WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

$1 million-plus expansion on tap for Douglas County manufacturer of aviation parts; job totals to hit 150

An aviation company in the tiny unincorporated Douglas County community of Vinland continues to make a case that it is one of the best high-tech success stories in the county. McFarlane Aviation Products has filed plans for a $1.4 million plant expansion that should easily add another 50 jobs to the company. Plans filed with the county’s planning department call for a new 24,000-square-foot manufacturing ...

Lawrence seeing a slowdown as sales tax collections now dip into negative territory for the year

February was cold in more ways than one in Lawrence. Yes, there were the temperatures outside, but you should have felt the chill inside from all those cheap Valentine’s Day gifts. At least the latest numbers from the state show something caused retail spending to take a downward turn in February. Plus, the statistics show most of 2019 hasn’t been good either. The city of Lawrence received its April sales ...

Local trio opens unique members-only billiards club in downtown Lawrence

A pool table without pockets sounds a bit like that closet I built without a door. (The worst mistake was building it from the inside out.) But this pool table is no mistake. In fact, a trio of local residents think it may be a calling card for a unique new business: a private billiards club. The Billiards Studio has opened in downtown Lawrence in a building at Eighth and New Hampshire streets that houses a ...

As new KU deal is signed, it's unclear what Adidas will do to help prevent future basketball scandal

Adidas will do more in the future to help prevent college basketball recruiting scandals, a Kansas Athletics official said Wednesday as KU and Adidas announced a nearly $200 million dollar extension of their marketing partnership. But specific steps the apparel company will take to prevent a repeat of the past scandal — where three of its former employees or consultants have been convicted on federal fraud ...

Girod: KU has changed basketball procedures in wake of FBI case; 'We have to make sure we do it right going forward'

KU Chancellor Douglas Girod acknowledged Wednesday that internal procedures of the men’s basketball program have changed after a pay-for-play scheme ensnared two KU players, saying KU has to “make sure we do it right going forward.” Girod said changes have been made regarding which individuals are allowed to have access to the men's basketball program and its staff, but he did not elaborate on what those ...

Lawrence's population growth among tops in the state; city now among the 100 fastest growing metro areas this decade

There are about 800 more people in Lawrence than there were a year ago, and despite what the K-State fans will claim, they’re not all NCAA investigators. The U.S. Census Bureau has released new population estimates, and Lawrence continues to rank as one of the fastest growing metro areas in Kansas. Actually, if you wanted to, you could make a banner saying that Lawrence is the fastest growing metro area that ...