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I read with dismay that the Lawrence Community Homeless Shelter is reducing the number of clients it can serve from 125 to 60. Hundreds of people who gave generously to help the Shelter acquire and furnish the current facility will be equally disappointed. When the move was made, the ...
It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since I retired. The days roll into weeks, the weeks to months and the months to years. Still, I remember a certain day in August 2015 like it was yesterday. It was my first day as a volunteer at Just Food here in Lawrence. It was also the day ...
For decades, Americans have been looking up to the night sky for answers to humanity’s biggest questions. This summer is particularly special, however, as we remember the immense achievement of putting a man on the moon 50 years ago and wonder where exploration will take us next. The ...
Fifteen out of 240 minutes. That’s how much time was devoted to the unfolding climate crisis during the first set of Democratic presidential debates. Six percent of the total time (toward the tail end of the debates) devoted to a topic that threatens our existence as a species. A topic that ...
Last year, the Journal-World joined 350 of the nation’s newspapers in decrying the repeated slogan from the White House that “the press is the enemy of the people.” These are really code words for “the facts are the enemy of the people,” particularly facts reported by the press that ...
One person committing suicide is too many. That’s been a given as our behavioral health collaborative partners have begun working on strategies to reduce Douglas County’s suicide rate as part of our current Community Health Plan. Sadly, our age-adjusted suicide rate of 15.4 deaths per ...
The intersection of 11th Street and Massachusetts Street is a Lawrence icon. Postcards, photographs, and civic promotional materials have treated it as the focal point of our city for over a century. The majestic buildings of the Douglas County Courthouse and the Watkins Museum of History ...
In April 1970, Earth Day was held in America to raise awareness about our treatment of the planet. Millions of people participated. Earth Day moved us to treat our environment better. Two catastrophes made it a no-brainer. Chemical waste on Ohio's Cuyahoga River caught fire, and a river ...
On behalf of the Kansas Supreme Court, I am pleased to invite the people of Lawrence and neighboring communities to join the court for a special session Monday, April 1. The court will hear attorneys present arguments in two cases starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Lied Center at the University of ...
In recent decades, the rise of chronic disease as the predominant driver of health in our country has spawned new models for the role and function of local public health departments. Each year the first week of April is recognized as National Public Health Week. This represents a great ...
Dear Gov. Laura Kelly, 2019 marks a hopeful turn for Kansas. Your election as governor and the return of essential tax revenue bodes well for the rebuilding of our state, beginning, as you said in your State of the State address, with education, child welfare and Medicaid. There is also much ...
On Wednesday, five members of the U.S. House of Representatives from both parties introduced the most significant climate change legislation in over a decade. Sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.), Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and ...
“I (expletive) hate my life. I am going to end it. My friend just took all my guns away. This is serious.” That is what my friend told me Wednesday morning as I stood next to the apple stand at the Merc waiting for my fancy coffee. His hands were shaking as he fidgeted — wiping his ...
The Kansas Jayhawk football team recently broke a nine-year road game losing streak, just one year after state legislators approved the largest income tax in state history, so the Jayhawks’ road win is a result of the tax increase. That conclusion is obviously absurd, but it’s the same ...
An Open Letter to Senators Moran and Roberts: As a professor of constitutional law, I normally strive to be nonpartisan and avoid taking positions on Supreme Court nominations. I will make an exception in this case. Each of you recently announced that you will vote to confirm Judge Brett ...
“You’re stuck in my head and I can’t get you out of it/If I could do it all again/I know I’d go back to you.” These are the lyrics to the recent Selena Gomez hit “Back to You.” I heard this song on the radio while driving my children to school the other day. As I reflected on ...
A national trend is being felt right here in Lawrence. The convergence of increasing costs of land, labor, materials, permitting and regulatory requirements has made it nearly impossible for developers and home builders to invest in moderately priced housing. As a result, our community has a ...
My role as CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) here at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence has been a very rewarding and humbling experience for me the past six years. I have learned a lot and have been fortunate to be part of an organization that recently accomplished a goal that we had been ...
In its nearly 70-year history, the Bert Nash Center has witnessed many changes and challenges. But one thing remains constant: our commitment to our core values of compassion, integrity and equity, on a foundation of hope. Those values are at the very heart of what we do, and they always will ...
Life tenure for Supreme Court Justices, combined with increasing partisan polarization, is a toxic combination that is poisoning our democracy. It is time to find a better way that preserves judicial independence while reducing the level of conflict over nominations. A move to a nonrenewable ...