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.)
After 4 instruments and 14 years, Lawrence High School student’s musical passion settles on the clarinet
Lawrence High School senior Felix Guo refused to excel at only one instrument. Instead, he chose four.
New Kansas state budget delivers pay raises, generates consternation about rise in spending
An overwhelming majority of the Kansas Legislature approved a budget bill allocating more than $120 million to raise salaries of state employees and delivering $220 million to assist cities and counties eager to qualify for federal infrastructure aid during the next four years.
Kirsten Kuhn: Delaying plans to expand access to opioid overdose reversal drug could cost lives (Column)
”This commission may consider a delay of a week or two to be no big deal, simply a way of doing their due diligence. But it very well could be the difference between life and death for one of our community members,” Kirsten Kuhn writes in this column.
August Rudisell/The Lawrence Times
Woman, 19, found dead in her bed at KU sorority
A 19-year-old woman was found dead in her bed at Alpha Chi Omega sorority Saturday morning, according to Lawrence police.
Kansas Legislature approves K-12 education budget with private school benefits
The Kansas Legislature passed a K-12 education package Friday that fully funds public schools but includes expansion of a tax credit for private school students and allows private school students to participate in public school sports and activities.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
New city policy says children can stay at North Lawrence campsite; it’s unclear what that might look like in practice
Children are now allowed to stay with their parents at the city-run campsite for people experiencing homelessness in North Lawrence, according to a new policy.
Muslim advocacy group asks Kansas senator for equal representation after offer to convert
A Muslim advocacy group on Friday asked Sen. Mark Steffen to commit to fair representation of all constituents following news reports of a conversation in which Steffen offered to convert a Muslim woman.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Art Love Collective aims to promote Lawrence creatives through an ‘inclusive environment with communal support’
The co-founders of Art Love Collective felt the Lawrence arts community was lacking something, and they opened Lawrence’s newest gallery with the intention of filling that void.
Kansas lawmakers adopt property tax break for restaurant, child care and fitness club businesses
The Kansas Legislature sent Gov. Laura Kelly a bill bundling elements from more than a dozen bills, including a property tax exemption for fitness, restaurant and child care businesses able to demonstrate they were in direct competition with operations of state or local government.
Kansas Senate’s attempt to override Kelly on tax cuts falls short again — GOP senator sanctioned
Senate President Ty Masterson responded to a second failure to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill collapsing the state’s three-rate individual income tax structure into a single 4.15% rate and speeding elimination of the state’s sales tax on groceries by stripping a dissident Republican of a committee chairmanship.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Lawrence community members ‘take back the night,’ empower survivors of sexual violence
Messages of support, lit candles and empowering community love for survivors of sexual assault occupied South Park on Thursday evening. Community members gathered to take action for sexual violence prevention and against attacks on human rights.
Letter to the Times: Anonymous letter writers don’t fit the definition of ‘neighbor’
”I want to say shame on you for not having the courage to speak to your new neighbor face to face,” Jo Anne Zingo writes in this letter to the Times regarding recent events in the West Hills neighborhood.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Indigenous Community Center’s event series to honor missing, murdered Indigenous people, spread awareness
A weeklong series of events in Lawrence aim to educate the community about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, who are often denied justice. All are invited to participate in solidarity.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
KU scholars hope to digitize and preserve Indigenous families’ stories, photos and more
KU scholars invite local Indigenous community members to bring oral histories, newspapers, letters and more to be digitized, either for private use or as part of a collection for academic use.
Trans Kansas women barred from women’s bathrooms, female-only spaces under new law
The Legislature resurrected a transgender bathroom ban that bars transgender and intersex women from restrooms, locker rooms, rape crisis centers and other female-specific spaces, making Kansas the first state to enact such a wide-ranging measure.
Kansas senator’s message to non-Christian constituents: ‘I would be happy to try and convert you’
A Republican senator told a Muslim woman that he would be happy to convert her to Christianity when she asked him how he planned to fairly represent all his constituents, not just those who shared his religion.
KU grad student to share research on the racial integration of Lawrence’s public pool
Lawrence’s public pool wasn’t always welcoming for everyone. A KU grad student will share at a community gathering on Saturday her research on the pool’s integration.
Kansas House rejects governor’s veto of bill further limiting access to food subsidies
The Kansas House gathered the two-thirds majority Wednesday to initiate an override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of legislation stripping federally funded food assistance from people 50 to 59 years of age not working at least 30 hours a week or taking part in employment training.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Lawrence High School’s annual ‘Showtime’ variety show returns
Members of Lawrence High School choirs will hit the stage Thursday, Friday and Saturday with “Showtime,” the choral department’s annual variety show.
Kansas lawmakers polish plan to fully fund public schools, revive voucher program
Kansas lawmakers have restored language in the public school finance plan to ensure K-12 schools continue to be fully funded beyond the upcoming academic year and revived a voucher program.
Douglas County Commission delays approving plan for opioid overdose reversal drug distribution
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday held off on approving a plan for DCCCA to distribute a lifesaving opioid overdose reversal drug throughout the community in order to get more specifics.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Military family new to Lawrence disheartened by West Hills neighbors’ response to paint job
A military family, the Bonuras looked forward to settling down in Lawrence. But they’ve been surprised and disheartened recently by anonymous letters their West Hills neighbors have sent, objecting to the colors the family painted their home.
Kansas House overrides governor’s vetoes of three anti-abortion bills
The GOP-dominated House overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of three anti-abortion laws Wednesday over objections about state-mandated misinformation, alienating OB-GYN workers and ignoring the will of voters.
Senate attempts to override slew of vetoed anti-transgender bills, but care ban fails
The Senate revived a wide-ranging transgender bathroom ban, despite concerns that the ban is overly intrusive, but narrowly allowed Kelly’s veto of a bill essentially banning gender-affirming care for Kansans under the age of 18 to stand.
