The Douglas County Fire Chiefs Association and Douglas County Emergency Management reviewed and recommended updates to the county code that regulates open burning for the unincorporated areas of Douglas County. The updates to the county code, Home Rule Resolution 23-11-3, were approved Wednesday, Nov. 29, by the Board of County Commissioners.

With all of the precincts reporting, the unofficial results for the election can be found here: http://dgcoks.org/election2023. Results will not be official until after the canvass on Monday, Nov. 20.

The Douglas County Sustainability Office has published a draft “Adapt Douglas County: Climate Action and Adaptation Plan” that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the community adapt to the risks of climate change.

Douglas County is seeking applications for the 2023-2024 Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge! The event will be 8:30 a.m.-noon Friday, Feb. 16, at The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, 2920 Haskell Avenue, in Lawrence.

Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1 has been awarded a grant through the Kansas Governor’s Office Grants Program to enhance its wildland firefighting capabilities and firefighter safety. The grant, which was recently accepted and approved by the Board of County Commissioners, is part of the Local Safety and Security Equipment (LSSE) program and will provide Consolidated Fire District No.

The Board of County Commissioners appointed Brad Eldridge as County Appraiser during its Oct. 18 business meeting. Eldridge, of Lawrence, has been serving in an interim position since longtime County Appraiser Steven Miles retired on June 23.

Douglas County Criminal Justice Services Director Pam Weigand has been appointed by Governor Kelly to a two-year term on the Kansas Sentencing Commission.

Douglas County is hosting an open house about the Open Space Plan from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot, 402 N. Second St. It is an opportunity for community members to stop by and learn about the project team’s progress and to provide feedback. There will be activities for children and a raffle entry for all attendees.

The Kansas Supreme Court says state courts will stay open and rely on paper filings while the Office of Judicial Administration works with experts to find the reason for and the extent of a security incident that disrupted the information systems on which state courts operate.
 
“It’s an appropriate next step in a situation like this to define the extent to which our systems are affected,” said Chief Justice Marla Luckert. “We’ve called in experts to continue that process, and I’m grateful for the number of people who have reached out to us with offers of support.”
 

Douglas County District Court will be closed on Monday, Oct. 9, for Indigenous Peoples' Day. This includes the District Attorney's Office.

The Douglas County Treasurer’s Office will also be closed on Monday, Oct. 9, for a staff training. This will include both locations: Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., and South Iowa satellite office, 2000 W. 31st St.

All other departments will be open and services will be available.

Douglas County Appraisal Analyst August Dettbarn recently received a Fellows award from the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO).  The IAAO Board created the Fellows program to recognize individuals who have dedicated their career to the development of the assessment profession and made exceptional contributions to the IAAO and the assessment industry.  The program recognizes the best of the best within the assessment profession.

The Kansas Supreme Court has renewed the appointment of The Honorable James R. McCabria as Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District. The two-year term runs from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025. It will be the third two-year term for McCabria to serve as Chief Judge.