Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence is temporarily closed today, May 20, in front of the historic Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts Street, to repair an aging waterline. The closure extends from 11th Street to W North Park Street.

Douglas County is working with the City of Lawrence and has hired a contractor to complete the repairs. Efforts are being made to minimize disruption to traffic. After the workday, crews will place street plates so at least one lane each way can reopen overnight. The project is expected to take about 5-7 days to complete, weather permitting.

Kanwaka Township Road Superintendent Jeff Skinner was recognized Tuesday evening for his swift, decisive actions in helping to extinguish and contain a large grass fire on March 14 amid near hurricane-force winds.

Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1 presented Skinner with a plaque at the beginning of the Kanwaka Township Board meeting, commending his proactive response.

Five community events will receive a total of $24,000 in funding from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council’s new Heritage Events and Celebration Fund program. 

The recipients and award amounts are:

Douglas County and the City of Lawrence, in partnership with the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, have launched a public dashboard displaying data on homelessness in Douglas County. The tool, updated monthly, offers real-time insights for those working on the community’s five-year strategic plan to end chronic homelessness, A Place for Everyone. The dashboard is available at dgcoks.gov/aplaceforeveryone.

On May 1, the Douglas County Appraiser’s Office will mail 6,600 Change of Value notices for personal property for the 2025 tax year. These notices will include appraised and assessed value information for property such as mobile homes, commercial machinery and equipment, off-road motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, worksite utility vehicles, race cars, camping trailers and watercraft.  
 
Personal property owners should notify the Appraiser’s Office if there are any changes such as:

Douglas County Public Works is set to launch two projects on Monday, April 21, resulting in road closures within the county.

Weather permitting, North 1100 Road will be closed between East 1600 and East 1700 Road for a bridge repair project. This work is expected to take approximately four weeks to complete.

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council announces the recipients of the 2025 Natural and Cultural Heritage grant program after receiving approval from the Board of County Commissioners on April 16. A total of $210,000 was awarded to 12 projects.  

The projects are expected to be completed within two years.

The Board of County Commissioners declared a state of local disaster emergency for Douglas County on Wednesday, April 16, due to two large grassfires that are currently under control and contained. The declaration provides access to state resources.

Douglas County will celebrate National County Government Month with Discovery Day, a community event from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, in the Open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 21st and Harper Streets.

This family-friendly event will highlight vital services and programs that support the community while recognizing the dedication of county employees.

Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinator Katy Fitzgerald touted the county’s local competency restoration program, work with community mental health providers to improve assessments for clients on probation and planning with the Justice Management Institute as recent highlights for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. 

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) has launched a new Heritage Events and Celebrations Fund program to help support community organizations that host annual events in Douglas County that celebrate, honor and uplift the county’s diverse cultural heritage. Organizations may request up to $10,000 in funding, with a total of $20,000 available in 2025. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, April 11.

Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, with assistance from the Kansas State Fire Marshal, has determined that an ember from an old, unattended campfire sparked the approximately 200-acre fire in Douglas County on Friday, March 14, and has classified it as accidental.