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.)
Law symposium at KU to highlight barriers to re-entry after incarceration
An upcoming symposium at KU will focus on the barriers that people face when they’re trying to re-enter society after they’ve been imprisoned, such as fines and fees and diminished access to housing and employment.
Gov. Kelly condemns flat tax proposal, touts plan to cut taxes on groceries and other supplies
Following the unveiling of a flat tax proposal that would cost the state $1.5 billion, Gov. Laura Kelly once again rallied Kansans to her tax cut plan, saying any bill passed this legislative session needs to be fiscally responsible.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Clay Wirestone: A Kansas woman killed her abuser. At every level, in every instance, the system failed her. (Column)
”Even after the abuse, after the violent slaying, the system failed (Sarah Gonzales-McLinn). The judge in her murder trial didn’t allow jurors to hear testimony about her abuse,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Advocates’ event to encourage Lawrence community to push back against South Wakarusa Extension
Indigenous community advocates on Thursday will discuss potential harm that could come from the proposed roadway extension of Wakarusa Drive just south of Lawrence, and they invite the public to participate.
Lawrence police work with domestic violence center to prevent and identify human trafficking
In the years following a high-profile murder case, the Lawrence Police Department and The Willow Domestic Violence Center joined forces to help victims of human trafficking. The two organizations worked to fine-tune a longstanding relationship with the addition of a victims’ advocate in 2020.
Letter to the Times: Listen up, Lawrence school board
”We cannot see how the district proposal to close neighborhood schools, increase ideal class sizes, cut teacher plan time AND go to a four-day week equates to equitable student outcomes or invites great teachers to want to stay or work and Lawrence,” Erica Hunter writes in this letter to the Times.
Kansas restaurant industry still struggling for comeback, officials say
The restaurant industry statewide has been plagued by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and workforce shortages, with new issues making it difficult for restaurant owners to bounce back, officials have said.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Parking in New Hampshire Street garage is free this week, but the lower level is closed
Parking in the New Hampshire Street garage will be free for the remainder of this week — except for the garage’s lower level, which is closed until further notice following a nearby fire.
Famed folk music trio The Refugees to perform at Lawrence Arts Center
Renowned folk trio The Refugees will soon share their harmonic music in Lawrence for the first time.
KU Law students to offer free help with criminal record expungements
Students with the KU School of Law’s Legal Aid Clinic are preparing to help folks get their criminal records expunged, free for those who qualify.
Analysis show Kansas Chamber’s flat tax proposal costs $1.5B, favors top 20% of wage earners
Assessments by the Kansas budget director and an independent tax policy institute Monday showed the flat tax proposal by the Kansas Chamber would reduce the state budget by $1.5 billion per year and primarily benefit the state’s highest wage earners.
KU nominates 5 students for Goldwater Scholarships
KU has nominated five students for Goldwater Scholarships, “regarded as the premier undergraduate award to encourage excellence in science, engineering and mathematics,” according to a news release Monday morning.
Clay Wirestone: A bomb threat at my son’s Lawrence school shattered an afternoon into emotional fragments (Column)
“I was worried because, in those lengthy Thursday afternoon minutes, I had lost the ability to protect my child,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
She killed her rapist after months of abuse. Advocates say Kansas governor should set her free.
A jury convicted Sarah Gonzales-McLinn of first-degree murder in 2015 without knowing about the months of abuse that preceded her grisly crime. Now, her advocates hope to get her out of prison by convincing the governor to grant her clemency — a longshot attempt to correct what they view as injustice.
Ken Lassman
Kaw Valley Almanac for Jan. 30 – Feb. 5, 2023
This bald eagle was photographed hanging out in a cottonwood tree below the Bowersock Dam that is located on the Kaw River in Lawrence. Eagles overwinter up and down the Kaw and Missouri Rivers, and quite a few of them now make their nests in Kansas.
‘Spectacular,’ ‘fabulous,’ ‘dragalicious’: Transformations Charity Gala wraps with big finale
Transformations Charity Gala, the annual drag event that’s raised $150,000 for local nonprofits since 2011, has come to a close. But it went out with a bang.
Scuffle over Kelly’s nominee to Court of Appeals foreshadows bigger fight over Supreme Court
The Kansas Senate unanimously confirmed Kansas Court of Appeals nominee Rachel Pickering despite alarms set off by Republicans about judicial criticism leveled against her decisions as appellate defense counsel in a 15-year-old criminal case.
Dole Institute’s spring semester lineup includes focus on first ladies, women leaders
The Dole Institute of Politics at KU has announced a spring semester event lineup that features a focus on the influence of first ladies. Additional lecturers will include Juana Summers, co-host of “All Things Considered” on NPR, and Atifete Jahjaga, former president of the Republic of Kosovo.
D.C. Hiegert: Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and laws harm your Kansas neighbors. We can build a more welcoming state. (Column)
”I believe we can make Kansas a welcoming and accepting state where LGBTQ+ people can live authentically and thrive. But LGBTQ+ Kansans cannot do it alone,” D.C. Hiegert writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Kaw Valley Public House is closing its doors
Kaw Valley Public House, a North Lawrence venue known for showcasing local musicians, is closing.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Lawrence Arts Center’s Souper Bowl fundraiser to return, along with Edible Ink print exhibition
Everyone is welcome to feast their eyes on the Lawrence Arts Center’s newest exhibition, purchase bowls and prints, and bid on handcrafted platters when the Souper Bowl fundraiser returns.
How bad was the 2022 drought? For these 7 Kansas communities, it was the driest on record
Record-setting lack of rain in 2022 transformed parts of western Kansas into a temporary desert. And it’ll take a while for the region’s fields, towns and mindsets to recover.
Tresa McAlhaney: Community can creatively manage changes in Lawrence Public Schools (Column)
”We have so many great resources to draw from in our community, and with some thoughtful adjustments, we can gracefully rise to conquer the coming challenges together,” Tresa McAlhaney writes in this column.
FBI special agent’s take on national cybersecurity threats: ‘I have a hard time going to sleep’
FBI supervisory special agent George Schultzel pulled hundreds of people to the edge of their seats Friday during a gathering at KU exploring how government, industry and researchers could work together to improve cybersecurity in the United States.
