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.)
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Eric Thomas: ‘Test-optional’ exams teach Kansas teens a lesson in contradiction (Column)
“Our new test-optional reality is more complicated. Just as we have morphed back into our pre-pandemic habits in other ways, we are backsliding into our old habits with standardized college admissions tests,” Eric Thomas writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
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Kansas school district’s planned transgender policy could violate law, ACLU says
The ACLU of Kansas condemned a school district’s discussed transgender policy as potentially illegal and harmful, in anticipation of a deciding vote on the matter.
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Lawrence’s Community Police Review Board selects new leadership, hears appeal of complaint
The two newest appointees to the Lawrence Community Police Review Board will take the helm as chair and vice chair, members voted Thursday.
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Unclear why Lawrence police detective is on paid leave after being accused of crashing vehicle in alleged DUI
A Lawrence police detective was placed on paid leave following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence last week, though city policy suggests the suspension should be without pay.
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Professors frustrated by Emporia State University plans to eliminate tenured faculty and programs
Emporia State University’s proposal for dealing with financial strains identifies reasons the school will use to get rid of tenured professors, including market considerations, enrollment, revenue and employee conduct. Faculty members have concerns.
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Kansas legislators clash with Labor secretary over report on unemployment fraud, identity theft
Kansas’ IT system for unemployment claims could have been hacked by any fifth-grader, the chairman of an oversight committee said during a tense meeting Wednesday on security breaches.
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Sidewalk Sale and Family Fun Day is this weekend in downtown Lawrence
Following a comfortably warm reception last year of a Sidewalk Sale on a September day, slightly cooler than the usual scorching heat of peak summer in Lawrence, this year’s event is set for this Saturday.
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Kris Kobach says he’s helping close border wall project that led to Steve Bannon’s fraud charges
Republican attorney general nominee Kris Kobach says he’s helping to shut down a private group that wanted to build a wall on the Mexican border — and that’s at the heart of a fraud indictment of a close adviser to former President Donald Trump.
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Douglas County Commission says goodbye to Shannon Portillo
Shannon Portillo adjourned her last Douglas County Commission meeting Wednesday evening.
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Public comment from the Sept. 7, 2022 Douglas County Commission meeting
Here’s an audio recording of general public comment from the Douglas County Commission’s Wednesday meeting, taken via the Zoom virtual meeting.
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City of Lawrence-run camp for people experiencing homelessness raises concerns for ‘family’ members who already live there
Jennifer Adams is anxious. She soon has to relocate the tent where she currently lives nestled near a shade tree. In the year and a half Adams has been homeless, the city has swept her camps six times, she said.
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Obituary: Michael Rush Westheffer
Michael Rush Westheffer, 5/10/1990 – 8/31/2022
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More than 30,000 Kansans with suspended licenses could have kept driving legally last year
Kansas wants to to make it easier for some people with suspended licenses to get some driving privileges with restricted licenses. But more than 30,000 people are still missing out.
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Kansas lawmakers award $50,000 in wrongful conviction case involving knife possession
The State Finance Council approved settlements Tuesday of a $50,000 wrongful conviction case and two other legal conflicts, but the council did not disclose information about those claims nor amounts of tax dollars spent to settle them.
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Summoning inspiration from solitary, Kansas native wins PEN America prison writing award
Alex Tretbar scratched Lou Reed lyrics into the concrete “rhomboid exoskeleton” of an Oregon jail’s solitary confinement hole, then found the strength to write about it.
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Will Averill: What are M@ssholes, and why should I see them? (Column)
“Here are three questions that I guarantee you will bother townies,” Will Averill begins this column …
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Watkins Museum of History to debut third floor after 8 years of planning
Following years in the making, the Watkins Museum of History this weekend will open its […]
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Student taken into custody following alleged comment about shooting at Free State High School
A Free State High School student was taken into custody after a report that they had made a comment on Friday about “shooting up the school” on Tuesday.
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Kansas attorney general candidate emerges from tragedy with refined sense of public service
Democrat Chris Mann looks at the job of Kansas attorney general through the lens of personal experience as a law enforcement officer, crime victim, prosecutor and defense lawyer.
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The Raven Book Store’s bestsellers for Sept. 6, 2022 (Sponsored post)
“Our No. 1 bestseller this week is Michael Travis’ ‘Celebrating Kansas Breweries,’ but the list as a whole might as well be called ‘Celebrating Kansas Books,’” the Raven Book Store writes.
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Kansas teacher receives $95,000 after refusing to use student’s preferred name and pronouns
Attorneys for Pamela Ricard say the teacher’s First Amendment rights were violated when she was disciplined for refusing to use a student’s preferred name and pronouns.
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Letter to the Times: Benghazi, the Capitol riot and our democracy
“Candidates should be judged this year on their position regarding the defense of our democracy. Did they condone the Big Lie about voter fraud, or worse, help spread the lie?” Thomas Weiss writes in this letter to the Times.
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The Commons at KU to launch series of discussions on reproductive justice
The Commons at KU is planning a series of discussions this fall with researchers in disciplines from across the university that will highlight the complexities of reproductive justice.
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Caps and signups for public comments among staff suggestions to streamline Lawrence City Commission meetings
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider some suggestions from staff to make meetings more efficient, including limiting general public comments or taking them out of the meeting livestreams.