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
Tom Harper: Updates to Bowersock Dam reveal remnants of the past, promise power for the future (Column)
In recent weeks, the Kaw River has been lowered at the Bowersock Dam. Ancient shoreline structures have been revealed and huge, deep expanses of shale, millions of years old, have been exposed.
August Rudisell/The Lawrence Times
Fire marshal to investigate blaze that destroyed home south of Lawrence city limits
The Kansas State Fire Marshal will investigate a blaze that left no one injured, but demolished a single-family home just south of Lawrence Tuesday afternoon.
Audit of Kansas foster care provider scrutinizes financial controls, IT costs, CEO travel, PPP loan
Former Saint Francis Ministries CEO Robert Smith exploited a lack of financial controls and board oversight to drain the nonprofit’s resources on an IT project and escalating management expenses that included use of taxpayer funds for personal travel, liquor and entertainment.
Contributed Photo
Ellen Bertels: Name Change Project simplifies a complex, emotional process for transgender Kansans (Column)
“In the long term, I hope to create a network of attorneys who can provide competent, affirming, and affordable services for low-income trans Kansans seeking all sorts of legal support,” Ellen Bertels writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
Mackenzie Clark/The Lawrence Times
Cases against Rontarus Washington Jr., Albert Wilson dismissed
The Douglas County district attorney has dismissed long-pending cases against Rontarus Washington Jr. and Albert Wilson, the office announced Wednesday.
Heartland Community Health Center/Contributed Photo
Heartland Community Health Center announces Julie Branstrom as new CEO
Lawrence’s safety net clinic has selected an internal candidate, Julie Branstrom, as its new permanent CEO.
Lawrence Times graphic
More than 200 new COVID-19 cases reported in Douglas County since Monday
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health has received 210 reports of new COVID-19 cases since Monday, according to the department’s Wednesday update, bringing the total of known active cases to 908.
Lawrence Schools Foundation/Contributed Photo
Free State High School teacher honored with Dedication to Education Award for ‘never giving up on students’
Erin McDaneld-Campbell, a Free State High School special education teacher, was selected to receive the 2021 Dedication to Education Award and the $5,000 check that goes with it.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Lawrence’s winter emergency shelter ‘in danger of closing’ without volunteer support, city says; paid positions available
The city’s winter emergency shelter is in dire need of volunteers to staff the Community Building on nights when the temperature drops below 35°. Part-time positions paying $18 per hour are also available.
Lawrence City Commission hits pause on plan for turf soccer fields
The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday deferred plans to join forces with a local soccer club to build artificial turf fields in town over concerns that the club wanted some exclusivity built into the agreement.
City Playcorps/Contributed Images
City Play Corps: Pop Up Play Shop opens in downtown Lawrence (Announcement)
“The City Play Corps, a nonprofit organization that promotes the practice of true play for kids, has opened up a temporary storefront dedicated to letting kids be kids by making their own fun,” the group writes in this announcement.
Lobbyists form contractor alliance to seek $315 million for university building repair backlog
A fledgling association of construction contractors led by two political lobbyists is developing a plan to persuade the Kansas Legislature to make an unprecedented seven-year, $315 million investment to shrink the academic building repair backlog at the state’s six public universities.
The Raven Book Store’s bestsellers for 2021 (Sponsored post)
“We are pleased to present the Raven’s bestsellers of 2021! I must say, it’s an incredible list.”
Tax council testimony: Kansas sales tax burden creates regressive system
Nearly 38% of Kansas’ tax revenue comes from sales taxes, according to Donna Ginther, director of the Institute for Policy and Social Research at KU.
Lawrence school board vets ideas to fill multimillion-dollar budget gap
Many questions and few answers came out of the Lawrence school board’s review of potential cost-savings ideas Monday during a special meeting to discuss the district’s budget deficit.
Evergy proposes energy efficiency programs designed to save customers $42M
Evergy customers in Kansas could soon get discounts and rebates to upgrade their homes to be more energy efficient.
Contributed photo; Lawrence Times file photo
Interim chief of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical shares plans for his tenure
Tom Fagan, new interim chief of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, said he’s honored and excited to “serve our great community and responders in this new manner while the executive search is underway.”
Ken Lassman
Kaw Valley Almanac for Dec. 20-26, 2021
The winter solstice is on Tuesday; expect 14 1/2 hours between sunset Tuesday and sunrise Wednesday morning. In contrast, summer solstice nights last just a little more than 9 hours.
Is cutting down a tree for Christmas bad for the environment?
Christmas is a time for celebrating the season and a time for cutting down trees — and that holiday tradition sometimes leads to discussions about what’s best for the environment: Is it greener to buy a real tree or a fake tree, or abstain altogether?
Tricia Masenthin/The Lawrence Times
Lawrence school board to hold special meeting to discuss budget-cut proposals
Inside 300 pages of cost-trimming ideas for the Lawrence school board’s consideration are proposals to combine low-enrollment classes at high schools, restructure middle schools and more.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Douglas County has confirmed case of omicron variant
Kansas’ second confirmed case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 is in Douglas County, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.
Surging COVID-19 case numbers have some Kansas hospitals sapped of bed space, resources
Amid concerns COVID-19 will worsen as the temperature drops, Kansas hospital leaders are warning of rapidly rising case numbers leading to poor outcomes and limiting bed space.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Fire at Lawrence strip mall was accidental, fire department says
A fire in the attic of a Lawrence strip mall Thursday afternoon was caused by an “electrical event,” according to a news release from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.
Jeff Burkhead/Contributed Photo
Lawrence photographer tells story of community’s response to first year of COVID-19 pandemic in new book
Lawrence photographer Jeff Burkhead’s “Our Pandemic Year in Photos” is filled with hundreds of images telling tales of love, strength and resilience. Observations and essays penned by locals punctuate the collection and tie together the book’s message of hope.
