WRITER: Elvyn Jones

Douglas County officials to tour Johnson County facilities for ideas on how to reduce overcrowding at jail

After a Wednesday meeting with a short agenda, Douglas County commissioners will reconvene Friday to tour two Johnson County facilities to examine options for reducing overcrowding in the Douglas County Jail. Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug said two or more commissioners would be among county officials and Criminal Justice Coordinating Council members taking part in a Friday tour of the Johnson ...

New Watkins window panels tell stories of city's past, present

Sandra Wolf was impressed by what she saw during an unveiling Sunday of the nine new window panels on the third floor of the Watkins Museum of History. “It’s very well done,” she said during the open house of the information provided on the panels that cover nine large windows on the third floor’s southern exposure. “There’s a lot of information on Lawrence history.” Wolf said she started with ...

Lawrence school board told 2018-2019 mill levy to decrease

Taxpayers could see nearly a 1-mill break next school year, according to Kathy Johnson, who presented the Lawrence school board an estimate of the district’s 2018-2019 mill levy on Monday. The district's executive director of finances provided that budget estimate along with an update of the state’s new K-12 school finance formula and its consequence to Lawrence public schools. The Kansas Supreme Court ...

Increase in inmate cell time adds to stress at county jail

Overcrowding is giving inmates less time to take advantage of the already limited exercise opportunities at the Douglas County Jail, Undersheriff Gary Bunting says. The number of inmates in all classifications of male maximum-, medium- and minimum-security continues to exceed cells available at the jail, Bunting said. That is true of women inmates, too, who are housed in a single classification pod. It’s the ...

Westar to build solar power farm in Baldwin City

Baldwin City Administrator Glenn Rodden says the hot summer sun should be working for residents of the southern Douglas County city by this time next year. On July 17, The Baldwin City Council agreed to start negotiations with Westar Energy to build a solar panel farm at the city public works yard in the 1000 block of Orange Street. Westar was one of five firms responding to the city's request for proposals ...

Proposed Baldwin City, Eudora 2019 budgets keep mill levies steady

Flat is a word that defines the 2019 mill levies proposed for the cities of Baldwin City and Eudora. Baldwin City Administrator Glenn Rodden and Eudora City Manager Barack Matite said proposed 2019 budgets will keep flat the mill levies of their respective cities of 44.498 mills in Baldwin City and 39.499 mills in Eudora. At those rates, the city’s share of taxes on a $175,000 home would be $895 in Baldwin ...