Top stories of 2000

By Staff     Jan 1, 2001

Farmland explosions rock city’s east side

Fires and explosions at the Farmland Industries fertilizer plant on Lawrence’s east side shook the plant and rattled neighbors, causing lengthy shutdowns and worries about the facility.

Neighborhoods score victory with roommate

The Lawrence City Commission, urged by advocates worried about the decay of inner-city neighborhoods, voted to limit to two the number of unrelated people sharing houses in certain areas of the city.

Tornado rips through Tonganoxie

Powerful funnel clouds with winds of up to 115 mph wreaked havoc in Tonganoxie in May. While the storm didn’t cause any fatalities, a 4-year-old girl was killed when a porch collapsed on her during subsequent cleanup efforts.

Scorching summer takes toll

Was it really that long ago that area residents were complaining about triple-digit temperatures and days without precipitation? Summer 2000 featured endless days with temperatures above the 100-degree mark and weeks without measurable precipitation. The weather took its toll on once-lush lawns, gardens, municipal water supplies and electric-generating power plants.

Lawrence gets its ‘T’ as buses roll

It was more than 10 years in the making, but when the Lawrence Transit System opened its doors to riders last month, public transportation advocates were celebrating the birth of the “T.” The road to getting the buses rolling, however, was not without its bumps and potholes.

Officials throw in towel on S. Lawrence trafficway

The launching of "The T," as the Lawrence Transit System is known, was picked by Journal-World readers as the top local story for 2000.

Years of court challenges and community disagreement regarding the alignment of the unfinished eastern segment of the South Lawrence Trafficway came to an end in 2000. The city and county notified state transportation officials they’d seek other solutions to moving traffic on Lawrence’s south side.

Redevelopment begins as ground is broken on Downtown 2000

The public and private sectors are working together in the 900 block of New Hampshire Street to bring the newest chapter to the redevelopment of Downtown Lawrence. The Downtown 2000 project will include a new $7.6 million Lawrence Arts Center, a multiple-deck public parking garage and retail, office and apartment space.

Bankruptcy filing by Farmers Co-op shocks members

The state’s largest agricultural cooperative association, Lawrence-based Farmers Cooperative Assn., filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in September. The organization, with 140 employees and more than 3,500 member-owners, listed both debts and assets ranging from $10 million to $50 million. The filing also showed there were from 200 to 999 creditors.

‘I’m staying’ announcement soothes KU faithful

The University of North Carolina came calling for Kansas’ basketball, but after an emotion-filled week Roy Williams told a mid-summer crowd of 16,300 supporters at Memorial Stadium that he was staying put as the Jayhawks’ coach.

Haskell Foundation struggles for stability

The Haskell Foundation, an independent fund-raising arm of Haskell Indian Nations University, continued its quest to regain the trust of the school’s board of regents. With a newly elected board, the foundation presented its plan to erase a $1 million debt.

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