Lawrence

• City Manager Craig Owens attended his final meeting, highlighting progress in infrastructure, wages, and the Downtown Master Plan before transitioning to a consulting role. →
• Assistant City Manager Casey Toomay was named acting city manager while the commission aims to hire a permanent replacement by the end of May. →
• The City Commission is considering a proposal to hold a dedicated 45-minute public comment period at 5 p.m. to improve meeting efficiency and public engagement. →
• Lawrence officials detailed plans for $1.15 million in federal funds, with significant portions earmarked for homeowner repair programs and affordable housing agencies. →
• City leaders will advocate for the Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act during an upcoming delegation trip to Washington, D.C. to secure infrastructure support. →
• A 25-year-old Lawrence man was charged with first-degree murder Monday in the death of his grandmother. →
• The Kansas Board of Regents unanimously approved a landmark three-year union contract for University of Kansas faculty and academic staff after nearly two years of negotiations. The deal establishes the first formal labor agreement for the university’s academic workforce. →
• As the Masonic Temple transition begins, preservationists are searching for a new location for the building's historic organ and theatrical backdrops. →
• Expect a breezy but pleasant day in Lawrence with partly sunny skies, a high near 77, and south winds gusting up to 30 mph.

🌾 Kansas

• Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that Kansas is awarding $18.9 million to fund 53 airport development projects across the state through the Kansas Airport Improvement Program. →

• The United Kansas Party and the Free State Party announced Tuesday they are merging to field candidates under the United Kansas name and draw support from voters dissatisfied with both major parties. →

• PBS Kansas is mourning broadcast engineer Ivy Unruh, 25, who died Monday from a gunshot wound sustained Friday outside her northeast Wichita apartment, with her estranged husband charged with first-degree murder. →

• The University of Kansas has posted mixed results in recent national and international college rankings, with continued declines in global assessments even as its standing in U.S. News & World Report improved this year. →

• Thirteen Kansas student teams won state championships at the Kansas KidWind State Finals on April 11 and will advance to the World KidWind Challenge in Madison, Wisconsin, in May. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Trump extended the U.S. cease-fire with Iran with no set end date, hours before two ships came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz. →

• The U.S. has expended at least 45 percent of key missile stockpiles during seven weeks of war with Iran, creating a near-term ammunition risk in future conflicts, according to Pentagon officials and a CSIS analysis. →

• Two U.S. embassy officials killed in a Sunday car crash in northern Mexico were CIA officers operating as part of expanded counternarcotics operations, according to two people familiar with the matter. →

• House Republicans are seeking FBI briefings on at least 10 deaths or disappearances among U.S. nuclear and aerospace scientists since 2022 to determine whether the cases pose a national security concern. →

• Private trade schools are charging tuition bills reaching tens of thousands of dollars as demand for blue-collar training surges and free community college and union apprenticeship programs fill up. →

Weather

APRIL 22, 1889: OKLAHOMA LAND RUSH BEGINS

At noon, an estimated 50,000 “Boomers” raced into formerly Indian Territory to claim 1.9 million acres the U.S. government had opened to white settlement. The chaotic rush, marred by fraud from early-arriving “Sooners,” marked a key moment in the transfer of Native-held lands into white ownership. They were called “Sooners” because they slipped into the territory sooner than the legal start time to grab prime claims—a nickname later embraced by the University of Oklahoma for its athletic teams and identity.

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: