WRITER: Chris Conde

Tonganoxie police officer loses his certification; investigation found that he faked traffic stops to give donated gift cards to his friends

A Tonganoxie police officer lost his certification to be a law enforcement officer in Kansas after an investigation found that he faked traffic stops to give away donated gift cards to his friends. A local radio station donated gift cards to the Tonganoxie Police Department, which the department used for a holiday promotion in December 2023 in which officers could give warnings to drivers in lieu of tickets and ...

4 to 7 inches of snow expected in Lawrence area along with dangerously cold wind chills

Lawrence is expected to have 4 to 7 inches of snow accumulating through Tuesday afternoon followed by dangerously cold temperatures throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka. By Monday afternoon, multiple entities had announce closures for Tuesday, including KU, Douglas County District Court and state offices. Lawrence Public School announced the seventh closure for the year so ...

KCMO man charged with human trafficking for allegedly flying a child to Lawrence for sex

A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged with human trafficking for allegedly flying a child to Lawrence for sex in 2022. The man, Yahir De Jesus Van Vollenhoven, 25, is charged in Douglas County District Court with one felony count of aggravated human trafficking. The incident is alleged to have occurred on July 14, 2022. The age of the child is not listed in the charging document. Van Vollenhoven faces ...

Charges dismissed against Lawrence man in November stabbing case; prosecutor says man who was injured died earlier this month

Charges against a Lawrence man accused of injuring another man with a knife in November were dismissed on Friday, after a prosecutor said that the other man had died earlier this month. Rashidi Edward McClelland, 47, had been charged in Douglas County District Court with one count of felony aggravated battery. The charge was in connection with an incident around 3:15 a.m. Nov. 4 at 3250 Michigan St. in which a ...

State adds new charges in hit-and-run crash that injured a Lawrence woman and killed her dog on 23rd Street

A prosecutor added new charges on Thursday against a woman accused of hitting a Lawrence pedestrian and killing a dog with her car on 23rd Street, and the woman's attorney says she's interested in pursuing a plea deal. The woman, Lasean Rochelle Dixon, 36, of Overland Park, is now charged with aggravated battery, failure to stop at an accident causing harm and interference with law enforcement, all felonies. ...

Lawrence man ordered to stand trial for allegedly threatening group of teens with a firearm

A Lawrence man was ordered on Thursday to stand trial for allegedly threatening a group of teens with a firearm, which the man later reportedly said was a BB gun. The man, Zachary Ryan Johnston, 38, is charged in Douglas County District Court with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to charging documents. Judge Amy Hanley ordered him to stand trial after two teenage women ...