WRITER: Sylas May

Lawrence City Commission could start the process of finding a construction manager for new fire station

City leaders could soon take another step toward building a new fire station in the northwest corner of Lawrence. On its meeting agenda for Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will get an update on the plans for the new Fire Station 6 and will consider starting the process of finding a construction manager for it. Station 6 would be at 555 Stoneridge Drive, near the intersection of Sixth Street and the South ...

'Can’t think of a building more worth it': More than $2M of renovations complete at Douglas County's historic courthouse

One of the many painstaking parts of the historic Douglas County Courthouse’s recent renovation was DOUGLAS COUNTY COURT HOUSE itself. The decorative lettering near the courthouse’s front entrance was among the features of the more than 100-year-old building that were in bad shape, said Jay Zimmerschied, Douglas County’s director of capital projects, earlier this week. “There were chunks of letters ...

Jamie Shew

Property tax protest bill would let a few dozen voters block tax increases in some parts of Douglas County

If it becomes law, a bill that lets voters block local governments’ property tax increases will probably do a lot of other things behind the scenes, too. And Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew is trying to figure out what. It could throw a wrench into cities’ and counties’ planning. It could let a few dozen people in a rural township shoot down that township’s budget. And it could force election offices ...

Nonprofit plans a full slate of events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, including trivia, art auction, vigil for survivors

This April, Lawrence’s Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center is planning a trivia night, an art auction and more to help fund its education and support programs – and it’s bringing back a downtown vigil and march where survivors can speak out. STACC’s slate of programming for Sexual Assault Awareness Month kicks off in earnest next week, said Christina Gentry, the center’s director of community ...

Local vendors can apply now for KU's new monthly on-campus market, Jayhawk Fridays

Next Friday on the University of Kansas campus, you might see what looks like a mini craft market near the bronze Jayhawk statues outside the Kansas Union. It’s called Jayhawk Fridays, and it’s a new way for small businesses to connect with students on campus. Program director Mikayla Leader with KU Memorial Unions said it will normally happen on the first Friday of each month, and if you’re a vendor of ...

In the complex 'ecosystem' of city government, Lawrence's mayor asks sustainability advisers to look at the big picture

The City of Lawrence’s efforts to protect the environment have something in common with the environment itself: lots of parts that all depend on each other. There’s a clean energy ordinance that could change soon. There’s the city’s strategic plan, which will soon get an update. There are two new city commissioners, a sustainability department with just a $4,000 operating budget for this year, and ...