WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

How deeply will NCAA dig into KU's recruiting? That question and others still loom after trial

The trial is over but the questions aren’t for the University of Kansas and its involvement in a college basketball recruiting scandal that may well send some former KU partners to prison. Former Adidas employee James Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and aspiring NBA agent Christian Dawkins all were convicted of various fraud charges by a federal jury in New York on Wednesday. Various media outlets ...

New ownership for one of Lawrence's longtime Italian restaurants

Justin Wilk has eaten more pasta in the last month than at any other time in his life. For some of us that would be saying a lot since my motto once was “I put the uh-oh in Spaghetti O's.” But don’t worry, Wilk is not eating that low-brow fare. Instead, he’s become the owner of one of Lawrence’s longtime Italian restaurants. Wilk last month took over ownership of the The Basil Leaf Cafe at 616 W. ...

KU cites lack of personnel for delay in providing records related to unexplained $1.5M in Adidas payments

Update - In statement following verdicts, KU says it is evaluating options on Adidas contract As former Adidas executives face a federal jury, KU continues to delay the release of documents that could shed light on the university’s financial relationship with the now controversial apparel company. The Journal-World reported on Oct. 12 that the board of directors of Kansas Athletics Inc. had been told ...

KU says it's evaluating options on Adidas contract, doesn't answer whether it will conduct independent investigation of recruiting practices

Story updated 6:02 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018: The University of Kansas is continuing to evaluate whether it wants to be in partnership with Adidas after two of the company’s former employees were convicted Wednesday on fraud charges related to a pay-for-play college basketball recruiting scheme. In a statement from Chancellor Douglas Girod and Athletic Director Jeff Long, KU said it did not have a ...

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 ...