Staff
Sophia Maines
Sophia is a native of upstate New York. She came to the NewsCenter in 2005 after working as a news reporter at The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
She holds a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri - Columbia.
She lives in Lawrence and in her spare time enjoys hiking and exploring all that the Lawrence has to offer.
Recent stories
- Waiting for the right moment: Local couples find their own timing for marriage
- August 17, 2009
- Lawrence couple Gary and Kellee Pratt sometimes wonder what their lives would have been like had they found each other sooner. But it’s not a thought that holds them for too long. Each married for the first time in their 20s, and it wasn’t until their 40s, after their previous marriages had ended in divorce, that they took a second go at marriage.
- Tempered spirits: It’s five o’clock somewhere, but has the party moved on?
- June 8, 2009
- “It’s five o’clock somewhere!” That’s the rallying cry for the time-honored tradition called happy hour, a ritual in which colleagues, friends or perfect strangers convene after work at a local pub or restaurant to relax over their favorite libations.
- Electric vs. regular
- February 2, 2009
- The sooner you throw out that standard toothbrush the better, according to Debbie Rogers.
- The wander years: Toddler-proof your home
- January 19, 2009
- Two-year-old Sebastian Borjas is an explorer. “He’s into everything,” says Sarah Borjas, Sebastian’s mother and owner of Boomer Babies Day Care, 2429 Via Linda Drive. “He’s a curious kid. That’s what I expect toddlers to be. He’s definitely reached my expectation.”
- Facebook not just for kids
- January 12, 2009
- Facebook was once the domain of college students, but today the online social network has a different face.
- Toy stories: Lawrence residents share their collections
- January 12, 2009
- Twenty-nine-year-old Nick Spacek embraces his inner child. “I think more people should buy toys,” says Spacek, a Lawrence resident and collector of wrestling figures and other toys. “I don’t think there’s anything to be embarrassed about.”
- Don’t let storms knock out family fun
- January 12, 2009
- When a winter storm wipes out the electricity, the list of family-fun activities shrinks. Suddenly there’s no electric lighting, let alone television or video games.
- Indoor makeover: Winter perfect time to spruce up home
- January 5, 2009
- Winter need not be synonymous with such words as “stuffy” and “blah.” The cold weather makes it a perfect season to spend time indoors freshening up a home’s interior, according to area designers.
- Myshape helps women find right clothing
- December 22, 2008
- Tierra Hopkins struggles to find the right fit for her clothing.
- Acupuncture adopted by patients seeking new types of treatment
- November 24, 2008
- Jim Kreider says he stands half an inch taller than he did two years ago. “That tells me something obviously is happening differently in my body,” says Kreider, a Lawrence resident and clinical social worker. Once a sufferer of frequent colds, chronic severe pain and sleepless nights, Kreider turned to acupuncture several years ago and now attributes it and other therapies to his improved health and taller stature.
Recent photos
The sinkhole in the East Hills Business Park has grown to about 5 feet wide. A broken water line is blamed for the cave-in. The hole should be repaired by the end of the week.
- City approves Menards store next to Home Depot at 31st and Iowa streets June 18, 2013 · 68 comments
- Kobach considering filing charges against protesters who came to his home June 17, 2013 · 121 comments
- Senate Democratic leader asks attorney general whether Supreme Court's voter decision affects Kansas June 18, 2013 · 12 comments
- Letter: Two is enough June 19, 2013 · 23 comments
- On the street: What is your favorite Shakespearean play? June 19, 2013 · 4 comments
- Blog: State seeking proposal to develop resort at Clinton Lake State Park June 18, 2013 · 30 comments
- Blog: Student residents forced out of KU apartment building because of drought-related damage June 19, 2013 · 5 comments
- Blog: City to consider using gated, pay-as-you-leave system for new downtown parking garage June 19, 2013 · 11 comments
- Free State football star Wyatt tears ACL June 18, 2013 · 5 comments
- Opinion: Dick Vitale loves life, wife and Andrew Wiggins June 19, 2013 · 5 comments
- City approves Menards store next to Home Depot at 31st and Iowa streets June 18, 2013
- Opinion: Dick Vitale loves life, wife and Andrew Wiggins June 19, 2013
- Transfer Hunter Mickelson to sit out, soak it up for a year June 19, 2013
- Police investigate string of almost 20 auto burglaries in west Lawrence June 18, 2013
- Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center to host "Beach Bash" June 18, 2013
- KU dean blasts negative national report on teacher preparation programs June 18, 2013
- Report says schools underfunded $657 million in FY 2015 June 17, 2013
- Local teen recovers from massive stroke June 4, 2013
- Location of Superman's hometown sparks geographic divide June 17, 2013
- Questions for working adults going back to school include finances, time management January 5, 2013


