CELEBRATING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY HEROES

Jett Barton, left, and Jon Morris, right, are pictured with Chief John Mathis at Consolidated Fire District No. 1's annual Firefighter Ball on Dec. 6. They received the 2025 Life-Saver Award for responding to a cardiac arrest call in August. Their actions in providing CPR and life-saving interventions resulted in saving a life. They received the award along with Michael Lynch, not pictured.

Consolidated Fire District No. 1 recognizes staff, volunteers during annual Firefighter Ball

Consolidated Fire District No. 1 held its annual Firefighter Ball on Dec. 6 at First United Methodist Church to recognize and honor members and celebrate achievements from the past year. 

“Each year, the Firefighter Ball reminds us why this work matters,” Chief John Mathis said. “Our staff and volunteers continue to serve with professionalism, courage and compassion, and I am proud to recognize their dedication to this community.”

This year's honorees were:

• Life-Saver Award: Jeff Barton, Michael Lynch and Jon Morris
• Volunteer with the Most Fire Incident Responses: David Wulfkuhle
• Volunteer with Most Medical Incident Responses: Kari Wempe
• Community Impact Award: Josh McGinn
• Recruit with the Most Fire Incident Responses: Paul Earnest
• Recruit with the Most Ride-Out and Training Hours: Elaine Ching

The district also recognized members for their years of service:

• 20-25 years: Darren Abram, Kevin Fussell, JJ Krayenhagen and Rose Rozmiarek
• More than 25 years: Mike Baxter, Richard Clark, Devon Kissinger, Dennis Snodgrass, Ed Steele, Kari Wempe and David Wulfkuhle.

Chief Mathis also congratulated 10 recruits who earned their badges and were promoted to firefighters after completing all recruitment requirements.

Capt. Sam Goodwin, left, is pictured with Paul Earnest who received the Recruit on Fire Award for the highest number of fire incident responses by a recruit.

Capt. Sam Goodwin congratulates Joshua McGinn on receiving the Community Impact Award. He spent the most hours providing public education in the community.

Sam Goodwin is pictured with recruit Elaine Ching who received the Station Squatter Award for most ride-out and training hours.

From left, Chief John Mathis, Ed Steele, Deputy Chief Dennis Snodgrass, David Wulfkuhle, Battalion Chief Michael-Shayne Baxter and Devon Kissinger were recognized for providing more than 25 years of service. Not pictured: Mike Baxter, Richard Clark and Kari Wempe.

Sheriff Jay Armbrister, left, and Undersheriff Stacy Simmons, right, are pictured with the recipients of an Operations Commendation Award for bringing an armed and dangerous suspect into custody safely on May 18, 2025. From left are Lt. Robert Berryman, Deputy Payton Schaefer, Deputy Tyree Clark, Master Deputy Austin Abram and Deputy Victor Torres. Not pictured for this award is Master Deputy Bryon Revell.

Sheriff's Office presents Winter Awards

As part of the fifth annual DGSO Winter Awards event in early December at Abe and Jake’s Landing, Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister and Undersheriff Stacy Simmons presented awards and commendations to highlight achievements throughout the year for the agency and those it works with closely.

“We had many things to celebrate, and it’s an annual highlight of the year to recognize those who go above and beyond in the work everyone in this agency does every day for the community,” Armbrister said.

This year's recipients were:

• Civilian Employee of the Year – Corrections: Taylor Bennett, Administrative Specialist II
• Civilian Employee of the Year – Operations: Sarah Lunn, Special Crime Analyst
• Contract Employee of the Year: Nurse Jessica Mills
• Supervisor of the Year – Corrections: Sgt. Alex Kliem
• Supervisor of the Year – Operations: Sgt. Travis Warren
• Deputy of the Year – Corrections: Master Deputy Blake Winner
• Deputy of the Year – Operations: Deputy Colton Bonner
• Corrections Officer of the Year: Officer Ema Garcia
• Teamwork Award: Deputy Chance Vopat
• Peer to Peer Award: Kim Martin, IT Analyst
• Sheriff’s Excellence Awards: Nurse Tammy Lyles; Deputy Chris Chavez; Corrections Officer Alison Brown; jail maintenance team, Isaac Smoots, Caden Bruns and Matt Stevens
• Life-Saving Awards: Deputy Claire Sweeney; Sgt. Jared Ellis; Deputy Carson Rhoades; Deputy Colton Bonner; Deputy Marcos Soliz; Sgt. Travis Warren; and, Deputy Payton Schaefer.
• Operations Commendations: Lt. Robert Berryman; Master Deputy Austin Abram; Deputy Victor Torres; Deputy Payton Schaefer; Master Deputy Bryon Revell; Deputy Tyree Clark; Lt. Mark Mehrer; Lt. Kristen Channel; Deputy Colton Bonner; Deputy Chase Coleman; Deputy Claire Sweeney; and, Deputy Kyle Zeller.

