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.)
Eudora district cancels school Friday amid spike in COVID cases; Lawrence schools reporting record numbers
School has been canceled Friday for students of Eudora Public Schools as a spike in COVID-19 cases has coincided with a shortage of substitute teachers.
Lawrence Public Schools considering closing several schools in proposed scenarios
Multiple school closings were proposed to the Lawrence school district’s Boundary Advisory Committee Wednesday in an attempt to lessen an impending budget crisis.
KU, graduate teaching assistants union at an impasse on wages after 15 months of bargaining
KU and the Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition have reached a joint impasse on the biggest issue facing a new contract for graduate workers: their salary.
Celebration will honor 2022 recipients of Langston Hughes writing awards
A recent college graduate and a local nonprofit administrator have been named the recipients of this year’s Langston Hughes Creative Writing Awards.
Douglas County District Court’s January traffic dockets continued
Amid record numbers of new COVID-19 cases, the Douglas County district attorney’s office has continued traffic dockets for Jan. 14, 21 and 28.
Douglas County Commission extends emergency mask mandate through Feb. 9
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday voted 3-0 to extend an emergency health order that includes a mask requirement through Feb. 9.
Kansas State Board of Education adopts policy to stem substitute teacher shortage
The Kansas State Board of Education unanimously agreed Wednesday to suspend until June a requirement that licenses for substitute teachers be limited to applicants who completed 60 credit hours of college courses.
Kansas Board of Regents, Democrats praise governor’s proposal to freeze college tuition
Kansas college students could soon benefit from a continued effort to minimize rising college tuition, pending approval on a provision in the governor’s budget.
Shawnee Mission hospital official forced to consider morgue capacity amid escalating COVID-19 surge
The chief medical officer of AdventHealth in Shawnee says the hospital nearly ran out of ventilators before new ones arrived this week, and the federal supply of antibody treatments used for COVID-19 patients can’t keep up with their needs.
Tom Harper: Rachel’s bench, and others like it, are meaningful gifts to all of Lawrence (Column)
Lanny Genosky is thankful to have a bench in memory of his wife, Rachel, where he can sit and enjoy the view of Lawrence that she loved in Constant Park.
Long-running English as Second Language program for women accepting new students
Volunteers teaching English as a Second Language classes for women in Lawrence are inviting new students to join the program.
Douglas County’s Behavioral Health Court helps those with mental illness break the cycle of incarceration
Members of Douglas County’s Behavioral Health Court shared how the program has progressed during the past four years and how administrators might further improve the program in the future during a meeting of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on Tuesday.
Grover Barn’s interpretive panels set for dedication; organizers hope to allow attendees inside building
Lawrence historians and preservationists will soon host a dedication of interpretive panels installed at Grover Barn, which served as a stop along the Underground Railroad.
Kansas governor asks for simple food tax relief, resilience in State of the State speech
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday used her annual State of the State address to propose eliminating the sales tax on food with a simple 13-word phrase, freezing college tuition rates, investing in law enforcement, and funding a state water plan abandoned by previous administrations.
Kansas Supreme Court’s chief asks for more reliable judiciary funding model, 23 new judges
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert on Tuesday proposed adoption of a judicial branch budget model tied to general state revenue rather than volatile court fee funds and requested state resources to add 13 district judges and 10 magistrate judges.
Kansas Legislature kicks off 2022 session as coronavirus, election-year politics flare
“I think (the legislative session) is going to be a train wreck, and I think it’s going to be highly partisan,” Rep. Boog Highberger, of Lawrence, said.
Lawrence schools’ student, staff absences up in first days back after winter break, superintendent tells board
High numbers of student and staff absences amid surging COVID-19 cases in just the first week back to school after winter break had Lawrence school board members concerned Monday about how buildings will stay open.
Haskell Indian Nations University classes will be online only to start spring semester
Haskell Indian Nations University will resume classes on Jan. 18 as planned, but the first three weeks of classes will be entirely online amid record numbers of COVID-19 cases in Douglas County.
KU will return to in-person classes as planned, provost says
KU will stick with plans to bring students back to campus next week for the spring semester, the administration announced Monday, as Douglas County continues to face record-breaking numbers of new COVID-19 cases.
Mark McCormick: Does CRT make white students feel bad? Try being a Black student (Column)
“So much of the ever-changing debate about critical race theory — a term for an academic body of work not taught in K-12 public schools — centers the feelings of white students. We rarely seem concerned about how Black students have felt in public schools,” Mark McCormick writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
Justice Matters’ lead organizer continues quest for a more equitable world in Douglas County
Camille Debreczeny grew up in California surrounded by extended family taking care of each other as part of an interconnected whole. The lead organizer for Justice Matters credits that collectivist culture — and her family’s immigrant background — with drawing her to community work.
Kaw Valley Almanac for Jan. 10-16, 2022
This photo of the first quarter moon through the cottonwood tree was taken at sunset when it was due south. Each day at sunset this week, the moon will move a little further to the east until by the end of the week it will rise a little more than an hour before sunset, almost completely round.
Kansas doctors praise governor’s ‘bold action’ as COVID-19 infections continue to spike
Kansas medical providers on Friday praised Gov. Laura Kelly for declaring a state of emergency and issuing executive orders to help confront an overwhelming surge in COVID-19 infections.
Lawrence school board to hear COVID update, consider goals for cash reserves and more
The Lawrence school board — including two new members — on Monday will hear an update from the superintendent about COVID-19, consider recommendations for contingency funds in the district’s budget and more.