Women in Douglas County who have been incarcerated or under supervision in the criminal justice system are now eligible for free technology education through a partnership with the University of Kansas, Douglas County Criminal Justice Services and Douglas County Court Services.

Running means a lot to Rebecca Sudja. You can tell by how far she runs – completing a 100-miler in October 2020 in the Flint Hills and more than 80 miles earlier this month in Arkansas.

For the Re-Entry Case Manager at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, running means a chance to escape and think about what’s happening in her job, with her family or the events of her day. It has also meant connecting with a strong group of friends who are committed and support each other.

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.