WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

Solar farm developer wants to begin limited drilling, driving of pilings on farmland site; matter now before local court

A lawsuit has stopped construction from beginning on a $234 million solar farm in the Kansas River valley north of Lawrence, but drilling, digging and driving of steel pilings may soon begin on the farmland site nonetheless. Developers of the Kansas Sky Energy Center — a proposed 600-acre facility near the Midland Junction area of northern Douglas County — want to begin testing the soil and the site’s ...

Trial date challenging Kansas Sky Energy solar project pushed back; lawsuit now near Trump deadline for tax credits

The future of a proposed $234 million solar farm north of Lawrence is facing a pair of calendar challenges — one driven by the Douglas County District Court and the other by President Trump. The Kansas Sky Energy Center — a 600-acre project that would install enough solar panels in northern Douglas County to power 30,000 homes — already is facing an existential threat from a lawsuit filed by neighbors of ...

Federal, state agencies investigating Lawrence Kia dealership for conspiracy, theft; Thursday shutdown was for search warrant

UPDATED 2:05 P.M., SEPT. 8 Multiple state and federal agencies are investigating Lawrence Kia and several of its related companies for conspiracy, theft and other allegations, the Kansas Department of Revenue has confirmed. As the Journal-World reported on Thursday, Kansas Highway Patrol troopers blocked the entrance to the Lawrence Kia dealership on East 23rd Street, and multiple law enforcement officers ...

The rumors about Costco coming to west Lawrence are heating up; site would most likely be near Rock Chalk Park

I have a standing policy about rumors regarding Costco coming to Lawrence: I’ll believe them when my U-Haul is backed up to the Lawrence store to load the dozens of Costco cakes. (That would be an inevitability because my household loves Costco cake.) Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve just heard too many unfounded rumors from shoppers who traveled to one of the KC metro Costco stores and heard from an ...

Highway Patrol blocks access to Lawrence Kia dealership in operation connected to Kansas Department of Revenue

UPDATED 5:47 p.m. Sept. 4 Multiple Kansas Highway Patrol troopers spent hours Thursday blocking the driveway and scouring the property of the Lawrence Kia dealership in an operation that was connected to the Kansas Department of Revenue. Exactly what the law enforcement officers were doing and the status of the Kia dealership remained unclear as of Thursday evening. Beginning Thursday morning a Highway ...

Five-story US Bank Tower in heart of downtown is for sale, creating possibility for major redevelopment

Downtown Lawrence’s tallest office building may soon have a new owner. A big “for sale” sign recently went up on the US Bank Tower building at the southeast corner of Ninth and Massachusetts streets. As the name implies, US Bank is a major occupant of the building, with its Lawrence headquarters located on the first floor. However, there are four floors above that, and they have a number of smaller, ...