
Lawrence Community Police Review Board April 22 meeting preview
The Lawrence Community Police Review Board will meet Thursday evening to review responses to a community survey about a proposed ordinance that would broaden the board’s abilities.

Panel Thursday to focus on stress, mental health for BIPOC during COVID
A virtual panel Thursday evening will discuss mental health, weathering and economic strain of the COVID-19 pandemic for BIPOC individuals.

Immigrant suffering from mental illness deported after 6-month breakdown in Kansas jail
TOPEKA — A mentally ill man who spent six months in a Kansas jail after […]

Kansas transitioning to 10-digit dialing ahead of new 988 suicide prevention number
Gov. Laura Kelly asked Kansans using the 785 and 620 telephone area codes to begin preparing for transition to a 10-digit dialing requirement for local calls to accommodate implementation of an abbreviated national suicide hotline number.
MORE LAWRENCE NEWS

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office won’t release name of woman killed in crash
Updated at 2:04 p.m. Wednesday, April 21: The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is not planning […]

Changes coming soon to Lawrence Public Library Friends & Foundation book sales
Area residents will soon have more options to shop for cheap-but-quality books through the sales […]

Lawrence City Commission recap for April 20, 2021
The Lawrence City Commission met virtually Tuesday evening. • The commission approved an ordinance that […]

Rontarus Washington Jr. to be represented by Innocence Project, attorney tells judge
Rontarus Washington Jr.’s longtime defense counsel has withdrawn from the case, but it seems they’ll be replaced by the Midwest Innocence Project plus one of the two attorneys who recently argued — successfully — that Albert Wilson should get a new trial.
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MORE STATE NEWS

Climate change has turned the Kansas prairie into junk food that’s killing grasshoppers
The numbers show an alarming decline in the grasshopper population on the Kansas prairie — nearly 2% a year for about a quarter century.

Kansas opts for bonding to help consumers with energy price shocks, transition from coal
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation stretching over time consumers’ payment of exorbitant […]

Grain Belt transmission line forges ahead amid landowner, lawmaker pushback
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On the heels of a historic cold snap that left thousands […]

Colyer takes plunge in Republican race for governor, earns backing from Marshall
TOPEKA — Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer formally launched a campaign for the Republican nomination […]
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LAWRENCE LIFE

Changes coming soon to Lawrence Public Library Friends & Foundation book sales
Area residents will soon have more options to shop for cheap-but-quality books through the sales […]

Here are the Earth Day events in and around Lawrence this week
Since April 22, 1970, the world has celebrated Earth Day as an annual reminder of […]
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COMMUNITY VOICES
The opinion pieces in this section are generally written by members of the Lawrence community and those who have close ties. In addition, the Times is offering some space for area organizations and organizers to provide updates and attempt to reach other folks who might share their mission.
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Will Averill: Kansas lawmakers must carefully begin addressing the coercion in domestic violence (Column)
“Coercive control is an integral part of the larger pattern of domestic violence” and addressing it is essential, Will Averill writes.

C. J. Janovy: Watch out, Kansas — your hard-hitting high school journalists are national leaders (Column)
At Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, 41% of the students are afraid […]

Kirsten Kuhn: Curbing overpolicing begins at City Hall (Column)
“Ordinances that criminalize poverty, status and culture enable police to target disenfranchised and vulnerable communities. Stripping these ordinances from the books is the most basic way to reduce the frequency of police encounters that could result in a tragedy,” Kirsten Kuhn writes.