Douglas County Drug Court team members and participants invite the community to join them in a Recovery Walk event on Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in South Park, Eleventh and Massachusetts streets in Lawrence.

There will be luminarias and signs along the sidewalks that will promote the hope of recovery for those who struggle with substances. “We want to light the path of recovery to provide hope and awareness," Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge said. An Artists Helping the Homeless staff member is scheduled to share his story of recovery at the beginning of the event. There also will be live music and family-friendly activities. 

The Recovery Walk is being held in conjunction with National Recovery Month. The theme, “Recovery is For Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community,” reminds people in recovery and those who support them that no one is alone in the journey through recovery.

The Greenbush Resource Center, formerly Wakarusa School, is located at 1104 E 1000 Road.

Community invited to Sept. 29 meeting about Wakarusa Drive extension project

Save the date! A town hall meeting about the south Wakarusa Drive extension project will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Greenbush Resource Center, formerly Wakarusa Valley School, 1104 E 1000 Road.

It will be an opportunity for the community to hear about the project, ask questions and provide comments.

Criminal record expungement clinic set for Sept. 12

Anyone wanting to learn more about cleaning up their criminal records is invited to the Clean Slate Criminal Record Expungement Clinic which will run from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Lawrence Public Library auditorium, 707 Vermont St.

In partnership with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office and Lawrence Public Library, the University of Kansas School of Law’s Legal Aid Clinic will provide free legal representation to eligible individuals seeking to expunge certain arrests, convictions or diversions in Douglas County District Court and/or Lawrence Municipal Court. An expungement would seal an arrest record, diversion or conviction from public view, with certain exceptions.

“This expungement clinic is a meaningful opportunity for those with criminal records to get a true second chance,” said District Attorney Suzanne Valdez. “We are fortunate to be able to partner with the Legal Aid Clinic to help make our communities safer and stronger by supporting those who have committed themselves to change.”

Need help paying for rent or utilities?

Assistance is available for Douglas County residents through the Housing Stabilization Collaborative. In June, Douglas County Commissioners approved $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funds for the assistance program.

So far, approximately $227,000 has been provided to about 260 households.

For utilities, applicants will need to attach a copy of their bill(s). For rent, applicants will need to attach a document from their landlord showing the amount owed.

Topeka Correctional Facility Warden Gloria Geither met with District Attorney Office staff and interns during their recent visit.

DA visits state prisons as part of new initiative

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez visited two correctional facilities in August as part of her commitment to visit the correctional facilities in which individuals prosecuted by her office are placed.

“As prosecutors, we owe it to our communities to have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the criminal justice landscape,” Valdez said. “Being able to see our correctional facilities in person is vital to that understanding as nearly all offenders will be eventually released back into the community after serving their sentences.”

The visits to Lansing Correctional Facility and Topeka Correctional Facility, the state’s only women’s prison, were sparked by Valdez’s recent pledge with Fair and Just Prosecution, a criminal justice reform group of elected prosecutors, to learn more about the experiences of incarcerated men, women and juveniles. Valdez plans to incorporate state correctional visits into her office’s orientation program for all assistant district attorneys.

Lansing Correctional Facility Warden Chandler Cheeks provided an opportunity for District Attorney Office staff to speak with facility staff and inmates.

Grassland Heritage Foundation completes

prairie restoration project near Baldwin City

The prairie restoration project at Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park is complete. Funded by a Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council grant, the project began in 2020 and has involved 240 volunteers. The park is located east of Baldwin City on Highway 56.

The project entailed removing thousands of invasive and woody plants and growing hundreds of prairie plants. The grant recipient, Grassland Heritage Foundation, hosted 21 workday events with volunteers donating a total of 649 hours of time. Work accomplished at these events included: seed collection, invasive plant removal and treatment, planting of native plugs, seed cleaning, seed dispersal, tree removal, and trash pickup. 

The project has been important in sharing the natural history of Douglas County through hands-on educational events about topics ranging from seed collection and invasive plant removal to birding adventures and scientific exploration. Grassland Heritage Foundation incorporated education into each step of the process by teaching members of the public about how they can use these skills on their own land. 

Grassland Heritage Foundation also partnered with the Jayhawk Audubon Society to offer bird walks and with the Kansas Biological Survey to study the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on prairie restorations.

“With this project, we have begun an important journey toward returning this historically valuable site back to what it may have looked like prior to European settlement,” said Kaitlyn Ammerlaan, program director and preserve manager for Grassland Heritage Foundation.

Nonprofit begins work on new restoration project

The Grassland Heritage Foundation has received a 2022 grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council for a prairie restoration project at Prairie Park in Lawrence. The project will be completed in partnership with Native Lands LLC, Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence Parks and Recreation and the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education.

Volunteers are needed for the following workdays:

• Saturday, Oct. 8 – 9 a.m.-noon Native plants and their indigenous importance and uses.
• Saturday, Oct. 29 – 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Bush Honeysuckle removal.

