WRITER: Josie Heimsoth

Douglas County commissioners to weigh child care scholarship initiative to support working families

Douglas County commissioners will consider awarding money to a plan for a child care scholarship fund on Wednesday to help more low- and moderate-income families afford child care. The goal is to help more working families – or those who want to enter the workforce – access child care scholarships for children under age 6. The county commissioners have included $100,000 in the 2026 budget for what is now ...

City of Eudora begins work on an over $50 million project to build a new water treatment plant

The City of Eudora is currently undergoing the first phase of a more than $50 million project to build a new water treatment plant that will replace the current aging facility. Earlier this year, the Eudora City Commission took the first step toward the development of a new water treatment plant, infrastructure improvements and building a new 300,000-gallon water tower. In doing so, the commissioners executed ...

Upcoming Halloween and fall themed events in Douglas County this October

As Halloween approaches, there are plenty of long-running local traditions and new events to get in the fall spirit this year, from haunted trails and theatrical ghost tours to fall festivals and pumpkin patches. Here's a look at some of the Halloween and fall-themed events happening across the area this month: • Schaake’s Pumpkin Patch, 1791 North 1500 Road in Lawrence, is celebrating its 50th anniversary ...

A year after Douglas County's Community Health Improvement Plan rolled out, leaders will give an update on how it's going

It’s been a year since Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health launched the county’s five-year roadmap to improve community health, and local health leaders will soon share details on how it's worked out so far. On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the public is invited to hear a one-year update from facilitators of the Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHIP, about the progress that it's made on its five focus areas: ...

Douglas County commissioners approve the county's financial statements for 2024

Douglas County commissioners have approved the county's financial statements for 2024, and the county administrator said there is no timeline for discussions on the county’s fund balance policy. On Wednesday, commissioners approved the 2024 audit report on a 4-0 vote with Commissioner Gene Dorsey absent. The auditors from Allen, Gibbs & Houlik LC who conducted the audit for Douglas County reported no ...

County’s cash balances grew by $14 million in 2024, annual audit shows

Douglas County’s cash reserves grew by $14 million in 2024, according to financial statements county commissioners will consider approving on Wednesday. According to the county’s audit report from Allen, Gibbs & Houlik LC, the county began the 2024 fiscal year with an unencumbered cash balance of $131,988,631 and ended the year with $145,867,339. The money is the amount of cash on hand that is not ...