It is easy to predict that the economic tally for Lawrence in 2020 won’t be pretty. It also is a good bet that the final analysis will show the 2020 downturn was fueled, in part, by tough times in the city’s rental market, as the pandemic caused hundreds — if not thousands — of students to decide they don’t need a local apartment to attend online classes. But a new set of federal numbers suggest both Lawrence and its rental market were suffering before the pandemic even began. New federal statistics that measure the economy of every county in the U.S. show Douglas County’s economy in 2019 shrank, and the real estate industry was a major reason why.
Source: LJWorld.com.

The Kaw Nation has asked the city of Lawrence to return a sacred prayer rock that was removed from the tribe’s homelands and made into a monument honoring settlers. A letter from the Kaw Nation to the city states that Kaw citizens overwhelmingly voted in favor of returning Iⁿ ‘zhúje ‘waxóbe, or the “Big Red Rock,” to the tribe at the Kaw Nation General Council meeting in October. The letter, signed by Kaw Nation Chairwoman Lynn Williams, says that the tribe’s stewardship of the rock and its significance as a spiritual item of prayer is well documented.
Source: LJWorld.com.

The City of Lawrence will be using public kiosks to survey residents about systemic racism throughout the month of December. As the Journal-World previously reported, the city is seeking residents’ input about systemic racism to help inform potentially fundamental changes in policing and other city functions. The city’s Human Relations Commission has partnered with the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research to gather input from residents about systemic racism and its effects on safety, health, education, economic development and housing, according to a news release from the city. The commission has worked with KU to write 10 statements, and residents will be asked whether they agree or disagree with the statements as part of the survey.
Source: LJWorld.com.

Vaccinations for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could begin as early as next week in Sedgwick County, but it’s likely you’ll have to wait a while for your shots if you don’t fall into the highest-risk group, a county official reported Tuesday. Some early doses will go straight to Wichita’s two main hospital systems — Wesley and Ascension Via Christi — to vaccinate the nurses, doctors and other medical personnel who are providing direct treatment to COVID-19 patients, Deputy County Manager Tim Kaufman told the County Commission at a staff meeting Tuesday. Other doses will be sent directly to commercial pharmacies contracted to distribute to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where the risk of COVID-19 clusters has been the highest, Kaufman said. The elderly are especially susceptible to dying of COVID-19 if they get it.
Source: Wichita Eagle.