As a planning commissioner, Rob Sands understands that there will be disagreements at City Hall and that sometimes emotions will run high. Sands said what makes those situations easier was reminding himself what everyone agreed on. “We all love Lawrence and we want it to stay the way it ...
Though Joey Hentzler has an active interest in politics, he didn’t necessarily plan to run for office. However, as he was trying to motivate others to run, many suggested that he would make a good candidate himself. “I had been searching for candidates who I thought would be committed to ...
As a longtime volunteer with local social service organizations, Brad Finkeldei has seen the struggles of Lawrence residents firsthand, and he doesn’t think he’s alone in wanting the city to do more to help. “Certainly the city has to fund its core services, but, beyond that, where does ...
City leaders have approved an incentive package for a manufacturing plant that wants to bring 80 jobs to Lawrence. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 4-0 to approve Kansas City, Mo.-based U.S. Engineering Metalworks' request for a property tax abatement, a sales ...
The Journal-World has learned a company seeking tax breaks and free land to locate in a Lawrence industrial park will provide jobs near $70,000 a year at its high-skilled manufacturing plant. While that news is likely to be cheered by community members seeking better-paying jobs, the ...
Having grown up in Lawrence, Ken Easthouse said he did not shy away from a healthy debate when it came to local issues. “We have a spirit in Lawrence that loves to debate, and everyone has their own pet issue that they love to talk about, and that’s one of the things that makes Lawrence ...
City leaders will soon decide whether to provide tax breaks to a manufacturing plant that wants to bring 80 jobs to Lawrence. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider an incentive package application from the Kansas City, Mo.-based company U.S. Engineering ...
For Stuart Boley, some of the best conversations about local politics happen not behind the microphone at City Hall, but over a cup of coffee. Boley, the lone incumbent candidate in the upcoming City Commission election, said that he goes to a monthly coffee meetup, hosted by Community Village ...
For Lawrence’s homeless with nowhere to go at night, their new beds consist of a park gazebo, the dry concrete next to a building or a patch of ground along the Kansas River. Others opt not to sleep at all. “Some walk the streets to stay awake, for safety, because they don’t want to lie ...
At a forum Wednesday, Lawrence City Commission candidates discussed several issues affecting the city, including proposed growth policies, economic incentives and what the city should do with excess savings in the future. The Lawrence chamber of commerce hosted the forum at Maceli's Banquet ...
Lawrence city commissioners said they were generally pleased with changes city staff proposed for its sidewalk repair policy, but some still said they wanted to see additional improvements and data. As part of its work session Tuesday, commissioners provided feedback to city staff regarding ...
A majority of the Lawrence school board expressed frustration over the Lawrence City Commission choosing not to consider an ordinance that would ban local businesses from selling tobacco products to people under the age of 21. “I'm really disappointed to hear (that),” said board member ...
The city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board has approved a proposal that would allow two houses to be built on one lot if both homes are affordable, supporting recent changes restricting use of the so-called density bonus in some neighborhoods. At its meeting Monday, AHAB voted ...
City leaders will soon discuss changes to its sidewalk repair policy, which garnered strong opposition when initiated this spring in northwest Lawrence. As part of its work session Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will provide feedback to city staff on the administrative policy regarding ...
Lawrence residents could soon find that their newest next-door neighbor is a business. Instead of being relegated to strip malls and the city’s commercial districts, small businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants and professional offices could soon be able to locate within the ...
Story updated at 1:50 p.m. Friday A Kansas City, Mo.-based company wants to bring 80 jobs to Lawrence and build a new manufacturing plant at Lawrence VenturePark. U.S. Engineering Metalworks has filed plans with the city to build a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on an ...
The City of Lawrence is asking residents to use its website for utility payments and transfers as it prepares to upgrade to a new utility billing system. Though residents can still call the city to make utility transactions, the city has advised residents in social media posts this week that ...
When David Miller found out he would soon be forced to leave the local homeless shelter, he said a lot of other things in his life seemed to go wrong. “The bottom fell out and I’ve just been really screwed up,” Miller said. “Like, you know, from that point on, I started having health ...
City leaders have deferred action on the proposed Lawrence-Douglas County comprehensive plan in order to further discuss a new growth policy that some think could increase the cost of housing. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to defer the adoption ...
A draft concept plan for a redesign of East 23rd Street includes narrower driving lanes with lower speed limits, 10-foot-wide pedestrian paths with lighting, as well as additions such as native plants and monuments to beautify the corridor. The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning ...