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.)
KU Department of Theatre & Dance/Courtesy photo
KU Theatre & Dance season aims for the stars with performances on astronomers, astronauts and more
KU’s Departments of Theatre and Dance have announced a 2025 season balancing the zero-gravity trailblazing of astronomers and astronauts with more grounded narratives of grief and belonging.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence speech pathologist charged with child sex crimes bonds out of jail
Days after a judge reduced his bond to $750,000, Mark Gridley, a former speech pathologist charged with child sex crimes at a Lawrence elementary school, has bonded out of the Douglas County jail.
Wulfe Wulfemeyer/Lawrence Times
What to expect from this year’s Civil War on the Border event series in Lawrence
The Watkins Museum’s annual Civil War on the Border series of local history programming is set to kick off next week with a focus on religion of the era.
Kobach asks federal court to boot Kansas governor from lawsuit over federal funding cuts
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on Thursday asked a federal court to remove Gov. Laura Kelly from a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s refusal to release grant money to states.
Letter to the Times: A slippery slope to exclusion and censorship
“Compelling individuals to erase their gender identity or refrain from acknowledging the identities of others under threat of state pressure violates core constitutional principles,” Marshall Maude writes in this letter to the Times.
Obituary: Celso Enrique Wills
Celso Enrique Wills, 12/30/1981 – 7/20/2025
USA Gymnastics / Contributed photo
Lawrence gymnast, 14, named to Junior Women’s National Team
Aspiring to take the 2028 Summer Olympics stage, 14-year-old gymnast Aulya Daniels, of Lawrence, has made the Junior Women’s National Team.
Kansas state education board expands scoring range for student assessments
State assessments have shown increasing numbers of Kansas students scoring lower on math, science and English language arts tests since 2016, while achieving marks of post-secondary success, such as higher education degrees and military careers.
Lawrence Arts Center / Contributed Photo
Tibetan Buddhist monks create sand mandala for healing, connection at Lawrence Arts Center
Four Tibetan Buddhist monks from Ladakh, India are currently constructing a sand mandala at the Lawrence Arts Center. The mandala will be dissolved and distributed to the public in a ceremony Saturday.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
KU alum David Booth donates $300M to Kansas Athletics to propel Gateway District
David Booth, an alum of Lawrence High School and KU, has made a donation of $300 million to Kansas Athletics — which is “among the largest single gifts in the history of college athletics,” according to a KU news release.
Obituary: Jeffrey Skye Miller
Jeffrey Skye Miller, 6/2/1981 – 6/24/2025
Lawrence City Commission general public comment for Aug. 12, 2025
Here’s the general public comment for the Lawrence City Commission’s Tuesday meeting, as public comment is no longer being broadcast.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission approves tax incentives for KU Gateway District
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a package of tax incentives of up to $94.6 million for KU to develop its Gateway District.
Lawrence Humane Pet of the Week: Big Gulp will not be rushed, must stop to smell the flowers
If there were to be a live-action remake of “A Goofy Movie,” silly and laid-back Big Gulp, this week’s Pet of the Week, could have a shot at a starring role.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Lawrence library to host multicultural fair and cap summer reading program
The Lawrence Public Library on Saturday will host a community celebration of cultures and mark the end of its annual summer reading program.
ICE detention center in Leavenworth is hiring despite months of legal limbo
Seemingly undeterred by legal setbacks, private prison company CoreCivic is on a hiring spree to staff a Leavenworth detention center and showing every sign that it intends to fulfill its contract with ICE.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Move-in days underway for KU; Haskell’s coming up late this month
Traffic is about to get heavy (or heavier) in Lawrence as a flock of Jayhawks will soon move into KU’s dorms. Haskell’s move-in days are coming up later this month.
Lawrence Arts Center announces new artists in residence; here are the fall classes they’ll be teaching
The Lawrence Arts Center has announced its artists in residence for printmaking and ceramics for the 2025-26 season.
Lawrence school board approves maximum mill levy that would increase taxes
The Lawrence school board on Monday set a maximum mill levy for the 2025-26 budget that will result in a property tax increase.
Lawrence Parks & Rec board members vote 4-3 to voice firm stance against fees to use rec centers
Lawrence’s Parks and Rec Advisory Board voted 4-3 to make a stronger statement to the city commission against a proposal to implement fees for residents to use Lawrence’s recreation centers.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy loses certification for lying about crash location
A former deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has lost his law enforcement certification for lying about the location of a crash in which he was driving a county vehicle.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Art exhibitions about Sacred Red Rock and more in Spencer Museum’s fall lineup
Artwork by local artists and Kaw Nation citizens telling the story of the Sacred Red Rock will soon be on display at the Spencer Museum of Art.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Judge reduces bond for Lawrence speech pathologist charged with child sex crimes
A judge on Monday ruled that she will reduce by half a $1.5 million bond for a man facing more than a dozen charges involving alleged sex crimes against seven students at Prairie Park Elementary School.
Kaw Valley Almanac for Aug. 11-17, 2025
This adult cicada is emerging from its nymph exoskeleton shell, still upside down and its wings still curled up on its back. It will right itself and the wings will unfurl and dry, and the cicada will take on its familiar colors before flying off.
