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.
Please share your good news with us!
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
‘Black Beyond Borders’ literary exhibit shows diversity of Black populations
Oftentimes, Black people are lumped into one box. An online literature exhibit by KU students works to show the range of cultures and lived experiences among Black people across the western hemisphere.
Tricia Masenthin/Lawrence Times
Family matriarch quilts stories, relives civil rights history with needle and thread
Mary Rials, 85, has designed, cut, pieced and quilted about 200 quilts since she retired from KU in 2000. Her latest, Dare to Dream, is her first quilt to tell the story of the civil rights movement.
Lawrence events center on spreading light to celebrate Hanukkah
Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, co-director of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, hosted two events this week at the Lawrence Public Library to celebrate Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights.
Contributed photo
Mother and son ask community members to join them at North Lawrence campsite on Christmas Eve
Trina Tinsley and her 9-year-old son, Jax, want to fill the North Lawrence campsite for unhoused community members with love and support this Christmas Eve.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Kids help rabbi press oil, make wicks for menorah candles at Lawrence library
Families gathered in the Lawrence Public Library auditorium Tuesday to hear Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel tell the story of Hanukkah, snack on latkes and applesauce, and help make olive oil and wicks to use in a menorah.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Lawrence author, musician Melvin Litton is driven by passion for creativity
Lawrence author and musician Melvin Litton walks his German shepherd, Jack, through the Barker neighborhood every evening. He might be shaping sentences in his head or exploring literary ideas as he walks, eager to scrawl them onto his sketch pad once he’s home again.
Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered
Photos: Lawrence High girls basketball celebrates Native American Heritage Night
The Lawrence High School girls basketball team celebrated Native American Heritage Night on Friday.
Lawrence school district alumni come back to coach, cultivate new wave of sports culture
These former Lawrence High and Free State student-athletes have returned to coach at their alma maters. They’re working to improve the culture of youth sports for their athletes today.
Tricia Masenthin/Lawrence Times
Averill family to stage Christmas show and ‘big party’ with vaudeville roots
The moment they’ve all been waiting for soon will arrive. Finally, Ric and Jeanne Averill will perform on stage at the same time with their children, Will and Trish. The big event will take place on the mainstage at Lawrence Arts Center à la “Drunken Christmas Carol.”
At Ampersand RadLab, KU students use design as a force for good
KU design professor Ryan Clifford works at the intersection of design and social impact. As the faculty lead for Ampersand RadLab, a new student-run project focused on community engagement, he’s helping young adults harness the power of visual art as a force for good.
Mac Moore, KSHSAA Covered/Contributed photo
Free State football standout commits to KU; ‘I can be near my support community,’ he says
Calvin Clements, a senior at Free State High School and Jayhawk fan growing up, is staying home for college.
Tricia Masenthin/Lawrence Times
At Nostalgia Room, Lawrence’s new nonalcoholic bar, sobriety and sentimentality mix together
Memories and feelings of family converge at Nostalgia Room, telling the story of Emily Kate Johnson’s sobriety — and of how she opened the new sober bar in East Lawrence.
Chansi Long/Lawrence Times
Angeles Panaderia, a new bakery in Lawrence, carries on family tradition
Six mornings a week at his new Lawrence bakery, Javier Angeles bakes the breads and pastries his father taught him to make in Mexico.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Santa rescued from Weaver’s rooftop yet again; Lawrence townspeople rejoice
Much to the relief of concerned Lawrencians, Santa Claus was rescued from a department store rooftop Friday following the kickoff celebration of the holiday season in downtown Lawrence.
Contributed
Lawrence to unveil its own PFLAG chapter for LGBTQ+ individuals, allies
Family members, friends and advocates of those identifying as LGBTQ+ soon will have a new local resource to help them and their loved ones.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Times
Lawrence high school Unity Step Team encourages individuality, self-confidence
One minute the practice gym echoes with jokes and laughter, and the next, it fills with rhythmic stomping and clapping. More than just an extracurricular activity, the Unity Step Team is cherished by its members.
Jack Ritter/Lawrence Times
Lawrence High School seniors celebrate newfound scholarship opportunities
A new partner has helped 90 Lawrence High School seniors find more than $82 million in potential scholarships.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Performance by Tweesna Rose Mills portrays Indigenous history
Tweesna Rose Mills, from the Shoshone-Yakama-Umatilla Nations, spent weeks preparing for her performance, “Footsteps of Our Ancestors.” The hourlong show honored Indigenous culture, history and lineage.
Rob Holysz/Contributed photo
Hari Kondabolu to return to Free State Festival with socio-political commentary, new dad jokes
People face heavy issues these days, but comic Hari Kondabolu doesn’t think we should shy away from them — even while taking in a comedy show. After all, the best stand-up routines bring about some kind of healing, he says.
Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Times
Self-advocate Kathy Lobb to retire but still fight for disabled Kansans
When Kathy Lobb retires Monday, she’ll vacate her position at the Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas, but she’s not leaving the field. She’ll continue advocating for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After all, there’s still a bill named after her that she wants to see resurrected and turned into law.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
