2A • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWSINBRIEF
WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2001
CAMPUS
Former KU professor killed in head-on auto collision
John C. Wright, former professor of human development and family life at the University of Kansas, was killed in a two-car accident near Brainerd, Minn., Monday afternoon.
Wright, 68, researched the effects of television on children at the University of Kansas beginning in 1978. In 1996, he left to study and lecture at the University of Texas at Austin. He was killed in a head-on collision on Highway 18, 18 miles east of Brainerd, and pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the other car, Gradon Hines, 48, of Brainerd, also was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wright's wife and former KU professor, Aletha Huston, survives him in Austin. Together, they founded the Center for Research on the Influences of Television on Children in 1978 at the University to study the impact of various kinds of television viewing on children's behavior and development. The center moved with Huston and Wright to the University of Texas at Austin when the couple left Lawrence.
"John Wright was a distinguished member of the KU community for many years. His friends and colleagues here are stunned and saddened by news of his death," Shulenburger said in a prepared statement. "We grieve, as well, for Professor Alethea Huston, who was John's partner in every respect, and whose loss is so great."
Wright's passenger, Paul Jefferson, 41, of Lawrence, was injured and discharged from from St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
—Kansan staff report
Ex-KU golfer awarded for work away from links
Sarah Mahoney, former co-captain of the KU golf team, received a National Golf Coaches Association All-American
Mahoney, a psy-
cnology major, was a two-year player who graduated in Mav with a 3.79 GPA.
Scholar Athlete award Monday. The award recognizes students who excel both in the classroom and on the golf course.
She was a Jayhwak Scholar and member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
She competed in nine tournaments last season and ranked third on the team with a 81.52 stroke average. She finished in the Top 25 of a tournament once last season.
—Laurie Sisk
Loan consolidation is best way to deal with payback
Student loan borrowers may save money if they consolidate.
Interest rates for two loans students can use to pay for school each dropped by two percent July 1. Under the new rates, the Stafford Loan interest rate that students pay six months after they graduate is 5.99 percent. For students with deferred payment, the rate is 5.39 percent. The new PLUS loan rate is 6.79 percent.
The rates change annually July 1. They decreased because of cuts in interest rates by the Federal Reserve Board.
Chris Johnson, associate director of the office of student financial aid, said the office suggests students who have loans should consolidate them under
Loan consolidation lumps several student or parent loans into one loan from one lender. This loan is used to pay off balances on the older loan. A consolidation loan also can extend the repayment time of a loan to decrease monthly payments.
the new rate.
A consolidated loan is locked into its interest rate; unconsolidated loans have a variable interest rate. The average of the interest rates is weighted by the size of each loan's balance.
A borrower with $16,000 in debt, who consolidates a loan from the 8.2 percent rate to the new 6 percent rate, would save about $2,233 during the repayment period, the financial aid Web site said.
LAWRENCE
Drivers beware: road cleanups call for detours
Local motorists may have to keep an eye out for detours and in some cases, plan a few extra minutes of driving time, as the City of Lawrence works on repairs to many city streets, sidewalks and sewers this week.
Most of the repairs began Monday and should be finished early next week if weather permits.
The following areas will be affected:
■ Aone-block area from Haskell Avenue
to Ponderosa Drive on East 27th Street will be closed for sewer repairs. Only local traffic will be permitted;
Oread Avenue from 12th to 13th streets will be closed for repairs;
Stratford Drive from Emery to Sunset streets will be closed to through traffic on weekdays because of repairs:
Parking during weekdays will be restricted in the 800 block of Vermont Street.
Street repairs on Saddlehorn Drive from Libby Lane to Sharon Drive will begin this week or possibly next week:
Traffic will be restricted to one lane on Clinton Parkway from Iowa Street to Kasold Drive because of curb work;
The 900 block of New Hampshire will remain closed to traffic for the Downtown 2000 construction project;
Northbound traffic on Kasold Drive from Clinton Parkway to Meadow Drive will be restricted to one lane for sidewalk construction;
Street upgrades will close Inverness Drive from Clinton Parkway to 25th Street and Riverridge Road from North Iowa to Michigan;
East Eighth Street from New York to New Jersey streets could also have single-lane closures for storm sewer improvements;
Sewer construction on East 27th Street from Harper to Whitmore streets may also cause intermittent detours and closures;
Traffic on West 14th Street, from Jayhawk Boulevard to Tennessee Street, also will be redirected for the installation of waterlines:
There will be no parking on the west side of Indiana Street from Ninth to 12th streets.
Two recreational paths will be closed because of repairs to nearby streets. The Inverness Drive path from 23rd to 25th streets will be closed and Rails to Trails, from 23rd to 29th streets by Haskell Indians Nations University, also will be closed.
— Laurie Sisk
Hemenway,family want progress with investigation
GOLFITO MURDER UPDATE
Hemenway encourages legislators to seek speedy results in Martin case
By Karen Lucas Special to the Kansan
Chancellor Robert Hemenway called on legislators last week to help with the case of a KU student who was fatally stabbed nearly two months ago in Costa Rica.
In his letter to Reps. Dennis Moore and Jim Ryun and Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, Hemenway impelled them to do what they could to expedite the investigation of the murder of Shannon Martin, Topeka senior.
"Your intercession on behalf of Shannon Martin would go a long way to ensure that Shannon's killer is found quickly and brought to justice." he wrote.
Hemenway mentioned in the letter that Martin's family was upset with the slow pace of the investigation.
