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.)

Only a few days left to cast your vote(s) for Lawrence’s ‘cutest crowler’
Voting ends late Friday night for the Lawrence Humane Society’s Cutest Crowler Contest.

Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel: April 12 is Education and Sharing Day (Column)
April 12, Education and Sharing Day, “is a day for us to reflect on how we can be a bit like Moses and care for the spiritual and moral welfare of even one single child,” Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel writes in this column.

Kansas education commissioner publicly apologizes for racist story about Native Americans
The Kansas commissioner of public education apologized Tuesday for telling attendees of an online education conference that when growing up he attempted to convince people visiting the state they should be more afraid of dangerous American Indians than violent tornadoes.

Festival of Trees raises more than $80K to support O’Connell Children’s Shelter
The Festival of Trees in 2021 reopened to the public for the first time since 2019 and raised more than $80,000 for the O’Connell Children’s Shelter.

Sandhill plum officially named Kansas state fruit
The Sandhill plum is the official state fruit of Kansas after Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill Tuesday.

Litigants file appeal of Kansas judge’s dismissal of lawsuit challenging election restrictions
A judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of 2021 election mandates passed by the Kansas Legislature. Voter rights groups have filed an appeal.

Kelly pulls plug on electric delivery devices Amazon sought to operate on Kansas sidewalks
Gov. Laura Kelly threw up a roadblock to Amazon’s request to operate delivery robots in Kansas. She also vetoed a bill forbidding city and county bans on single-use plastic.

Conflicting sides make final case in Kansas congressional redistricting trial, await judge decision
An attorney representing Kansas voters who feel their votes will be drowned out by new congressional districts urged a judge to block the map on grounds the GOP-dominated Legislature tore apart communities of interest for political benefit.

KU for Ukraine event, featuring stories, poetry and music, to support Ukrainian students
An upcoming event in Lawrence aims to provide both community and financial support for Ukrainians at home and abroad.

Southwest Middle School students earn several honors at Future City competition
The students of Southwest Middle School’s Future City team have earned top honors, including best essay in the nation.

Lawrence school board approves $341K in additional cuts to administration, learning coaches
The Lawrence school board on Monday night approved nearly $341,000 of additional cuts to the district’s budget, bringing the board’s total cuts to about $6.41 million.

SafeBar Alliance celebrates 12 years of providing sexual assault prevention training to Lawrence bars
The SafeBar Alliance is celebrating its 12th birthday with a new look and plans to increase business participation by nearly 30%.

Kelly signs bill spiking Wyandotte County’s adoption of ‘sanctuary’ city policy
Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation Monday crafted by Republicans rebuking Wyandotte County for passing an ordinance allowing issuance of ID cards to undocumented residents and affirming the practice of local law enforcement agencies to not participate in federal immigration raids.

Heartland Community Health Center to celebrate opening pharmacy
Heartland Community Health Center, Lawrence’s safety net health clinic, has opened a pharmacy that “enables Heartland to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible.”

Kansas governor signs bill modifying free vision screening of school children
Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill altering standards for free vision screenings at public schools or accredited private schools and establishing a commission to help families secure additional services for a child failing the initial screening.

Mark McCormick: High-profile law enforcement cases spotlight role of Kansas Fraternal Order of Police (Column)
“The FOP isn’t accountable to citizens yet wields enormous power to shield police officers from punishment for behavior that harms citizens,” Mark McCormick writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.

Kaw Valley Almanac for April 11-17, 2022
Look closely and you’ll see a flock of turkeys picking over the newly burned prairie. It is always interesting to poke around a burned prairie.

National champions on parade: Jayhawks celebrate with thousands of their biggest fans
Thousands of KU fans flocked to Mass Street Sunday afternoon to watch and celebrate the national champion Jayhawks in a parade that traveled more than a mile and a half.

Mass Street showers champion Jayhawks with love during parade through downtown Lawrence
The Jayhawk faithful showed up by the thousands under warm and windy skies Sunday afternoon to cheer on and catch a firsthand look at their 2022 NCAA men’s basketball champions.

Get hyped! More photos of Monday night’s magic ahead of Sunday’s championship parade
KU fans: As promised, here are more photos capturing the joy that erupted downtown after the Jayhawks’ remarkable comeback. Remember Mass Street closes at 3 a.m. and the parade starts at 2 p.m.

Photos: KU’s First Nations Student Association Powwow returns in person and outdoors
It was a beautiful day Saturday for KU’s First Nations Student Association’s annual Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival to return to a fully in-person format.

‘We aren’t as divided as we think’: Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival educates, brings communities together
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at the Lied Center for the annual First Nations Students Association (FNSA) Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival, which was filled with activities, including dance contests throughout the day, educational lectures, story time and more.

Kansas public health officials get lesson in behavioral science and why pandemic messages failed
KU wanted to incentivize students to take a COVID-19 test upon returning to campus for the 2020 fall semester. Research showed students were far more interested in a $100 gamble than a $5 guarantee.

WRAP mental health program will continue in Lawrence school district
Students in the Lawrence school district will continue to have the support of an in-school mental and behavioral health program following uncertainty about a funding source for the 2022-23 school year, according to Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.