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.)

Kansas anti-vax group boasts 16 sponsors ahead of ‘freedom rally’ in Lenexa
A prominent anti-vaccination group has planned a “freedom rally” for Monday in Lenexa with the sponsorship of a nursing agency, midwifery, dental office, chiropractors, pharmacies and businesses that promote the healing properties of elderberries, tea biotics, red light therapy, hemp and gluten-free baked goods.

How Kansas prisons dodged a delta COVID surge after getting hit hard early in the pandemic
Kansas prisons were hotbeds of coronavirus infections early in the pandemic, but vaccinations appear to have protected those inmates living in close quarters.

Photos: Lawrence’s Art in the Park, Day 1
The Lawrence Art Guild’s Art in the Park returned to South Park on Saturday. Festivities resume from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

From the Caribbean to Kansas: Earl Moise, founder of Rising Son Plumbing, shares his story
Earl Moise, one of the best-known master plumbers in Lawrence, has been passionate about the craft ever since graduating from high school. With each pipe he hand-cut, he fell more and more in love.

KU researchers optimistic about bringing in-home COVID-19 test to market
Researchers at the University of Kansas are aiming to place on the commercial market in early 2022 an in-home, saliva-based testing unit for COVID-19.

‘Searching for La Yarda’ documentary to screen at Lawrence Arts Center in October
A short film documenting the story of La Yarda, the housing unit built for Mexican-American railroad workers from 1920-51 in East Lawrence, is set to screen next month at the Lawrence Arts Center.

Protests at KU continue with sit-in outside chancellor’s office
University of Kansas students, continuing calls for justice for a student who said she was drugged and sexually assaulted at a fraternity house last weekend, held a sit-in Friday afternoon at Strong Hall.

The big ask: Higher education seeks $161 million budget increase from lawmakers
The board responsible for oversight of the state’s public universities and colleges adopted a $161.6 million budget request to be submitted to Gov. Laura Kelly in advance of the 2022 legislative session.

2-year-old killed in Lawrence shooting, police say
A 2-year-old child has died after being shot Friday morning in Lawrence, according to police.

A moment in Lawrence: Habitat for Humanity selected for Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging grant
The Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging had a payroll protection loan forgiven, which left it with additional revenue. On Wednesday, the agency presented Lawrence Habitat for Humanity $44,638 in grant funds in support of its Age in Place program.

Protests at University of Kansas show culture shift on campus sexual violence
For two nights this week, hundreds of outraged students showed up at a University of Kansas fraternity house, demanding answers. The scene, filled with palpable anger and frustration, demonstrated a shift in how students think about and respond to sexual violence that organizers say was a long time in the making.

Kansas judge won’t block new state voting law
A Shawnee County judge Thursday allowed Kansas to continue enforcing a controversial election law, rejecting arguments it will inhibit voter registration and education efforts.

2 Lawrence High School seniors earn special recognition from College Board
Two seniors from Lawrence High School have earned special recognition from The College Board for academic excellence, according to a news release from Lawrence Public Schools Thursday evening.

City of Lawrence considering long-term expansion of parklet program; staff seeks feedback
Last summer, the city of Lawrence started implementing temporary parklets to expand outdoor seating for businesses during COVID-19. Now those parklets might be around for a while longer.

Kansas Board of Regents takes step toward evaluation of campus health clinics
The Kansas Board of Regents tentatively endorsed Thursday formation of a task force to independently examine options for limiting legal risks of operating campus student health centers and for increasing collection of payments from insurance companies for treatment services.

Lawrence Art Guild excited to welcome guests to Art in the Park this weekend
Art in the Park is returning this Saturday — and this Sunday, marking the first two-day run for the event since 1964, according to Jen Unekis of the Lawrence Art Guild.

Lawrence garden projects help youth cultivate their futures, serve community
Amid the lush leaves and neatly arranged rows of plants and trees, the orchard and gardens at West Middle School grow a bounty of food. The smells of clematis and lavender float through the air, and wherever you turn, you’ll see colorful fresh fruit and vegetables. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll also find the project grows people.

Your new best friend could be waiting at the Lawrence Humane Society — fees waived this Saturday
The Lawrence Humane Society (along with hundreds of other shelters across the country) is waiving all adoption fees Saturday, in an effort to get all animals available for adoption matched up with their new families.

Douglas County boasts 12 National Merit Semifinalists
A dozen students of Douglas County high schools have earned the prestigious title of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, according to a news release from the organization.

Clay Wirestone: Progressives beware: Don’t let values become casualties of the pandemic (Column)
“I sympathize with the anger. But during this virus-riddled time, we can’t allow the pandemic to melt our minds. We should not want people who disagree with us — even if that disagreement takes the form of refusing a vaccine or mask — to forgo health insurance or medical care,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column.

Douglas County Commission approves homelessness resources, discusses options for federal funds
The Douglas County Commission approved new funding toward addressing local homelessness and discussed federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act at Wednesday’s meeting.

Kansas cold case task force lays groundwork for sharing DNA database hits
Members of a task force developing protocol for newly discovered DNA evidence in closed cases is backing a recommendation laying out a process to ensure defense counsel is made aware when a match is found in DNA registries.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office unveils updated jail data dashboard; DA’s dashboard in the works
Eighty percent of the people incarcerated in the Douglas County jail are there pretrial — meaning they haven’t been convicted and are presumed innocent. That’s just one takeaway from the inmate population data dashboard from the sheriff’s office.

Steve Lopes: Fed up with a discouraging status quo? Grassroots organizing holds the solution (Column)
“Many citizens are outraged by this or that, and that’s a good thing, but only if that energy is used to promote positive change. The obvious response is: Convert our collective anger to action through collective organizing,” Steve Lopes writes in this column.