WRITER: Josie Heimsoth

Arsenic in the water: Evergy working to deal with pollutants left from coal ash dump sites

Updated on Thursday, May 28, 2026 Nearly every day people who look just northwest of the city limits can see the environmental impact of the Lawrence Energy Center – a stream of white smoke rising from the power plant’s stack. That smoke comes from the burning of coal at the power plant, and environmentalists have long been warning about the impacts that coal has on everything from air quality to global ...

Douglas County commissioners to consider new truancy program for elementary and middle school students

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will consider a new truancy intervention program for elementary and middle school students who repeatedly miss school. The proposed “EveryDay Counts” program – which would be administered by Douglas County Criminal Justice Services’ Youth Services division – is designed to help students improve their attendance before their cases reach the court system. ...

Douglas County commissioners allocate $700,000 to address Treatment & Recovery Center shortfall

Douglas County commissioners allocated $700,000 to address a shortfall at the Treatment & Recovery Center for 2026 operations on Wednesday. The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center asked the county commissioners for the one-time funding after changes to Medicaid and other funding reduced the expected revenue for the TRC. This is a reduction from Bert Nash’s previous request in December 2025, where ...

Douglas County commissioners to reconsider additional funding for Treatment & Recovery Center operations

Updated on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 Douglas County commissioners will revisit an allocation for 2026 operating funds at the Treatment & Recovery Center on Wednesday, and it's a smaller amount than previously proposed. The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center approached county commissioners in December 2025, as the Journal-World reported, with a request of $1 million to support operations at the ...

Lawrence instrument drive for student musicians nears 50 donations, aims to double total before next school year

A Lawrence initiative has collected nearly 50 donated instruments over the last two months, but organizers hope to double that before distributing them to students next school year. This is a joint effort between Meyer Music Stores of the Kansas City area, the Duke Ellington Legacy – a jazz ensemble dedicated to performing and keeping the music of Duke Ellington alive – and Liberty Hall. The Band of ...

Douglas County tax rebate program for seniors and disabled veterans expands sharply, distributing over $156K in 2026

Payouts for Douglas County's senior and disabled veteran tax rebate program significantly increased in 2026 – distributing more than five times as much property tax relief as its pilot year. The county's one-year property tax rebate program was approved by the Douglas County Commission in 2024, and the program accepted applications from low-income county residents who are 65 and older or disabled veterans ...