A Douglas County jury on Monday found itself in the unusual position of convicting a man of committing a felony in the middle of a courtroom during his jury trial in a different case. Monday’s jurors, after about half a day of hearing testimony in Judge Amy Hanley’s courtroom, took less than 45 minutes to find John Price guilty of battery on a law enforcement officer in that earlier trial. The state, ...
Fans of author Karen Russell have two things to look forward to this week: One, the long-awaited release of her second novel, “The Antidote,” on Tuesday; and, two, the opportunity to hear her read from it on Saturday in Lawrence. Russell, speaking to the Journal-World recently from her home in Portland, Oregon, likewise expressed enthusiasm for the coming days. “I am super excited to come to Lawrence,” ...
A Lawrence man accused of murdering his wife swayed from side to side, sometimes appeared to grin and barely spoke as attorneys and a Douglas County judge again discussed his competency to stand trial. The defendant, Chad Marek, 29, accused of killing 25-year-old Regan (Gibbs) Marek nearly three years ago, appeared via Zoom from the Douglas County Jail. A week ago, Marek had refused to attend a similar ...
Updated at 6:20 p.m. Friday, March 7 Haskell Indian Nations University is rehiring 14 employees, "including some teachers," after laying off nearly 40 workers last month, the office of U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran confirmed Friday, though little is known about what led to the reversal. Individuals were reportedly being rehired Thursday, as the Journal-World reported, but officials at Haskell and at the Bureau of ...
The Journal-World has learned that at least some probationary employees who were fired from Haskell Indian Nations University last month during a nationwide purge of federal workers will be reinstated with back pay as early as next week. Details were sparse Thursday afternoon, but a source familiar with the situation said more than a dozen employees who work with students had been invited back and that their ...
A death in the family has a way of revealing secrets — not just about the deceased, who is no longer there to conceal them, but also about those who are gathered to mourn. The drama of revelation can be intense, but it can also be comical as people make self-discoveries, see others in a new light and adapt to an evolving family landscape. That's the energy behind "Chicken and Biscuits," if you ask Darren ...