WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

Lawrence mayor, commissioner offer thoughts on when the city might shut down illegal homeless camp that recently caught fire

A fire in the unsanctioned homeless camp behind the East Lawrence Amtrak depot on Monday produced flames tall and wide enough for motorists to see as they drove into downtown from North Lawrence. The flames have long since been extinguished, but questions about the camp continue to smolder at Lawrence City Hall, with perhaps the loudest being: When will the city require the camp on city-owned property to be ...

Dole Institute of Politics commissions Stan Herd to create earthwork portrait of former senator on KU's West Campus

One hundred years after his birth, the smiling face of former U.S. Sen Bob Dole will be a fixture on the West Campus of the University of Kansas — and perhaps a summer and fall tourist attraction too. The Dole Institute of Politics on Tuesday announced it has commissioned Lawrence resident and international artist Stan Herd to construct a more than 60-foot-wide earthwork portrait of the Kansas politician and ...

Douglas County group raises $20K to host 'Shark Tank'-style event for local entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas

Kalin Baca had a presentation with a detailed drawing of a two-story device that her startup company has designed to recycle complex refrigerant chemicals. She followed it up with spreadsheets that showed the audience multimillion-dollar projections for the nascent engineering firm. Christopher Niles Enneking had a slightly different pitch style for his startup, which is in the fantasy sports world. With a ...

From home sales to sales taxes to job totals, here's a look at how Lawrence's economy is faring in 2023

A quarter of the year is gone, and the numbers are piling up. Here’s a quick look at three sets of numbers — in housing, sales taxes and jobs — that provide a glimpse at how the Lawrence economy is doing thus far in 2023. ••• Mark the month of March as a potential turning point in Lawrence’s housing market. The latest numbers from the Lawrence Board of Realtors show that not only did home sales ...

KU students now may be able to take more than half their classes for a 4-year degree at community colleges

Getting a four-year degree at the University of Kansas soon may require students to spend a lot less time at KU. Instead, students might be able to take more than half of their classes at community colleges and still graduate with a KU degree, thanks to changes approved Wednesday by the Kansas Board of Regents. The degree requirement changes apply to KU and the other five Regents institutions — Kansas ...

Applebee's closes its last Lawrence location; an update on Whataburger's plans to locate on 23rd Street

I’ve never figured out how to grow a pig short enough to produce a "riblet," but it has never been a problem because Lawrence has always had an Applebee’s. No more. Applebee’s has closed its last Lawrence location. Workers on Tuesday morning were removing equipment, and the Applebee’s sign already had been removed from the restaurant’s building at 2520 Iowa St. A sign on the door reported the ...

From 15% to 2%, see the big differences in rising home values in Douglas County communities; property tax collections set to jump again

Let’s look at a whole bunch of numbers related to Douglas County homes. (The most relevant numbers at my home Monday morning were 61 and 3. The first was the degree reading on the thermostat, thanks to the energy czar’s decision to turn off the heater for the season. The second was the number of minutes I put my socks in the microwave.) — Here’s a warning: Don’t expect this first set of numbers to ...

KU planning for $40M project to move KU law school to Jayhawk Boulevard; university also plans to tear down part of Jayhawker Towers

The University of Kansas is exploring a $40 million plan to move its law school into historic Lippincott Hall along Jayhawk Boulevard. The plan would move the law school out of Green Hall, a 1970s-era building that is just north of the athletic complex that includes Allen Fieldhouse and Anschutz Sports Pavilion. KU officials haven’t said what they would do with Green Hall, but the university also is in the ...

Provision in new state budget creates questions about the future of KU's diversity, equity and inclusion programs

A budget bill passed by Kansas lawmakers on Thursday will create new questions about how University of Kansas officials can address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. The budget bill — HB 2184 — approved by both the Kansas House and Senate includes language that would prohibit KU and other state universities from spending state dollars on diversity- and equity-related issues. The language ...

Lawrence's Replay Lounge files plans for downtown facility to produce canned cocktails to sell throughout KC region

A band and a can have produced many a plan in Lawrence. But this one is different than most. Nick Carroll, founder and owner of The Replay Lounge in downtown Lawrence, has filed plans to open a small manufacturing facility near 10th and New Hampshire streets to house his new canned cocktail business. The cocktails — made from local recipes popular at The Replay — will be named after local bands. The plan ...

