
‘Our job is to eliminate barriers’: Disability advocates celebrate anniversary of ADA at Lawrence event
Disability advocates shared stories of lived experience, inclusion and public policy Saturday afternoon to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Experts warn of expanding surveillance as Lawrence police adopt camera integration system
Experts and community members are voicing concerns about surveillance and privacy following Lawrence’s adoption of a system for residents to register and integrate security cameras for police use.

Young artists with Van Go to reveal custom benches at annual ceremony
Young artists in the Lawrence arts organization Van Go will soon unveil 20 custom benches they designed and painted.

Maine Street to close for 2 blocks, traffic reminders for the Douglas County Fair and more
Two blocks of Maine Street will close for maintenance, as well as parts of westbound West 27th Street. Some work on 19th Street is temporarily halted for Douglas County Fair festivities.

Federal education grants unfrozen; $468K will flow to Lawrence Public Schools
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal education grants will resume flowing to Lawrence Public Schools following a reversal of a previous Trump administration decision to freeze the grants.

Young artists with Van Go to reveal custom benches at annual ceremony
Young artists in the Lawrence arts organization Van Go will soon unveil 20 custom benches they designed and painted.

Maine Street to close for 2 blocks, traffic reminders for the Douglas County Fair and more
Two blocks of Maine Street will close for maintenance, as well as parts of westbound West 27th Street. Some work on 19th Street is temporarily halted for Douglas County Fair festivities.

Federal education grants unfrozen; $468K will flow to Lawrence Public Schools
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal education grants will resume flowing to Lawrence Public Schools following a reversal of a previous Trump administration decision to freeze the grants.

Young artists with Van Go to reveal custom benches at annual ceremony
Young artists in the Lawrence arts organization Van Go will soon unveil 20 custom benches they designed and painted.

Maine Street to close for 2 blocks, traffic reminders for the Douglas County Fair and more
Two blocks of Maine Street will close for maintenance, as well as parts of westbound West 27th Street. Some work on 19th Street is temporarily halted for Douglas County Fair festivities.

Federal education grants unfrozen; $468K will flow to Lawrence Public Schools
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal education grants will resume flowing to Lawrence Public Schools following a reversal of a previous Trump administration decision to freeze the grants.
LAWRENCE NEWS

1986 sword-and-sorcery film made in Lawrence re-edited for new premiere at Liberty Hall
“Song of the Sword,” a 1986 sword-and-sorcery movie created by a Lawrence cast and crew, has been lovingly re-edited for a fresh premiere at Liberty Hall.

Lawrence school board to consider approving teacher raises, some increased student fees
The Lawrence school board on Monday will consider approving pay raises for teachers, as well as increases to preschool student tuition and some other student fees.

To boost fundraising capacity, Lawrence Community Shelter board votes to add 2 seats
The Lawrence Community Shelter needs to decrease its dependence on the city for funding, and its volunteer board of directors has voted to add two members in hopes of boosting fundraising.

ICE Out of Kansas sticker fundraiser to pop up at Espurresso Cat Cafe
An ongoing sticker fundraiser to benefit immigrants affected by ICE raids will hold an in-person pop-up at Espurresso Cat Cafe this weekend.
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STATE NEWS

Georgia man gets lifetime hunting ban in Kansas for illegal deer kills featured on his YouTube show
A Georgia man who admitted to illegally killing deer in Kansas and featuring the kills on his YouTube hunting show will pay $25,000 in fines and restitution, and is forever banned from hunting in Kansas.

Kansas regulators approve 9% rate increase for Black Hills Energy customers
Black Hills Energy residential customers will see natural gas bills increase nearly $6 per month after state regulators approved a unanimous settlement agreement Thursday.
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COMMUNITY VOICES (OPINION)

Letter to the Times: An action plan to comply with identity erasure
“On Tuesday, the public announcement came that as an employee at a state-funded university I would no longer be able to list my pronouns on any work-related communications. In other words, my identity is not appropriate for work,” — writes in this letter to the Times.

Letter to the Times: Why a KU professor includes her pronouns in her email signature
“Naming one’s pronouns does no harm to anyone, and it supports every KU student on campus,” Amii Castle, a KU professor, writes in this letter to the Times.
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LAWRENCE LIFE

Here’s the lineup for the 2025 Douglas County Fair
The 2025 Douglas County Fair is saddling up, with the carnival, demolition derby and more set to return to Lawrence next week.

Lawrence aerial silks workshop makes space for unabashed queer, trans movement and joy
A monthly aerial silk arts class is empowering queer and transgender folks in the Lawrence area to convene for community-building and a creative form of exercise.

