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.
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
Lawrence Juneteenth celebration unites community, honors people who make a difference
“It’s a celebration of freedom; of how far Black people have come,” said Janae Colter, of Lawrence, cradling her two-week-old daughter, Zya, at Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration.
Molly Adams / The Lawrence Times
Students persevere to overcome obstacles and graduate from Lawrence’s adult education program
A gymnasium filled with friends, families and supporters on Thursday evening celebrated the accomplishments of local students who overcame adversity to graduate this year from the Lawrence school district’s Adult Learning Center and Diploma Completion Program.
Tricia Masenthin/Lawrence Times
Liberty Memorial Central students create unique multimedia poetry project with Lawrence Arts Center
Call it a colossal community collaboration featuring the creativity of nearly 150 seventh-graders. The Zinn Writers of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School once again have partnered with the Lawrence Arts Center, resulting in a multimedia literary project called “I Hope You Know.”
August Rudisell / Lawrence Times
Lawrence High’s 148th class graduates to life’s ‘next chapter’
The sun set Friday evening on the high school careers of 375 Lawrence High Chesty Lions as family members, friends and faculty filled the outdoor stadium to celebrate the class of 2022’s accomplishments.
August Rudisell / Lawrence Times
Free State High School celebrates resiliency of 2022 graduates
A light breeze Thursday evening blew the tassels of Free State High School’s graduating seniors as some supporters donned winter coats – an unusual site for a late-May ceremony. With temperatures hovering in the high 50s, family, friends and faculty filled the football stadium to honor Free State’s 25th graduating class.
Guide to Lawrence Loop aims to help people with mobility limitations navigate city’s nature trails
A group of local people and organizations have collaborated to create a guide to the most accessible routes along the Lawrence Loop.
Raven Book Store selected as Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year
The Raven Book Store has been selected for the biggest award a bookstore in America can receive.
Tricia Masenthin / The Lawrence Times
Free State’s Sam Rabiola wins $10,000 excellence in teaching prize from Lawrence Schools Foundation
Sam Rabiola, English teacher at Free State High School, has won the 2022 Special Award for Excellence in Teaching, also known as the Bobs award.
Sunflower first-graders proudly present their donation to feathered friend from Operation Wildlife
A unique guest visited Sunflower Elementary on a mission. The kestrel falcon’s task: Pick up a donation from Jessica Brown and her first grade class.
Molly Adams / The Lawrence Times
Students celebrate graduating from Lawrence Virtual School, ‘where everyone can find a home’
Dozens of Lawrence Virtual School graduates crossed the stage to collect their diplomas Saturday, and dozens of others not present in person were celebrated along with them.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
KU graduates celebrate finishing college careers that were ‘upended by a global pandemic’
A stormy morning made way for smiles, champagne and just enough sunshine Sunday afternoon as the University of Kansas graduates of 2022 celebrated all that they’ve accomplished.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Photos: La Estrella celebrates opening new Lawrence location
The owners of La Estrella, the restaurant and tienda mexicana, held a grand opening Friday to celebrate opening their new, larger Lawrence location.
Carter Gaskins / The Lawrence Times
Haaland, national leaders stress importance of history and representation during Haskell commencement ceremony
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland called the graduates who attended Friday morning’s commencement ceremony at Haskell Indian Nations University “a dream that our ancestors had.”
Lawrence Arts Center adds new performance, rehearsal, gallery and storage space in major expansion
Almost from the moment it was launched nearly 50 years ago, the Lawrence Arts Center found itself scrambling for space. Now, it may have solved its space problems.
Liberty Hall stage reconstruction project earns award from Lawrence Preservation Alliance
Liberty Hall holds so many years’ worth of stories and experiences that it’s almost as if the structure itself is alive. That’s why General Manager Dean Edington II refers to the building’s aura as “the spirit of the hall.”
Lawrence students take state championships in Speech and Drama; Free State takes 3rd consecutive title
Students from Free State High School, Lawrence High School and Bishop Seabury Academy all have state champions to celebrate following a successful weekend.
Free State High School student’s photo wins Great Shot contest
Addie Driscoll, a senior at Free State High School, has won first place in a national photo contest for a joyful photo of her lemon beagle, Maizie Jo.
Sunflower first-graders design unique jewelry for auction to benefit injured, orphaned wildlife
First-graders in Jessica Brown’s class at Sunflower Elementary have named the muses that inspired the colorful jewelry they’ve crafted. Now it’s time for the public to place bids.
Students cross finish line with confidence in Lawrence school district’s adaptive triathlon
The time he spent pounding the track’s pavement during the adaptive triathlon Wednesday at Lawrence High was the funnest part for Richard Outcalt. That, and the Southwest Middle School eighth-grader envisioning himself attending LHS in the fall.
Saltwell Farm Kitchen is Lawrence restaurateurs’ culinary journey into hospitality, heritage and home
With lots of hard work and a great team surrounding them, Shantel Grace and Rozz Petrozz, the founders of Saltwell Farm Kitchen, have opened the abandoned-farmhouse-turned-restaurant to the public with one request: Come as you are.
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