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

Flory dairy farm selling equipment, taking on different work after 60 years: By Chad Lawhorn; February 12, 2012; The Flory dairy farm — you may have seen it atop its hill above Lone Star Lake — is having an auction March 7. Selling its herd. Selling its milking equipment. Closing the book on more than 60 years of Florys milking cattle in Douglas County.
Lawrence City Commision to review plan to turn Gaslight mobile park into student housing complex: By Chad Lawhorn; February 10, 2012; A plan to convert a South Lawrence trailer park into a development that will have nearly 1,000 bedrooms for local college students is set for a key vote at Lawrence City Hall.
Town Talk: PepperJax Grill plans to move to Mass. Street; retailers post strong holiday sales numbers; Gould Evans slated to be architects for rec center idea: By Chad Lawhorn; 09:50 a.m., February 10, 2012 Updated 11:03 a.m.; News and notes from around Lawrence and Douglas County.
Lawrence Home Show set for this weekend: By Chad Lawhorn; February 9, 2012; Many of the nearly 70 vendors at this weekend’s 12th Annual Lawrence Home Show will be playing off of that theme as more residents look to remodel rather than re-locate.
Lawrence leaders say changing to LED traffic lights a bright idea, money saver: By Chad Lawhorn; February 9, 2012; A handful of city officials on Thursday celebrated briefly at Ninth and Massachusetts as crews completed a multi-year project to replace all incandescent traffic signal bulbs with energy-efficient LED lights.
Town Talk: Roger Morningstar to open New York pizza place in West Lawrence; library to introduce three finalists for director job to public; Iwig Dairy to open store on Friday: By Chad Lawhorn; February 9, 2012; News and notes from around Lawrence and Douglas County.
Chamber of Commerce names interim vice president of economic development: By Chad Lawhorn; February 9, 2012; The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce is turning to a longtime banker and former chamber leader to serve as its interim director of economic development.
Lawrence, KU hosting public forums to discuss public transportation, transit depot idea: By Chad Lawhorn; February 8, 2012; The city and KU will host three public meetings next week to get feedback on proposed changes to the transit system, and city leaders said they still want to hear feedback about the idea of locating a transit hub in the Santa Fe Depot at Seventh and New Jersey streets.
Town Talk: Wind turbine and cars in the median proposed for Lawrence Auto Plaza; home show set for this weekend; neighbors want new downtown study as result of Ninth and N.H. hotel/apartment plans: By Chad Lawhorn; February 8, 2012; News and notes from around Lawrence and Douglas County.
City allows fake grass at apartments: But commissioners say turf should only be used in ‘limited situations’ in future; By Chad Lawhorn; February 8, 2012; The grass will always be greener on the other side of at least one Lawrence fence. Lawrence city commissioners went against a staff recommendation and agreed on Tuesday to “grandfather in” more than 20,000 square feet of artificial turf that was installed contrary to city code at a west Lawrence apartment complex.

Full story list

Recent photos

Tapas restaurant in Downtown Lawrence has commissioned a mural of an old Mexican town for its upstairs dining room. The restaurant plans to have several other murals painted in its main floor dining area as well.

A once heavily wooded 160-acre site at E 850 and N 1850 roads is largely barren after bulldozers cleared many of the trees from the property. The site is owned by Lawrence builder Mike Stultz, but information on what the property may be used for hasn't been made available.

Recently-felled timber smolders in a pile at a 160 acre site E 850 and N 1850 roads in northwest Douglas County. The once heavily wooded site was cleared by bulldozers.

Construction crews work on building the foundation for the new Bowersock power plant on the north bank of the Kansas River in August 2011. That's a backhoe in the bottom of that hole.

A portable toilet rests in the Kansas River near the downtown bridges in August 2011. The toilet presumably came from the adjacent Bowersock construction project.

Full photo list