WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

A look at what people get paid across the state; Lawrence teachers may be the biggest losers in wage race

We should all have Kansas City envy. The state has released its annual report on wages across Kansas, and the numbers are a good reminder that pretty much all of us make less than what we would if were working in the much larger Kansas City economy. But some of us should be more green with envy than others. By the look of the numbers, Lawrence-area schoolteachers could be a good stand-in for Kermit the Frog ...

A do-it-yourself boutique to bring 'intense crafting' to west Lawrence

I’ve been told it is a faux pas to have a power tool inside a retail establishment. (Evidently it is “coercion” to ask for a half-off deal while holding a running chainsaw, lawyer-types say.) Regardless, a soon-to-open west Lawrence craft store will be putting power tools in the hands of customers in an effort to create a unique do-it-yourself center. AR Workshop is scheduled to open Sept. 6 in the ...

Latest renovations complete at McDonald's, but one more planned; grocer to launch new Lawrence service

I am a ball of sunshine every morning, but I know of people who speak only in the language best described as daybreak grunt. It can create quite an ordeal at the McDonald’s counter if the poor soul taking the order doesn’t know that mggmffn, MGGMFFN! means my beloved would like a McMuffin, ASAP. I can now report changes at a pair of local McDonald's restaurants have helped alleviate that situation. As we ...

FBI conducts investigation on KU's campus, research facility in west Lawrence

Updated story - Aug. 21 — KU researcher indicted for fraud for failing to disclose conflict with Chinese university Story updated at 5:46 p.m. Tuesday The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation on the University of Kansas campus Tuesday and also was at the home of a KU researcher. The federal law enforcement agency was investigating at the university’s Life Sciences Research ...

Remembering when property tax rates actually fell in Douglas County; local leaders may want to study that period now

In my personal life, I spend a lot of time doing cost analysis. For the record, I have found a double cheeseburger always pays for itself. (It is double the meat and cheese, people.) But local governments currently are dealing with an even meatier question: Does growth pay for itself? No, it doesn’t sound nearly as fun as finding the answer to the cheeseburger question. But if you care about how much houses ...

Talk of a downtown Lawrence grocery store revives, this time at a different site

It is time to keep our ears open for a new downtown grocery store rumor. This one doesn’t focus on the former Borders bookstore location at Seventh and New Hampshire streets, but rather is a block away at the old Journal-World printing plant. Dan Simons, a member of the family who owns the printing plant location, confirmed that the property is under contract. He also confirmed that his understanding is a ...