Growing Common Ground to New Heights
In 2017, when the Douglas County Food System Plan (FSP) was first adopted, Common Ground, the City of Lawrence’s urban gardening and farming program, was already an established and robust effort.
Dining Out on “Purposeful Plates”
In early 2019, members of the Douglas County Food Policy Council (DCFPC) Goal 5 working group, which focuses on eliminating food waste through reduction, recovery, and diversion, partnered with Dr. Susan Harvey from The University of Kansas...
Topeka man sentenced to prison for DUI crash that injured passenger
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Matthew David Zaitz, 34, of Topeka, was sentenced Friday to 52 months in prison for a 2020 crash that seriously injured his passenger.
De Soto Man Receives Hard 25 Life Sentence for Aggravated Sodomy of a Child
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Kenneth W. Mills, 36, of De Soto, was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole for 25 years for criminal sodomy of a three- to four-year-old at the time of offense.
In August, a jury convicted Mills of engaging in sexual contact with a female child who was under his care and residing in his Lawrence home in 2010 and 2011.
Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve
Ivan Boyd was a resident of the town of Baldwin, and was a member of the faculty of Baker University for many years. He was an ardent naturalist and conservationist, and, in rain and snow, could often be seen walking through the countryside he loved so well -- and doing so at an age when in the happy autumn of his life. He was particularly fond of children and is beloved by generations of those whom he introduced to the wonders of nature. At his death, nothing seemed more fitting that to dedicate to his memory a tract of the native prairie that few knew or loved so well as he.
Lawrence person convicted in 2014 sexual battery case
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that a jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of aggravated sexual battery against Axel R. Bordelon, 30, of Lawrence, for a 2014 case involving a then-19-year-old University of Kansas student.
Charges stemmed from two incidents in 2014. The first incident occurred in July of 2014 and the second occurred in November of 2014.
Lawrence man convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against Brandon A. Seepersad, 26, of Lawrence.
Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred shortly before midnight on March 27, 2021 when Seepersad pointed a loaded gun at a tow truck driver who was authorized to tow unpermitted cars from an apartment complex located at 1000 Emery Road in Lawrence. At the time of the incident, the tow truck driver had been in the process of loading Seepersad’s vehicle for towing.
Ottawa man sentenced in rape of 13-year-old Lawrence girl
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Ernest F. Ingram II, 22, of Ottawa, was sentenced to 253 months in prison for raping a 13-year-old Lawrence girl in 2021 and six months for furnishing alcohol to the minor for illicit purposes.
Judge Amy Hanley sentenced Ingram, who accepted a plea agreement in December, to the Kansas Department of Corrections for both convictions that are to be served consecutively. Ingram will be subject to lifetime post-release supervision and must register as a lifetime sex offender.
Lawrence man pleads guilty in fatal 2022 New Year’s Day drunk driving crash
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Adrian J. Martinez, 39, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence and aggravated battery while under the influence for causing the 2022 New Year’s Day crash that killed a 20-year-old Lawrence man.
KU Legal Aid Clinic, Douglas County DA's Office and Lawrence Public Library to host criminal record expungement clinic
The University of Kansas School of Law’s Legal Aid Clinic will host a Clean Slate Criminal Record Expungement Clinic this spring in partnership with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office and the Lawrence Public Library. The clinic will take place in person from noon to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont St.