Martin was killed in Golffo, Costa Rica, where she was conducting field research. The
coastal city is also the site of a KU study abroad program.
According to La Nacion, a major newspaper in Costa Rica, some earlier developments in the investigation included seizing a kitchen knife and shirt during a police search of three houses and collecting hair samples.
Although Costa Rican officials have been in charge of the investigation, an FBI lab recently did a DNA analysis of some evidence. Erika Harms, deputy chief of mission at the Costa Rican Embassy in Washington, D.C., said Monday that she could not comment on the test results because they had not been officially reported to the embassy. A key representative for the Organization of Judicial Investigation—a Costa Rican law enforcement agency—could not be reached for comment.
Tomorrow, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the president of Costa Rica, will discuss the investigation, as well as environmental issues, with Brownback in Washington, D.C., said Erik Hotmire, Brownback's press secretary. The senator also met last month with Jaime Daremblum, the Costa Rican ambassador to the United States.
STATE LAW
Kansas raises traffic ticket fees
By Julie Carter Kansan staff writer
An increase in fines has speedy drivers paying three times more for a traffic ticket than they have paid in almost two decades.
Fines for about 140 traffic violations were raised by Legislature to compensate for a tight state budget. The higher fines are expected to add $16 million in state revenues for the budget year.
The increase, effective July 1, does not affect the $54 district court fee that accompanies tickets. The cost of tickets has not been changed since 1982.
About 90 infractions, including a defective head or tail light, now costs $30. Thirty-six violations have increased from $20 to $60, including running a stop sign and driving too fast in dangerous road conditions. The most expensive ticket, improperly passing a school bus, costs $300.
However, the hike in traffic infraction fines does not concern students as much as the cost of speeding tickets.
"I drive to Bonner Springs every week. I
guess I need to slow down because that's a lot of money I don't have," said Thomas Kepka, Ellsworth sophomore.
Lt. John Eichkorn, Kansas Highway Patrol representative, said that until recently, Kansas drivers caught speeding have paid less than speedy motorists in neighboring states.
"If people know they will have to pay more, hopefully they will slow down. Our main objective is to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities." Eichkorn said.
Because the ticket fees are still new, law enforcement officials have not yet seen people drastically change their driving habits, Eichkorn said.
Last year 80,346 motorists were ticketed on Kansas highways,the lowest number in five years.
Traffic tickets given by city law enforcement officers that are handled by municipal courts will not be affected by the increase. Tickets settled in district courts will see the hike. Each city's municipal court judge and city council determine the city's ticket prices and have the option of increasing fines.
2001 SUMMER KANSAN STAFF
News Staff
Emily Hughey...Kyle Ramsey...Thad Alender...Lauren Brandenburg.Jason McKeo..Andrew Vaupel.
...Editor
Campus Editor
Copy Chief
Online Editor
Ad Staff
Chrissey Kontras...Business Manager
Kate Mariani...Sales Manager
Julian Juarez...Senior Sales Manager
Kara Holloway...Creative Manager
Gina Kohake...Retail Account Executive
Jenn Whelan ... *Retail Account Executive*
Jay Ellis ... *Retail Account Executive*
Melissa Williams ... *Retail Account Executive*
Nikki Gribble ... *Retail Account Executive*
Michelle Paiden ... *Retail Account Executive*
Karen Donnelly ... *Retail Account Executive*
Sarah Jantz ... *Retail Account Executive*
Paul Hernandez ... *Retail Account Executive*
Kristen Layton ... *Retail Account Executive*
Amber Agae ... Campus Sales
Dan Harriman ... Regional Sales
Janelie Splichal ... Creative
Emily Scott ... Creative
Jenny Brossaau ... Creative
ET CETERA
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free computing classes
All classes are FREE for KU students, staff, and faculty and don't require registration UNLESS otherwise noted.
Register at
accworkshop@ku.edu or
864-0494.
Class descriptions and schedule:
www.tu.edu/aac/training
Web Authoring: Introduction Prerequisite: Web Authoring: Foundations. No registration or fee. Wed, 11 9, 14:30 to 12:30. Budig PC Lab
Photoshop: Intermediate Prerequisite: Photoshop: Introduction. Requires registration for all and $75 fee for non-KU. Wed., July 11, 9 a.m.-Noon, Computer Center South Lab
Directions & map:
www.ku.edu/acc/
directions.html
**LIMAX Perequisite:** None. No registration or fee. Thurs., July 12, 4-7 p.m.
Computer Center South Lab
Web Authoring: Improving Accessibility Prerequisite: Web Authoring: Cascading Style Sheets Introduction. No registration or fee. Mon., July 10, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Computer Center South Lab
Photoshop: Web Graphics Prerequisite: Photoshop: Introduction. Requires registration for all and $75 fee for non-KU. Tues., July 17, 11 a.m.-Bloon, Computer Center South Lab
**Outlook:** Granting Folder Access Prerequisites: A KU Exchange Account and
**Outlook:** Introduction. Requires registration for all. Tues., July 17, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Computer Center Auditorium
Web Authoring: Cascading Style Sheets Intermediate Prerequisite: Web Authoring:
Intermediate. No registration or fee. Tues., July 17, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Computer
Center South Lab
Mac OS X Prerequisite: None. No registration or fee. Tues., July 17, 3-4:30 p.m.
Computer Center Auditorium
Red Lyon Tavern
A touch of Irish in downtown Lawrence 944 Massachusetts 832-8228
"Experience Counts"
Try the Iced Morrocan: exotic spices & smooth chocolate.
638 Massachusetts • 832-CAFE
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