THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 3A
BUSINESS
Stores benefit from cooler temperatures
BY DAVID LINHARDT
Last week's storm and continued sub-freezing temperatures during the weekend can be a good thing for businesses in Lawrence, said Weaver's Department Store president Joe
Despite a couple of days of slick roads and the extra layers of clothing needed to be outside, shoppers turn out in increasing
"The cold weather has not stopped anyone at all."
Smith handed out numbers
ly greater numbers as Christmas nears, Flannery said.
"Today we are so busy", Smith said. "A lot of our electronics have been in overdrive the last couple of days. The cold weather has not stopped anyone at all."
ANDREA SMITH
SuperTarget store manager
"Cold weather helps retailers just because people buy more things to help them stay warm and generate more of a Christmas spirit." Flannery said. "All those things add up to more people coming downtown to shop."
early as 6 a.m., said store manager Andrea Smith.
Retail sales overall have been helped by consumer electronies purchases, such as Sony's Playstation 3 game system and Nintendo's Wii system.
In fact, as the weather stays cold and finals end at the University of Kansas, Flammery expects healthy revenue from this season's Christmas shoppers.
The temperature was only 16 degrees, but it wasn't a problem for about 30 diehard fans of the new WiI system as they waited for SuperTarget, 3201 Iowa, to open Sunday at 8 a.m. Some arrived as
one to 24,
for the 24
Nintendo
systems available,
to the
early-
birds when the
store's doors
opened.
"Everyone who got a number will get a Wii."
Smith told questioning shoppers who arrived right at 8 a.m., too late to get in line.
For more than just shopping purposes, on Saturday, Lawrence residents and people from across the Midwest crowded onto Massachusetts street for the 14th annual Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas parade.
More than 200 horses promenaded down Massachusetts drawing vintage carriages behind them.
Temperatures hovered in the lower 30s in the middle of the afternoon after an overnight low of 22 degrees.
Kansan staff writer David Lin-hardt can be contacted at dlin-hardt@kansan.com.
Edited by Kristen Jarboe
HEALTH
KU group works on dysentery vaccine
BY SAM CARLSON
A group of students and professors at the University of Kansas is inching closer to creating a vaccine that could prevent dysentery and other severe intestinal illnesses.
The National Institutes of Health recently approved funds that will help the team reach its goal. Some members of the team have been working since 1995 to find a vaccine that could prevent high death rates in developing countries, where the infection is most prevalent. Dysentery, a severe form of bloody diarrhea, can be fatal. According to the World Health Organizations
Web site, of the 164.7 million cases of shigellosis, an infection that causes dysentery, 163.2 million are in developing countries. Each year, an estimated 1.1 million people die from the infection.
"It certainly could save a lot of lives and it certainly could save a lot of misery for people traveling to other countries or people living in other countries where these organisms are really common," said Bill Pickling, associate professor of biological sciences and project leader.
Picking, and his group, consisting of three graduate students, three undergraduate students and a research assistant, spend time each
day in their lab in Haworth Hall, trying to understand the ways in which of the bacteria Shigella, the shigellos.
"The World Health Organization has set a number of goals to target its eradication in the next 10 to 15 years. We're hoping that with this vaccine we can actually get that done and eliminate it as a problem," said Aaron Markham, a graduate student in pharmaceutical chemistry.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Web site, Shigella bacteria cause abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, fever, vomiting and bloody stools. Water or food contaminated with feces containing
Shigella is a major cause of illness, usually brought about by unsanitary and undraining. Approximately 300,000 cases of Shigella-related illnesses occur in the United States each year. That number is much higher in developing countries.
"The goal of the lab is to understand the mechanism ultimately so we can either create a drug that will help, but preferentially a vaccine," Picking said.
Kansan correspondent Sam Carlson can be contacted at editor@ kansan.com.
— Edited by Kate Shipley
MONDAY SPECIALS
December 4,2006
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
STUDENT SENATE
PAID FOR BY KU
C. R.E.A.T.E.
Volunteer for C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Resources Engaging in the Arts Through Education!
Do art with kids!
Tuesdays, 10 - 11:30am
Wednesdays, 3:30 - 5:00pm
M. I.L.K.
Mentors in the Lives of Kids (MILK)
To volunteer and obtain location and project specifics, please email create @ku.edu or call the CCO . Office at 864-4073.
Children's Holiday Party! This Wednesday, 2-5pm Kansas Union Ballroom, 5th floor
Come volunteer Wednesday night anytime from 12-7pm. We will need help with:
- Cookie decorating * Crafts * Movies
* Storytelling * Music * Games
Please email milk@ku.edu if you'd like to help!
First Nations Student Association
Contact: Jancita Warrington,
-
First Nations Student
Association, (785) 749-1424.
The group was founded in 1991 as the Native American Student Association becoming the First Nations Student Association in 1998. It was honored in 199 as the Outstanding Native Organization at the American Indian Student
Leadership Conference.
The Center for Community Outreach Challenging. Educating. Empowering.
Students Tutoring for Literacy
Interested in tutoring kids and adults?
Volunteers are needed for Students Tutoring for Literacy
Programs are available with groups or one-on-one throughout the Lawrence Community.
Students Tutoring for Literacy (STL) helps native and non-native English-speaking youth and adults obtain their GED, learn English as a second language, read their first book, or fill out a job application.
Email stl@ku.edu if you are interested.
Student Senate
Make a difference today . . . Apply
for the Student Senate Elections
Commission. Applications are
available in the Student Senate office,
Interested in the political process?
Room 410 (Kansas Union 4th floor).
Contact Andrew Payne at apayne@ku.edu if you have
any questions.
KU Anime Club
カン�ザス大学のアニメクラブ
Tonight at 6:30
Smith Hall Room 100
www.ku.eau/~kuanime