Suzanne Valdez said she loves being around people. And months before she even takes office as Douglas County's next district attorney, she has surrounded herself with community stakeholders and her future team members. In addition, the longtime law professor at the University of Kansas said ...
A judge on Thursday denied a request from the owner of a downtown Lawrence bar to prevent enforcement of a health order that restricts the hours that bars can be open amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Peach Madl, longtime owner of the Sandbar, 17 E. Eighth St., filed a lawsuit in federal ...
Douglas County’s annual costs to pay off 20 years of debt for behavioral health construction projects will be lower than originally expected. The County Commission on Wednesday approved the sale of general obligation bonds to fund construction projects for its behavioral health campus, which ...
Douglas County could soon officially sell bonds to take on debt to fund the construction of its behavioral health campus in Lawrence. The county may also be able to sell them with lower interest rates than originally expected after it recently earned an upgraded bond rating. During its meeting ...
Story updated at 4:16 p.m. Monday Despite an ongoing pandemic, Douglas County voters broke many records during the general election earlier this month, the county’s top election official said Monday. Residents cast the most ballots in county history, and the largest portion of registered ...
With two newly elected candidates taking their seats soon, the Douglas County Commission will have a much different look than before — and maybe an unprecedented one. When Shannon Reid and Shannon Portillo take their seats to represent the 2nd and 3rd districts, respectively, they will both ...
As the end of the year draws closer, local organizations are working to dole out coronavirus relief funding they have been charged with distributing. Representatives for both the Lawrence Restaurant Association and Downtown Lawrence Inc. told the Journal-World this week they are wrapping up ...
The Douglas County Commission’s regular meeting for this week has been canceled because of the Veterans Day holiday. The commission normally meets on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18.
A Douglas County official says a new crisis center and other facilities won’t be a “magic bullet” for improving mental health in the community, and he’s calling for the creation of a mobile crisis response team to supplement those efforts. Bob Tryanski, the county's director of ...
A new annual report from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shows that bookings into the Douglas County Jail in 2019 were the lowest the jail has seen since it opened in 2001. According to the report, posted online Wednesday, the total of 4,363 bookings in 2019 is a 15.4% drop from ...
A new church building is on the way for a rural Douglas County community after its former church burned down in a fire last year. The County Commission on Wednesday approved a site plan for Clinton Presbyterian Church to rebuild its church building at 588 North 1200 Road, which is in the ...
Douglas County voters came out in record numbers in Tuesday's election. According to results provided by the Douglas County Clerk’s Office, more than 56,000 ballots have been cast by local voters so far, for a turnout of about 68.4%. Additionally, more votes are expected to be counted, as ...
The heated tents are set up and a campsite in northern Lawrence is now ready to begin accepting some of the more than 100 homeless people currently living outside. Many of the existing campsites where homeless people are currently living are located along the Kansas River and in wooded areas ...
Two progressive candidates who opposed Douglas County’s plan to expand its jail appeared set to win election to the County Commission. In the early ballot returns, Democratic candidates Shannon Reid and Shannon Portillo held strong leads over their Republican challengers for the County ...
Several local candidates on Tuesday were on the path to win election to Douglas County positions as they earned votes in uncontested races. While most faced party challengers during the August primary elections, the Democratic candidates for the county’s sheriff, district attorney, clerk, ...
Even before polls opened Tuesday, Douglas County residents were on track to cast a record number of ballots in the 2020 general election. Strong advance voting in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic put the county above 50% voter turnout before Election Day, and it looked as if the county ...
The construction of a new church and the reclamation of a rock quarry in rural Douglas County are on tap for the County Commission to consider this week. During their meeting Wednesday, the commissioners will consider a site plan for Clinton Presbyterian Church to build a 4,244-square-foot ...
A Democrat running for a Douglas County Commission seat traditionally held by Republicans has a steep financial advantage over her opponent. Shannon Portillo, a Democrat running for the County Commission’s 3rd District seat, reported raising about 10 times more money than her Republican ...
The Douglas County Commission has scheduled a public hearing to consider installing new water drainage standards for a watershed in the northern part of the county, which may affect future development projects in the area. However, some of the commissioners said they have concerns about the ...
Over the past two weeks, the University of Kansas has confirmed only 30 new cases of COVID-19, a significant drop from the rates recorded earlier in the semester, data released Tuesday shows. KU has confirmed 1,101 total cases of COVID-19 since the school year began in August, an increase of ...