Douglas County

Law enforcement officials say arresting homeless people for minor crimes like trespassing and vandalism will not help reduce homelessness. Experts say it will cost a lot of tax dollars and actually makes homelessness worse.

Fall is mating season for deer, which often causes them to cross busy streets and stand in roads. "One wreck can alter numerous lives, especially if you're not prepared, or not ready, or if you're just flat not paying attention," notes one county sheriff.

Tim Tinnin and three other officers were placed on paid leave in 2022 during an investigation over alleged misappropriation of funds within the Overland Park Police Officers’ Foundation they led. Now Tinnin is a deputy in the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is working with local mental health providers to cut down the state’s notoriously long wait times to provide services to inmates declared incompetent to stand trial.

Lawrence, Kansas, will defy the state’s new requirement to force people to use gender-specific areas, such as restrooms, that don't align with their gender identity. The unanimous vote comes just a few months after the Kansas City Council made a similar declaration.

Johnson and Douglas counties approved regulations allowing the construction of what would be the largest utility-scale solar farm in Kansas. But while residents say they support green energy, there's a vocal contingent pushing back against building 2,000 acres of panels so close to their communities.

The Haskell Indian Nations University campus in Lawrence has been closed for almost two years, and students are restless. In a letter, the Student Government Association urged administrators to open campus buildings and resume in-person classes.

In Kansas, voter registration groups are suing to stop a new elections law. Some organizations have stopped doing voter drives for fear of charges being filed against their volunteers.

As Missouri and Kansas move through the phases of their vaccine distribution plans, local counties are allowing residents to sign up to be notified when they're eligible.

University of Kansas officials are worried about how students will be spending the holidays at home after COVID-19 cases rose by nearly 5% after Halloween.

Protesters say the recent social justice protests may have reignited the push for a new trial, but their support of Albert Wilson has never wavered.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health called it an "evolving situation," and has been doing contact tracing as the university began a new semester this week.