Our favorite kinds of stories to tell — highlighting good things happening in Lawrence and Douglas County.
The image at the top of this page is from the August 2022 Pooch Plunge. Check out the full gallery at this link.
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LATEST GOOD NEWS
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Rosy-cheeked rascal from the North Pole gets stranded again; Lawrence firefighters to the rescue
Lawrence was abuzz ahead of Friday’s downtown holiday lighting ceremony, wondering if Santa would once again find himself in an embarrassing predicament. The jolly man did not disappoint.
MORE GOOD NEWS
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Haskell Indian Art Market makes big return; event continues Sunday
The Haskell Indian Art Market returned Saturday for the first time since 2019. The two-day event continues Sunday.
Raven Book Store: Looking back at 35 years serving Lawrence, and looking forward to events all month long
Over the course of three and a half decades, The Raven has overcome odds that have been insurmountable for many other book stores. And this September, it will celebrate 35 years serving the Lawrence community.
Lawrence Humane Society
Families found for 159 Lawrence Humane Society animals during Clear the Shelter Day
Lawrence Humane Society staff members were tired Sunday morning after Clear the Shelter Day — sending 159 animals to their furever homes is a lot of work — but the annual event was “absolutely fantastic.”
Chloe Anderson / Lawrence Times photos
Meet the Lawrence Arts Center’s new artists-in-residence
People had the opportunity to meet the Lawrence Art Center’s newest artists-in-residence, printmaker Taro Takizawa and ceramicist Twiggy Boden, Thursday afternoon.
Raven regular’s debut collection of sci-fi short stories to launch from ‘bookstore of her heart’
For as long as she can remember, Izzy Wasserstein aspired to write. Now 41, she recalled the rush of hope and feelings books stirred within her early in life.
Jenny Cook / Contributed Photo
Lawrence Public Library’s Kids’ Action Club members take the lead on art, bake sale fundraiser
One of the defining features of the Lawrence Public Library’s Kids’ Action Club is that it allows kids to put ideas into action. Its latest project is a fundraiser for Ukraine.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
A fun day for floofs: Pooches take the plunge
Lawrence’s Outdoor Aquatic Center is now closed for the season, but not before dozens of doggos got to make their annual splash. The Pooch Plunge was a hit Monday: numerous participants gave 5-wag reviews.
Contributions from community members in Lawrence and beyond make couple’s wedding ‘amazing’
Ryan Selleck and his bride, Amanda, had settled on getting hitched at the courthouse. But his mother wanted more for them, and community members in Lawrence and a “beautiful savior” states away made their wedding possible.
Tom Harper/Lawrence Times
Haskell Indian Nations University wins $20M award for Indigenous science hub project
Haskell Indian Nations University has earned a $20 million award to create a knowledge hub that a faculty member says will be “a game changer for Indigenous peoples.”
Christina Craig / Lawrence Times
Young artists of Van Go unveil benches commissioned for clients
When Ian Hoopes pulled the cover off of his 2022 Van Go Benchmark piece, he wasn’t just unveiling a piece of art — he was unveiling a piece of himself.
Tricia Masenthin / Lawrence Times
Youth make money, flex entrepreneurial skills at Douglas County fair
There were chores galore on Friday as 4-H club members and other youth tended to their booths during the Douglas County Fair.
Contributed Photo
B.L.A.C.K. Lawrence to celebrate 5-year anniversary as a collective
B.L.A.C.K. (Black Literature & Arts Collective of Kansas) Lawrence this Saturday will host an anniversary show to celebrate five years of being a community collective of Black artists. The group aims to elevate and celebrate Black art, promote Black artists, and foster local education on Black issues.
Contributed image
Sunrise Project’s ‘Lit & Local’ event to offer young creators a platform to sell handmade work
A festival this Saturday in Lawrence will give young entrepreneurs a platform to showcase and sell their unique, handmade work.
Eudora teen with a passion for patient care earns $5,000 college scholarship
Eudora High School graduate Ling Clobes knows the scary feelings that can accompany a child’s hospital stay. Born with a cleft lip and palate, the teen has undergone a dozen procedures, including double jaw surgery.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Couple’s ‘little pocket prairie’ beckons butterflies to Indian Hills neighborhood
Call it a pollinator’s delight, a butterfly haven, a nectar buffet. This Monarch Waystation is the pride of longtime Lawrence gardeners Dena Podrebarac and Heidi Rios.
Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Times
Tragic Comedy to center queer, femme, BIPOC comedians in Lawrence
A new comedy troupe in town is bringing parody, musicals, sketch comedy, and standup in a space with room for all who love comedy to showcase their authentic selves and their jokes.
Lawrence High student wins $10K scholarship to support her dream of becoming a restaurateur
Victoria Bell remembers peanut butter cookies and cornbread as the first recipes she ever made by herself. Now, as a rising high school senior, she can see her dream career of one day owning a restaurant or bakery in close reach.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence PRIDE parade and party return
Two days of Lawrence PRIDE celebrations culminated in a gathering at South Park, a parade down Massachusetts Street and a party at Abe & Jake’s.
Contributed Photo
Free State student invited to National Youth Wind Ensemble, prestigious youth band experience
Trumpeter Keith Popiel said he doesn’t usually get jitters before performing, but when he found himself sitting on a historic stage in the nation’s capital among some of the best youth musicians in the country, he realized his musical career had come to a pinnacle moment.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Meet the first Mass Street Kitten Academy recruits of 2022
Jupiter, Luna, Nova and Orion are the first Mass Street Kitten Academy recruits of 2022. This morning, they got to be the first to try out the academy’s stellar new window display, hosted at Love Garden Sounds.
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