Taylor Bennett, center, is the recipient of the Civilian Employee of the Year in Corrections. Taylor is an administrative specialist for the Sheriff's Office. She is pictured with Sheriff Jay Armbrister, left, and Undersheriff Stacy Simmons.

Deputy Chris Chavez, center, is the recipient of the Sheriff's Office Excellence Award. He is pictured with Sheriff Jay Armbrister, left, and Undersheriff Stacy Simmons.

Douglas County Emergency Communications Director Tony Foster, left, and Deputy Emergency Communications Director Sonya Baeza, right, are pictured with the recipients of the Unit Citation Award for their work dispatching the response to the March 14, 2025, grass fires in the county. From left are Michael Haefner, Kaitlin Schulz and Jacob Russell. Not pictured is Betsy Anderson, Kathleen Haehl, Jeremy Kohler and Tim Reisbig.

Emergency Communications (911) recognize staff

Douglas County Emergency Communications Director Tony Foster and Deputy Director Sonya Baeza also presented awards at the Winter Awards event.

This year's awardees were:

• Emergency Communicator of the Year: Eavie Vess
• Communications Lead of the Year: Jesse Linnebur
• Communications Supervisor of the Year: Andy Miller
• Communications Administrative Staff of the Year: Betsy Anderson
• Teamwork Award: Tim Reisbig, Jacob Russell, Jonathan Seeley 
• Spirit of the ECC Award: Kaitlin Schulz 
• Unit Citation Award: Jonathan Seeley, Corey Ball, Brenda Dill - with special recognition for Seeley (Distinguished Service Award) regarding dispatch traffic for law enforcement and medics related to a shooting outside Eudora on Dec. 5, 2024.
• Unit Citation Award: Betsy Anderson, Kathleen Haehl, Jacob Russell, Jeremy Kohler, Kaitlin Schulz, Michael Haefner, Tim Reisbig – for their work dispatching the response to the March 14, 2025, grass fires in the county.
• Unit Citation Award: Edna Brubaker, Andy Miller, Brenda Dill, Corey Ball, Jonathan Seeley, Rylee Trowbridge for dispatch traffic during a shooting in Lawrence on July 17.

Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park is located at 163 E. 2000th Road, just east of Baldwin City.

Baldwin City, Douglas County acquire historically significant Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park

Baldwin City and Douglas County have acquired Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park, a nationally significant site tied to the events of “Bleeding Kansas” and widely recognized as a precursor to the Civil War.

The 38-acre property, located at 163 E. 2000th Road near Baldwin City, includes the historic Robert Hall Pearson farmhouse, nature trails, Captain’s Creek, restored prairie, picnic areas and a sugar maple grove. The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.

Annually, about 3,000 people visit the park’s natural features as well as attend programming such as reenactments and tours. Black Jack Battlefield was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. It is one of three National Historic Landmark sites in Douglas County and one of only 26 in Kansas.

The park is located next to the Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve, which is owned by Douglas County and maintained by the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society of Douglas County.

