Latest new posts from ALL categories of The Lawrence Times:
Lawrence news, state news, Community Voices, Lawrence Life, obituaries and more.
(Please note that opinion pieces are included in this list, marked as columns or letters to the Times. Not all posts linked on this page were written or produced by the Lawrence Times staff.)
From toy drums to rock camp, Bishop Seabury student Kostas Jackson shines with drumsticks in hand
When Bishop Seabury seventh grader Kostas Jackson was 4 years old, his parents found an “American Idol” children’s drum set in their neighborhood trash. Since then, his life has been marked by snares, kicks, and cymbals.
Kansas governor vetoes ‘born-alive’ bill, K-12 NRA gun safety training program
Gov. Laura Kelly overruled a “born-alive” bill and an NRA-backed gun program for public schools, but the Kansas GOP plans to overturn these vetoes when the Legislature returns later this month.
Principals named for Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, Prairie Park Elementary
The Lawrence school district on Friday announced Jennifer Schmitt as the new principal of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, and Jason Townsend will become permanent principal of Prairie Park Elementary School, where he has served in the interim role this year.
Haskell, KU work to bring more underrepresented communities into laboratory sciences
Two dozen Haskell and KU students presented Friday about their research exploring native grasses, historical trauma, plant-based medicine and other topics.
Broken Arrow Elementary’s interim principal named to new role; will assist families transitioning out of closing schools
Broken Arrow Elementary School’s interim principal, Amanda Green, has been selected for a position in which she will help families transitioning out of the two schools that the district is closing after the end of this year.
Kansas lawmakers approve baby box dropoffs, foster care bill of rights
Lawmakers moved forward with a baby box dropoff system meant to make child relinquishment safer and easier, as part of a legislative bundle that incorporates three child welfare bills.
Round up your unneeded and expired meds; Drug Take Back Day is coming up
Douglas County residents can safely dispose of expired and unneeded prescription and over-the-counter medications at the sheriff’s office’s collection site on National Drug Take Back Day, coming up Saturday, April 22.
Letter to the Times: LGBTQ+ people should never be persecuted
”We know that our religion bears much of the responsibility for vilifying members of the LGBTQ+ communities. We also know that God loves all people, not in spite of who they are, but because of who they are,” Gretchen Meyer writes in this letter to the Times.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Company behind plans for solar array north of Lawrence anticipates contributing $110M in tax revenue
The company hoping to build a huge solar energy electrical-generation plant north of Lawrence said Thursday evening it expects the facility will add $110 million in property tax and business tax revenue for Douglas County over its expected 25 years of operations.
Lawrence’s police review board down to 4 members again; new work group to meet soon
Lawrence’s Community Police Review Board is once again barely a quorum, following the resignation of the recently appointed chair. Meanwhile, a new work group — whose work was supposed to conclude in November — is close to setting their first meeting date.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Billy Mills visits students at his namesake middle school in Lawrence
Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills, in Lawrence for the Kansas Relays, stopped by Billy Mills Middle School to meet with the Intertribal Club and speak at an end-of-day assembly on Thursday.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health to end COVID-19 updates
After April 26, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health will cease updating its COVID-19 data dashboard and sending out email updates each week.
Would this $300 million tax cut in Kansas help the rich most? The governor will decide on a flat tax
The Kansas Legislature recently approved a tax plan that sets a 5.15% income tax rate for almost all Kansans. Critics argue the plan mostly benefits the richest Kansans while also putting the state’s revenue stream in peril.
Kansas governor signs bills dealing with wind turbine lighting, Evergy charges
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday she has signed a bill meant to reduce the appearance of blinking red lights on wind turbines.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Students put skills on display at Lawrence High School’s Innovation Expo
Students in the district’s various career and technical education pathways got to put their work on display at the first annual Innovation Expo Wednesday at Lawrence High School.
Greg Kramos / USFWS
Kobach adds Kansas to lawsuit against Biden administration on lesser prairie chicken
Attorney General Kris Kobach aligned Kansas with Texas and Oklahoma in a lawsuit crafted to block the federal government’s listing of the wild, colorful lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
North Lawrence camp residents say violence and chaos is increasing, and the new fence hasn’t helped
People living at the city-run campsite in North Lawrence say they’re struggling with increased interlopers, assaults, theft and drug activity in the week since the city installed a fence intended to prevent visitors, and a woman said she was raped at the camp on Sunday.
‘They’re gaslighting us’: Kansas lawmakers stray from facts when talking about public schools
Senate President Ty Masterson and Rep. Kristey Williams delivered a series of inaccurate statements on gun violence, public school cuts and special education funding during an hourlong public forum Saturday in Augusta.
Lawrence City Commission denies plan for Fall Creek Villas duplex project
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday voted 3-2 to deny a plan for a strip of duplexes in northwestern Lawrence.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Giant solar power generation facility proposed just north of Lawrence
A division of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is proposing to build a solar energy facility covering more than a square mile just north of Lawrence, near Midland Junction. The “Kansas Sky Energy Center” would supply electrical power to local utility Evergy Inc., which would ultimately own the facility.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Lawrence school district officials voice support for transgender students, staff after Legislature approves anti-trans laws
Lawrence school board members on Monday spoke in support of transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students and staff in the district, following the Kansas Legislature’s approval of several bills diminishing transgender people’s rights.
Moped driver critically injured in Lawrence crash
A moped driver was critically injured in a crash Tuesday morning in Lawrence, according to police.
Motorcyclist killed in Lawrence crash was 36-year-old man, police say
The motorcyclist killed in a crash Monday in Lawrence was 36-year-old Donavan Edmonds, according to Lawrence police.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Flag display aims to raise awareness of sexual violence on KU’s campus
More than 3,300 flags cover the Watson Lawn on the University of Kansas campus this week — one for each survivor of sexual violence at KU.
