WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

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, ...

Why Lawrence is likely to get dumped as part of congressional redistricting, and the best strategy to fight it

As the old song goes, breaking up is hard to do. But when it comes to the once-a-decade process of congressional redistricting, it is certain that someone in Kansas is going to break up. Right now, a strong contender is Lawrence. In fact, it appears set to get dumped twice. A map approved by the state Legislature, and now awaiting a signature or veto from Gov. Laura Kelly, would split Lawrence in two ways. ...

KU online graduate degree in special education ranked No. 1 in the U.S.; other KU programs also ranked

The University of Kansas' online graduate degree program in special education continues to be the top-ranked program in the country, according to the new rankings from U.S. News & World Report. In addition, two other online degree programs in the school of education were ranked in the top 20, while the University of Kansas’ online MBA program moved into the top 15 rankings among public business schools. ...

New downtown Lawrence shop focuses on selling vintage KU athletic gear; couple now own 3 boutiques on Mass Street

The sign on the new boutique in downtown Lawrence doesn’t read “The Twilight Zone,” but an odd phenomenon tends to happen when a father and his college-age son walk through the door: They both think the clothes are hip. That’s the vintage athletic apparel market for you. A shop full of 1980s/1990s gear is going to appeal to the dad who wore those items when they were new, but in a fashion-world twist, ...