WRITER: Chris Conde

Lawrence Police K-9 officer retires after 26 years and working with multiple patrol service dogs

A K-9 officer who spent more than two decades with the Lawrence Police Department and has worked with multiple patrol dogs retired this week. Cpl. Matt Weidl worked for the Lawrence Police Department for 26 years, most recently as a K-9 officer, according to a post on social media from the department. In a celebration at the Lawrence Police Department headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive, Weidl was greeted on ...

Defense asks for DA's office to be sanctioned after state fails to disclose that deputy listed as a witness was fired for dishonesty

Updated at 5:12 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30 A defense attorney in a DUI case has asked a Douglas County judge to sanction the District Attorney's Office for failing to inform the defendant that a law enforcement witness in the case was fired for conduct involving dishonesty. The witness in question is a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy who was fired from the office in February for stealing chips and soda from a ...

Charges dismissed against man who was accused of shooting up a neighborhood the day of a 14-year-old homicide victim’s funeral

Prosecutors dismissed charges this month against a man accused of shooting multiple houses and a car while firing a gun out of a car window near the funeral of a 14-year-old boy who was shot and killed in 2023. The multiple felony gun charges against Dominic Sanders, 25, of Lawrence were dismissed with prejudice on Dec. 10, meaning they cannot be refiled, about a month after he was set to go to trial. However, ...

With packed court calendar and at least 5 attorneys leaving office, incoming and outgoing DAs are optimistic about leadership transition

Multiple Douglas County judges have expressed concerns this month during various hearings about how crowded the January court calendar is, just as the District Attorney's Office is set to transition to new leadership. Dakota Loomis will become Douglas County's new district attorney on Jan. 13, replacing fellow Democrat Suzanne Valdez, who served one term in office before losing her August primary. Both have ...

Convicted killer up for parole 31 years into his life sentence for killing Lawrence businessman; public comment session open in January

A man convicted 31 years ago for fatally shooting a Lawrence businessman and wounding a woman will be up for parole in January. The man, James Patrick Ludlow III, 56, was convicted of second-degree murder in March 1993 in connection with the shooting death of Tracy Robbins, 32, a Lawrence contractor, on Nov. 22, 1992. He was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Valerie Hartley as she ...

Homeless shelter resident accused of killing a man by shoving his fist down his throat pleads to lesser crime, expects less than 5 years in prison

A Lawrence Community Shelter resident who killed another shelter resident by violently strangling him pleaded no contest on Monday to involuntary manslaughter. The defendant, George Miller, 34, pleaded no contest to one felony count of involuntary manslaughter in a reckless manner. The charge is in connection with the strangulation death of Christopher Allen Lickteig, 43, the night of June 11 at the ...