WRITER: Kim Callahan

Woman lied to police about killing dog, critically injuring woman, according to allegations in affidavit

A woman accused in a March hit-and-run that killed a dog and critically injured its owner admitted to police that she was responsible for the accident after initially telling an elaborate lie about it, according to a recently released affidavit in the case. The arrest affidavit, the allegations of which have not been proved in court, details what police relied on to support the arrest of Lasean Dixon, of ...

2 candidates running for DA call the current office a total mess, offer ideas for fixing

The two men vying to lead the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for the next four years agree on one thing: The current DA’s Office is in shambles and desperately needs to be fixed. Neither Republican Mike Warner nor Democrat Dakota Loomis pulled any punches as they met as opponents for the first time Tuesday night in a forum at the Douglas County Fairgrounds sponsored by the Douglas County Rural ...

Students, judges, attorneys and others peaceably assemble to read the U.S. Constitution in its entirety

Kansas Appeals Court Judge Jacy Hurst drew more than a few chuckles Monday as she repeatedly — and a bit scornfully — emphasized the word “male” while reading aloud from the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Hurst was participating in a public reading of all 7,591 words of the Constitution — including its seven articles and 27 amendments — at the Douglas County Courthouse along with ...

At drug dealer's sentencing, mother describes 'crippling grief' of losing son to fentanyl overdose

A mother who lost a son to a fentanyl overdose described her “crippling grief” Friday morning to a Douglas County judge at the sentencing hearing of the woman who had a hand in the young man’s death. Christina Aldridge, the mother of Cameron Bricker, who died at age 26 on Dec. 9, 2022, after buying pills from the defendant, Terriana Audry Atkinson, placed a framed photo of her son on the lectern as she ...

Lawrence man found not guilty of choking woman - his 2nd acquittal for aggravated domestic battery in less than 3 months

A Lawrence man on Friday was acquitted by a jury of choking a woman — his second such acquittal in Douglas County in less than three months. Servando Martinez-Vazquez, 24, was tried this week after being charged with aggravated domestic battery by choking, felony criminal threat and misdemeanor domestic battery. The jury of nine men and three women heard testimony from a young woman claiming that he had ...

Thwarted in their Haskell investigation, congressional committees seek documents, explanation from Interior secretary

Members of Congress are still at apparent loggerheads with the U.S. Department of the Interior as they try to obtain information related to their investigation of alleged misconduct at Haskell Indian Nations University and the Bureau of Indian Education, and they are calling on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to step in. Two congressional committees — the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the ...