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Lawrence City Commission to weigh in on proposed 5-year capital improvement plan
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will provide their feedback on the proposed capital improvement plan that lays out multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects the city might undertake over the next five years.
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Severe storms possible overnight, Tuesday in Lawrence amid weather radio outage
Douglas County could see storms including hail, damaging winds, tornados and flash flooding overnight and Tuesday, and the county’s emergency management department warns that weather radio service is currently in an outage.

Business dean named interim president at Haskell
Mackie Moore, dean of the Haskell Indian Nations University College of Business, has been named as interim president of the university.

Kaw Valley Almanac for June 16-22, 2025
Many in eastern Kansas are experiencing the annual explosion of hackberry butterflies, which typically perch with their wings folded together. Here they’re sunning themselves by opening their wings.

Immigration 101 speakers encourage Lawrence residents to be informed on policy, advocate for immigrant neighbors
Advocates with two local organizations on Saturday called on Lawrence residents to amplify and uphold the rights of their undocumented immigrant neighbors.

Lawrence community members gather to celebrate Juneteenth
Community members from Lawrence and beyond headed downtown Saturday for the annual Juneteenth celebration of Black liberation, heritage and independence.

No Kings protesters in Lawrence decry authoritarianism, call for democracy
Hundreds of No Kings protesters gathered in Watson Park Saturday to join a nationwide wave of demonstrations to “reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like,” according to organizers.

Midsummer Night on Mass to return, showcase shopping in downtown Lawrence
Downtown Lawrence Inc. announced the return of Midsummer Night on Mass for the third year in a row with a slate of shopping deals, sidewalk entertainment, movie screenings and more coming up next week.

Lawrence author Tessa Gratton talks political resistance, telling marginalized stories in advance of their new book
Lawrence writer Tessa Gratton works on all their books for multiple years, but they’ve been thinking about their newest work, “The Mercy Makers,” since the 2000s. The epic fantasy untangles themes of justice, complicity and the greater good.

When parking is free, transit service changes and more to know for Juneteenth in Lawrence
The Lawrence community will celebrate Juneteenth with events on Saturday, but the federal holiday falls on Thursday, June 19. Here’s a quick roundup of closures, changes and more.

Community helps Watkins Museum recoup $13K from federal grant cut
A Watkins Museum of History project on the Underground Railroad was completed before the federal grant funding it was terminated, and the Lawrence community has helped the museum recoup the $13,000 that the feds didn’t disburse.

Douglas County health officials working to make resources accessible after surge in opioid overdoses
Public health officials are responding to a spike in opioid overdoses in Douglas County by offering free, lifesaving drugs, including through a vending machine.

Bus, rideshares to transport Lawrence residents to No Kings protest in Topeka; protest set for Watson Park
Lawrence residents can travel on their own or take a bus ride to the Kansas capitol as part of nationwide “No Kings” protests on Saturday.

Group drops lawsuit that developer said spurred plans to demolish East Lawrence building
A group of neighbors have dropped a lawsuit that a Lawrence developer said left him with no choice but to demolish an old East Lawrence building.

Firefly Festival promises free, bioluminescent fun for the whole family
Lawrence’s first Firefly Festival — with a robust docket of live music, visual art-making and outdoor exploration — is free to all.

Officials share Lawrence-Douglas County Community Health Improvement Plan with city commission
Local health officials shared some highlights of a plan to improve community health with Lawrence city commissioners Tuesday, emphasizing ways their goals align with the city’s stated goals.