In honor of America at 250, the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, the Watkins Museum of History, the City of Lawrence, and Douglas County are partnering to celebrate the public servants who help our community thrive.

The new "Douglas County, Kansas Public Servants Past & Present Tribute Gallery" will debut at Summerfest on July 4 and will honor current and former public servants from across Douglas County, including educators, first responders, military service members and veterans, city and county employees, university staff and faculty, and state and federal workers.

Douglas County Commissioners recently approved an engineering services agreement with HNTB Corporation to complete an environmental assessment for the Wakarusa Drive extension project at a maximum cost of $276,835. They unanimously approved the agreement during their May 13 business meeting.

Today, the Douglas County Clerk’s Office is being recognized for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) presents these awards annually to highlight best practices. This year’s winning programs took place during the 2025 election cycle.

The Douglas County Clerk’s Office was honored in the small-jurisdictions “Innovations and New Practices in Election Administration” category for innovation in workflow using Microsoft 365. The multi-year project was led by Deputy County Clerk Ed Healy.

Douglas County Public Works announces that N 1400 Road, also known as County Route 442, will be closed starting Monday, May 18, between E 2300 Road and E 2400 Road for a bridge replacement project. The area is east of Eudora, near the Johnson County line.

Access will be maintained for nearby properties throughout the project.

Douglas County officials are warning residents about fraudulent text and email messages that appear to be from District Court regarding a traffic summons. These messages are not from Douglas County District Court.

Residents should be skeptical of unsolicited messages, especially those claiming legal action. Do not click on any links. Instead, contact the court or law enforcement agency directly using an official phone number listed online.

On May 5, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission announced that Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew was elected chair of the Standards Board executive committee during its annual meeting April 28-29 in Washington, D.C. He is the first representative from Kansas to serve as chair of the board.

Douglas County Public Works announces two road closures due to bridge repair projects. Both projects began today, May 4. Access will be maintained for nearby properties. The closures are:

• N 700 Road, between E 2300 Road and E 2400. The project is expected to take seven weeks.
• N 1100 Road, between U.S. 59 Highway and E 1400 Road. Project is expected to take nine weeks.

We appreciate your patience as we work to improve the safety of county roads.

Signs that focus on connecting people experiencing crisis to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline are now placed at public parks and recreational areas in Douglas County.

The Douglas County Clerk’s Office has launched two new online tools on its website – dgcoks.gov/elections – to provide residents with easy access to up-to-date voting and election information.

Area cultural organizations are rolling out the red carpet  — or rather the green turf — to welcome visitors and engage residents in the cultural context for the international soccer phenomenon coming to Greater Kansas City this summer.

The Lawrence community is getting the ball rolling on a full playing field of fun during tournament season, from exhibitions to events to viewing parties and other celebrations. Here are some pre-game highlights:

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) announces the recipients of the 2026 Natural and Cultural Heritage grant program after receiving approval from the Board of County Commissioners on April 15. A total of $250,000 was awarded to 22 projects.

Douglas County will celebrate National County Government Month with Discovery Day, a community event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, in the Open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 21st and Harper Streets.