For the past 30 plus years, Richard (Rich) Failla has made the mental health field his life’s work. He will bring that wealth of experience to his new role as executive director of the Treatment & Recovery Center, which is part of the Treatment and Recovery Campus of Douglas County.

Behavioral Health Partners, Inc., a nonprofit partnership between the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and LMH Health, announced the hiring of Failla. He will begin his new duties later this month.

Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew announces election and other operations will relocate this summer from the first floor of the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Lawrence to leased space in The Malls Shopping Center on the southwest corner of 23rd and Louisiana streets. The new location is the former site of Epic Fun, 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1, which is next to Rent-A-Center. The location is 8,510 square feet and will provide more space, parking and accessibility for staff, poll workers and voters.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that District Judge Amy Hanley approved a settlement of a habeas corpus case filed by Sarah Gonzales-McLinn. As a result, Judge Hanley resentenced Gonzales-McLinn to a hard 25 years in state prison.

Gonzales-McLinn was convicted in 2015 of first-degree murder in the 2014 killing of local business owner Harold “Hal” Sasko and received a “hard 50” sentence.

The District Attorney’s Office wants to notify the public that Douglas County traffic court is again being held at 8:15 a.m. every Friday.

Traffic court had been on hold since March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because there is confusion regarding the reopening of traffic court, the DA’s Office is not currently requesting that the court issue driver’s license suspensions or warrants for failing to appear. The ultimate decision, however, rests with the court.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health through the local health officers will recommend that the Douglas County Commission remove a current local public health order that includes a mask mandate, but LDCPH still recommends residents take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. Douglas County Commissioners will consider the recommendation as part of their 5:30 p.m.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Johnathon L. West, 43, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Jennifer Mosby, 41, of Lawrence.

West shot Mosby in the back of the head on Jan. 24, 2021, while the defendant was under the influence of the mind-altering drug PCP. The victim’s body was found in her residence after Lawrence Police received information from the Topeka Police Department, which was interviewing West in an unrelated investigation.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of Rape, a Severity Level 1 Person Felony, against Erick Ogwangi, 36, of Lawrence.

Charges stemmed from an incident early Jan. 27, 2017, in which Ogwangi forced himself on a woman who was staying in his home. He was convicted for assaulting the woman under circumstances when she was overcome by force or fear.

Kenneth Reed had hit rock bottom. After nearly a lifetime of struggling with drug addiction and serving time in and out of state prison and county jail, he was again facing charges – this time for possession of methamphetamine.

“I was done. I was in total despair. I was sitting in jail wanting to die. I didn’t want to live the way that I was living,” he said of the time after his arrest on Sept. 20, 2019.

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council announces the recipients of the 2021 Natural & Cultural Heritage grant program after receiving approval from the Board of County Commissioners on May 5. A total of $200,000 was awarded to 13 projects.

For Douglas County property owners whose property includes a historic barn but who are unsure whether it’s worth saving or how to approach repairing it, there’s an opportunity to receive a barn assessment grant through the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council. The Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) will hire a professional who has evaluated barns across Kansas and who has worked in collaboration with the Kansas Barn Alliance. The grants will cover the cost of the structural assessments and the reports will provide a scope of work needed for rehabilitation.

The Lawrence Humane Society is proposing changes to the Animal Control Codes of Douglas County which would apply to residents who reside in the unincorporated areas of the county. The nonprofit agency is seeking feedback from the public about the proposed changes.

Both the City of Lawrence and Douglas County announced today (April 19) that they recently joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership. The honor was bestowed in recognition of both organization’s commitments to using green power.