Whether it was at City Hall or the Douglas County Courthouse, Melinda Henderson was not shy about making her opinions heard, and local leaders say her engagement with community issues will be missed. Henderson, 68, died Tuesday, and local leaders took time during their meetings this week — ...
In their first discussion of the city’s 2022 budget, city leaders said they would like to keep the property tax rate flat and were interested in ways to mitigate the city’s rising utility rates. As part of its study session Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission discussed 2021 revenue ...
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board chair and former neighborhood leader Bart Littlejohn has filed for election to the Lawrence City Commission. Littlejohn, who is the former chair of the Pinckney Neighborhood Association, said he saw work on the commission as an extension of his role on the ...
City leaders will soon receive an update on revenue projections for this year and begin discussions regarding their priorities for the upcoming 2022 budget. As part of its study session Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive 2021 revenue projections on the city’s major revenue ...
Where today there are parking lots and empty buildings, the draft of Lawrence's downtown plan sees the future. In the recently released draft of the city’s new Downtown Master Plan, consultants from Houseal Lavigne Associates are recommending that the city take advantage of city-owned ...
Commissioner Stuart Boley has filed for reelection to the Lawrence City Commission. Boley, who is a retired auditor with the Internal Revenue Service, was elected to the commission in 2015 and served as mayor in 2018. Regarding why he wants to continue his service on the commission, Boley ...
Lawrence City Commissioner Jennifer Ananda announced Thursday that she planned to begin a Ph.D. program and would not be running for reelection. Ananda began her term on the commission in 2018, was part of the commission’s first female majority and served as mayor last year. Ananda told the ...
City leaders have increased the economic incentives for a new manufacturing plant by about $700,000 to help cover the cleanup of massive amounts of buried trash discovered on the construction site, which is within the city’s business park. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City ...
With hundreds of honking cars urging them on, several local elected officials Monday night made promises about ending homelessness, new disciplinary strategies in public schools and more leniency for people who miss court dates, among other issues. Members of the faith-based activist group ...
The City of Lawrence now ranks among the top 30 local governments for its use of green power. The city announced in a news release this week that that it had made the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Top 30 Local Government list for the first time. Lawrence currently ranks as No. 23 ...
After massive amounts of buried trash were discovered on the site of a new manufacturing plant in the city’s business park, city leaders will soon consider increasing the economic incentives for the project to help offset the cost of the cleanup. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence ...
A task force of Lawrence residents that has been reconsidering the city’s form of government has come out in favor of having a directly elected mayor. As part of its meeting Thursday evening, the City Government Study Task Force voted 7-0, with a few members absent, to recommend that the ...
After not being able to open the public pool last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department is planning a comeback this summer. A full comeback, though, will require a lot more lifeguards. The city needs to hire about 100 more lifeguards to open ...
The City of Lawrence announced Friday afternoon that interim Police Chief Anthony Brixius will step down and that another captain will take his place until the city hires a new leader for the department. City Manager Craig Owens will promote Capt. Adam Heffley as the next interim police chief, ...
Based on community survey responses, the Community Police Review Board will be considering several issues as it continues to draft changes to provide oversight of complaints against police, including whether the board can play a more active role in complaint investigations. As part of its ...
City leaders have approved a budget amendment that includes the addition of more than 20 positions to city staff and more than $2 million in additional payroll. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to approve the second quarter budget amendment for ...
City leaders have adopted an ordinance that bans so-called conversion therapy that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, calling the practice harmful to children. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance ...
Douglas County leaders will soon discuss the various punishment and diversion programs of the county's criminal justice system, including concerns with some of those components. The Douglas County Commission will receive an overview of the Criminal Justice Services Department from department ...
City leaders will consider a budget amendment that includes the addition of more than 20 positions to city staff. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider the second quarter budget amendment for 2021, which, among other additions, includes 20.5 new staff ...
After deferring the vote earlier this month, city leaders will soon consider adopting an ordinance that would ban so-called conversion therapy that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider ...