Good morning, Lawrence.

Kansas veteran Robert Webb served over 30 years with the Kansas Air Guard — retiring as a lieutenant colonel — and will soon mark 30 years as a licensed funeral director in Topeka.

He remains active in Silver Lake and holds life memberships in veteran groups.

Music fans in Lawrence are invited to Audio-Reader’s Audio Sale on Sept.

13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the west side of the Lawrence Public Library—where over 50 pieces of audio equipment, vinyl records and cassette tapes will be sold to support Audio-Reader’s mission.

Award-winning journalist Bill Kurtis returns home to Lawrence to speak at Maceli's on Sept.

18 at 7:30 p.m.—he will launch his new book Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News and share stories from his long career. Tickets include a copy of the book and are available through Kansas Public Radio.

Three University of Kansas students were selected for Fulbright awards for the 2025-2026 academic year – Nick Caterine will teach in Spain, Levi Van Ryder will conduct nuclear physics research in the Czech Republic and Julia Cummings was named an alternate for a position in Croatia.

Six Lawrence-area high school seniors have qualified as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists after scoring high on the PSAT test, an honor achieved by less than 1% of students nationwide—finalists will be chosen later through an application process to compete for scholarships in the spring.

The University of Kansas debate team began its season on Sept.

5–8 at the Owen L. Coon Memorial Debate Tournament in Evanston, Illinois — where three teams finished in the top 10 and several advanced in elimination rounds — and they will next compete at a tournament at Missouri State University later this month.

Douglas County’s Land Protection Program is working with Kansas Land Trust to explore permanently conserving urban agricultural land—this research may provide new opportunities for local farms and add to the county’s ongoing conservation projects.

The program has received 16 inquiries and eight eligible applications from landowners, with several projects scheduled to complete by November.

The City of Lawrence Planning & Development Services has introduced two enhancements to its inspection process — Video Recorded Inspections let contractors record and submit inspections while moving on to other projects, and SelecTXT offers a texting option to schedule inspections that will be available in October. Contractors will still schedule VRI inspections through the Enterprise Permitting & Licensing software.

The City of Lawrence raised the hotel tax from 6% to 8% on rooms and short term rentals to fund World Cup events—approval came from a unanimous City Commission vote Tuesday—and the tax will take effect January 1 pending a 60-day referendum period.

A recent Instacart report shows Kansas customers ordered 43% more pumpkin spice items than average and ranked the state 8th nationwide, with orders peaking on September 17 (a full 10 days earlier than in 2023) and spiking again in late November (likely boosted by Thanksgiving).

Vegetarian Lasagne & Wine Experience

4:30-9 p.m. — Pane e Vino Wine Bar & Academy — Reservations recommended — Savor layers of homemade vegetarian lasagne paired with exquisite wine flights in a delightful pop-up dining experience.

Kanimecon Lawrence - Anime & Game Fest

9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Douglas County Fairgrounds — Registration Required — Celebrate anime, tabletop games, and video games at this fan-run festival in Lawrence.

Pasta Night: Pesto alla Trapanese

4:30-9 p.m. — Pane e Vino Wine Bar & Academy — Reservations required for dinner — Savor house-made pasta with classic Sicilian pesto served on linguine.

Mdou Moctar Concert

7-9:30 p.m. — The Bottleneck — Cost not mentioned — Experience the unique sounds of Mdou Moctar in an intimate venue setting.

James Koan III Live Concert

7-9:30 p.m. — Studio 901 House Concert Series — Cost Info Not Provided — Experience a soulful evening with James Koan III's intimate live performance.

David Luther Live at The Oread Hotel

6-10 p.m. — The Oread Hotel — Cost info not provided — Enjoy an intimate solo acoustic performance in the historic Oread Hotel.

Orchard Nights Volunteer Experience

5:30-7:30 p.m. — Lawrence Community Orchard — Free entry — Discover and taste a variety of fruits while volunteering at the orchard.

Pasta Night: Pappardelle al Cinghiale

4:30-9 p.m. — Pane e Vino Wine Bar & Academy — Reservations required for dinner — Indulge in house-made pappardelle with authentic Tuscan wild boar ragú.

Alestorm Concert

7-8:30 p.m. — The Granada — $65-$225 — Celebrate the spirit of pirate metal with a lively performance from Alestorm.

Cider Gallery Event

1-8 p.m. — Cider Gallery — Free entry — Explore a versatile event space perfect for social gatherings and artistic showcases.