At first glance, it looks like Kansas’ job market has largely rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest numbers from the state’s labor department. But there are dark corners in the state where that’s not true, and you’ll find Lawrence in one of those corners. The positive headline number for the state is that the unemployment rate was down to 3.5% in January, according to a recently ...
If you have ever stood behind me in line at a Mexican restaurant, you know there is a word I love to use with all Mexican food: grande. It makes everything better, and now fans of a local taco stand and Mexican grocery store will get to see how. The Lawrence tienda La Estrella has reached a deal to get much bigger in a new location. There are actually two pieces of news to pass along about La Estrella. The ...
Alarm.com is a publicly traded company that has quietly opened an office in downtown Lawrence. It provides a lot of the technology that makes smart homes — remote control of everything from lights to door bells — possible. But I wonder if the company knows anything about smart offices. Its Lawrence office is located above an ice cream shop. I wouldn’t call that smart. I would call that freaking ...
You thought your natural gas bill was bad following last month’s arctic blast. Just try paying the one sitting on the desk at the Tulsa headquarters of One Gas Inc. One Gas is the parent company of Kansas Gas Service, one of the largest gas utilities in the state. To meet its customers’ gas needs during the polar vortex, the company spent $2.2 billion on natural gas purchases in February. That’s ...
Sometimes you get your tax bill and think you need your eyes checked. There are a pair of building projects underway in west Lawrence that might play a role in both. Plans have been filed for two new office buildings — one for a tax preparation and accounting firm and another for an eye care center. First, let’s do the taxes because they wait for no one (at least, not without penalty and interest.) The ...
It was a good day for liquor in Lawrence on Tuesday. In fact, liquor was the latest sign that Lawrence’s job market might have better days in the future. First was the big news that public health officials have lifted some COVID-19 restrictions that once again will allow bars and restaurants to stay open until 2 a.m. That should provide a boost to wait staff and bartenders across the city. But just an hour ...