WRITER: Josie Heimsoth

The last day to apply for the Lawrence school district's AI advisory group is Friday

The last day the Lawrence school district will be accepting applications for its group to help advise its practices and policies on artificial intelligence is Friday. The group, called the Ad Hoc Generative AI & Evolving Technologies Advisory, will provide recommendations to the school board on generative AI education guidelines, practices, and policies for possible adoption. Its goal is to advance ...

Douglas County commissioners weigh in on 2026 legislative priorities, highlighting federal influence on state and local governments

Douglas County commissioners reviewed their 2026 legislative priorities, weighing language on federal influence impacting state and local governments. On Wednesday, county commissioners discussed its set of priorities and recommendations for the Kansas Legislature, which called for strong local governance, balanced economic growth, sustainable infrastructure and more. Some commissioners inquired about some ...

Douglas County commissioners to discuss legislative statement outlining priorities for 2026

Douglas County commissioners will discuss its set of priorities and recommendations for the Kansas Legislature on Wednesday, calling for strong local governance, balanced economic growth, sustainable infrastructure and more. The statement emphasizes the county’s protection of its constitutional home rule authority, advocating for the preservation of local governance powers. The county commissioners want to ...

School board members vote to appoint fourth-place finisher in general election to fill vacant seat on board

Lawrence school board members voted Monday to appoint the fourth-place finisher in the Nov. 4 general election to fill the vacant seat left by board member Anne Costello's resignation. The board voted 4-0 on Monday, with Yolanda Franklin absent and Bob Byers abstaining, to name the fourth-place finisher to serve out the remainder of Costello's term, which runs through 2028. Three seats on the board were up ...

A search for her father led a Lawrence woman to the family she’d been missing all her life

After spending years searching for the truth about her biological father, Thelma Simons not only unraveled a long-held family mystery but found three half-sisters she never knew she had. Simons grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas, with her parents, Polly and Karl Case, and her sister. When she was 7 years old, she discovered she had been adopted — Polly and Karl were actually her aunt and uncle. The woman she had ...

School board members will consider filling vacant seat on board with Bob Byers, who narrowly lost in general election

Updated at 10:50 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7 Lawrence school board members will consider appointing board member Bob Byers to serve the remainder of Anne Costello’s term after he narrowly lost in Tuesday's election. During the Oct. 27 board meeting, Byers read aloud a statement from Costello announcing her immediate resignation, citing “personal circumstances” for leaving the board. She was first elected to the ...