As interim Principal Cynthia Johnson walks through the hallways of Lawrence High School, students give her high-fives. They talk to her about how their day has been going. And they call her by a more affectionate name: “Mama J.” Those kinds of interactions are just a few of the ways Johnson appears to have made an impact on the LHS campus in her first month of leading the school. Connecting with the ...
When Emma Hefty was in seventh grade in 2018, she began to feel constant pain in her back. After meeting with doctors, she and her family learned that she was living with a curved spine, a condition known as scoliosis. “I was in so much pain I didn’t want to go out with my friends,” Emma said. “I missed a lot because I was in so much pain and in this constant battle. Forget trying to be a normal teen; ...
Douglas County leaders authorized a proposed construction project just north of Lawrence after an architect agreed to add more fencing to the project to clearly separate it from a neighboring cemetery. At its meeting Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission approved the proposal, which calls for the construction of a 4,700-square-foot addition to a facility located at 1451 North 1823 Road. The plan was proposed ...
The only person who has served as the coordinator of Douglas County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will soon leave the position to fill another role in the county. Robert Bieniecki, who has held the position since August 2016, will be the next director of Douglas County’s Emergency Management office. Sarah Plinsky, interim county administrator, announced Bieniecki’s position change during the ...
A college basketball recruiting fixer who revealed that he had made illicit payments to University of Kansas basketball players will not spend any more time in jail for his actions in the college basketball corruption case. Thomas “T.J.” Gassnola was sentenced Tuesday to a year of probation, including two months of home detention, according to a federal court filing. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan cited Gassnola’s ...
A majority of the Lawrence school board expressed frustration over the Lawrence City Commission choosing not to consider an ordinance that would ban local businesses from selling tobacco products to people under the age of 21. “I'm really disappointed to hear (that),” said board member Jessica Beeson. “That’s really disappointing.” The school board said during its meeting Monday that it plans to send ...