WRITER: Matt Resnick

Douglas County commissioners to consider Treatment and Recovery Center's request to form advisory board

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will consider approving a request from the Treatment and Recovery Center of Douglas County to form a 10- to 15-member advisory group that would meet quarterly. The TRC, which opened in April, is designed for inpatient stays of up to 72 hours. TRC officials recently told county commissioners that the facility had served around 800 patients but that it was experiencing ...

Lawrence school district's Native American Student Services program is under-resourced, according to program's coordinator

The Lawrence school district's Native American Student Services (NASS) program — which offers everything from tutoring to cultural programs — is hampered by a shoestring budget and lacks a clear-cut departmental-vision, according to NASS Coordinator Kenny St. Pierre. “What is your vision of NASS, as a department that has limited funding?” St. Pierre asked Lawrence school board members who were present ...

'Those dastardly cellphones,' student behavior hot topics at school board's public input session

Cellphones are the biggest threat to student success, one educator said Monday at an informal public input session held by the Lawrence school board. Monday night's "Beyond the Boardroom" session at Community Connections at Pinckney was attended by eight members of the public, as well as board members Bob Byers, Carole Cadue-Blackwood, Ronald "G.R." Gordon-Ross, Kelly Jones and Shannon Kimball. Board members ...

Douglas County leaders have big goals as they create local plan to combat climate change

In Douglas County’s efforts to combat climate change, some local numbers are starting to come into focus. According to data collected during 2021 through a county initiative, roughly 1.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide — a gas that contributes to global warming — was emitted into the atmosphere in Douglas County. Douglas County’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and to be at ...

Douglas County plans to start enforcing regulations on open burning in rural areas more strictly

People who violate burn bans in rural Douglas County or don't notify authorities properly before burning could soon be charged with a misdemeanor for doing so, after county leaders approved changes on Wednesday that will let them enforce open burning rules more strictly. At their weekly meeting, Douglas County commissioners unanimously voted to modify the regulations for open burning of brush, grass and other ...

Douglas County commissioners to consider changes to open burning regulations in rural areas

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will consider new limits on how and when county residents can burn leaves, brush, grass and other types of open burning that frequently occurs at households in rural parts of the county. According to a memo from Robert Bieniecki, the county's emergency management director, revisions are needed to improve safety as the county continues to grow. "With the increased ...