The idea of adding amenities to make the Kansas River more of an attraction in downtown Lawrence is as old as some of my fish tales. Both have filled more time than boats. But in fishing parlance, the bobber is starting to bounce a bit on the idea of the Kaw becoming a community gathering ...
When Dan Hughes, co-owner of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike, started planning to add a cafe to the store, he figured menu items that could easily fit into the jersey pocket of a bike outfit would be key. Indeed, such offerings are important, but that’s not always how the menu ends up getting ...
It’s campaign season, so you certainly will hear people grumbling about the topic of what government is good for. Well, in Lawrence it has become clear what it is not good for: Job growth. The latest employment numbers from the state of Kansas show that the Lawrence metro area — i.e. ...
I don’t know why, but I think Edgar Allan Poe would be pleased that a bookstore named after one of his most famous works will be located in a building that used to hone people’s axe-throwing skills. Indeed, that’s the plan for the Raven Book Store in downtown Lawrence. After more than ...
Usually, a tab is the only thing that scares me at a bar. That may not be the case at a new pop-up bar in downtown Lawrence that has created a haunted mansion theme for its guests. “It is a lot like exploring a Scooby-Doo mansion, except you will have alcoholic drinks,” Edward Schmalz ...
Story updated at 8:28 p.m. Oct. 6, 2020: A snack food company has chosen Lawrence for a new production facility, economic development officials announced late Tuesday afternoon. City commissioners will consider preliminary paperwork for a deal that will allow Pretzels Inc. to locate in ...
In some ways, Algeria sounds better than Disneyland because I’m not sure the Magic Kingdom can even provide this delight. “In Algeria, just ask for a crepe and you will find one waiting for you,” said Mohamed Beziane, an Algerian native who is now co-owner of Lawrence’s new T&M ...
After posting surprisingly good numbers in June, Lawrence’s economy had no such luck in July, according to new sales tax data released by the state. Amid pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions, Lawrence posted one of the larger sales tax declines of any major retail area in the state. ...
I haven’t written many articles about how Lawrence ranks on this or that lately, mainly because I’ve spent all my ranking energy trying to determine if the 2020 experience rates just above a root canal or just below. (I’m still not sure, but I would like more novocain, please.) But I ...
It has been said at my house that the best home improvement project would be if several people got out of it. That’s not always the easiest task in today’s pandemic environment, but an annual event geared toward those who enjoy looking at the latest in Lawrence homes is moving ahead. The ...
Story updated at 4:39 p.m. Tuesday As testing for COVID-19 increases in parts of the country, the number of jobs at one Lawrence manufacturer is expected to grow as well. Officials with Plastikon Healthcare announced Tuesday that they are rapidly adding a new production line at their ...
Area businesses that have been hit hard by the pandemic will have a chance to get a share of $450,000 in grant money, beginning Wednesday. Downtown Lawrence Inc. will begin accepting applications for grants at noon on Sept. 23. The downtown organization has been chosen by county officials to ...
Surely this isn’t the first time that mixology has won out over macrame as a hobby. But, indeed, that type of victory has occurred as the former site of Lawrence’s Hobby Lobby store on 23rd Street has been converted into the city’s largest liquor store. We reported in November that ...
Story updated at 4:10 p.m. Thursday We reported in June that a Canadian manufacturer was eyeing Eudora to open a new plant to serve the railroad industry and add about 40 new jobs to the eastern Douglas County community in the process. Well, that deal has now been finalized. Modern ...
Douglas County is living on the edge these days. Last week, the health department announced the county’s overall rate of COVID-19 tests coming back positive was up to 9.7% over the last 14 days. If the county gets to a 10% average, new restrictions — especially for schools and sports — ...
My brewing skills figuratively need to get to a new level. (I know a stout is a heavy beer, but I’m concerned mine sets off metal detectors.) A Lawrence brewing supply store, however, is literally moving to a new level. After quietly opening on a second-floor space earlier this year, the ...
A locally based construction company is looking to eastern Lawrence for its new corporate headquarters, and it hopes to put a unique industrial building on the state’s historic register in the process. An entity affiliated with Mar Lan Construction has purchased the old Zimmerman Steel ...
As evidenced by the strain on my elastic waistband, it is easy to get groceries or a restaurant meal delivered to your home during this pandemic. But, eventually, the waistband breaks and you wish someone would deliver you a belt — or, at least, window shades. Now, a new Lawrence company is ...
Chicken-or-egg questions have never been that difficult for me. The answer seems obvious: Both, fried, please. But downtown does have a slightly more difficult which-comes-first type of question. Does downtown need more residential development in order to get more office development, or does it ...
Obviously, a perfect place to locate a carryout barbecue restaurant would be next to a U-Haul store. (There is only so much brisket you can fit in a trunk.) But a local businessman is betting that downtown Lawrence will be a great place too. A barbecue joint with the very utilitarian name ...