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.)
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Applications for Lawrence’s community arts grants open Wednesday
The City of Lawrence will soon welcome arts grant applications for projects with community value, including work focused on equity and inclusion and sustainability.
Kansan returns to the Catholic Church as the state’s first woman priest
Tina Thompson found a different way to be Catholic. She said she is the first Roman Catholic Woman Priest in Kansas, but she is one of hundreds of women Catholic priests around the world.
Kaw Valley Almanac for Dec. 29, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026
Look closely: all those little black dots in the beautiful blue sky are robins. They are a fairly common in Kansas winters, with hundreds or even thousands in a flock.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence Public Library dares patrons to be curious with new January reading challenge
The new year at the Lawrence Public Library will kick off not with a bang, but with a dare that encourages patrons to confront the post-holiday winter doldrums with a reading challenge.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Sheryl Sanders, champion of stable housing, retires from the Lawrence Community Shelter
Social work is woven into Sheryl Sanders as much as she’s woven into Lawrence. Sanders has retired as one of the longest-tenured Lawrence Community Shelter employees.
Kansas governor’s legislative priorities in 2026 center on budget, water and children
Gov. Laura Kelly said developing a budget would be her primary quest for 2026. Other priorities center on water resources and early childhood programs.
Obituary: Ernest Kent Hayes
Ernest Kent Hayes, 11/9/1937 – 12/18/2025
Obituary: Cheryl Kay Taylor
Cheryl Kay Taylor, 5/12/1945 – 12/18/2025
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Warm December weather brings fog, near record high temperatures
Rather than a white Christmas, a foggy one prevailed in Lawrence. Temperatures this weekend could reach record highs before dropping again on Sunday.
Obituary: Sharon Louise Musick
Sharon Louise Musick, 6/30/1930 – 12/19/2025
Obituary: Scot Joseph Schwartz
Scot Joseph Schwartz, 8/11/1968 – 12/21/2025
Obituary: Jane Ellen Dixon Scarffe
Jane Ellen Dixon Scarffe, 12/10/1952 – 10/27/2025
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Reminder: HeadQuarters Kansas to transition to 988 number only, phase out local phone line
Reminder: Starting next week, HeadQuarters Kansas will no longer have its direct local phone number, and all crisis hotline calls will need to go to 988.
Letter to the Times: Raise the age for free rec center access
“Lawrence city commissioners should increase the age limit for youths to be eligible for free access to recreation facilities from 17 to 26,” Irene Ratzlaff Soderstrom writes in this letter to the Times.
Kansas is paying millions for a Barbie and Hot Wheels theme park. It’s another STAR bond
Bonner Springs is giving more than $200 million of tax incentives for Mattel Adventure Park. City officials say it will boost the local tax revenues. But a public finance expert says the deal will mostly cost the state.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Holiday sights and lights in Lawrence – 2025 edition
Here’s a look at some holiday sights, lights and happenings in Lawrence this season.
Have you seen this painting? Lawrence family hopes to reunite with cherished work of art
A Lawrence family is hoping that perhaps by way of a Christmas miracle, they can reunite with a painting they treasured for decades until it was accidentally sold in an estate sale.
Some Kansas City residents are upset by the Chiefs’ planned move. For others, ‘it’ll still be home’
The news on Monday that the Kansas City football team is moving across the state line drew excitement from Kansas public officials and disappointment from Missouri’s.
As more states pass proof of citizenship laws, report points to Kansas as cautionary tale
Kansas’ failed proof of citizenship law could serve as a cautionary tale for Congress and other states just beginning to craft similar voting restrictions, a report found.
Wulfe Wulfemeyer/Lawrence Times
Some 9th Street businesses weigh in on how road closure is affecting their bottom lines
Business trends are fluctuating for two restaurants and a retail store on Ninth Street this holiday season as they navigate the new normal of a long-term road closure for a major city project.
Lawrence Humane Pet of the Week: This holiday, have some warm Coco by the fire
A lucky adopter can celebrate the holidays with a warm Coco by the fire.
Lawrence police to boost traffic enforcement around holidays
Lawrence police will have increased traffic enforcement to be on the lookout for people driving impaired during the holidays.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Some personal property will stop being taxable in Kansas in the new year
Some personal property — such as off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and scooters, and watercraft — will cease to be taxed by the state of Kansas starting in the new year.
Obituary: Joseph Pennewell
Joseph Pennewell, 2/5/1963 – 12/19/2025
