Chad Lawhorn / LJWorld.com

Staff

Chad Lawhorn (City and neighborhoods reporter)

I've been reporting news in Lawrence since 1992. Before joining the NewsCenter, I was editor, publisher and owner of the Lawrence Business Ledger and the Baldwin Ledger newspapers. I've been with The World Company since 2001, when I sold my weekly newspaper business to the company.

I mainly cover city government and neighborhoods, but I've also previously served as business editor for the Journal World, and have undertaken a variety of first-person journalism projects. In parts of 2007 and 2008, I received some national publicity for a series of articles detailing how I purchased a handgun, received a concealed carry license from the state, and carried the weapon around for a few days.

I also enjoy writing profiles on area people, ranging from a promient nightclub owner to the corner hot dog vendor to a 91-year old woman who still goes to work six days per week. If you know of someone interesting, send me an e-mail.

And from time to time, I like to take people to places that they don't often get to go. Sometimes I even take a video camera, like the night I hung out with a bunch of mixed martial artist competitors.

I have my degree in journalism from Kansas University, and also did some undergraduate work at Emporia State University. I'm a native of the small Kansas town of Melvern, which is about an hour away from Lawrence in Osage County.

My wife and I have two children. In my spare time, I work on writing what I hope will be my first novel, play pool, boat, umpire Little League baseball, and barbecue.

Recent stories

Lawhorn’s Lawrence: A night of partying in Oread: By Chad Lawhorn; May 19, 2013; Somewhere in the Oread neighborhood there surely must be a sign with this slogan on it: “Do it while you can.” It is the mantra that hangs over this entire city, but nowhere does it hang heavier than in Oread. Especially on Stop Day, when the partying starts.By Chad Lawhorn
Trio of Lawrence road projects to begin on Monday: By Chad Lawhorn; May 19, 2013; School’s out. Road construction is in. The day after Kansas University’s commencement ceremonies has been the traditional start of the road construction season in Lawrence, and on Monday motorists won’t be able to miss it. Crews will close to all traffic Bob Billings Parkway/15th Street at Iowa Street, a closure that is expected to last into August. Construction work also will affect traffic on a separate portion of Bob Billings Parkway and on Wakarusa Drive. By Chad Lawhorn
Bid for recreation center comes in about $10 million lower than expected; questions grow over other cost estimates: By Chad Lawhorn; 03:26 p.m., May 15, 2013 Updated 06:38 p.m.; Lawrence officials on Wednesday received a batch of surprisingly low bids to build the city’s proposed recreation center in northwest Lawrence, with Lawrence-based Gene Fritzel Construction submitting the lowest bid, at $10.5 million. The bids raise questions about city estimates about the cost of the project and its associated infrastructure. By Chad Lawhorn
Downtown hotel project now slated to begin in June, following city’s latest approval: By Chad Lawhorn; May 14, 2013; Construction work on a multi-story hotel at Ninth and New Hampshire is now expected to begin in June, ending a months-long process where the lot for the project has sat vacant. By Chad Lawhorn
As city prepares to bid recreation center, officials still waiting to receive cost numbers from Fritzel on infrastructure: By Chad Lawhorn; May 13, 2013; The companies that make a living building roads, burying sewers and paving parking lots have been hungry for work in recent weeks, in some cases bidding infrastructure projects for less than half what city officials had expected. But when it comes to Lawrence’s new $25 million recreation center, city officials won’t find out how hungry. By Chad Lawhorn
Master development agreement for Rock Chalk Park still not signed by KU officials: By Chad Lawhorn; May 13, 2013; Lawrence city officials have confirmed a pair of key documents governing the public private partnership to build the $25 million recreation center and adjacent Rock Chalk Park still haven’t been finalized. By Chad Lawhorn
Lawhorn’s Lawrence: A song from the heart on Mother’s Day: By Chad Lawhorn; May 12, 2013; Even on the cloudiest of days, Kathy Bourgeois can count on a ray of sunshine during her 30-minute daily drive from Lecompton to Baldwin City. Her son calls her every day as she drives to her thrid-grade teaching job in the Baldwin City school district. Often the conversation begins or ends with a song: “You are My Sunshine.” By Chad Lawhorn
Lawrence City Commission agenda for May 14 meeting: By Chad Lawhorn; May 11, 2013; 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, Lawrence City Hall
Bowersock officially opens $25 million power plant on the Kaw: By Chad Lawhorn; May 10, 2013; There was much talk of rain dances Friday afternoon at the grand opening celebration for Lawrence-based Bowersock Mills and Power Co.’s $25 million hydroelectric power plant on the north bank of the Kansas River. The project, which is located at the north end of the Kansas River bridges in downtown, was lauded Friday by state and local officials as an example of how Kansas can further expand its renewable energy reputation. By Chad Lawhorn
Crown auto dealership wins Lawrence business of the year award: By Chad Lawhorn; May 8, 2013; Miles Schnaer gave up a trip to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia on Wednesday to see what was in the envelope. He’s glad he did, because Schnaer’s Crown Toyota, Scion, Volkswagen dealership was named the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s business of the year on Wednesday evening. By Chad Lawhorn

Full story list

Recent photos

Ten-year old snow shovelers Sean Ayers and Kyle Miller with Journal-World reporter Chad Lawhorn while he was out recently helping Lawrence residents dig out from the massive winter storms.

Mayor Bob Schumm fills up a city pick-up truck that was recently converted to run on compressed natural gas. Schumm said the city hopes to use the truck to gather data about whether the city should convert other parts of its vehicle fleet to compressed natural gas.

About 70 people attended a city forum at Free State High School on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, to discuss the proposed recreation complex in the northwest Lawrence. Scott Henderson addresses city officials with concerns about possible tax increases that the new center could cause.