The Lawrence Times

A local farm will kick off the holiday shopping season in Douglas County with its Holiday Open Barn, featuring more than 30 local artists. lawrenceks.news/4eVX4AC

The KU School of Law is joining a research hub based at Haskell for a joint symposium examining tribal sovereignty and the effects of climate change on children’s health. lawrenceks.news/4kk3r4k

Lawrence school board members tonight approved a new contract with RSP & Associates for enrollment projections for each district building over the next five to 10 years. lawrenceks.news/4yIN2do

Lawrence Public Schools celebrated the opening of a new Family Engagement Center that aims to provide a space to connect with families and provide them with resources. lawrenceks.news/4zgHzLW

A section of Bob Billings Parkway will be reduced to one lane each way, and Tennessee Street is set for milling and asphalt soon as work continues on road projects around Lawrence. lawrenceks.news/4ieT9zS

This year's Día de los Muertos celebration in Lawrence will serve as a tribute to nourishers. Arts and crafts workshops are planned throughout this week ahead of Sunday's event. lawrenceks.news/4zSMBhs

Linguists at KU revealed that the way Kansas speak is much more diverse than some people think, and perceptions of a Kansas accent differ, depending on whether listeners are Kansans or non-Kansans. Via @kansasreflector.com: lawrenceks.news/4BndUlT

Wild prairie rose rosehips are easy to spot. They can be collected and mixed with hibiscus flowers to make a tea that's high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Rosehips soften and sweeten after a frost. Latest @kvalmanac.bsky.social: lawrenceks.news/4zTqIyG

Lawrence readers hungry for a love-conquers-all fantasy story with a Black woman lead need look no further than local independent author Jordan Lanio-Burns. lawrenceks.news/4k9VKh6

Lawrence school board members on Monday will hear a report on the district's special education services, and they'll consider contracting with a familiar firm for an enrollment analysis. lawrenceks.news/4jFFww4

Pet World's owners are planning to close the store at 23rd and Louisiana streets in Lawrence on Thanksgiving Day, and it will not reopen, they've announced. lawrenceks.news/4sqikV1

KU held its first homecoming parade in seven years this evening, drawing community members, alumni, students and families to Jayhawk Boulevard in celebration of the university’s 114th homecoming weekend. lawrenceks.news/3W7IAaq

A former state employee sued Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson and two other Republican legislators for demanding she be fired over a comment she posted to Facebook when Charlie Kirk was killed in September 2025. Via @kansasreflector.com: lawrenceks.news/4eeXTob

As developers regularly request tax breaks from the City of Lawrence, some former members of a public committee that used to review incentives would like to see more transparency and collaboration in the process. lawrenceks.news/48hYdid

Haskell's Thunderbird Theatre will host screenings of documentaries and Q&As with the filmmakers on back-to-back evenings, and the community is welcome. lawrenceks.news/4jI8fjX

Pet of the Week Chewy is a smart cookie who won’t say no to gnawing on a Nylabone but won’t replicate the effects on home furnishings if home alone and unkenneled. lawrenceks.news/4Bofd3J

In their final debate, Democrat Adam Hamilton sold a centrist message while Republican Sen. Roger Marshall urged Trump voters to show up to the polls to continue the president’s agenda. Via Kansas News Service: lawrenceks.news/47FGPns

When construction starts, businesses owned by Black and Brown people in Lawrence can face a tougher climb toward recovery. One city commissioner says we must “do the work” to keep building opportunities for local establishments. lawrenceks.news/3W5zWcw

Military aircraft will fly over Lawrence and the KU football stadium Friday and Saturday. lawrenceks.news/4sjTPZf

The first round of coffee and pastries was served and a teacher received $1,000 as Lawrence community members celebrated the opening of Empowering Brew, a student-centered coffee shop at Community Connections at Pinckney. lawrenceks.news/4yVbwjT

The Midco Prairie in downtown Lawrence bloomed with people during a celebration before the space opens to the public Thursday. Stewards have tips for early visitors on this tender ground. lawrenceks.news/4zJIOTD

Douglas County commissioners might be interested in expanding the dates that fireworks can be sold and lit in the county to ensure a weekend day is included, they largely agreed today. lawrenceks.news/3VMJiKh

The community is invited to use native plant species found around Douglas County to create cyanotypes that break the mold of the traditional blue-and-white sun print during two fall workshops. lawrenceks.news/4kajIsw

An Olathe man was charged with second-degree murder today in a man’s death in downtown Lawrence over the weekend. lawrenceks.news/4zJZI4u

An Olathe man was charged with second-degree murder today in a man’s death in downtown Lawrence over the weekend. lawrenceks.news/4zJZI4u

