A Lawrence woman accused of driving a vehicle into a group of protesters last summer plans to apply for diversion, her attorney said in a court hearing on Wednesday. Lynda C. Kitsmiller, 46, appeared in Douglas County District Court on Wednesday to ask for a continuation in the proceedings. She is facing two charges — reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor, and battery, a class B misdemeanor — in ...
A Lawrence man was charged with aggravated battery in Douglas County District Court on Wednesday. Darren O. Cox, 36, made his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon from the Douglas County Jail after he was arrested Tuesday evening. Judge James T. George said the charge was a level-four felony and a conviction could result in a prison sentence of up to 172 months, a little more than 14 years. George ...
Two Lawrence school district administrators will leave their positions at the end of the current school year, the district announced recently. Superintendent Anthony Lewis said in a news release that Darcy Kraus, the district's director of elementary schools, and David Cunningham, the district’s executive director of human resources and chief legal counsel, are set to retire. Kraus is retiring on June 30, and ...
When Melissa Johnson received her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, she was surprised, she said. She was finally feeling some relief amid a global pandemic that has disrupted much of her work as a teacher at Lawrence High School and put her life at risk as an essential worker. “I’m really happy,” Johnson told the Journal-World a few hours after she received the vaccine, adding that ...
As the weather began to warm up in recent weeks, so have the rural fields of Douglas County. Many area farmers have begun controlled burns of their crop fields to prepare for the upcoming farming season. But those burns can often grow out of control, necessitating assistance from local fire departments. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and other area fire departments this week have responded to multiple ...
Douglas County’s school virus guidance will remain at its lowest tier for the fourth straight week as key metrics for the spread of COVID-19 continue to fall. On Thursday, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health announced that its guidance to schools would stay in the green tier, which recommends that schools use fully in-person classes. The color-coded guidance is meant to help county school districts navigate ...