To volunteer or for more information, visit: www.grasslandheritage.org/prairiepark

Wells Overlook Park, about two miles south of Lawrence, is among the heritage sites on the Kaw Valley Farm Tour this year.

Kaw Valley Farm Tour includes farms, heritage sites

Join the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) in celebrating the 18th Annual Kaw Valley Farm Tour on Oct. 1-2! Visit HCC members at sites that showcase efforts to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Douglas County. 

In 2017, heritage sites were added to the Kaw Valley Farm Tour to provide a deeper understanding of the rich agricultural heritage of the area and to showcase historic buildings that were — and continue to be — part of the cultural fabric of Kansas.

To find out more about resources to support natural and cultural conservation in Douglas County, call 785-330-2878 or visit douglascountyks.org/hcc.

Kim Criner Ritchie to lead Douglas County Sustainability team as new manager

Douglas County is proud of its commitment to sustainability and its team. These four staff members have been working for Douglas County for a while, and now have updated roles. The team is led by new Sustainability Manager Kim Criner Ritchie and her staff includes: Sustainability Impact Analyst Jamie Hofling, Common Ground Program Manager Umut Bayramoglu, and Food Systems Specialist Connie Fitzpatrick. Kim had served as interim director for county sustainability since December 2021.

They are working on supporting local food systems development, adoption and implementation of the Climate Action Plan, enabling urban agriculture and food production, and creating an Open Space plan for the stewardship of undeveloped land in Douglas County. Douglas County and the City of Lawrence will continue to partner together to achieve sustainability goals. 

News release: http://dgcoks.org/081722news

Charles Garzillo and his daughter, Charlie Cooper, both work for Douglas County. Garzillo is the Chief Building Inspector in the Zoning and Codes Department, and Cooper is a Sheriff's Office master deputy.

Charles Garzillo joins Douglas County's Zoning

and Codes Department as Chief Building Official

Charles Garzillo has joined the Douglas County Zoning and Codes Department as the Chief Building Inspector. Garzillo has more than 35 years of experience in facilities maintenance management, plumbing, HVAC, engineering, maintenance, inspection and construction. 

He previously worked at LMH Health as the plumbing and pipefitter lead. Other leadership positions have included senior maintenance and construction manager for expansion and improvements at Millipore Merck Co. facilities as well as MSO specialist and inspector for the City of Lawrence where he helped develop the specifications and foundation for the city’s Eco-Flow program.

Garzillo is a longtime resident of Douglas County. He enjoys volunteering in the community and spending time with his family. He has three daughters and four grandchildren. One of his daughters is Master Deputy Charlie Cooper, who works for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to work for Douglas County and enjoy the rewards of public service work and making a difference," he said.

Remodeling project underway in Courthouse

A remodeling project is underway on the first floor of the County Courthouse, where the Clerk’s Elections Office previously was located. Douglas County Elections moved last year to its new location at 711 W. 23rd Street.

The Courthouse space is being remodeled to house the Clerk’s accounts payable, payroll and real estate employees in one space. They currently are working on various floors inside the Courthouse.

The project is expected to be finished in roughly four months with a total cost of $364,000. B.A. Green Construction is providing construction services. We apologize for the noise and any inconvenience this may cause residents who use services in the Courthouse.

If you have questions or need to purchase permits and/or licenses from the Clerk’s Office, a staff member is now located at the entrance of the Treasurer’s Office, just across the rotunda on the first floor.

Douglas County Emergency Management is offering its fall CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) class on Oct. 14-16. The course is designed to teach individuals to be better prepared to help themselves, their families, and their communities before, during and after a disaster.

This training course includes information on disaster preparedness, fire safety, medical operations, light search and rescue, terrorism, team organization and other safety-related areas. At the conclusion of the training, you may register to become a CERT volunteer or you may just take this training for educational purposes. Authorized CERT volunteers provide support to first responders and other agencies during a disaster and at community events as directed by Emergency Management.

If you have questions, email ehuneke@douglascountyks.org.

Douglas County has a variety of job openings available, including:

• Buildings and Grounds Worker
• Corrections Officer
• Adult Services officer
• Emergency Communications Officer
• Combination Building Inspector

For more information and a full list of Douglas County job openings, visit: http://dgcoks.org/jobs

Douglas County Government offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 5, for Labor Day. 

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

We wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Sheriff's Office, other agencies enhancing patrols

to encourage safe driving during holiday weekend

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is participating in a national “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose” campaign through Sept. 5 with enhanced patrols aimed at removing dangerous drivers from roads and highways.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and several state agencies have partnered to encourage safe driving during the Labor Day weekend, when historically there is an increase in impaired driving and crashes.

“There are many exciting things happening this time of year with college and school starting and people looking to celebrate on Labor Day weekend. We encourage everyone to celebrate safely in avoiding distractions, and if you drink, don’t drive,” Sheriff Jay Armbrister said. “We stand with many agencies across Kansas in committing to keep our roads as safe as possible for everyone.”

The campaign is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with safety funds administered by KDOT.

Judicial and Law Enforcement Center:

111 East 11th Street

Lawrence, KS 66044