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks taking no action to disband homeless camp along Kansas River; unsanctioned camp is on environmentally protected land

The eagle has not landed — and that means an unsanctioned homeless camp along the banks of the Kansas River can stay, for now. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has no plans to seek the removal of the unsanctioned camp behind the Amtrak station near Seventh and New Jersey streets in East Lawrence. The camp is producing a large amount of debris and activity on property that has a conservation ...

Demolition of old Mass. Street convenience store clearing way for new apartment project; Lawrence Arts Center buys Salvation Army building downtown

Here are some news and notes from around town: — There are many reasons why I’ve fantasized about unleashing a bulldozer on a convenience store. Four-dollar-per-gallon gasoline and payback for that grab-and-go tuna salad sandwich that was a lot more go than grab are among the most common. Well, somebody has bulldozed a Lawrence convenience store, but of course, not for any of those reasons. The old Shell ...

Plans for a side-by-side bank and coffee shop filed for Sixth Street in west Lawrence; downtown pharmacy project still moving forward

Let’s go through some news and notes from around town: • I knew Lawrence was experiencing a boom of drive-thru coffee shops, but I didn’t realize it was such a money-making venture that a new coffee shop needs a bank right next to it. Or maybe it says something about coffee prices. I'm not sure, but either way, plans definitely have been filed for a new bank building and a new chain, drive-thru coffee ...

Lawsuit filed against city over businessman's plan to reopen Charlie's Eastside bar and grill; state senator, others say parking is a problem

In the long history of Charlie’s Eastside bar and grill, it is conceivable some of the gadflies stoked conversation on the legal wrangling that happened a few blocks away at the Douglas County Courthouse. Now, such wrangling may decide whether the old business is allowed to expand and reopen under new owners and a new style. Plans to turn the old stone building that used to house Charlie’s Eastside at 900 ...

National dessert chain specializing in bundt cakes set to open in south Lawrence

Nothing But Cake, of course, is a motto that has been serving both me and the elastic waistband industry well for decades. However, Nothing Bundt Cakes is a national dessert chain that soon will be serving Lawrence. Nothing Bundt Cakes has reached a deal to locate in the shopping center at 2540 Iowa St., according to its website. That's the shopping center that has First Watch and is next door to Applebee’s ...

A look at what average people in average homes pay in property taxes across the state; Lawrence and 15 other cities ranked

It is time to check in on Joe and Jane Average and their taxes again. Sure, you know Joe and Jane. They live in an average Lawrence home and they make an average Lawrence wage. They have friends in cities across the state who also live in average homes in those communities and make average wages in those communities. About once a year, they get together to compare how much they each pay in taxes and ...

Signs that new owner of Allen Press is cutting, outsourcing jobs from Lawrence plant; KU bringing in top ice cream chef for entrepreneur event

Let’s do some news and notes from around town: — It sure sounds like the new owners of longtime Lawrence-based business Allen Press — now known as Sheridan Kansas — are making some changes that are impacting jobs at the company’s East Lawrence facility. I’ve heard from multiple employees at the company that employees were told early this week that about 30 of the company’s nonprinting-press ...

Hotel looking more likely as part of KU's gateway project near football stadium; Girod hopes for town hall meetings soon

The University of Kansas is getting more serious about adding a hotel next to its football stadium as part of a larger gateway project that would try to make the area a destination for conventions. Chancellor Douglas Girod also confirmed in a brief interview that KU is in formal discussions with the University of Kansas Health System and LMH Health about locating a joint health care venture — featuring ...

Number of homes sold in Lawrence hit 10-year low in February, but selling prices still soared

Lawrence has hit a 10-year low in the number of homes sold, but not even that has been enough to cause home prices to cool, a new report from the Lawrence Board of Realtors shows. In fact, Lawrence home prices remained red hot in February, according to the latest figures. That makes Lawrence a true outlier, as the national median price for homes fell in February for the first time in 11 years. Only 34 homes ...

Regents approve $49M Allen Fieldhouse renovation, new wages for KU police, new name for KU football practice facility

A $49 million project to renovate historic Allen Fieldhouse received the green light from the Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday. The Regents, who oversee all six of the state’s public universities, expressed no concerns with the project, which will add amenities like additional chair-back seating, a pub area for fans, new video boards and infrastructure improvements such as heating and cooling upgrades. ...