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Lawrence school board president foreshadows potential public comment pause
Lawrence school board President Kelly Jones floated the idea of pausing public comment after a confrontational exchange between the board and a frequent Lawrence public commenter on Monday.
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Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will not seek people for ICE, will follow law
The Douglas County sheriff says his deputies are “not here to do the bidding of the federal government” and aren’t looking to track people down for ICE, but they will adhere to the law.

People, pets safe after house fire in North Lawrence; firefighter suffers ‘minor injury’
Two occupants and pets that were in a North Lawrence house fire Friday afternoon are safe and a firefighter suffered a “minor injury,” according to Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.

Lawrence school district will safeguard student info in wake of immigration concerns, superintendent says
Lawrence Public Schools will keep students’ information private and support their constitutional right to education regardless of their immigration status, the superintendent told families Friday.

Single-family home construction in Lawrence continues to decline as home prices rise
Construction of single-family homes in Lawrence continued to decline in 2024, reaching a new low with only 57 permits granted by the city. At the same time, sale prices have continued to rise.

Lawrence Community Shelter still battling issues from blizzard, extreme cold
The blizzard that hit Lawrence and the lingering cold have wreaked some havoc for the Lawrence Community Shelter, including causing some pipes to freeze and burst and slowing construction of 24 new Pallet shelters.

John Brown’s Underground, Saltwell chef named semifinalists for James Beard Awards
John Brown’s Underground was nominated for outstanding bar and Saltwell Farm Kitchen executive chef Rozz Petrozz was nominated for Best Chef: Midwest in this year’s prestigious James Beard Awards.

Lawrence school district committee wants to look at changing all schools’ boundaries – not just high schools’
Lawrence high school boundary lines will not change next year after a district committee decided Wednesday it wants to do a longer-term analysis of elementary, middle and high school boundaries altogether.

Free State wins state debate title
Free State High School claimed the 6A four-speaker state title over the weekend, besting some of the top debaters in the state for the Firebirds’ first debate state championship since 2019.

Discussion, info meetings set to discuss proposed reform of Haskell oversight
A series of upcoming meetings will discuss and provide information about proposed federal legislation that would give oversight of Haskell Indian Nations University to the board of regents rather than the Bureau of Indian Education.

Lawrence immigration advocate says know your rights
Trump has promised to deport undocumented immigrants and others en masse. Knowledge is power amid fear and uncertainty, a Lawrence immigration advocate says.

Communication, honest transparency top traits focus groups desired in next Lawrence superintendent
Focus group members said they’d most like the new permanent Lawrence Public Schools superintendent to be effective in communication and honest with transparency, according to a search firm.

Lawrence City Commission favors parks and rec fees in early budget talks; much still unclear
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday gave city staff some guidance for how they might want to address a $6.5 million budget deficit projected for 2026, possibly to include fees for recreational facilities and a property tax rate increase.

Lawrence City Commission general public comment for Jan. 21, 2025
Here’s the general public comment for the Lawrence City Commission’s Tuesday meeting, as public comment is no longer being broadcast.

Bert Nash employees overwhelmingly approve unionization
An overwhelming majority of participating employees at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center cast votes Tuesday in favor of union representation.

City of Lawrence seeks feedback for new shallow section of outdoor pool
The City of Lawrence is seeking community feedback on the shape, size and amenities of the new shallow section of the outdoor pool.