WRITER: Austin Hornbostel

Lawrence City Commission candidates share thoughts on affordable housing and homelessness issues

As the Nov. 7 general election approaches, the Journal-World asked the six candidates running for three seats on the Lawrence City Commission — incumbents Brad Finkeldei, Amber Sellers and Courtney Shipley, former commissioner Mike Dever, and newcomers Dustin Stumblingbear and Justine Burton — a series of questions related to affordable housing and homelessness issues. The deadline to register to vote in ...

'This dedication makes us very proud': Family members, community honor Black Civil War veteran Doc McWilliams

For the descendants of Union veteran Doc McWilliams, the booming sound of cannon fire that filled Oak Hill Cemetery on Saturday afternoon was more than just a Civil War reenactment — it was the sound of ceremony and celebration. As the Journal-World reported, McWilliams — who was a member of the first Black regiment to see combat during the Civil War, the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry — had rested in an ...

Indigenous community members in Lawrence gather to remember victims of Native American boarding schools, recognize 'intergenerational trauma'

Members of Lawrence's Indigenous community gathered on Saturday to remember the victims of Indian boarding schools that for more than a century sought to assimilate Native American children into white society — including Haskell Institute, the precursor to Haskell Indian Nations University. Saturday was the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, and the memorial service at Central United ...

After student publicizes allegations of sexual abuse, Haskell president says the university plans to create new position and revise policies related to sexual assault

Days after a Haskell Indian Nations University student publicly stated that reports of alleged sexual abuse on campus have gone ignored, Haskell’s leader has announced plans to create a new position and to revise the university’s policies related to sexual assault. As the Journal-World reported, Haskell student Tierra Thomas told the Journal-World last week that after being assaulted by a fellow student in ...

Revised plan for Fall Creek Villas fails to earn recommendation for approval from Planning Commission

A revised plan for 14 duplexes near a west Lawrence subdivision failed to earn a recommendation from the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission this week, and now the project can't go forward unless a supermajority of city commissioners are on board. The Fall Creek Villas project returned to the Planning Commission Wednesday in another bid for approval, after having already been denied by the Lawrence City ...

At downtown-centric candidate forum, City Commission candidates share thoughts on outdoor camping, increasing density and more

At a downtown-centric forum Thursday evening, the six candidates running for seats on the Lawrence City Commission shared their thoughts on increasing residential density in the area, how to enforce the city’s rule for camping in public spaces and more. The forum was hosted by Downtown Lawrence Inc., the not-for-profit membership organization that promotes the interests of the downtown business district. All ...

LMH Health hires new chief financial officer; he last served in executive position for hospital system in Oklahoma City

After a search process that's been underway since May, LMH Health has hired its next chief financial officer. The hospital’s new top financial executive is Mike Rogers, a senior executive with 28 years of experience in the health care field. Rogers most recently served as regional chief financial officer for St. Mary’s Hospital’s Texoma Medical Center in Oklahoma City, a 1,200-bed community hospital ...

LMH Health blood supplier declares 2nd blood emergency of 2023; donors at upcoming drive will receive a free ticket to soccer match in Lawrence

Lawrence residents who are willing to make the trip to Kansas City, Kansas, on Friday for a blood drive benefiting LMH Health’s blood supplier will get a free ticket to a soccer match later the same evening in Lawrence. The Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City, which provides the vast majority of blood used by more than 60 area hospitals, including LMH Health, is hosting a blood drive in ...

'No Overnight Camping Allowed' signage posted in North Lawrence; signs have been posted at other city parks since last year

New signs that read “No Overnight Camping Allowed” were installed in North Lawrence between the Kansas River and the river levee last week, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department says they are a direct response to neighborhood complaints about “disruptive noise and overnight activities” affecting the nearby neighborhood. The signs can be found just south of the North Lawrence neighborhood in ...

Proposed west Lawrence townhome project returning to Planning Commission with revised plan

A plan to develop duplexes near the Fall Creek Farms subdivision in west Lawrence is returning to the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission for a second try at approval. As the Journal-World reported, the original preliminary development plan for Fall Creek Villas — proposed for an 8.4-acre parcel of undeveloped land east of Fall Creek Road and west of North Kasold Drive — was denied by the Lawrence ...

