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TEG Thursday, January 21, 2016 V V V PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895 V V V Good Evening VVV Congratulations to the zoo. WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM Vehicle runs into Entrance at Taco Bell, no injuries reported 1200 Commercial, Plumb Hall 211 housing concept moving forward Emporia, KS 66801-5087 By Jessie Wagoner [email protected] By Brandy Nance [email protected] Brandy Nance/Gazette No injuries occurred after a vehicle struck the entrance of Taco Bell, 2807 Eaglecrest Drive. The driver was choking on food, lost control of the car and ran into the entrance of Taco Bell. No injuries were reported following an incident where a vehicle ran into the entrance at Taco Bell, 2807 Eaglecrest Drive, just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. “The officer investigating the accident reported 41-year-old Nathan Maggard had just fueled his vehicle, an ‘02 Jeep Liberty, at Prairie Port Plaza,” said Sgt. Lisa Sage of the Emporia Police Department. “Maggard was about to turn south onto Industrial Road when he began choking on food. Maggard lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into the front entrance of Taco Bell.” Nobody was injured, according to Sage and no citations were issued. “The cause of the accident is being investigated as a medical issue,” Sage said. While the interior of the restaurant was closed, the drive-thru remained open. A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s f o r The Emporia State University Foundation is moving forward with the development of a “university house.” A task force led by Jennifer Denton, ESU Foundation vice-president of stewardship and administration and associate vice-president for university advancement, continues to explore options related to developing a presidential home using the university house concept. The current presidential home, located at 1522 Highland St., is not in use. ESU President Garrett and her family are staying in an off-campus home purchased by the foundation. “We were looking for a temporary home which, of course, we have now found,” Denton said. “President Garrett is here, so that is great. Now we can really take our time and go through the steps on the university house.” The Kansas Board of Regents does require universities to provide housing for university presidents. The task force has looked to other Kansas universities for examples of presidential housing, including a visit to Pittsburg State University for some inspiration. “The committee has really looked at the whole concept of the university house,” Denton said. “The more we look at that, the more excited we get about it.” D a v i d The university house has well-defined spaces for both public and private areas of the home. Denton says the private area of the home can remain closed from the public entertainment areas, offering the president an area of solitude that the current presidential home is lacking. “These very important functions can happen and people can feel very special about being in an environment that is home-like but separate and distinct from the president’s residence,” Denton said. Allowing the president to maintain some privacy while also hosting official functions is a balance the university house concept strives to meet. “The president really needs to be able to have that privacy and not feel like they are in a fish bowl,” Denton said. The task force is now looking for donors for the project. With the Now & Forever campaign in full swing, Denton says that the foundation is focused on not detracting from that effort, but rather identifying specific donors that would be interested in gifting above and beyond. “One thing we are very thoughtful about is that we are in the Now & Forever campaign,” Denton said. “We don’t want to cannibalize any of that. We are looking for people that can get passionate about this above and beyond the Now & Forever campaign.”   T r a y l o r Zoo board says ‘Madagascar’ to arrive in Emporia in spring Z o o David Traylor Zoo receives award at City Commission By Cathryne Scharton [email protected] John Robinson/Gazette The Emporia Friends of the Zoo Board discusses the 2015 attendance numbers at their annual board meeting on Wednesday. By John Robinson [email protected] The Emporia Friends of the Zoo Board of Directors discussed construction plans and the addition of new animals to the David Traylor Zoo of Emporia during their annual board meeting Wednesday night. “It was an absolutely amazing year for us in 2015,” said Lisa Keith, director of the David Traylor Zoo. “Our total visitors for the year were 87,482, an absolutely record-breaking year for us.” The zoo was involved with several conservation projects in 2015 including a black-footed ferret reintroduction Please see Zoo, Page 3 VOL. 124, NO. 173 Kendra Johnson/Gazette A picture of what the completed Mission Madagascar Lemur project is going to look like. At Wednesday’s Emporia City Commission meeting staff and supporters of the David Traylor Zoo of Emporia received an award for 25 years of accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The city commission presented representatives from the zoo with a plaque from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the primary accrediting body for top zoos and aquariums in the United States since 1974. The Quarter Century Award highlights a commitment to animal care, welfare, conservation, education and more. In other business, the commission approved a recommendation to award a bid for three new Ford Interceptor utility vehicles and one new Ford Expedition to John North Ford for a total price of $117,975. The old police and fire vehicles will be transferred to other departments to extend the life of the vehicles. The 2016 budget for &W