Douglas County will host a virtual Community Listening Session about the membership size of the Board of County Commissioners. The session will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, using Zoom. Individuals can also attend at the County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts Street.

County Clerk Jamie Shew will provide a presentation about the process for moving from the current three-member board to a five-member board. After the presentation, individuals will be able to ask questions and provide comment.

Douglas County is seeking applications for the 2021 Youth Virtual Entrepreneurship Challenge!

The competition - open to students in grades 6 through 12 - consists of preparing a written business plan, an executive summary, an elevator speech and a formal presentation. Students compete for $3,000 in prize money. The students’ work is judged by local entrepreneurs, teachers and community leaders. The deadline to submit an application is 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19.

The Douglas County Clerk’s office uses a third party vendor as its printer and inserter for mailing advance ballots. While processing one batch, some voters on the list were repeated, resulting in duplicate ballots being sent to some voters. There are processes in place which prevent two ballots being counted from the same voter, these measures include signature verification and an independent citizen advance board which audits the ballots received.

The City of Lawrence and Douglas County are working together to develop a Climate Action Plan, which will identify ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce risk and vulnerability to extreme weather events.

The Douglas County Treasurer's Office will be closed Monday, Oct. 11, for an all-day staff training. Staff will not be available for in-person transactions or by phone. Customers can email motorvehicles@dgcoks.gov and staff will respond the next day. Payments can be made through the Treasurer's Office drop boxes at:

• Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.
• South Iowa Satellite Office, 2000 W. 31st St.
• Inside Dillons, 3000 W. Sixth St.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Tayler James Livingston, 27, of Paola, was sentenced to 41 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Deeva Sharma, 25, of Leawood.

The charge stems from a crash on U.S. Highway 56 on Feb. 24, 2020. Livingston crossed the center line to pass a vehicle on the two-lane road and struck Sharma’s car head-on. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A blood test showed Livingston was intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of .12.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Shawn O’Brien, 50, of Lawrence was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years for each of three felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and 12 months in Douglas County Jail for each of five misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. 

The felony charges stemmed from multiple incidents in O’Brien’s home in which he touched a girl younger than 14 under her clothes on her chest and inside her underpants, while claiming to give her a massage.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that a jury returned guilty verdicts of assault with a domestic violence designation and interference with law enforcement against Robert Brothers Jr., 19, of Lawrence.

Brothers was acquitted of two counts of aggravated kidnapping. Judge Amy Hanley entered a directed verdict of not guilty on one count of theft of a firearm.

The state was represented by Valdez and Deputy District Attorney Joshua Seiden. The case was investigated by the Lawrence Police Department.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health releases updated guidance for early childhood and K-12 school settings on the identification of positive cases, identification of close contacts, and quarantine in school settings.

An updated dashboard provides a snapshot of the current population of the Douglas County Correctional Facility, including demographic data, time served in custody, judicial status and the type of arresting offense.

Douglas County Drug Court program team members and participants invite the community to join them in a Recovery Walk 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in South Park, south of the County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. There will be luminarias and signs along the sidewalks that will promote the hope of recovery for those who struggle with substances.

“We want to light the path of recovery to provide hope and awareness,” Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge said.

The community is invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, to celebrate the completion of The Passerine Pavilion at Wells Overlook Park, about two miles south of Lawrence. The new accessible viewing platform is on the northern end of the park and provides a breathtaking view of Lawrence, the University of Kansas campus and the surrounding hills, valleys and farmlands.