June 2022 Newsletter

The Douglas County Elections Office is located at 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1, which is in the shopping mall at the southwest corner of 23rd and Louisiana streets. It is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Voter information for August 2 primary election

The primary election will be held August 2. The ballot will include nominations for statewide offices, state representatives, county commissioner, precinct committee-persons and township officers in addition to a Constitutional question.

Republicans and Democrats will vote their party’s ballot. Unaffiliated voters may affiliate with one of those parties at their polling place or they may vote a question-only ballot. Libertarians will vote the question-only ballot.

Key dates :

July 12 – Last day to register to vote in primary. Register at ksvotes.org.
July 13 – Advance voting in person begins.
July 13 – Advance voting by mail begins. To request an advance ballot, visit: ksvotes.org.
July 26 – Last day to request an advance ballot to be mailed.
August 1 – Advance voting closes at noon.
August 2 – Polling locations open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

DouglasCountyElections.com

Fireworks regulations in county's rural areas

The Douglas County Zoning & Codes Department issued 15 permits for fireworks stands this year. Use and sale of fireworks is July 1-4.

Fireworks can be legally discharged in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County as long as the property owner has given permission and provides supervision. Fireworks should not be discharged on a public street or roadway.

Fireworks are allowed at the following times:

Friday, July 1 - 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, July 2 - 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, July 3 - 7 a.m. to midnight
Monday, July 4 - 7 a.m. to midnight

At Lone Star Lake, fireworks are allowed in the upper parking lot east of the campground during the above allowed times July 1-July 4 as well as on private properties as long as the owner has given permission. Fireworks are allowed on the point of land southwest of the maintenance buildings and also between the maintenance buildings and community building between 6 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks are not permitted on any other Lone Star Park lands, including the campground and beach areas. View a map of the Lone Star Lake regulations.

Firework safety tips

Douglas County Director of Behavioral Health Projects Bob Tryanski speaks during the dedication ceremony for the Treatment & Recovery Center.

Celebrating the Treatment & Recovery Center

A large crowd gathered on June 23 for the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Treatment & Recovery Center, 1000 W. Second St. The center will serve community members with serious mental illness, substance use disorders and addiction issues. The event speakers were:

Douglas County Director of Behavioral Health Projects Bob Tryanski
Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center CEO Patrick Schmitz
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard
LMH Health President and CEO Russ Johnson
Douglas County Commission Chair Shannon Reid
Treatment & Recovery Center Executive Director and Medical Director Dr. George Thompson
Poet Ronda Miller

“Today is a day for celebration and the real cause for celebration is that this building behind me will save lives because of the people who work in this building to serve the people who come to this building and help them to change their life for the better,” Tryanski said. “That’s what happens when people come together to do what’s right, when it’s right, because it’s right.”

The Treatment & Recovery Center is scheduled to open later this summer. To view the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, visit: https://youtu.be/DqGc3-QUIP8

Pictured, from left, are LMH Health President and CEO Russ Johnson, KDADS Secretary Laura Howard, Bert Nash Center CEO Patrick Schmitz, Dr. George Thompson, County Commission Chair Shannon Reid and Director of Behavioral Health Projects Bob Tryanski.

Public tours of Treatment & Recovery Center available

If you were unable to attend the event, public tours are scheduled for Friday, July 8, and Thursday, July 14. To sign up for a tour, visit: http://dgcoks.org/trctours

Treatment & Recovery Center website

A new Vinland drop-off recycling site is located at 1704 N 700 Road. Special thanks to our Public Works staff for preparing this site for recycling use. The project was delayed due to the rainy weather.

New Vinland drop-off recycling site now open

We offer drop-off recycling for residents who reside in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County. There are four sites and residents can use any of the sites that are available.

The locations are:

Prairie Moon Waldorf School, 1853 E 1600 Road
Stull United Methodist Church, 1596 E 250 Road
Vinland county public works site, 1704 N 700 Road
Wakarusa Valley School, 1104 E 1000 Road

Our service provider picks up the recycling on Tuesdays and Thursdays at all four sites. If the recycling bins are full, please wait until another day to drop off items.

More information about Douglas County recycling

District Court Judge Kay Huff, who presides over Drug Court, is pictured in September 2021 during a Recovery Walk event in Lawrence's South Park that was organized by the Drug Court team. Huff is retiring July 8.

Public invited to retirement reception for Judge Huff

The public is invited to a retirement reception honoring District Court Judge Kay Huff. The reception will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7, in the historic County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., in the County Commission meeting room on the second floor.

The Honorable Judge Kay Huff, of the Seventh Judicial District, hears felony criminal cases and major civil cases including tort, contract, property and administrative matters. In addition to her regular judicial duties, Huff has presided over Douglas County Drug Court since it was launched in January 2020. Drug Court is a 14-month program for adults who have been arrested and charged with a non-violent felony offense and are having difficulty staying substance free. If participants successfully complete the program, charges are dismissed.

Huff was appointed by former Governor Mark Parkinson on December 10, 2010. She was retained in 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Douglas County Emergency Management had a booth at the Juneteenth Celebration in South Park. Pictured, from left, are Lisa Miller, Jillian Rodrigue, Stephen Johnson and Whitney Onasch.

Emergency Management staff, volunteers provide educational outreach in community

Emergency Management staff and volunteers have been busy providing education about the importance of preparedness at community events such as the Juneteenth celebration, Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, and the Lawrence Police Department’s Police Camp.

Deputy Emergency Management Director Jillian Rodrigue said, “Investing in preparedness is key to resilience and recovering from emergencies and disasters – large or small.”

Businesses and organizations can request a free presentation or emergency plan review by visiting Emergency Management's webpage.

It's almost county fair time!

The Douglas County Fair will be July 25-30 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St. The fair will feature 4-H projects, live music, a demolition derby, carnival, antique tractor pull and more!

For questions, contact:

K-State Research and Extension - Douglas County at 785-843-7058.

More info and the full schedule

Douglas County offices closed July 4

Douglas County Government’s offices will be closed Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Communications Center, Criminal Justice Services and Consolidated Fire District No. 1 will be operating, and we greatly appreciate their service. If you have an emergency, please call 911. If you have a non-emergency, call 785-843–0250.

We wish everyone a safe holiday weekend!