‘A thorny, comprehensive issue’: Leaders of Lawrence businesses and organizations call for more action on homeless issues

For the leaders of community institutions like LMH Health, Weaver's and the Lawrence chamber of commerce, planning is everything — and when it comes to Lawrence's homelessness crisis, they say City Hall hasn't done enough of it. They were part of a group of more than a dozen prominent business and community leaders who showed up at Tuesday's City Commission meeting to criticize the city's management of ...

Community Children's Center will help child care providers streamline administrative services as northeast Kansas hub agency for new Shared Services Network

The Community Children’s Center is already a leader in early-childhood care in Douglas County, and a new regional network for child-care providers will give the nonprofit a chance to make an impact on an even broader scale. Gov. Laura Kelly’s office announced earlier this week that the Community Children’s Center was one of five organizations selected to serve as lead providers for the state’s new ...

Treatment and Recovery Center names new director

The Treatment and Recovery Center of Douglas County named a new director Friday. Bri Harmon-Moore, who has been serving as the facility’s program manager, will begin her new duties as director starting Sunday. The TRC is operated by Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and has been providing services since April. A Bert Nash spokesperson confirmed to the Journal-World that Dr. Cord Huston, who has been ...

Haskell student speaks out about alleged sexual abuse on campus, says she has reported what she's experienced 'over 30 times'

A student at Haskell Indian Nations University says that though she has made dozens of reports about alleged sexual abuse on Haskell’s campus, her pleas for support have fallen on deaf ears. Now, Tierra Thomas is speaking out and hopes that by doing so she’ll be able to encourage other victims to also come forward. Thomas has been corresponding with the Journal-World via email for the past week, after ...

At Board of Realtors forum, City Commission candidates weigh in on Land Development Code update, housing density and more

The candidates vying for three seats on the Lawrence City Commission shared their visions Wednesday for housing development, density and more. The candidate forum, which was not open to the public, was largely housing-focused since it was hosted by the Lawrence Board of Realtors and the Lawrence Home Builders Association. Five of the candidates running in the November general election — incumbents Brad ...

Full slate of 11 Lawrence school board candidates share thoughts on teacher retention, budget challenges at candidate forum

With nearly a dozen candidates running for seats on the Lawrence school board in the upcoming general election, the first forum featuring all of them Wednesday evening at the Lawrence Public Library was also a first chance to hear where many of them stand on a number of issues. All 11 candidates — incumbents Shannon Kimball, Carole Cadue-Blackwood and Ronald “G.R.” Gordon-Ross, along with newcomers ...

During homeless response update, Lawrence mayor asks questions about why the city isn't enforcing no-camping ordinance

Story updated at 11:12 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19: Lawrence Mayor Lisa Larsen asked a lengthy list of pointed questions, including some about why the city isn’t enforcing a no-camping ordinance, and local business leaders criticized the city for a lack of action to address the issue of homelessness during Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission meeting. Larsen asked city staff 20 minutes’ worth of questions at ...

Lawrence leaders to hear updates on homelessness response initiatives, including Pallet Shelter Village and Lawrence Community Shelter

At this week’s Lawrence City Commission meeting, city leaders will receive an update about a number of ongoing homelessness response initiatives, including the future Pallet Shelter Village on North Michigan Street and the recent shift to a shared governance structure at the Lawrence Community Shelter. The update comes two weeks after city leaders requested more information about homelessness initiatives at ...

On upcoming sabbatical, Lawrence Public Library director is hoping to 'bring some energy' back to the library

The leader of the Lawrence Public Library will soon be spending a few months out of the office, and he hopes that time away will ultimately help him bring some energy back to the organization. Starting after this week’s Lawrence Public Library Board of Trustees meeting, Library Executive Director Brad Allen is going on a 12-week sabbatical. He’ll return in time for the board’s mid-December meeting. ...

$1.5 million Douglas County Courthouse waterproofing project set to begin first phase on Tuesday

A $1.5 million project to waterproof the foundation of the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Lawrence is scheduled to begin Tuesday. The county announced three phases for the upcoming construction at the courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., in a news release Friday. The first phase beginning Tuesday will affect the one-hour parking lot just south of the courthouse, with the lot set to be closed through ...