Area in Brief

Wichitan gets 7 1/2 years for 1999 shooting death

A Wichita man was sentenced to 71/2 years in prison for voluntary manslaug hter in the 1999 shooting death of Michael Prince.

Larry Evans, 26, received a 92-month sentence from Sedgwick County District Judge Joseph Bribiesca Friday. In convicting Evans, a jury returned the lesser manslaughter charge Aug. 10, down from first-degree murder. The jury decided against murder, saying Evans acted in the heat of the moment.

Witnesses testified Prince, 35, had gotten into an argument at Evans home. Prince was last seen around Thanksgiving of last year, before his body turned up Dec. 19 in a field in the 5200 block of North Greenwich Road.

Gifted preschool still has openings for 12 children

An educational program for exceptionally bright 3- and 4-year-olds still has 12 spaces in its afternoon class.

The program, run by Rainbows United, is based at the Proctor Ritchie Center, formerly Bostic Elementary, near 37th North and Oliver.

Call 684-7060 for information.

Fort Hays debate tackles Internet commerce, taxes

A debate on Internet taxation will be conducted by Fort Hays State Universi ty at its Telepower 2000 conference Oct. 18.

Participating in the debate will be Don Moler, executive director of the League of Kansas Municipalities, and Erick Gustafson, director of telecomm unications policy with Citizens for a Sound Economy. Issues will include whether there should be a sales tax on Internet commerce and whether Main Street businesses and communities are disadvantaged by Internet commerce.

The debate is part of the university’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs’ ninth annual conference.

Registration is $99. For details, call (785) 628-5952.

Clearwater to examine school bond issue plan

The Clearwater schools will have a forum tonight to give the public a close look at what a $19.6 million bond issue would do if approved by voters Nov. 7.

The vote will come less than a year after voters rejected a $24 million bond issue to build a new high school and make other improvements.

The district has retooled that proposal, making the high school two stories instead of one to lower costs and eliminating improvements at the senior citizens center, central office and Clearwater Elementary West.

If approved, the bond issue would increase property taxes an estimated $313 a year on an $100,000 home.

The forum will be at 7:30 p.m. at Clearwater Middle School.