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.)
Leavenworth County farm winery blending litigation, politics in bitter property tax dispute
Farm winery owners Bryan Zesiger and Gina Montalbano stirred up a hornet’s nest of property tax controversy by challenging Leavenworth County’s decision to classify a wine tasting room and 1.1 acres at the vineyard as commercial rather than agricultural property.
Trial for Lawrence man charged with raping two college students going to jury soon
A Douglas County jury on Tuesday will weigh testimony to decide whether they believe the accounts of two women, or the man who they say raped them both after a New Year’s Eve party three years ago.
Maya Hodison/Lawrence Times
Community invited to public input sessions with Lawrence school district’s budget planning committee
Lawrence community members are invited to participate in two public input sessions this week to discuss a tentative school district budget proposal that includes four-day school weeks and closures of three schools.
Watkins Museum of History/Contributed Photo
New exhibit traces changes over time at Haskell Indian Nations University
A local exhibit takes viewers through the years of Haskell Indian Nations University, from its origin in 1884 as a boarding school to its role as the sole intertribal university in the country.
ACLU of Kansas prepared to challenge Legislature’s attacks on trans kids, voting rights
The ACLU of Kansas is prepared to challenge the Kansas Legislature’s annual attacks on transgender children, voting rights and reproductive health care while searching for common ground on criminal justice reform and medical marijuana.
Ken Lassman
Kaw Valley Almanac for Jan. 16-22, 2023
Even though the ground is damp on the surface in may areas, this swale at the Wakarusa wetlands shows shrunken pools with brown dirt shores, as drought conditions persist. This week’s rains, if you get some, will provide a chance to see fresh animal tracks along the receded muddy shoreline.
Lawrence City Commission to revisit source of income discrimination following meeting for landlords
City leaders are set to revisit a proposed ordinance Tuesday that advocates say could significantly help people in need of housing. The Lawrence City Commission delayed approval last month to seek feedback from landlords about the proposed tenant protections.
Black Jack Battlefield nears fundraising goal to construct a visitor center at the historic site
Black Jack Battlefield is closing in on a big goal of raising $2.1 million to construct a visitor center at the site of the battle now widely characterized as the first of the Civil War.
McLain’s Market to close KU campus location after semester
McLain’s Market will close its location on the University of Kansas campus after the semester, according to social media posts from the café Sunday.
Screening, panel to spotlight the fight against Native American mascots, misrepresentation
Haskell Indian Nations University will host a free screening of the documentary “Imagining the Indian” Friday, followed by a panel discussion with film producers and local leaders.
Contributed photo
Free State takes home hardware at state debate tournament; Lawrence High seniors cap off historic season
In a weekend featuring more than a dozen high school debaters from Lawrence, Free State took home second place in the 4-speaker division and sent a team to the semifinals in the 2-speaker division of the state tournament. Meanwhile, two Lawrence High seniors have earned the school’s first bid to the national Tournament of Champions.
Chili feed to bring community together in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
Lawrence community members are invited to join together for a comfort-food meal to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Kansas’ four-year universities, colleges request greater state support of need-based scholarships
The president of the Kansas Board of Regents believes greater investment of state tax dollars in need-based scholarships could play a key role in placing a university education within reach of more students.
Kansas has millions of dollars to spend on youth crisis centers. But no one’s using it
Kansas has set aside $6 million for juvenile crisis centers — places that would spare kids from getting locked up by helping them through mental health crises — but has yet to spend a dime.
Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Times
Retirees, alumni ‘come home’ for MLK celebration at Billy Mills Middle School
Betty Norwood’s smile radiated Friday at the school where she taught for 24 years. She watched as staff, middle schoolers and parents assembled for a schoolwide celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — an annual event Norwood is credited with starting more than three decades ago.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Lawrence Arts Center purchases former Salvation Army building, eyeing expansion of preschool
A deal more than 10 years in the making is finally coming to fruition: the Lawrence Arts Center is purchasing the former Salvation Army building right next door, with the goal of transforming it into an arts-based early childhood center.
Contributed Photo
Library and B.L.A.C.K. Lawrence to host Martin Luther King Jr. Day stories, screening and poetry workshop
The Lawrence Public Library has a series of free activities and community service opportunities — including storytelling and crafts, lunch and a documentary screening, a poetry workshop and more — slated for Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Workshop to help high schoolers navigate financial aid process
A workshop coming soon to Lawrence High School will help area students and families learn the basics of financial aid.
New bill would ban gender-affirming medication and surgery for Kansans under age 21
Transgender youth will once again be at the forefront of debate in the Kansas Legislature, with lawmakers pushing a bill that would criminalize gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy, allowing few exceptions.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Lawrence Parks & Rec staff reverses course on admission fees for rec centers, Prairie Park Nature Center
The Lawrence Parks & Recreation Department has decided not to implement admission fees for the city’s recreation centers and Prairie Park Nature Center this year, according to a news release Friday.
Lawrence Kansas Juneteenth Organization: Thank you for your support! (Sponsored post)
”This year’s celebration of Juneteenth, we hosted the largest gathering of community members and vendors than ever before. None of that would have been possible without the help and support given to us by these special community partners,” the Lawrence, Kansas Juneteenth Organization writes.
Survivors of sexual abuse plead for changes in Kansas law that protects pedophiles
Four survivors of childhood sexual abuse revealed details about the worst moments of their lives in a public rebuke of state law that protects pedophiles from criminal prosecution or civil lawsuits.
The Keystone operator must repay some — not all — of the tax dollars spent on its Kansas oil spill
When the Keystone pipeline burst in rural Kansas last month, county workers rushed to build an emergency dam on Mill Creek. Federal agencies dispatched pipeline and environmental experts, and the state set about sampling water and searching for injured animals. All of this costs taxpayers.
Gov. Laura Kelly announces plan to fully fund Kansas special education for the first time in years
After years of school districts shouldering the burden for special education costs, the governor announced a five-year plan to fully fund special education across the state.
