As Craig said, “I did a lot of stupid stuff.”

There were outbursts and altercations, antisocial and antagonistic behavior.

But also, depression and panic attacks, family and personal trauma and jail.

He was good at hiding what he was feeling, until he wasn’t. It all became too much for him to handle. He lost his job as a nurse, he lost his home, and eventually he lost his freedom.

“I wasn’t functioning well,” he said. “I was in pretty bad shape psychologically.”

The Douglas County Appraiser’s Office will mail Change of Value notices for real estate properties for the 2025 tax year on Feb. 28. These notices will also include an informational insert about the valuation process, an overall market snapshot of residential and commercial value changes, and the appeal process.

Douglas County District Court and the Douglas County District Attorney's Office are closed today, Feb. 18, due to the winter storm. All other Douglas County government offices are open.

Public Works is accepting applications for the 2025 user-fee dust control program. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 7.

The program consists of applying liquid calcium chloride or magnesium chloride to rock roads typically in front of houses in an effort to reduce dust created by vehicles. Both products consist of a "brine solution" found naturally in various regions of the United States. The products have been found to control dust by attracting moisture from the atmosphere causing dust to clump together.

Douglas County Government buildings and offices and District Court are closed today, Feb. 12, due to the winter storm. The County Commission meeting is also canceled.

We want to thank our public safety and public works staff for their work to keep our community safe.

The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) unanimously adopted a three-year strategic plan during its meeting today, Feb. 11, at the County Courthouse.

The plan outlines four priority areas:

Seventh-grader Daniel Dao and ninth-grader Lawrence Dao, of Lawrence Virtual School, received first place in the 2024-2025 Douglas County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Feb. 7 at the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center. The brothers received a $1,250 check and now qualify for the state competition in April in Manhattan. Their business idea, “Don’t Panic AI Tutors,” offers tutoring and workshops that aim to demystify AI, spark curiosity and equip students with the skills they need for a tech-driven future.

With jury trials scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 3, parking will be significantly limited in the lot south of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center at 111 E. Eleventh St., due to ongoing construction. Potential jurors, attorneys, and anyone with court-related business at the building should plan for extra time to find parking.

A map of public parking in the area is available on the county website. 
 

Douglas County Emergency Management, in partnership with KU Emergency Management and the Topeka National Weather Service, is hosting a severe weather training at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at Capitol Federal Hall, 1654 Naismith Drive, on the University of Kansas campus in Room 1111.

The two-hour workshop will include information about severe thunderstorm development, identification of storm features and safety tips. The free training is open to anyone, and it is being held in conjunction with Severe Weather Preparedness Month.

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.

However, personal property owners are still required to notify the County Appraiser’s Office if there are changes to their personal property. Examples of changes that should be reported include:

• Purchase of new personal property
• Sale of personal property
• Changes in the use
• Changes where the property is stored

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) addition and renovation project, along with the Public Safety Building, has been rescheduled to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. The event will take place on the south lawn of the JLEC, 111 E. Eleventh St.

The event, originally scheduled for Jan. 17, has been postponed in consideration of those impacted by a trial hearing.

The City of Lawrence, Douglas County, eXplore Lawrence and the University of Kansas, along with organizations throughout Douglas County, have established a Unified Command to coordinate preparations for the 2026 World Cup. The Unified Command aims to centralize efforts and streamline the community’s readiness for this major event.