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

Young woman who had a stroke at last KU powwow returns, walks powwow circle a year later
Corrin Lamere, 23, on Saturday evening walked around the powwow circle where she suffered a severe stroke last year, and her family thanked community members for their support throughout her healing.
MORE GOOD NEWS

‘We are excellent. We are Firebirds’: Free State graduation celebrates unique journey of each student
Ava Rivera started writing her graduation speech while crying on her bedroom floor. But she made it — to graduation and to the lectern. She said her story was similar to many of her fellow Free State graduates.

Governor signs Lawrence disability advocate’s bill into law
Self-advocate Kathy Lobb’s decades-long quest has come to an end as a law to grant executive branch employment preferences for disabled Kansans is now on the books.

Project SEARCH interns graduate, secure jobs with KU, Lawrence Memorial Hospital
A staff member described this year’s nine graduates from Project SEARCH, the Lawrence school district’s program for young adults with disabilities who are entering the workforce, as “our group of character.”

Brad Stoll takes home $10K prize for contributions ‘to the entire USD 497 community’
The Lawrence Schools Foundation on Tuesday presented its annual Bobs Award to special education teacher Brad Stoll, who works with students of all abilities across the Lawrence school district through the adaptive P.E. program.

Spirit of inclusion surrounds student-athletes at annual Pat Grzenda Triathlon
Students who participated in Lawrence Public Schools’ adaptive triathlon on Wednesday agreed the cheers they received from their supporters made all their hard work worth it.

‘We’re not seeing him held back’: Shelter director envisions a bright future for Nash the dog
It’s been more than six weeks since a Lawrence resident found a dog — now named Nash — bleeding from wounds all over his body. Nash is healing well, and he’s ready to transition to foster care.

Quail Run students win award for spirit, teamwork and respect at international competition
Lawrence fifth graders Esther Kong and Sarah Song took their STEAM project on the road last week and scored big by bringing home the Core Values Award from the FIRST LEGO League Challenge in Houston, Texas.

Free State sweeps speech and debate national qualifier; Lawrence High qualifies 7
Free State High School’s forensics team dominated the speech and debate national qualifier, winning all four sweepstakes awards and seeing nine students punch their tickets to the national tournament. Lawrence High qualified seven students for nationals.

KU music student selected for Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship
Taylor Zickefoose, a KU School of Music student, has been selected from among applicants worldwide as one of two rising talents who will participate in the inaugural Bob Dylan Center Songwriting Fellowship.

Musician, teacher melds parody with song in hopes of finding forever families for shelter animals
If Lawrence Humane Society pets could sing and play instruments, what would their songs sound like? Emily Boedeker has some ideas and she’s creating tunes to bring attention to the shelter’s longest residents.

Raven Book Store curating free book collection for queer youths
Lawrence booksellers want to make it “perfectly clear” they support youths who are “perfectly queer.”

KU students from Lawrence, Olathe selected as Goldwater Scholars
University of Kansas juniors Cecilia Paranjothi, of Lawrence, and Kit Savoy, of Olathe, have been chosen as Goldwater Scholars.

Lawrence Times places for several Awards of Excellence, including Photographer and Journalist of the Year
The Lawrence Times news team has been honored with six Awards of Excellence from the Kansas Press Association, including second place Photographer of the Year and third place Journalist of the Year.

KU debate pair finish second in country at national tournament
The KU debate duo of Graham Revare and William Soper finished second in the country in policy debate Monday at the 78th National Debate Tournament.

Bill named after Lawrence self-advocate Kathy Lobb headed to governor for signature
Gov. Laura Kelly’s signature is now all that’s missing for Kathy’s Bill to become law. It’s been a long time coming for the Lawrence self-advocate who brought it to life, Kathy Lobb.

Community members to plant fruit trees at Lawrence Public Library during ceremony
During an upcoming ceremony, community members will be planting an orchard of fruit trees at the Lawrence Public Library and serenading it into life.

Free State junior achieves highest national speech and debate honor
Free State High School junior Anwen Williams has reached a prestigious milestone after scoring in more than 375 rounds of speech and debate competition so far.

La’Ron Williams clinches second place in Kansas Youth of the Year competition
Free State High School senior La’Ron Williams has won second place in the 2024 Boys & Girls Club Kansas Youth of the Year competition.

KU’s History of Black Writing project celebrates more than 4 decades of preserving Black literature
Certainly Black writers have always contributed to American literature, Maryemma Graham recalls thinking during her college class one day in 1972. That day, a seed was planted that would become the History of Black Writing.

Lawrence High’s Maya Smith earns Kansas Student Journalist of the Year award
Lawrence High School senior Maya Smith was named the state’s top student journalist Wednesday by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association.
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