September 2026 Newsletter | | Explore local agriculture, heritage on this weekend's Kaw Valley Farm Tour | |
The Kaw Valley Farm Tour is this weekend, Oct. 3 and Oct. 4. It’s a great opportunity to visit farms, wineries and vineyards in Douglas County and the surrounding area. There are 27 farms and four historical heritage sites on the tour. Participants can sample and buy products and participate in family-friendly activities.
Tickets are $15 per vehicle and good for both days and all the farms and sites. The self-guided tour is:
- Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the following locations:
- The Merc, 901 Iowa St, Lawrence.
- Cottin's Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts St., Lawrence.
- K-State Extension Douglas County, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence.
| | Suicide prevention work group connects residents with local resources | | |
September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a reminder that support can save lives.
In Douglas County, a suicide prevention work group within Engage Douglas County, led by Sarah Landry of Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, works to connect people in crisis with reliable, local mental health and substance use resources.
"There is always hope, and there is always help," Landry said. "Our work is about making sure people know they are not alone and that compassionate support is available whenever they need it."
These local resources are available 24/7:
- Call or text 988 for emotional and crisis support from trained counselors. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, counselors are ready to assist. You can also chat at 988Lifeline.
- If you need someone to come to you, call 988 and counselors will determine whether a referral to the Mobile Response Team is appropriate. The team consists of mental health professionals who can meet with you at home or in the community.
- If you need someplace to go, visit the Treatment and Recovery Center of Douglas County at 1000 W. Second St. in Lawrence. The center provides support when mental health or substance use concerns affect daily life. No appointments are necessary.
| From left, Will Hallagin, the Sheriff's Office coroner scene investigations coordinator; Chrissy Mayer, DCCCA chief community based services officer; and Dee Kinard, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health manager of informatics are pictured at the All Hearts on Deck for DCCCA event on Sept. 10. Hallagin and Kinard received a Community Health and Safety Award from DCCCA. | |
Coroner scene investigations coordinator,
Public Health informatics manager honored for work
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Earlier this month, DCCCA Inc. honored Will Hallagin, the Sheriff’s Office coroner scene investigations coordinator, with a Community Health and Safety Award.
Hallagin worked closely with community partners, including Dee Kinard, manager of informatics at Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, to help develop and implement the new Douglas County Suicide Fatality Review Board. The review board uses an epidemiologic approach to examine suicide deaths in the county through the lens of risk factors and protective factors.
The goal is to create strategies to prevent suicide deaths in the community, including a recent campaign to install 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline signs at public parks and recreational areas in Douglas County and Lawrence.
Hallagin and Kinard were recognized at the All Hearts on Deck for DCCCA event on Sept. 10.
| | A 988 sign is installed at Wells Overlook Park, south of Lawrence. | |
Join us Nov. 12 for an update on
Community Health Improvement Plan
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Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health is hosting a community event about the Douglas County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Carnegie Building, 200 W. Ninth St. in Lawrence.
It's an opportunity to hear from the facilitators of each key area and celebrate the progress made on the initiatives in 2026. The key areas are: access to health services, anti-poverty, behavioral health, birth outcomes, food security and "A Place for Everyone" plan.
Attendees are asked to reserve a spot by filling out this form, but it is not required.
The following Douglas County employees serve on the CHIP Steering Committee: County Administrator Sarah Plinsky, Assistant County Administrator Jill Jolicoeur, Director of Behavioral Health Projects Bob Tryanski and Senior Resource Center Manager Megan Poindexter.
| | 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.
Commissioners took the following action on regular business agenda items in September. They unanimously approved:
- a temporary business use permit from Bell’s Turf to allow a landscaping business and related activity to continue at 1307 E. 1200 Road through Dec. 31, 2027.
- a special event permit request from Save Our Soil Kaw Valley Foundation to allow an outdoor concert and agricultural exhibition on Oct. 10 on property located at 1359 N 1900 Road.
- adoption of the Douglas and Jefferson County Solid Waste Management Plan.
** Recordings of County Commission meetings can be found on the Douglas County YouTube channel.
County Commissioners have work sessions to study and discuss various topics throughout the year. No action is taken during work sessions. The work sessions are held at 4 p.m. before the business meeting. The following work sessions are scheduled:
- Oct. 7: Biohabitats Wakarusa Vision Plan
- Oct. 14: Community partner and service agreements
| | County Administrator Sarah Plinsky, left, and Sheriff Jay Armbrister discuss their jobs and responsibilities during a podcast taping at the Lawrence Public Library. | | County administrator, Sheriff discuss growing up and working in Douglas County | |
On the latest episode of the View from 100 podcast, Sheriff Jay Armbrister sat down with County Administrator Sarah Plinsky to talk about the inner workings of local government in Douglas County.
