.
ET CETERA
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Restaurant 841-7221
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Please call 1-888-371-1276 and ask for Casey Griffith.
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1037 Vermont 841-2400 #31
The men of Triangle Fraternity (ΦΣX) would like to thank the women of Alpha Gamma Delta (AΓΔ) for their work on the First Place 1999 Moving Homecoming Float.
Great Job, Ladies!
PARAGUAY ACADEMIC SYMPOSIUM
Paraguay Roga-Student organization invites students and faculty, or any person interested in learning more about this Latin American country, to expositions in the Fields of anthropology, sociology, history, economics political science, literature, architecture women studies and other
On Friday and Saturday October 8th and 9th (For more information)