Town hall meeting about Wakarusa Drive

extension project set for Thursday, Sept. 29

A town hall meeting about the 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.

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.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Key dates

• Oct. 18 – Last day to register to vote.
• Oct. 19 – Advance voting by mail and in person begins.
• Nov. 1 – Deadline to request an advance ballot to be mailed.
• Nov. 7 – Advance voting closes at noon.

For your voter information, visit: myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview

Kaw Valley Farm Tour is this weekend!

The Kaw Valley Farm Tour is a great opportunity to visit farms, wineries and vineyards in Douglas County and the surrounding area. Participants can sample and buy products and participate in fun activities. There are 34 locations on this year's tour. The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council also is offering six rural heritage sites as part of the tour.

Tickets are $10 per carload and good for both days. The self-guided tour is:

• 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
• 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2

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

Cultural and historic resource preservation topic

of community meeting on Oct. 15 in Vinland

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) will host a public meeting about cultural and historic resource preservation from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Vinland Fairgrounds, 1736 N 700 Road. HCC is gathering community input for a Rural Preservation Plan.

Historic preservation consultants from Hernly Associates will present the data they’ve gathered so far and listen to community feedback in order to identify additional buildings and structures that are architecturally and historically significant. The Rural Preservation Plan will outline a series of suggestions on how to best preserve cultural resources in rural Douglas County. Once completed, the plan will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners.



For more information, please contact Douglas County Heritage Coordinator Kaitlin Stanley at kstanley@douglascountyks.org. 

Douglas County welcomes new Commissioner

Karen Willey was elected Aug. 28 by the Douglas County Democratic precinct committee to represent the Third District as a County Commissioner. 

Karen moved to Lawrence in 1993 to be the third generation of her family to attend the University of Kansas where she earned a BA in Environmental Studies and a PhD in Geography. As an entrepreneur, Karen has created and led a variety of successful businesses including an engineering and manufacturing business, Bluestem Machine Works, Inc., with her husband and business partner, Scott Eudaly.

During the past 29 years, Karen has served as a volunteer on more than a dozen community boards including the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission. She currently serves on the Legal Redress Committee of the Lawrence NAACP, as president of BRAC, a housing nonprofit, and is nearing 10 years as a volunteer firefighter.

Leveraging her nonprofit experience, Karen now works as a consultant and grant writer for urban health, housing and human services nonprofits for clients in urban Kansas City. She also runs a cattle farm in southern Douglas County. Karen is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Lawrence and has a passion for Douglas County landscapes, people and history.

Jennifer Tatum and Judge Amy Hanley, both at center, appear with members of the District Attorney’s Office following Tatum’s swearing-in ceremony.

District Attorney Suzanne Valdez announces veteran prosecutor as Chief Assistant District Attorney

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez recently announced the hiring of veteran prosecutor Jennifer Tatum as a Chief Assistant District Attorney.

“Throughout her career, Jennifer has demonstrated a commitment to seeking justice,” Valdez said. “She is a respected litigator and experienced prosecutor whose leadership skills will help advance our mission to build a safe and just community.” 

Most recently, Tatum served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Jackson County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney's Office. During her tenure, she was a member of the Violent Crimes Unit, Office Diversity Committee and Use of Force Committee which made charging decisions in officer-involved shootings.

Tatum, who was sworn in by Douglas County District Court Judge Amy Hanley on Sept. 10, has earned several awards for her work during her career, including the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office Patrick B. Hall Trial Attorney of the Year in 2020, the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association Prosecutor of the Year in 2017 and the Wyandotte County Child Advocate of the Year in 2012.

Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge provides learning opportunity, chance to win money

Douglas County is accepting applications for this year’s Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge! The competition is open to students in grades 6 through 12. It consists of preparing a written business summary, an elevator pitch, a short presentation and trade show. Students compete for $3,000 in prize money.

We're seeking to hire, offer excellent benefits

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

• GIS technician
• Crime scene investigator
• Public Works equipment operator
• Senior Assistant District Attorney
• Corrections Officer
• Communications Officer in Emergency Communications Center

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

Photos courtesy of local photographer Jeff Burkhead

Recovery Walk 2022

Special thanks to the Drug Court team for organizing Tuesday’s Recovery Walk and to those who attended the event to provide the hope of recovery. It was a beautiful and inspirational evening. #NationalRecoveryMonth

• For more photos, check out the county's Facebook or Instagram page.

Judicial and Law Enforcement Center:

111 East 11th Street

Lawrence, KS 66044