Thousands Gathered to Mourn Fallen Firefighters
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Thousands of people attended a memorial service for two Kansas City firefighters who died earlier this week when a building collapsed while they were helping to fight a fire. The Star reports fire trucks and hundreds of firefighters from across the country lined the street in front of the Sprint Center Saturday before the service for Larry Leggio and John Mesh. The veteran firefighters died Monday when a three-story building collapsed in northeast Kansas City.
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Efforts Were Underway to Relocate Firefighters Before Collapse
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A Kansas City fire department official says firefighters were within minutes of avoiding a building collapse on Monday that killed two and injured two others. Battalion Chief James Garrett tells the Star newspaper fire officials were establishing a ``collapse zone'' when the building's wall fell Monday night. Collapse zones move fire crews away from weakened structures that could crumble.
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Friends University Inaugurates First Woman President
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Friends University in Wichita has officially inaugurated its new president. Amy Bragg Carey officially became the first female president in the university's 117-year history during ceremonies on Friday. Friends is a Christian university of Quaker heritage.
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Artist Donates Works and Gallery
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A Kansas City-based artist has donated about 800 pieces of her work to Washburn University's Mulvane Art Museum. The university announced that Rita Blitt, a painter, sculptor and film maker, and her husband, also made a financial donation for a gallery addition. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the gallery could be complete in 18 months.