Plinsky shares her journey from Lawrence High School student to county administrator, explains why Douglas County is the “middle child” of Kansas counties and breaks down how property taxes and the county budget function.
They talk candidly about leading through tornadoes, historic flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the growing complexity of public service in the age of social media and the constant balancing act between rural character, economic growth and community expectations.
Follow on the View from 100 website: https://viewfrom100.buzzsprout.com or subscribe on you favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
| The Douglas County Elections Office is located at 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1, in Lawrence. | Deadline to register to vote is Oct. 13 | |
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, for federal, state, county and township seats. There’s also a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Key dates to know:
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Oct. 13 – Deadline to register to vote or update voter registration information.
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Oct. 14 – First day of in-person advance voting. Advance ballots are mailed.
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Oct. 27 – Last day to apply for an advance voting mail ballot.
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Nov. 2 – In-person advance voting ends at noon.
Frequently-asked questions:
Q: Am I registered to vote and is my registration information up to date?
A: https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview
Q: Who is running for office?
A: https://www.dgcoks.gov/county-clerk/voting-and-elections/current-candidates
Q: How can I vote?
A: https://www.dgcoks.gov/county-clerk/voting-and-elections/ways-to-vote
| On May 8, members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) practiced disaster medical skills, including bandaging wounds, moving injured patients, triaging multiple patients based on severity, and reviewed first aid for heat-related illnesses, opioid overdoses and allergic reactions. | | Enrollment open for Emergency Management's CERT training in October | | |
Douglas County Emergency Management is accepting registrations for its Fall 2026 CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) weekend class. The course is designed to teach individuals to be better prepared to help themselves, their families and communities before, during and after a disaster.
The training will be Oct. 9-Oct. 11 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St., in Flory Meeting Hall. The approximate schedule will be:
- Friday, Oct. 9 - 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 10 - 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 11 - 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The training is free, but individuals need to register on Emergency Management's website.
The course includes information about disaster preparedness, fire safety, medical operations, light search and rescue, terrorism and other safety measures.
At the conclusion of the training, individuals may register to become a CERT volunteer. Authorized CERT volunteers provide support to first responders and other agencies during a disaster and at community events as directed by Emergency Management.
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Sheriff's Office to conduct enhanced speed patrols | |
The Sheriff’s Office will participate in enhanced patrols Oct. 8-19 focused on speeding on county roads and highways.
The statewide campaign provides support for local law enforcement agencies to provide special enforcement focused on traffic safety.
For more than two decades nationally, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities as it increases risk factors that lead to serious crashes.
The campaign allows deputies to provide more of a presence to enforce speed limits on county roads and highways outside of normal patrols.
| Community members join in the Serenity Prayer at the Sept. 11 Recovery Walk event in South Park. | Community celebrates National Recovery Month | |
The Douglas County Drug Treatment Court team, participants and alumni hosted the sixth annual Recovery Walk event on Sept. 11 in Lawrence’s South Park.
During opening remarks, Chief Judge Mark Simpson, who presides over Drug Treatment Court, announced the court's new name: Douglas County Recovery Court.
Approximately 75 people attended the event, which included a cake walk, lollipop tree, art tiles and other activities. Contests featured bubble gum blowing, egg toss and tug-of-war. It also included a short walk around the park, remembrance paper lanterns and information tables.
The evening offered a meaningful way to celebrate National Recovery Month and to show how recovery grows stronger with community support.
"Events like this remind us that recovery doesn’t happen alone,” Court Officer Shannon Bruegge said. “When we gather as a community, we help build the connections that make long‑term recovery possible."
| Artists Helping the Homeless founder and director Kar Woo, foreground, watches the egg toss competition. | | A child creates an art tile with a message of perseverance, joy and hope. | | Douglas County Recovery Court Officer Shannon Bruegge, left, is pictured with Meg Davis, of the Social Service League of Lawrence. | | From left, District Court judges Mark Simpson, Stacey Donovan and Amy Hanley attended the event. They oversee specialty courts in Douglas County. | | |
Douglas County has a variety of job openings. The positions include:
- Civil engineer
- Custodian at Correctional Facility
- Juvenile Corrections Officer
- Registration/Tax Specialist
- Temporary laborer in Public Works
We offer great benefits and competitive wages. For more information about these job openings and how to apply, visit our website at dgcoks.gov/jobs.
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On Monday, Oct. 12, Douglas County District Court and the District Attorney’s Office will be closed for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and the Treasurer’s Office will be closed for staff training.
All other Douglas County departments and offices will be open for business.
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