Douglas County Public Works is set to launch two projects on Monday, April 21, resulting in road closures within the county.

Weather permitting, North 1100 Road will be closed between East 1600 and East 1700 Road for a bridge repair project. This work is expected to take approximately four weeks to complete.

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council announces the recipients of the 2025 Natural and Cultural Heritage grant program after receiving approval from the Board of County Commissioners on April 16. A total of $210,000 was awarded to 12 projects.  

The projects are expected to be completed within two years.

The Board of County Commissioners declared a state of local disaster emergency for Douglas County on Wednesday, April 16, due to two large grassfires that are currently under control and contained. The declaration provides access to state resources.

Douglas County will celebrate National County Government Month with Discovery Day, a community event from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, in the Open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 21st and Harper Streets.

This family-friendly event will highlight vital services and programs that support the community while recognizing the dedication of county employees.

Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinator Katy Fitzgerald touted the county’s local competency restoration program, work with community mental health providers to improve assessments for clients on probation and planning with the Justice Management Institute as recent highlights for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. 

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) has launched a new Heritage Events and Celebrations Fund program to help support community organizations that host annual events in Douglas County that celebrate, honor and uplift the county’s diverse cultural heritage. Organizations may request up to $10,000 in funding, with a total of $20,000 available in 2025. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, April 11.

Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, with assistance from the Kansas State Fire Marshal, has determined that an ember from an old, unattended campfire sparked the approximately 200-acre fire in Douglas County on Friday, March 14, and has classified it as accidental.

Firefighters from multiple agencies in Douglas County and the surrounding area fought several grassfires on Friday, March 14, including a more than 200-acre fire east of Stull, near North 1600 and East 400 Roads. That fire was declared under control this morning, Saturday, March 15.

Firefighters encountered near hurricane-force wind gusts during the extremely dangerous fire. An evacuation notice for the area was in place for about two hours beginning at 5:12 p.m. Friday. No structures were lost, and no injuries were reported.

Grant Misse, a senior at the University of Kansas, recently joined the Douglas County Sustainability Office as a Local Food Fellow. 

Grant will research and analyze Point-of-Sale (POS) systems and third-party processors that cater to small food enterprises, such as farmers, CSAs, and independent grocers, with a particular focus on improving SNAP/EBT accessibility. His goal is to identify affordable, user-friendly solutions that empower these businesses to accept SNAP/EBT payments with ease.

Douglas County offers drop-off recycling for residents who live in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Due to illegal dumping, the location at Stull Community of Faith Church, 1596 E. 250 Road, is scheduled to be permanently closed on Friday, March 14, and no longer available. The site has been a concern for many months.  Large unaccepted items and loose bags of waste have been left at the site. The church grounds and adjacent properties have been frequently littered with windblown materials. This site has been heavily used, but it has also been misused.

As Craig said, “I did a lot of stupid stuff.”

There were outbursts and altercations, antisocial and antagonistic behavior.

But also, depression and panic attacks, family and personal trauma and jail.

He was good at hiding what he was feeling, until he wasn’t. It all became too much for him to handle. He lost his job as a nurse, he lost his home, and eventually he lost his freedom.

“I wasn’t functioning well,” he said. “I was in pretty bad shape psychologically.”

The Douglas County Appraiser’s Office will mail Change of Value notices for real estate properties for the 2025 tax year on Feb. 28. These notices will also include an informational insert about the valuation process, an overall market snapshot of residential and commercial value changes, and the appeal process.