Douglas County is seeking applications for the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, a competition where students pitch their business ideas. The event will be 8:30 a.m.-noon Friday, Feb. 7, at The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, 2920 Haskell Ave., in Lawrence.

Douglas County will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, for the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) addition and renovation project as well as the Public Safety Building. The event will be on the south lawn of the JLEC, 111 E. Eleventh St.

The goal of the largest capital improvement project in the County’s history is to improve security for all users, improve operational efficiency and enhance technology availability.

Renovation of the County Commission meeting room is scheduled to be finished Jan. 13, 2025, just in time for the swearing-in ceremony of elected officials. The renovation project includes fitting the room to accommodate five commissioners and repairing water damage that occurred in October 2022 from a fire sprinkler flood. 

Kansas personal property owners are no longer required to file an annual reporting form, known as a rendition, with the County Appraiser’s Office if there have been no changes.

The Board of County Commissioners will soon consider approval of Kansas Sky Energy Center’s updated stormwater management plan and revised agrivoltaics plans for a commercial-size solar farm north of Lawrence. 

Douglas County and the Kansas Land Trust have partnered to launch the Douglas County Land Protection Program. It is a pilot program to promote and facilitate voluntary, permanent land conservation pathways for private landowners whose land provides significant public benefit in Douglas County. The program will provide funding to cover costs related to developing, establishing and upholding conservation easements, lowering the often-high cost for landowners seeking permanent conservation of their property.

Jennifer Moody and Jennifer Delisle, of the Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, have completed a Native Pasture Survey project that was funded through the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council’s Natural and Cultural Heritage grant program. They received a $38,731 grant in 2022.

With AAA forecasting Thanksgiving travel to exceed pre-pandemic levels, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office encourages travelers to buckle up, use proper child safety seats and avoid impaired and distracted driving.

“We are glad to see people on the roads and hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving holiday,” Sheriff Jay Armbrister said. “The first step is to make sure you are able to reach your destination safely so you can celebrate with family and friends. Stay buckled up, avoid distractions and avoid impaired driving any time you get behind the wheel.”

On the day she celebrated her one-year anniversary of being drug-free, Kayla received some unexpected, good news.

She found out she could move into her own place. Her support team from the Bert Nash Center helped her move in.

Douglas County District Court announces it has received a $1 million federal grant to establish a new specialty Veterans Treatment Court. The money will be disbursed over four years. The program is expected to start next year with the Honorable Amy Hanley as presiding judge.

The mission is to promote public safety by providing an interagency, collaborative, non-adversarial treatment strategy to veterans in the criminal justice system who suffer from mental health and/or substance abuse issues related to their service in the military.

The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is seeking the community’s input through a survey that will be open until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4. The survey aims to gather input on key priorities the CJCC should focus on to improve the criminal legal system.

By participating in the survey, residents will be helping to ensure the CJCC’s strategic plan focuses on the areas that matter most to the community that it serves. All individual responses will remain confidential and will only be shared in aggregate form.

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council is hosting a Barn Fest event Nov. 8-9 in Lecompton where participants will learn about the preservation of historic barns in Douglas County. The event aims to highlight the beauty and stories held within the historic farmsteads of Douglas County and connect and convene property owners, students, contractors and enthusiasts interested in preservation of these places and stories.