• News release

Board of County Commissioners

Douglas County Commission meetings are at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the historic Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., on the second floor in the Commission meeting room. Meetings are also available on Zoom. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Commissioners took the following action on regular business agenda items in December. They unanimously approved:

• rescinding the minimum maintenance designation on a portion of N 1 Road in Palmyra Township.
• an extension of the Cooperation Agreement with the City of Lawrence for the joint operation and maintenance of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.
• vacating certain untraveled roads within Prairie City townsite.
• the 2026 Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant program and allocating $40,000 from the Heritage Conservation reserves to support seed grant projects in the program.
• purchasing a 23-acre wooded property located at 579 N. 600 Road next to Lone Star Lake Park in an amount not to exceed $425,000.
• the 2026 legislative statement.
• a Memorandum of Understanding with Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center for financial reporting assistance and support in an amount not to exceed $150,000. 
• to defer a proposed $1 million supplemental funding request from Bert Nash for the Treatment and Recovery Center until a Memorandum of Agreement between Bert Nash and Douglas County for an external financial and operational review of the TRC is executed, a site visit is completed, and a preliminary report is received for review by both entities. Commissioners requested an update on the process in late January 2026.

* Recordings of County Commission meetings can be found on the Douglas County YouTube channel.

Work sessions

County Commissioners have work sessions to study and discuss various topics. No action is taken during work sessions. The meetings are held at 4 p.m. Wednesdays before the business meeting. The next work session scheduled is:

• Jan 14 – Consolidated Fire District No. 1 update

Lawrence 2026 launches website as source for World Cup activity specific to Douglas County

Residents and visitors alike now have a source for information related to World Cup activity in Lawrence and Douglas County.

The website lawrence2026.com is designed to be a hub for information about local events, transportation options, business resources and more as the community prepares for the worldwide men’s soccer tournament that will include games in Kansas City, Missouri, in summer 2026.

Maintained by the community’s Unified Command — dubbed Lawrence 2026 — the website provides background on the World Cup’s role in the local community, as well as important dates, news and notices that will help those living in the community navigate the changes and challenges of thousands of visitors coming to the area.

Lawrence2026.com is also a centralized resource for visitors looking for information about activities, transit, safety, dining, entertainment and more in Lawrence and Douglas County.

Douglas, Jefferson counties seek public input about trash, recycling service options

Douglas and Jefferson counties are updating their joint Solid Waste Management Plan, which outlines how trash, recycling, organics and other materials are managed in both urban and rural areas.

The revised plan will evaluate current systems and facilities, compare existing programs with potential alternatives, identify strategies to improve efficiency and support long-term environmental sustainability.

Douglas County invites residents of Baldwin City, Eudora, Lecompton and rural areas to participate in a Community Solid Waste Survey to help identify community needs and set priorities for the plan. The City of Lawrence will conduct a separate survey in early 2026, and those results will be incorporated into the joint plan.

The survey is available at https://etci.us/4o1atZX through Saturday, Jan. 3.

Treasurer's Office collects and distributes taxes to cities, schools, water districts and others

The Douglas County Treasurer’s Office mailed real estate and personal property tax bills in late November and the first half payment is due today, Dec. 22.

These taxes, based on property valuations and tax levies set earlier this year, fund essential community services, including schools, public safety, roads, water and infrastructure.

There are several ways to pay taxes: 

• Online: Visit https://propertyinfo.douglascountyks.org
• By mail: Send a check with your payment stub to Douglas County Treasurer, P.O. Box 668, Lawrence, KS 66044
• Drop box or in person at 2601 W. Sixth St. or 1100 Massachusetts St., both in Lawrence.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, off-road vehicles will be exempt from personal property taxes.

State law changes exempt certain personal property from taxation; Appraiser's Office sending notices

Kansas lawmakers have approved changes to state law that will exempt several categories of personal property from taxation beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Douglas County Appraiser Brad Eldridge said about 38% of the county’s personal property assets will qualify for exemption under the new law.

Personal property exempt from taxation starting Jan. 1, 2026:

• Watercraft and marine equipment
• Off-road vehicles, including all-terrain, motorcycles, golf carts and snowmobiles
• Motorized bicycles, scooters and mopeds
• Trailers with a gross weight of 15,000 pounds or less that are used exclusively for personal purpose

Property that becomes exempt on Jan. 1, 2026, will still be taxed for the portion of the year it was owned before that date. After Jan. 1, residents will no longer need to notify the Appraiser’s Office of changes related to exempt personal property.

The Douglas County Appraiser’s Office will mail letters to all personal property owners in early January outlining the state law changes.

“These changes significantly reduce the amount of personal property that residents will need to report each year,” Eldridge said. “Our goal is to make sure people understand what is still taxable and what no longer requires any action on their part.”

