WRITER: Josie Heimsoth

Lawrence school district to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day as a holiday starting next school year

Starting next school year, the Lawrence school district will recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, the second Monday in October, as a district holiday and a day off for students and staff. District calendars with the holiday were approved by the Lawrence school board at its meeting on Monday night, at which board members also heard an update from Native American Student Services about the district's American Indian ...

Douglas County commissioners explore new food system priorities as nearly decade-old plan nears milestone

As the county’s Food System Plan approaches its 10-year anniversary, Douglas County leaders are rethinking priorities around food access, land health and equity. Much of the county’s food systems work is guided by the 2017 Douglas County Food System Plan, which centers on supporting agricultural producers and food entrepreneurs, conserving natural resources, ensuring food access and health, advancing ...

Douglas County closes 2025 with $6.7M budget surplus, commissioners to consider year-end transfers

Douglas County ended 2025 with a $6.7 million budget surplus after revenues exceeded projections and spending came in below estimates. About $1.9 million of the surplus came from revenues exceeding estimates and the remaining roughly $4.9 million resulted from expenditures coming in below budget, as departments spent less than projected or had costs that were delayed or did not materialize by year-end, ...

Bert Nash receives $25K donation to open new Youth Recovery Center; project has now raised $6M of $12M goal

The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center has received a $25,000 donation to help it build a new Youth Recovery Center, and designs for the facility at Clinton Parkway and Kasold Drive are progressing. Leaders of Bert Nash and other stakeholders gathered Monday morning for the announcement that the Topeka-based financial services firm Security Benefit had agreed to donate $25,000 to the Judge Jean Shepherd ...

Ballard Center caps child care tuition at 7% of household income, boosts benefits for its educators

To help make child care more affordable for local families, Lawrence’s Ballard Center is trying a new approach — capping tuition at 7% of a household's income. In a news release, the Ballard Center said that 1 in 4 families in the community live paycheck to paycheck, and the average Kansas family spends 20% of their income on child care. But with its new model, the Ballard Center will review each ...

County commission gets first look at proposed school truancy program through criminal justice department

Douglas County commissioners reviewed a proposed elementary and middle school truancy initiative set to launch as early as the 2026-2027 school year. On Wednesday, county commissioners heard from the Douglas County Criminal Justice Services department during a work session to review “EveryDay Counts,” the proposed K-8 initiative designed to identify and address the root causes of chronic school ...