Lawrence childcare providers agreed tonight that the closure of Hilltop was a shock to childcare in town, and it revealed deeper business model issues that exist across the country. lawrenceks.news/487Tako

Wichita Police today urged the public to be patient as investigators continue to unravel a deadly incident at an east Wichita soccer complex that killed two people and injured 10 others. Via Kansas News Service: lawrenceks.news/4zPhJPb

Lawrence city commissioners agreed tonight for the city to participate in a program to rehabilitate vacant and blighted homes to create affordable homeownership opportunities. lawrenceks.news/4dRoveJ

People interested in clean, alternative energy solutions can learn more about portable solar systems from members of the Kansas Sierra Club Chapter and a KU professor emerita. lawrenceks.news/4zKcu2T

The Jeffrey “Chubby” Smith guitar and audio sale in Lawrence will be an opportunity for tone chasers to test out nearly 100 handmade, one-of-a-kind guitars. lawrenceks.news/3VMHZuP

ICYMI: The founder of Family Promise of Lawrence is convening local organizations, churches and families this evening to brainstorm solutions for a growing childcare shortage in town expected after the closure of Hilltop. lawrenceks.news/4yFVBGA

Police say they've made an arrest in connection with the killing of a Lawrence man early Sunday in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street. lawrenceks.news/4BigIQS

Halloween is less than two weeks away, but that's more than enough time to get extra treats, tricks and frights in before the big night with these Lawrence events. lawrenceks.news/4z1iaWD

As Haskell researchers and collaborators wrap up a $20 million federal grant, a Lawrence instructor and Colorado MacArthur Fellow reflect on how they’re working with Indigenous knowledge-holders to address climate change. lawrenceks.news/4zCJieg

Lizzie Borden has an axe to grind in Theatre Lawrence’s upcoming all-female rock musical. lawrenceks.news/4i9UAQa

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider signing on to a pilot program that would aim to convert blighted, abandoned homes into quality affordable housing. lawrenceks.news/4yU8Jbj

Democratic U.S. House candidate Lauren Reinhold, of Lawrence, says she has found a way to connect with disaffected Republicans and independent voters in Kansas' Big 1st district. Via @kansasreflector.com: lawrenceks.news/3WeT33S

Look carefully: This is one very long monarch caterpillar. Once hatched, the monarch caterpillar goes through five stages of growth, and this one is clearly in its final stage. Latest @kvalmanac.bsky.social: lawrenceks.news/4yXnPwL

Police say the driver of a pickup truck that hit and killed two people and injured 10 others when she drove through a Wichita soccer field has been released as they continue to investigate the incident. Via Kansas News Service: lawrenceks.news/4jXuT7S

Update: Police say Victor Gabriel Moreno, 23, of Lawrence, was the person killed overnight. lawrenceks.news/3Uw093y

A man was shot and killed early this morning in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street in downtown Lawrence, according to police. lawrenceks.news/3Uw093y

A man and a 6-year-old boy were killed and nearly a dozen injured at Scheels Stryker Sports Complex in east Wichita today when a woman drove a truck through a crowd of people during a youth soccer game. Via Kansas News Service: lawrenceks.news/4i9iTOc

It’s showtime: The Lawrence Film Club is inviting the community to a free, outdoor screening of “Beetlejuice” in Oak Hill Cemetery, Tom Harper writes in this column. lawrenceks.news/4hRL7Ov

Kansas’ Constitution already says voters must be citizens. A proposed amendment would add a small yet loaded distinction that opponents say could disenfranchise many eligible voters. lawrenceks.news/amendment2611

The Lawrence school board ended its AI committee after the group met only four times and had no chance to recommend specific policy, all more than two years after the board agreed to create the committee. lawrenceks.news/3TXMGBp

The City of Lawrence is accepting applications for grant funding for events that put this town on the map and spotlight the people who live here. lawrenceks.news/3WauPru

Where do Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton stand on the issues that affect Kansans, such as affordability and healthcare? Via Kansas News Service: lawrenceks.news/4k0AJ8o

Pet of the Week Frito is a family-friendly puppy who will sneak into your heart and curl up there for a good snuggle. lawrenceks.news/3UsJvlm

State officials answered a key question this week underpinning the complex financing of the KC Chiefs stadium, outlining boundaries of a district that will use sales taxes and revenue to fund part of the deal that includes public & private money. Via @kansasreflector.com: lawrenceks.news/4dHMnkL

An Atchison teenager charged in connection with the fatal January shooting at the Hawk pleaded guilty today to three charges of aggravated assault and to one count of attempted trafficking of contraband while in custody. lawrenceks.news/4s5xH53