• News release

Students encouraged to pitch business ideas in Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

Douglas County is accepting applications for the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, a competition where students pitch their business ideas. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 20, at The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, 2920 Haskell Ave., in Lawrence. The community is invited to attend.

The competition is open to Douglas County students in grades 6-12. Participants will prepare a written summary, deliver a business pitch and create a trade show display. Students will compete for $3,500 in prize money, including a new $250 Innovate Globally Prize, sponsored by KU Innovation Park. With the upcoming 2026 World Cup, the prize will be awarded to the student or team who can showcase a product or service that is global in scale or highlights a country or culture outside the United States.

Entries will be judged by local entrepreneurs, teachers and community leaders. The registration deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23.

This is the eighth year for the Douglas County event. In past competitions, students have pitched businesses offering swimming lessons, resale clothing, jewelry, baked goods, pet sitting, lawn tool rentals and more. 

The first-place winner will advance to the state competition, where they will have the opportunity to win more prize money and recognition.

• More information or to sign up: https://dgcoks.gov/yec
• News release

The Senior Resource Center of Douglas County is located at 745 Vermont St. in Lawrence.

Senior Resource Center provided 2,067 consultations about Medicare in 2025

The Senior Resource Center of Douglas County's Medicare team and the 26 Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) Medicare volunteers held 2,067 one-on-one consultations throughout 2025. 

SHICK is the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for navigating Medicare in Kansas that provides free, unbiased and confidential help. Trained community counselors enroll people into Part D Drug Plans, explain supplemental insurance, answer questions about claims, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and any topic Medicare-related.

The program is supported by federal, state and county funds and donations as well as by volunteer support. They do not sell anything or earn commissions. Medicare is a federal insurance program for people 65 and older or those with certain disabilities.

• For more information, visit SRC's Medicare and Insurance webpage

Sheriff's Office hosting Reentry Simulation in April

The Sheriff's Office Reentry Team is hosting a 2026 Reentry Simulation from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, in Flory Meeting Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St.

It is free and open to anyone in the community. These educational outreach events highlight the challenges people face when transitioning from custody back into the community.

To register: https://form.jotform.com/253094757455063 

To learn more about the importance of the Douglas County Reentry programming and how it can influence people’s lives, watch Brandon Schrimsher’s story or view the Reentry Team on an episode of the DGSO View from 100 podcast.

Sheriff's Office participating in 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign to help keep roads safe

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is participating in the Taking Down DUI traffic enforcement campaign “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” which runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 2. 

Grant funds allow for extra deputies on patrol who worked to remove impaired drivers from roads and highways in the county.

The Sheriff's Office encourages drivers – no matter what time of the year – to secure a sober ride as well as buckle up and drive safely, especially by avoiding speeding.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every day about 34 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 42 minutes. These deaths were all preventable. 

Being a responsible driver is simple: 

• Plan a safe ride home before you go out to imbibe. If you drink, don’t drive. Call a ride-share, taxi or a sober friend.
• If someone has been drinking, take their keys and arrange a sober ride home.
• If you see an impaired driver on the roads, contact local law enforcement.

Housing Stabilization Collaborative participating in Giving for Good campaign

Join Douglas County in supporting the Housing Stabilization Collaborative through the Douglas County Community Foundation’s Giving for Good campaign!

Your donation helps neighbors facing housing instability access the support they need, and thanks to a matching opportunity, your gift goes even further.

HSC strengthens housing stability in our community through rental and utility assistance, landlord engagement and a monthly rental availability list.

Agencies that participate in the Housing Stabilization Collaborative are: Baldwin City Public Library, Ballard Center, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Douglas County Salvation Army, Douglas County Sheriff's Reentry Program, ECKAN, Eudora Community Library, Lawrence Community Shelter, Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, Lawrence Family Promise, Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, Lawrence Public Library, Senior Resource Center, Success by 6 Coalition, Tenants to Homeowners, United Way of Kaw Valley and Willow Domestic Violence Center.

Douglas County District Court, the District Attorney's Office, the Senior Resource Center and county government offices will be closed Thursday-Friday, Dec. 25-26, and Thursday, Jan. 1, for the holidays.

District Court and the District Attorney's Office will also be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

We wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season, and a wonderful New Year!