Lawrence now has its own teenage environmental advocate calling for action to address climate change. But unlike Greta Thunberg — the Swedish girl who has traveled around the world to spread awareness about the dangers of global warming — Morgan Orozco, 16, said she was focused on her immediate community. Read more: LJWorld.com.

The majority of Manhattan City Commission wants ban vaping in public parks, but commissioners are divided on whether to allow vaping in current and future e-cigarette shops. Commissioners provided feedback Tuesday on signage, fines and their overall thoughts about vaping and smoking to Jared Wasinger, assistant to the city manager, as administrators seek to combine the e-cigarette and cigarette ordinances. Read more: The Mercury.

On Oct. 8, the Park City council unanimously approved Marlo Rugg as the new city clerk. She is a Park City resident and was already a city employee. Rugg has served as the city's payroll and benefits clerk since May of 2017. Before that, she was the city clerk in Kiowa for nearly a decade. She is certified as a Kansas municipal clerk. "She has been a tremendous asset to the city and a valued member of the staff," said City Administrator Sean Fox. "We're very confident that she will continue to make a positive impact in her new role." Read [...]

Don’t expect Lawrence’s real estate market to regain its bounce in 2020, a Wichita State economist told Lawrence Realtors on Thursday. A slight decline is more likely for the number of home sales next year. Stanley Longhofer, director of the WSU Center for Real Estate, is forecasting that home sales in 2020 will be down about 3.5% from this year’s totals. Longhofer is projecting 2019 will finish with home sales off by 3.4% from 2018 totals. All told, Longhofer is expecting Lawrence home sales to hit their lowest levels since 2015. Read more: LJWorld.com.