At a forum Thursday evening, Lawrence City Commission candidates discussed several issues affecting downtown Lawrence, including what they would do to support downtown businesses. Two candidates said they would support some form of a vacancy tax. Downtown Lawrence Inc. hosted the forum at Abe ...
Plans have been filed at City Hall to build eight affordable housing units on the site of the former Penn House building in East Lawrence, but a neighborhood leader says the project might face some pushback. The preliminary plans call for the demolition of the existing structure and the ...
Residents of Lawrence will elect new leaders to the Lawrence City Commission and the Lawrence school board on Tuesday, Nov. 5. In the lead-up to that election, the Journal-World has interviewed the six candidates for three seats on the City Commission and the five candidates for the four ...
The next phase of Lawrence's Downtown Master Plan process will soon begin, and the city wants to know how residents think downtown should look and function in the years to come. The new master plan will cover downtown land use and development for the next 15 to 20 years. Planning and ...
A motorist who was shot by police after a traffic stop turned violent has filed a lawsuit claiming that police used excessive force against him and that the city failed to properly train its officers. Akira S. Lewis filed the lawsuit in Douglas County District Court against the City of ...
Having grown up in Lawrence, Courtney Shipley says she knows there are people who have left the city only because they couldn’t afford to stay. “Their parents are here, and they love it here and they wish they could raise their kids here, but it’s really expensive and there are no ...
Though the Lawrence City Commission has declined to consider a proposal to ban the sale of tobacco and vaping products to people under 21, that doesn’t necessarily mean the idea won’t get its day at City Hall. A court ruling this summer indicated that local governments have the authority ...
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 ...