Lawrence Municipal Court accepting $15 of school supplies to cover $50 of fines
Lawrence Municipal Court for the next month will allow people to pay off $50 in fines with $15 worth of school supplies as part of an annual initiative.

Here’s the lineup for the 2025 Douglas County Fair
The 2025 Douglas County Fair is saddling up, with the carnival, demolition derby and more set to return to Lawrence next week.

Lawrence aerial silks workshop makes space for unabashed queer, trans movement and joy
A monthly aerial silk arts class is empowering queer and transgender folks in the Lawrence area to convene for community-building and a creative form of exercise.

Lawrence Municipal Court accepting $15 of school supplies to cover $50 of fines
Lawrence Municipal Court for the next month will allow people to pay off $50 in fines with $15 worth of school supplies as part of an annual initiative.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …

Construction underway for 24 tiny shelters behind Lawrence Community Shelter
Work is underway on an expansion of the Lawrence Community Shelter. Two dozen cabin-like shelters will soon be constructed behind the main building. LCS’ director shared updates and plans during a recent tour of the grounds.

Lawrence woman recovering after surviving shooting; loved ones fundraise for medical bills
A Lawrence woman is in recovery after being shot and critically injured in a domestic violence situation last week, and her loved ones are raising money for her mounting medical expenses.

In final push to boot DEI initiatives, KU tells employees to remove pronouns from email signatures
KU has eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion positions and programs and is directing employees to remove gender-identifying pronouns from their email signatures before the end of the month in response to state legislation.

Lawrence police program asks residents, businesses to register security cameras for police use
Lawrence police have rolled out a new program asking residents and businesses to register their security cameras on a list or integrate them for realtime access by police. Some community members worry the system could infringe on privacy.

Construction underway for 24 tiny shelters behind Lawrence Community Shelter
Work is underway on an expansion of the Lawrence Community Shelter. Two dozen cabin-like shelters will soon be constructed behind the main building. LCS’ director shared updates and plans during a recent tour of the grounds.

Lawrence woman recovering after surviving shooting; loved ones fundraise for medical bills
A Lawrence woman is in recovery after being shot and critically injured in a domestic violence situation last week, and her loved ones are raising money for her mounting medical expenses.

In final push to boot DEI initiatives, KU tells employees to remove pronouns from email signatures
KU has eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion positions and programs and is directing employees to remove gender-identifying pronouns from their email signatures before the end of the month in response to state legislation.

Lawrence police program asks residents, businesses to register security cameras for police use
Lawrence police have rolled out a new program asking residents and businesses to register their security cameras on a list or integrate them for realtime access by police. Some community members worry the system could infringe on privacy.
MORE …
MORE COMMUNITY VOICES
The opinion pieces in this section are generally written by members of the Lawrence community and those who have close ties. In addition, we’re offering some space for area organizations and organizers to provide updates and attempt to reach other folks who might share their mission.
Want to submit a letter to the Times? Great!
Click here to find out how.

Letter to the Times: KU’s decisions on DEI, pronouns in emails are embarrassing, shameful
“We should be ashamed of turning our backs on our colleagues and erasing their identities,” Michael Amlung writes in this letter to the Times.

Kincaid Dennett: Program giving Lawrence police access to cameras needs review, transparency (Column)
“We deserve public debate before we’re pulled into a nationwide experiment in pre-crime technology. And we deserve better than a surveillance rollout that hides behind the language of community safety,” Kincaid Dennett writes in this column.

Max Kautsch: Largest Kansas counties grapple with closed-door meetings and public’s rights (Column)
“A majority of commissions for the five most populous counties in the state,” including Douglas, “recently fell short of providing the information legally required before entering executive session,” Max Kautsch writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
The opinion pieces in this section are generally written by members of the Lawrence community and those who have close ties. In addition, we’re offering some space for area organizations and organizers to provide updates and attempt to reach other folks who might share their mission.
Want to submit a letter to the Times? Great!
Click here to find out how.

Letter to the Times: KU’s decisions on DEI, pronouns in emails are embarrassing, shameful
“We should be ashamed of turning our backs on our colleagues and erasing their identities,” Michael Amlung writes in this letter to the Times.

Kincaid Dennett: Program giving Lawrence police access to cameras needs review, transparency (Column)
“We deserve public debate before we’re pulled into a nationwide experiment in pre-crime technology. And we deserve better than a surveillance rollout that hides behind the language of community safety,” Kincaid Dennett writes in this column.

Max Kautsch: Largest Kansas counties grapple with closed-door meetings and public’s rights (Column)
“A majority of commissions for the five most populous counties in the state,” including Douglas, “recently fell short of providing the information legally required before entering executive session,” Max Kautsch writes in this Kansas Reflector column.