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.)
Lawrence elected leaders face threats, polarization in a changing climate for public servants
When she first ran for election to the Lawrence school board more than a decade ago, Shannon Kimball wanted to help her community and her city’s public schools. Her most recent term has shown her a side of the job she hadn’t seen before.
Obituary: Mary Tuven
Mary Tuven, 09/27/1938 – 07/19/2022
Letter to the Times: This is not the American way
“If you vote ‘yes,’ you are renouncing your natural rights, your God-given rights, in favor of only those privacy rights that the legislators of Kansas choose to give you. With all due respect, this is not the American way,” Jonathan D. Kaufelt writes in this letter to the Times.
Kansas corrections system grapples with 22.6% vacancy rate among uniformed prison staff
The state Department of Corrections said the latest staffing report Monday indicated 22.6% or 416 of 1,840 uniformed jobs in nine state prisons were vacant. At no point in 2022 has the shortfall among uniformed officers at the Kansas prisons fallen below 400.
Kansas and Missouri health care is saddling people of color with debt
People of color in Kansas and Missouri are often saddled with medical debt. That hurts their credit and their ability to get good loans, to buy homes and a range of other things that fuel middle class wealth.
Lawrence City Commission takes next steps on plastic bag ban, methane gas at multimodal transfer hub
Lawrence city commissioners Tuesday night asked staff to review a proposed ordinance banning single-use plastic bags and decided to move ahead with plans for the multimodal transfer facility to use methane gas.
Lawrence families create mutual aid network during baby formula shortage
As a group of Lawrence moms and more band together to overcome a nationwide baby formula shortage, they’re showing the power of mutual aid and setting a model for how people in other communities can help their neighbors survive tough times.
Symposium invites landlords to discover benefits of affordable housing partnerships
More than 70 local households have been approved for housing vouchers but can’t find a rental unit that matches their needs. To help alleviate that shortfall, the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority will host a symposium July 28 to educate property owners about incentives and support available for those who partner with the agency.
August Rudisell / Lawrence Times file photo
Employee taken to hospital after fire at dentist’s office in Lawrence
An employee of a Lawrence dentist’s office was evaluated for smoke inhalation and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation following a fire Tuesday.
Organization leading fight against abortion amendment tops $6.5 million in donations
The organization leading the effort to defeat an Aug. 2 abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution took in $6.54 million in contributions since start of the year and spent two-thirds of that cash on advertising to influence primary voters.
Anti-abortion groups make dubious claims as Kansas amendment vote nears
Claims made by campaigns for and against a constitutional amendment undoing Kansans’ right to an abortion look like descriptions of two different realities.
Application now open for arts grants from the City of Lawrence
The City of Lawrence is one step closer to distributing $150K in grant funding to help the arts and culture sector recover from the pandemic — the application is now available online.
Early demand for under-5 COVID-19 vaccines promising amid rising case numbers, Kansas doctors say
As COVID-19 case numbers of approach levels not seen since February, Kansas doctors are encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated.
Lesley Borger, Pizza Tascio / Contributed photo
Restaurant coming soon to Mass Street promises to offer authentic New York-style pizza
Pizza Tascio, coming soon to 1004 Massachusetts St., is “actually authentic New York pizza,” according to owner Erik Borger.
Lawrence health department offering long-term birth control options
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health is offering long-term birth control, including an arm implant and two types of IUDs, with flexible payment options.
Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Times
Lawrence school board member Andrew Nussbaum steps down
Andrew Nussbaum, elected to the Lawrence school board in November, has submitted his resignation, effective immediately.
Ken Lassman
Kaw Valley Almanac for July 18-24, 2022
Ironweed is a sturdy perennial that attracts butterflies and other pollinators this time of year. The purple blossoms are like a daisy without the “petals” and supposedly provide a brief, sweet chew.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Indigenous Community Center event brings communal healing through art and abortion justice education
A sense of rage and eagerness to mobilize resonated among those in attendance at the Indigenous Community Center’s awareness event Saturday. It provided space to release emotions and celebrate cultural identity.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Swimmer’s body found after hours of searching at Clinton Lake
After an hourslong search Saturday, a swimmer’s body was found in Clinton Lake.
The Murder of Tiger Dowdell: July 16, 1970
“We could’ve killed him, gone home and had dinner. That’s how strong the hate was,” Sakeim Dowdell recalled, 52 years after a Lawrence police officer shot and killed his younger brother, Rick “Tiger” Dowdell.
The Murder of Tiger Dowdell: A lasting impact
All told, Tiger Dowdell’s murder — at the hands of a police department that had threatened to kill him shortly before his death, his grandmother told the KBI — drastically changed the fabric of Lawrence.
The Murder of Tiger Dowdell: More questions than answers
A KBI case file leaves one prevailing question which may ultimately be lost to history: Why did Lawrence Police Officer William Garrett shoot and kill Rick “Tiger” Dowdell on July 16, 1970?
Dot Nary: Where is the affordable and accessible housing? (Column)
“We all need to advocate for our family members, friends, neighbors, and fellow Lawrencians who may need accessible housing — now or in the future,” Dot Nary writes in this column.
Four people injured in riot at Lansing prison, employee union reports
One incarcerated person is hospitalized and three staff members are injured after a riot at Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth County, according to the Kansas Organization of State Employees.
