WRITER: Kim Callahan

Man convicted of choking woman into unconsciousness sentenced to 26 months, suspended to probation

An Olathe man has been given a suspended sentence of more than two years in prison after a Douglas County jury earlier this year found him guilty of choking a woman and destroying her cellphone so that she could not call for help. Judge Amy Hanley on Thursday sentenced Austin Wayne Kidder, 32, to 26 months for aggravated domestic battery, the maximum allowed by the Kansas sentencing guidelines, and six months ...

City mulling its options on public commentary; public commenter won't be prosecuted after being arrested at county meeting

Local government leaders, amid a number of lawsuits, are grappling with the question of public comment protocol at meetings, and incidents this week have illustrated some of the challenges they face. On Tuesday, a frequent public commenter, using a fake and pornographic name, addressed city commissioners via Zoom with graphic references to fellatio, female genitalia and ejaculation. The commenter was not muted, ...

Man accused of shooting up neighborhood on day of boy's funeral ordered to stand trial

A man who is accused of shooting up an eastern Lawrence neighborhood on the day of a boy’s funeral last year has been ordered to stand trial in Douglas County District Court. The defendant, Dominic Sanders, 25, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to three felony counts of criminal discharge of a firearm. He is accused of firing a gun from a moving car into two homes and a vehicle in the 1500 block of Wedgewood ...

Bond lowered in case of Lawrence woman accused of setting family's home on fire; attorney says she was framed

A Douglas County judge on Tuesday lowered the bond of a woman who is accused of burning down a Lawrence family’s residence in February. Judge Amy Hanley, presiding over the case of Judith Gomez Siles, 44, noted that “this is a very serious crime,” but said that a bond amount of $60,000 cash or surety — instead of $200,000 — was “more in line” for this type of case with a defendant who has no ...

'It is up and running': Prairie Park students celebrate as their school becomes first in Lawrence district with solar power

The end of the school year marked a proud beginning Friday for renewable energy in the Lawrence school district. Students at Prairie Park Elementary erupted in applause – and school pride — as their fellow students cut the ribbon on the first-ever solar project among district buildings. Their principal, Jason Townsend, at an outdoor school assembly noted that Friday’s intense sunshine — the ...

'Mind-boggling': Lawrence 12-year-old wins dream weekend to see idol Taylor Swift in Paris

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend wasn’t the only area resident popping over to Paris to catch the megastar’s show this past weekend. Lawrence 12-year-old Desi Robinson also found herself in the City of Light with superb seats for a Swift concert, thanks to winning a radio contest against some crazy odds. “I didn’t expect her to be right in my face,” the Southwest Middle School seventh-grader told the ...