WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007 | NEWS | WWW.KANSAN.COM THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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》 BOARDWALK FIRE
Sentence handed down in Rose case
By Susan Schwarz
sschwarz@kansan.com
Jason Allen Rose was sentenced Monday to the maximum penalty of 122 months in jail for the 2005 fire at the Boardwalk Apartments complex.
Rose was convicted in early May of setting the fire, which killed three people, including University of Kansas student Nicole Bingham and injured 20 others.
A jury found Rose guilty of one count of aggravated arson, three counts of involuntary manslaughter and seven counts of aggravated battery. Though Rose faced a charge of first-degree murder, a sentence with the penalty of 20 years to life in prison, the jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jason Rose leaves the courtroom Monday after being sentenced in connection with an October 2005 fire that killed three people at the Boardwalk Apartments.
Maureen Gonzales, sister of lose Gonzalez who was killed in the fire, spoke to the courtroom before sentencing. She said she did not agree with the jury's verdict of involuntary manslaughter.
"I find no peace in the fact that his life meant nothing to you," Gonzalez said.
Nancy Bingham, mother of Nicole, recounted her daughter's life before the sentencing Monday.
"Moms are supposed to protect their children and not let anything happen to them but that is not always possible." Bingham said.
District Attorney Charles Branson said in his remarks to the judge that Rose set the fire where it would not be easily detected, so that it could not be seen until it had already spread.
Kansas law states that a sentence cannot be greater than double the time of the greatest charge. In the case of Rose, a single count of aggravated arson holds a maximum 61 months sentence. Rose was convicted of three counts of that charge.
The state asked that Rose serve the three sentences consecutively while defense council asked that they be served concurrently. Judge Murphy ruled Rose would serve his sentences consecutively. Rose will be credited for the 614 days he has already served and can reduce his sentence by 15 percent with good behavior.
Before Judge Murphy read the sentence for Rose he said, "many of the people here wish you were getting a greater sentence than you are."
Edited by Ben Smith
in brief
Tyson removes contaminated beef from Wal-Mart shelves
Tyson Fresh Meats removed more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef from Wal-Mart stores in 12 states including Kansas.
Ground beef products produced by Tyson on June 2 and shipped solely to Wal-Mart stores were pulled from the shelves because of possible contamination, said Wal-Mart spokesman Kory Lundberg.
The company sent word to their stores June 6, to the remove possibly contaminated beef.
"Everything that had been recalled had to be taken out that day," Lundberg said. "There should not be anything in Kansas or any other store."
Lundberg said Wal-Mart also placed a sales restriction on the product. If a customer finds a package of the Tyson shipment and brings it to the register, the product will not scan. Lundberg said when an employee sees that the product will not scan the employee
According to the product recalls on the Wal-Mart Web site, the recall includes the following products:
1. 5-pound trays of "Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, 6 — 1/4 pound patties."
1. 33-pound trays of *Angus steak burger all natural*, 85/15, extra thick, 4
— 1/3 pound patties
2. 25-pound trays of "73/27 all natural ground beef, carne molida de res"
5. 5-pound trays of '73/27 all natural ground beef, carne molida de res.
should know that the product is not for sale as a result of the ground beef recall.
— Susan Schwarz
Former journalism students honored in Hearst Awards
Two William Allen White School of
Journalism graduates and former University Daily Kansan reporters were recognized in the Hearst National Writing, Photojournalism and Broadcast News Championship.
Frank Tankard won the "Article of the Year" award for his in-depth
Moore
article "Built for Disaster," which was published in The Kansan. He received a prize of $1,000 for the story, C.J. Moore was one of five runners-up in the writing championship
and received a $1,500 scholarship.
"It was definitely a big honor," Tankard said.
"It shows they thought my hard work paid off."
Finalists traveled to San Francisco in June
to show off their writing, photography, radio and television skills in on-the-spot assignments. The championships were the height of the 2006-2007 Heart Journalism Awards Program. Under the sponsorship of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass
Tankard
Communication, 107 undergraduate colleges and universities participated.
Maggie VanBuskirk