WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

KU athletic director predicts some challenging financial years as Big 12 Conference reorganizes

In what has become nearly an annual affair at the University of Kansas, members of the University Senate quizzed KU’s athletic director on whether the athletic program can provide more money to support general university operations. At Thursday’s University Senate meeting, the answer again was that’s not likely to happen soon, but new athletic director Travis Goff did have a new explanation on why — ...

Electric bills for Lawrence residents also expected to increase due to last year's arctic blast; KC residents to get a credit

Last year’s arctic blast sure didn’t seem to discriminate between Lawrence and Kansas City. I think there were freezing pipes, dangerous wind chills, and people dreaming of trading their polar bear parkas for tropical beachwear in both locations. But the aftereffects of that historic storm sure are discriminating between the two cities, at least in one instance. Evergy, the state’s largest electric ...

More details emerge about KU project to add retail and housing on West Campus; plan would put retail on both sides of Iowa Street

Rock Chalk, let’s shop. Who knows, it might be a new take on the University of Kansas’ famous chant as the university and KU Endowment continue to put together plans to build not just new research space on KU’s West Campus, but also significant amounts of new retail space too. A pair of KU leaders on Tuesday released a few more details about how they envision a new KU-led retail and residential ...

Regulators approve increase in natural gas bills for Black Hills Energy customers related to 2021 arctic blast

Natural gas customers of Black Hills Energy — including large numbers of homes and businesses in Lawrence — now have official word that they will be paying for last February’s arctic blast until 2027. Kansas regulators on Thursday approved a plan that is expected to add $11.47 per month to the bills of average residential customers through January of 2027. The surcharge is designed to recoup the costs ...

Former Sen. Kassebaum, past director, Easter egg roll highlight spring schedule at Dole Institute of Politics

Former U.S. Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum will be among the featured speakers this spring at the Dole Institute of Politics, the center on KU’s west campus announced recently. Kassebaum, a Republican who represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1978 to 1997, will speak as part of a series focusing on former members of the Senate. Kassebaum is scheduled to speak at 4 p.m. on March 30 at the Dole Institute, ...