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.)
Frank Arpan now president of Haskell University; former president was fired for lack of COVID-19 measures
Haskell Indian Nations University, which has been in a state of flux and administrative turnover for years, appears to have a new leader. Also, federal documents shed light on why the former president was fired.
Judicial Council wants 30-day notice of involuntary discharge from Kansas elder care facilities
Rachel Imthurn remains a champion more than a decade after her husband’s death for implementation of a Kansas law giving residents of assisted living facilities at least 30 days notice of an involuntary discharge and the right to appeal the facility’s decision.
Kansas Republicans want election rule changes that could give them an edge over Democrats
Kansas Republicans are considering the removal of a three-day grace period for returning ballots by mail and creating runoff elections for statewide races. Democrats and voter turnout advocates say they are voter suppression efforts.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Arabella Gipp named 2023 Lawrence Youth of the Year
Reigning winner Arabella Gipp was announced as the 2023 Lawrence Youth of the Year winner Thursday evening. She vulnerably shared how she began living unapologetically in her identity and found her sense of belonging.
Fundraiser seeks to help Lawrence woman wrongly convicted in infant’s death
A Lawrence woman who was wrongly convicted of killing a boy who had died from natural causes is hoping for community support to start putting her life back together.
Despite a ballot box loss, anti-abortion lawmakers in Kansas propose a complete ban
Republican lawmakers in Kansas have introduced the most extreme anti-abortion legislation so far this session. It comes less than six months after voters dealt a landslide upset to abortion opponents when they rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure.
Justice Matters to hold meeting on Vera Institute study of incarceration in Douglas County
Lawrence advocacy group Justice Matters invites community members to an educational meeting about a study that highlighted stark racial disparities in incarceration and found that most bookings into the Douglas County jail are for minor, nonviolent charges, among other conclusions.
West Middle School evacuated after report of ‘threat that could be considered a bomb threat’
West Middle School students have evacuated the building as a safety precaution “following a report of a written threat that could be considered a bomb threat left on a technology device yesterday,” according to the school district.
Kansas House tangles on procedural rules before preserving late-night debates, bill bundling
Republicans in the Kansas House voted down a proposed rule forbidding the launch of House floor debate on a bill after midnight.
Douglas County rent assistance program to switch to lottery system, lower per-household cap
The Douglas County Housing Stabilization Collaborative is moving away from a first-come, first-served model to distribute funding for residents in need of rent and utility assistance. It will also lower the maximum total payment in order to serve more households.
Max Kautsch: Swaths of Kansas lack written policies on exculpatory evidence, law enforcement dishonesty (Column)
”The Kansas Coalition for Open Government believes that establishing written Brady/Giglio policies is essential to promoting transparency and accountability in law enforcement,” Max Kautsch writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
The 780s Series brings world-class musicians to town. Here’s how Lawrencians can hear their stories for free
The 780s Series is an annual lecture hosted by the Lawrence Public Library, and it brings some of the brightest minds in music to Lawrence to share their experiences. It will return on Feb. 9 with David Lowery, the singer-songwriter behind alt-rock bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, who will discuss his career and music rights activism.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Union-busting efforts continue at downtown Lawrence Chipotle, workers allege
Months after a union petition went missing at a Lawrence Chipotle, some current and former employees say that the restaurant has been attempting to push out workers who had signed by disproportionately enforcing policies and accelerating termination.
Book launch event to bring ‘Rock and Roll Reading’ to Replay Lounge
An event on Sunday will celebrate Midwestern writers and the launch of Lawrence author and bookseller Danny Caine’s new book of poetry.
Salt makes icy roads less dicey, but it poisons the land. Here’s what Kansas is doing about it
Rock salt saves lives by helping tires grip icy roads. It avoids broken bones when homeowners use it on slick surfaces. But it also costs Americans billions in corroding cars and bridges. It adds so much sodium to drinking water in some places that it can affect people’s health.
Gov. Laura Kelly argues Kansans deserve bipartisan progress on tax, health care, K-12 policy
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly pleaded with lawmakers to avoid injecting politics more deeply into K-12 public schools. She amplified recommendations to expand eligibility for Medicaid, legalize medical marijuana, accelerate workforce training and answer calls for action on the rural housing crisis.
Kansas Senate president rails against wokeness in response to governor’s annual speech
The Republican president of the Kansas Senate said Tuesday that Kansans should appreciate Gov. Laura Kelly is governing near the ditch on the left side of the road rather than from the center as she has claimed on many occasions.
Lawrence school administrators discuss chronic absenteeism, behavior approaches in report to board
Chronic absenteeism has increased in Lawrence Public Schools since the first quarter, data in recent district reports shows; meanwhile, increased behavior incidents in middle schools need tailored approaches, administrators say.
The Raven Book Store’s bestsellers for Jan. 24, 2023 (Sponsored post)
”To nobody’s surprise, Prince Harry’s record-breaking memoir tops our bestseller list this week,” the Raven Book Store writes in this latest bestseller list. There’s also a 5-way tie for fifth place!
Letter to the Times: Kansas is key to an endangered bird species’ future
”We sincerely believe that conserving wildlife such as (Lesser Prairie-Chickens) is not in opposition to a vibrant economy, and that the new guidelines will help to ensure that we do not lose this iconic species,” two local ornithologists write in this letter to the Times.
Broad coalition urges Kansas lawmakers to amend law on driving license revocations
Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau says state law revoking driving privileges for failure to pay a traffic citation should be amended to give motorists the opportunity to apply for a restricted license so they could get to work and earn money to pay off any penalties.
Chansi Long/Lawrence Times
Unhoused residents of North Lawrence campsite say city staff members are ‘just eyeballing us,’ have stopped support
Some residents of the North Lawrence campsite for people experiencing homelessness say city staff members have stopped providing basic support, including food and water. It’s causing them to shift their focus to survival, rather than improving their situations.
Snow on the way to Lawrence; some accumulation expected
A winter weather advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday through 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service office in Topeka.
Kids regularly run away from Kansas foster homes. Some have died. The state hopes to improve
More than 50 foster kids are missing in Kansas at a given time. The state said it is making progress to fix the problem, but critics say it could do more.
