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.)
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Meeting on Old West Lawrence traffic barriers moved to online format
A public meeting to discuss the traffic project that has placed temporary barriers throughout Old West Lawrence streets — and for city staff to gather feedback for permanent installations — has been moved online.
Ryan Brown: Disposable (Racial Justice essay)
“I’m scared when my father goes out for a run, or when I see my cousins wearing hoodies. I’m constantly wondering: will one of my family members become a hashtag?” Ryan Brown writes in this essay.
Edith Guffey: The state of the Beloved Community (Column)
“Today, many will pause to remember the life and legacy of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. You will hear many references to his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, but given the context of the country and of Lawrence, Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community is what I can’t get out of my head,” Edith Guffey writes in this column for the Times.
Ken Lassman
Kaw Valley Almanac for Jan. 17-23, 2022
This is not seagulls in a cloudy sky — it’s snow fleas on the snow.
Kansas bill promises speedy review of untested sexual assault kits
Kansas advocates say a bill approved by a Senate committee Thursday will ensure survivors who undergo sexual assault exams will have their evidence kits tested in a timely fashion.
Carter Gaskins/The Lawrence Times
Lawrence students, educators honor legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at annual event
Centered on students and the theme “It Starts with Me,” a tribute to civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took place Friday afternoon at Billy Mills Middle School.
Kansas House panel approves bill to extend executive orders on health care staffing shortages
A Kansas House committee approved legislation Thursday codifying temporary suspension of regulations on health care providers included in the governor’s recent executive orders, sending the bill to the full chamber for debate.
Contributed
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 Times file photos
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.
Conner Mitchell / Lawrence Times file photo
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.
Courtesy of Lawrence Arts Center
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.
Mackenzie Clark / The Lawrence Times
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.
August Rudisell / Contributed Photo
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.
Andy White / Contributed Photo
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.
Contributed photo
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.
Screenshot
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.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
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.
Carter Gaskins / The Lawrence Times
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.
