WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

When The Washington Post reported on virus deniers, it landed in a small town not far from Lawrence

When The Washington Post went looking for “coronavirus deniers and hoaxers” — as its headline said — it landed in a town not far from here. The Franklin County community of Wellsville took center stage in the article written by national correspondent Annie Gowen, who is based out of Lawrence. Why Wellsville, a community of about 1,800 people that is just a few miles east and south of Baldwin City? I ...

As virus threat grows, so too may drive-thru weddings in Lawrence

I always assumed drive-thrus were out of the question when it came to marriage planning, which is why the rehearsal dinner was in the dining room of the McDonald’s. But now, in this crazy virus world, drive-thru weddings might become a thing in Lawrence. A rural Lawrence bed and breakfast that does at least 75% of its business via weddings is now offering a drive-thru ceremony. The owner touts that it will ...

Report shows Lawrence home sales were hot before virus disruption hit economy

Maybe you have already heard this one, but it seems worth repeating: It has been quite a year this week. We already can say with certainty that 2020 will go down as a crazy year, but how crazy is yet to be seen. One item worth watching is the economic reports to come. They’ll give some sense of how big of a hit the Lawrence economy takes from virus-related disruptions. I don’t have any of those numbers ...

LMH preparing for virus' long-term impact on operations

Leaders of LMH Health on Wednesday said they were making long-term preparations for dealing with the spread of COVID-19, which they expect to grow much wider in the coming weeks. “We need to be prepared for not only the next six weeks but the next six months,” LMH President and CEO Russ Johnson told the hospital’s board of trustees at a Wednesday meeting that was conducted by conference call. Johnson ...

Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, February 2014.

When you add up all our taxes, new report finds Kansas has 5th highest tax rate in the U.S.

When it comes to rankings, KU basketball fans already may be a bit testy. (To review, March has brought the following: A No. 1 national ranking, NCAA heartbreak, and a large supply of giant No. 1 foam fingers that almost certainly are going to get misused.) Well, there is another ranking that applies to the entire state of Kansas, and it may not improve moods. The state recently was ranked as having the ...

Baldwin City, Eudora school districts provide more information on possible closures

UPDATED STORY: Douglas County health department prohibits large gatherings, orders 2-week closure of schools, rec centers, libraries A pair of area school districts are contemplating how to hold classes as coronavirus fears mount, and one of them is telling parents to begin thinking now about how they would handle a prolonged closing of school. “It is important that families and staff prepare for schools ...