WRITER: Kathy Hanks

Kansas historian to walk in Rose Parade on New Year's Day

Historian Sarah Bell knows firsthand that researching and writing a dissertation can be a long and often lonely process. But on New Year’s Day, Bell, who earned a doctoral degree in May for her research on the women's suffrage movement, will be more visible — an estimated 93 million people worldwide will be able to see her walking alongside a float in the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. The float ...

Intermittent fasting as a way of life has brought about healthy results for one area resident

Three years ago, Kyle LaRosh received a wake-up call when his doctor started him on medication for prediabetes. “I knew what that meant," said LaRosh, of Tonganoxie. “My great-grandmother and grandmother, aunt, uncle and dad all died from complications of type 2 diabetes. I have a cousin without a foot and several other cousins who take medication and try to manage it. I knew it ended badly." His doctor ...

Go, See, Do: More downtown carriage rides, a New Year's Eve party for kids and more

Holiday carriage rides to benefit the Lawrence Community Shelter have been so popular that organizers have decided to keep them rolling on two more dates. Two horse-drawn carriages, driven by Frank and Peg Burkdoll of Lyndon, will be picking up passengers from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the valet parking area of the Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts St. The carriages will travel ...

Between the bar and the church, attorneys find spiritual strength through ministry

For the past 28 years, John Bullock has been an attorney, but he recently added another vocation to his life’s work. On weekdays, he's in his sixth-floor office at Stevens & Brand LLP, 900 Massachusetts St., helping clients resolve conflicts. On Sundays, he’s the curate at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Olathe. As a curate, Bullock assists the parish priest. On Jan. 11, 2020, he will be ordained as ...

Blind woman hit by a semitruck in August is recovering 'one day at a time, one step at a time'

Tina Jinkens and her running partner, Carol Lounsbury, once covered miles together, but when they met up on a recent morning, Jinkens was hoping to walk a mile. A year ago Jinkens, of Eudora, was training to run the Boston Marathon, the second marathon of her life. Because she’s blind, she competed as part of a team of visually impaired runners. To train for the race, the 49-year-old depended on running ...

A Christmas tradition has family handing out gifts on Massachusetts Street

The three people loaded with red gift bags looked like last-minute shoppers Monday morning, but instead of bringing the presents home they were handing them out to strangers they encountered on Massachusetts Street. Scott Sloyer and his adult children Tyler and Rachel began the tradition of handing out gifts to those who may be in need when they lived in St.Louis. They brought the family tradition to Lawrence ...