WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

With $40M of planned projects, 2024 might be the year the city starts to grow west of the SLT

It was August of 1994 when local dignitaries, a handful of reporters and other onlookers gathered in a hilltop pasture northwest of Lawrence for a groundbreaking ceremony of the South Lawrence Trafficway. You could have won a lot of money that day if you would have wagered with the leaders on hand that nearly 30 years later, the site’s hilltop view still would be dominated by pastures and farm fields. At ...

Report shows Lawrence lost retail stores at a greater than average rate during the last decade

In the world of retailing, there are basically two types these days: traditional brick-and-mortar retailers and online retailers. (I sometimes believe in a hybrid, meaning I throw a brick through my computer screen while on Amazon.) You don’t have to be either Jeff Bezos or Sam Walton to ascertain which way the trend is moving in America. The number of traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores is falling as ...

Cat Clinic plans expansion on south Mass Street, plus other news and notes from around town

News and notes from around town: — Last week I wrote about Lawrence’s first cat cafe. Now, I’m writing about expansion plans for a Lawrence veterinary clinic that specializes in cat care. Are Lawrence cats now needing new levels of care after drinking too much espresso? Are they now only sleeping 20 hours a day? No, of course not. Cat cafes don’t serve cats espresso. (Seriously, folks, don’t let ...

Douglas County legislator Tom Holland won't seek reelection to the Kansas Senate

Updated at 1:43 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6 After more than 20 years in the Statehouse, Douglas County legislator Tom Holland won’t seek reelection to the Kansas Senate. Holland, D-Baldwin City, told the Journal-World on Wednesday that he had decided to pursue several opportunities in the private sector rather than run for reelection. Holland will continue to serve through the 2024 legislative session, which ...

Chabad House files plans for $5M project for new Jewish student center; rabbi says local hatred and negativity hitting new highs

For nearly 20 years, the KU Chabad House, on the southern edge of the university’s campus, has been a student refuge — complete with chicken soup. Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel talks of how Jewish students at KU, a distinct minority, often are far from home when they experience a piece of college life that creates a need for some comforts of home. Enter, quite literally, the Chabad House, which has crammed ...

Documentary and special Lawrence screening looks at the night nuclear war came to the living rooms of Americans

In November of 1983, you could get out of your chair, walk to your TV, put your fingers on its dial, and turn to your ABC station to find the likes of “Happy Days” and “The Love Boat.” Well, except for that one night — Nov. 20, 1983 — when the network showed scenes of nuclear war, complete with vaporized communities, peeling flesh and instant cremations. Lawrence likely remembers the night better ...