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Construction underway on Pallet shelters in Lawrence
The city has begun building Pallet shelter village, which will provide emergency shelter for about 50 veterans, domestic violence survivors and others who are experiencing homelessness.
Latest – All local government news

Lawrence school board primary candidates share views on school closures, relationship with administrators and more
Getting ready to vote? Here are the Lawrence school board primary candidates’ thoughts on the board’s relationship with district administration, the board’s choice to close two schools, and who should make decisions on “controversial” lesson topics.

Lawrence City Commission primary candidates share stances on housing creation, strategic plan to reduce homelessness
Getting ready to vote? Here are the Lawrence City Commission candidates’ experience, how they view the strategic plan to minimize homelessness, and how they prioritize developing home ownership opportunities.

Lawrence City Commission to consider tax breaks for downtown Borders project
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will hold a public hearing and consider tax incentives for First Management Inc. to redevelop the long-vacant downtown Borders building for use as corporate headquarters.
Lawrence city Commission

Lawrence City Commission hears issues at impasse between city and union, offers direction
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday leaned more toward siding with the city in an ongoing impasse with one of the employee unions, but they agreed to some compromises.

Lawrence City Commission wants to keep sustainability board; 4 boards to be absorbed into city manager’s office
Lawrence city commissioners agreed Tuesday that they don’t want to eliminate the Sustainability Advisory Board, and three of five commissioners agreed to a plan to dissolve four boards and move their duties under the city manager’s office.

Lawrence Police Department prioritizing calls by solvability; non-officer responders working out well, chief says
The Lawrence Police Department is prioritizing calls by how solvable they are, LPD Chief Rich Lockhart told city commissioners Tuesday, and the addition of four non-officer responders has helped with efficiency.
Douglas County Commission

Lawrence behavioral health providers say some TRC patients wait in ‘bottleneck’ for longer-term treatment
Patients who need more help than what the Douglas County Treatment and Recovery Center can provide are often stuck waiting for longer-term care that isn’t available in town, according to local behavioral health administrators.

Douglas County to hold meeting on open space plan
Members of the Lawrence and Douglas County community are invited to learn about the county’s open space planning progress and share their feedback during an open house this week.

Douglas County commissioners approve policy to pay people with lived experience for service on boards
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday approved a policy for county staff to pay people who have lived experience for their time and work on boards.
Lawrence School Board

Union members across trades rally with Lawrence school district’s hourly workers
Supporters of higher wages and better working conditions for the Lawrence school district’s classified staff members demonstrated in solidarity Monday afternoon.

Lawrence school board to hear update on the district’s Redesign schools
The Lawrence school board on Monday will hear an update on the district’s four Redesign schools, Free State High School and Broken Arrow, Hillcrest and Deerfield elementaries.

Justice Matters adds focus on elder care to its list of priorities during annual assembly
Douglas County suffers from an elder care crisis, according to members of the nonprofit organization Justice Matters. Senior care service providers can’t recruit and retain enough qualified staff to provide quality care to seniors in Douglas County who need it.