The Douglas County Commission will consider a new emergency public health order during its Feb. 9 meeting. The new order would require individuals to wear face coverings at indoor gatherings in which 500 or more individuals are in attendance in a single space, such as a concert, sporting event, trade show or convention.

The Douglas County Clerk’s Office is well known for conducting elections. However, it also is responsible for paying all of the county’s bills and employees as well as maintaining current records of real estate property in Douglas County.

That’s where Chief Deputy County Clerk Marni Penrod plays an important role. She works closely with elected officials, county department leaders, employees and vendors to ensure everyone is getting paid and the county is meeting all of its financial requirements.

Chief Judge James McCabria signed an administrative order today (Jan. 25) that adds Juneteenth as a holiday beginning this year for the Seventh Judicial District. In the order, it states June 19th marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The order also recognizes:

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) announces that up to $200,000 in funding is available through the 2022 Natural & Cultural Grant program.

Each year, the HCC encourages applications that focus on the conservation of cultural, natural, agricultural or environmental resources or projects that produce educational programs or products on these topics. All projects must take place in Douglas County, Kansas, and be completed within two years.

To be eligible for funding, projects must fall into at least one of the following categories:

Notice of Sheriff's Sale of real estate situated in Douglas County, Kansas on January 11, 2022 at 10 a.m. in the County Commissioner Chambers, 1100 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Kansas. Review document for property details. This is a public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash in had for all real estate described in the document.

An emergency public health order that requires face coverings for those ages 2 and older inside public spaces in Douglas County will go into effect Friday, Jan. 7, to help protect the community as COVID-19 cases have rapidly increased during the past week.

As of Jan. 3, there were 1,538 active cases reported in Douglas County, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health. The 14-day moving average for new cases is at 89 cases per day, a record high for the county.

At age 25, Mike Baxter, who worked in construction, volunteered with De Soto Fire & Rescue along with his father and brother. Once he started volunteering, he was drawn to the bond that he had with them and the community.

“There is something about a group of people who drop everything to go help someone in need, and they do it for little to no compensation,” Baxter said.

A few years later, he volunteered with the Eudora Township Fire Department and the Eudora City Fire Department. That volunteer work led him to a longtime career as a firefighter and paramedic.

In 2022, Douglas County, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Re-Entry Program and Johnson County Government are partnering to offer several Re-Entry Simulation exercises throughout the year. These are educational outreach events that highlight the challenges faced by people transitioning from time in custody back into our community.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health was notified today of the first confirmed case of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Douglas County by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. It is the second confirmed case in Kansas.

Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, deputy county health officer and infectious disease physician at LMH Health, said detection of the variant in the county does not come as a surprise as it has rapidly spread across the country since the first confirmed U.S. case of Omicron was identified on Dec. 1.

Douglas County has been allocated $23.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. These funds can be used for qualifying expenditures that occur between March 3, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2024.

The Board of County Commissioners is seeking project or program information from agencies interested in receiving funding through a letter of interest form. The form does not guarantee funding, but will help Commissioners further establish program parameters, guidelines and spending priorities. The deadline to complete the form is 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.

Douglas County Unified Command leaders and public health officers strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccination, testing and wearing masks in crowded places as the holidays near and cases and hospitalizations increase in Douglas County. While the local public health order that requires masks for children will expire Dec. 22, health officers say it is not time for residents to let their guard down.

Douglas County Commissioners approved changes to the Douglas County Animal Control Code on Dec. 1, 2021, during their business meeting. The Lawrence Humane Society proposed the changes to update the code with more clear, consistent and enforceable language. The nonprofit agency said the updated code provides more clear and humane procedures regarding animals in the unincorporated areas of the county.