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
Lawrence school board names interim superintendent to permanent position
The Lawrence school board has selected current Interim Superintendent Jeanice Swift as the permanent superintendent.
Kansas has a housing shortage. One legislator is suggesting prison labor as a solution
A new bill in Topeka proposes legalizing the use of prison labor to address housing shortages while also providing inmates with job training, a proponent says.
Obituary: Shanna Marie Smith
Shanna Marie Smith, 10/6/1979 – 2/18/2025
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Haskell staff, students coping with unknowns following layoffs
Much confusion remains for the Haskell community after roughly three dozen employees were laid off last week, but students and staff intend to push back.
‘Everyone needs to breathe’: Intense confrontation on Kansas House floor forces two-hour recess
An intense confrontation between a Republican and Democrat on the Kansas House floor Thursday during a gun debate forced the chamber into a two-hour recess as leadership worked to deescalate tensions.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Haskell board asks feds to reverse cuts to workforce, fulfill treaty obligations
The Haskell Board of Regents is calling on the federal government to fulfill its legal obligations to Tribal nations and reverse the cuts to staffing.
Haskell faculty member, students to share updates at meeting at Lawrence church
A “Haskell Update and Community Response” meeting is coming up Friday at a Lawrence church.
Letter to the Times: Haskell has been unfairly maligned
”Let us not in 2025 allow Haskell to be lost — to our Lawrence community, as well as to young Native students across the country who count on an educational experience unattainable to them anywhere else in the world,” Carole Tomlinson writes in this letter.
Man in critical condition after overnight shooting, Lawrence police say
A 23-year-old Lawrence man is hospitalized in critical condition following a shooting Wednesday night, police say.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Douglas County high schoolers invited to apply to Lawrence Juneteenth writing contest
The Lawrence Juneteenth organization is hoping to empower youth voices through a creative contest. Winners will be featured at this year’s celebration.
Kansas pronoun bill sparks bipartisan concerns of turning ‘classrooms into courtrooms’
The Kansas Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation that would ban school district employees from using names or pronouns other than a minor student’s corresponding biological sex or birth certificate without parental permission.
Letter to the Times: Haskell firings are unacceptable
”This irresponsible action has devastating effects on those fired and on all university staff and students. … Haskell Indian Nations University is an integral part of our community and an important higher education resource,” Pat Willer and Pat Kehde write in this letter to the Times.
Lawrence schools closed because of extreme cold, plus more closures for Thursday, Feb. 20
Lawrence Public Schools will be closed again as the coldest of cold temperatures this week are expected overnight and into Thursday morning. That + more closures here.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
New workforce program aims to address senior care shortage in Douglas County
A new program in Douglas County will seek to tackle a growing shortage of workers who care for older people.
It’s illegal to own a pet raccoon in Kansas. One man is trying to change that
For the past four years, Lenexa resident Stephen Kaspar has been feeding and training wild raccoons that wander onto his property. He’s urging state lawmakers to pass a bill that would legalize pet ownership of raccoons.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Warmth on the horizon after snow blankets Lawrence again
Springtime may come after all. Following Lawrence’s third significant snow of the winter, warmer weather is finally in the forecast.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence school district reaches 8 inclement weather days; still unclear whether makeup time will be needed
Lawrence Public Schools will be closed for a second day in a row this week, making for eight total days canceled so far this year. It’s still not clear whether makeup time will be needed.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence Public Schools to close, plus other closures for Wednesday, Feb. 19
There will be no school again for Lawrence Public Schools on Wednesday. That, plus more closures:
Kansas Legislature votes to override governor’s veto of legislation that targets trans kids
Senate and House Republicans voted Tuesday to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of legislation that bans gender-affirming care for minors, rejecting pleas from Democrats to turn attention instead to issues that concern Kansans.
Letter to the Times: Bravo to Lawrence High for ‘Hadestown’
”I’ll admit I was skeptical of such a complex and dynamic show in the hands of a high school. My doubts turned to goosebumps, and I caught my theater-going partner wiping away tears,” Marc Havener writes in this letter to the Times.
Obituary: Michael D. Devlin
Michael D. Devlin, 2/9/1946 – 2/14/2025
Kansas Senate Democrats urge support for healthy food over ‘humiliating’ restrictions
Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau urged her colleagues Tuesday to make access to healthy food a priority instead of imposing “humiliating” restrictions on how low-income residents use government funds for food. But the Senate advanced the bill on a voice vote.
Sunrise Project has found a new home in North Lawrence
Sunrise Project has found a new space where it can continue to couple social connections with food equity.
KBI director, Kansas attorney general allow agents to work with ICE on immigration cases
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation formally agreed to dedicate agents to enhance collaboration with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the search for people without documentation to legally be in the country.
