WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

Plans for major shopping center at SLT and Iowa Street get boost, but motorists may have to get used to new stoplight

Thanks to a stoplight, plans are once again moving ahead for a major new shopping center at the interchange of the South Lawrence Trafficway and Iowa Street. Developers have filed a new set of plans with City Hall to build a shopping center on the southeast corner of the interchange that could house up to eight big retailers, a couple of hotels and more than a half-dozen restaurants and other smaller ...

Car dealer closes 23rd Street location as part of new plan; a self-storage business with a twist

My wife mutters about trading up all the time, which I assume means she is looking for a new vehicle. She now has one less option on 23rd Street. Several readers have asked what is going on with the Auto Exchange used-car lot at 23rd and Haskell. It indeed has closed, but the company has not. Natalie Duncan, comptroller for Lawrence’s Auto Exchange, told me the 23rd Street closure was part of a plan to ...

LMH to support voter efforts on mental health sales tax question, but some question fairness

The upcoming ballot issue to create a quarter-cent countywide sales tax to fund additional mental health services will get a boost from Lawrence Memorial Hospital, although not without some criticism. The hospital’s board of trustees on Monday evening agreed to allow the LMH Health logo to be part of an informational flyer about the sales tax proposal, which voters will decide as part of the Nov. 6 election. ...

French-style bakery set to open in downtown Lawrence

The only bad thing about butter is it doesn’t come with its own lollypop stick. If you are that type of butter lover, you’ll want to take note of a soon-to-open downtown bakery that promises lots of rich European creations. E Barn Farm Bakery is set to open in the former Sandbar sub location at Eighth and New Hampshire streets by the end of the month. Owner Samantha Elmer thinks the shop will have a ...

Chancellor won't say whether he still has 'complete confidence' that KU follows recruiting rules

As a federal corruption trial has made new allegations regarding the recruiting practices of the University of Kansas, Chancellor Douglas Girod won't say whether he still has “complete confidence” in the university’s staff to follow recruiting rules. The trial underway in New York also has brought forward new information that raises questions of what Girod knew about potential recruiting violations and ...

Nonprofit buys downtown parking lot in hopes of helping historic building

Well, here’s one solution to the problem of finding a place to park downtown: Just buy yourself a parking lot. One has sold recently, and it may end up being a real boon for one of Lawrence’s oldest buildings. The Lawrence Preservation Alliance confirmed it has finalized a deal with US Bank to buy the business’s small parking lot at the northeast corner of Ninth and Rhode Island streets. No, finding a ...