Join us for a discussion about the history and future of the southwest corner of Dougls County from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Marion Springs Event Center, 316 E. 900 Road in Baldwin City. The center is the old Marion Spring Elementary School, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
The Douglas County Youth Enterpreneurship Challenge will be 9 a.m. to noon Friday, March 1, at Baker University in the Collins Library. The students’ work is judged by local entrepreneurs, teachers and community leaders. This will be the second year for the Douglas County event.
More info: http://bit.ly/2CBBTkH
Douglas County Government’s general and satellite offices will be closed Monday, Jan 21, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Dispatch Center and Criminal Justice Services will be operating. If you have an emergency, please call 911. If you have a non-emergency, call 785-832-7509.
The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) will host a public presentation about the Law Enforcement Contact Study at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, in Flory Meeting Hall at Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St. The presentation is free and open to anyone.
Douglas County has unveiled a new look for the home page of its website: douglascountyks.org.
The center of the home page features the county’s latest news, quick links, popular services, and events and meetings.
Randy Ellis, webmaster, said the goal was to create a home page that's easier to navigate and find information. “We are always working to improve the website and keep information as up-to-date as possible,” Ellis said.
Douglas County Criminal Justice Services began using a new software program, CE Pretrial, in December to notify defendants about upcoming court dates. The system is similar to what many health care providers use to notify clients about appointments.
Clients who have a case in pretrial status receive two notifications through a phone call or text message. The first notification is sent two days before the court hearing, and the second one is sent on the day of the hearing.
Douglas County is seeking applications for the 2019 Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge!
The competition — open to students in grades 6 through 12 — consists of up to 20 teams preparing a written business plan or executive summary, a tradeshow booth, an elevator pitch and final presentation. Students compete for $3,500 in prize money.
The 2019 Legislature faces some very big challenges this year. While state finances are much improved over recent years, there are still significant challenges as the Legislature seeks to fund education as required by state law. At the same time, local governments are forced to make very difficult decisions as a result of the budget lid limitations imposed by the 2015 legislative session.
Mike Gaughan, of Lawrence, has served as Douglas County Commissioner for nearly 10 years, starting April 6, 2009. His last commission meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 9. Gaughan said his proudest achievements as a commissioner include: investment in mental health, establishment of the Sustainability and Energy Savings Reinvestment Fund, foundation of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and opening of the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center.
Here’s what he had to say about these initiatives:
The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council is hosting an information session about the 2019 Natural & Cultural Grant Program. It is for those interested in the conservation of local landmarks and natural areas within Douglas County. The session will be 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, at Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., in Meeting Room B.