WRITER: Bremen Keasey

Live performances to highlight 'Words Save Lives' event that creates safe space for people affected by suicide

To commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday, speakers with Lawrence ties will be sharing stories, poems and other live performances as part of the 11th annual “Words Save Lives” event. The event, at Union Pacific Depot, 402 N. Second St., will feature performances of people from Lawrence and Topeka who are sharing their experiences around the complex topic of suicide. The event is free but ...

This new book started as a genealogy project — and turned into a chronicle of how Kansas experienced World War I

Before becoming a petroleum engineer — before becoming an NFL player — before even graduating high school, Ralph Nichols was shot in the cheek in France in 1918. Nichols' adult life had barely even started when the United States entered World War I and he and his fellow National Guardsmen in northeast Kansas were sent off to fight in Europe. And the war and how it shaped their lives fascinated Nichols' ...

City Commission will hear presentation about potentially relocating Lawrence's City Hall

As the City of Lawrence discusses potential upgrades to the City Hall building, a presentation to the City Commission indicates the city is mulling a plan to move its main government building to a new location. City leaders and a firm called Multistudio will present two options for the future of City Hall to the commission Tuesday night: stay and renovate the current building at 6 E. Sixth St. or redevelop a ...

Voters will decide this fall whether Lawrence should change its government structure, including a directly elected mayor

Voters won't be choosing Lawrence's city leaders in this November's elections, but they will be weighing in on how they should be chosen — including whether voters should decide on the mayor themselves. Back in February 2023, the Lawrence City Commission approved a resolution to put a question on the November 2024 ballot about whether Lawrence should change its form of government to one with a directly ...

More than 200 sign petition to keep unsanctioned homeless camp near Amtrak station open; opponents argue conditions are inhumane

Several weeks after the city announced it would be closing a homeless camp behind the Amtrak train station in East Lawrence, more than 200 people have signed onto a petition against closing the camp, and a group of protesters showed up to Lawrence City Hall on Tuesday to urge leaders to reconsider. Ahead of the Lawrence City Commission's meeting on Tuesday, the group of about a dozen protesters held signs ...

Lawrence leaders approve 2025 budget with flat mill levy, but they say spending reserves won't be sustainable in the future

The Lawrence City Commission approved the 2025 budget for the city on Tuesday night, keeping a neutral mill rate by dipping into the general fund balance to cover additional expenses. The commission voted 3-2 to pass the $518.7 million budget for next year. Mayor Bart Littlejohn, Vice Mayor Mike Dever and Commissioner Brad Finkeldei voted yes, while commissioners Lisa Larsen and Amber Sellers voted no. This ...