The Douglas County Public Works Department is seeking your input on a proposed Vegetation Management Plan. The plan is intended to direct operations that include roadside mowing, park maintenance, revegetation practices, herbicide use and noxious weed control. It will go before the County Commission for approval on March 23.

The phone rings.

A dispatcher in the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center answers, “Douglas County 911. Do you have a police, fire or medical emergency?”

Douglas County offers drop-off recycling for residents who live in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County. Residents can use any of the sites that are available. If the recycling bins are full, please wait until another day to drop off items.

Douglas County Emergency Management is offering “Weather 101” from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in conjunction with Severe Weather Preparedness Month. The educational class will be in Flory Meeting Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St., and it is open to anyone at no cost. It will include information about severe thunderstorm development, identification of storm features and safety tips.

The Douglas County Public Works Department is accepting applications for the user-fee dust control program. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, March 11.

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.