Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces today that Scharron R. Dingledine, 26, Columbia, MO entered guilty pleas to Murder in the First Degree and Attempted Murder in the First Degree on Monday, December 17th, 2018 in the Division 6 courtroom of the Douglas County District Court.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces that today a jury convicted Topeka resident Aramis N. Hernandez, 38, of battery on a law enforcement officer in the July 2016 dragging injury of a Lawrence Police Officer.

Route 458 (N 1000 Road) from E 1800 Road to E 2000 Road has been opened to traffic through construction while project work has been suspended for the winter.  Some construction traffic control signing will remain in place, but the road is open for unrestricted traffic. 

Construction work to complete the project will resume next spring when sustained weather conditions permit.  Remaining work includes asphalt surfacing on residential entrances, pavement rehabilitation between E 1900 Road and E 2000 Road, and permanent seeding.

Please join the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to learn more about the South Lawrence Trafficway Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

Douglas County is proposing a quarter-cent sales tax that will generate an estimated $4.9 million annually to help finance and maintain a behavioral health recovery campus including a crisis center, supportive housing and prevention programs.

Lawrence, Kan.—The second of two full-scale emergency exercises in recent weeks will take place in Lawrence on Tuesday, Oct. 9. Tuesday’s exercise also will have a transportation-related hazardous materials theme, but this scenario will also focus on a response to a mass casualty incident, which will drive a more involved response, according to Teri Smith, Douglas County’s Director of Emergency Management. 

Is the criminal justice system broken? How have public policy failures resulted in issues that the criminal justice system is being forced to address? Do alternative justice programs really work?  

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces Elmoses Blackwell, 28, of Denver Colorado was sentenced today for his July 31, 2018 plea to aggravated criminal sodomy and two counts of robbery that occurred on May 28, 2017 and on June 7, 2017.  The plea consolidated two cases. 

The Kaw Valley Farm Tour Heritage Sites online tour provides a deeper understanding of the rich agricultural heritage of the area and to showcase historic buildings that were and continue to be part of the cultural fabric of Kansas. This tour is coordinated by the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council and the Douglas County Heritage office which work to ensure the conservation of Douglas County’s natural and cultural resources.

Lone Star Lake will be closed to all boating activities on Friday morning, September 21, until 12:00 noon, and on Saturday, September 22, early morning through the afternoon.  The closure is to due to the CSCAA National Collegiate Open Water Swimming Championship being held at the lake.  All boat ramps will be closed Friday morning and Saturday morning through the finish of all race activities. 

On July 2, 2018, at approximately 9:35 p.m. Lawrence Police Department Sergeant Robert Neff located a vehicle believed to be associated with the report of a double shooting.  The vehicle was traveling eastbound on West 23rd Street.  Sgt. Neff started to follow the vehicle and attempted to make a car stop in the 2100 block of Louisiana Street.  The suspect sped off in the vehicle, ran the vehicle over a fire hydrant, and crashed it into a yard.