Joanna Hlavacek is the K-12 education reporter for the Lawrence Journal-World.
Recent Stories
Plenty in Lawrence to keep kids busy, entertained over spring break
Worried your kid's brain will turn to mush this spring break? School may be out, but fun — and learning — is in, at least at the Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, and the Lawrence Public Library. Here, we've rounded up a few of the camps, workshops and activities being offered locally this week.
Longtime local musician Arnie Johnson, on edge of retirement, looks back on career
Arnie Johnson has been and will always be “a country boy.” Johnson was raised in a family of musicians, first in Salina, and then in Lawrence, where he’s lived since 1952.
Library rides nostalgia wave with launch of Retro Gaming Club
Ian Stepp remembers visiting his aunt’s house as a kid, where he’d play classic games like Duck Hunt and iterations of the Mario Brothers saga on the family’s trusty old Nintendo Entertainment System. Now pushing 30, Stepp is still a fan of the now-classic video games that in recent years have spawned a thriving culture and industry capitalizing on the nostalgia of grownups who coveted Nintendo game systems as kids in the 1980s and 90s.
New Year's Eve guide: Celebrations at The Bottleneck, Jazzhaus among entertainment options
Lawrencians will find no shortage of entertainment this New Year's Eve, from afternoon screenings of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" to The Crumpletons' annual early New Year's show at The Jazzhaus to late-night karaoke and champagne toasts at the Yacht Club.
Dublin-based harpist to return to Lied Center stage for annual Ashley Davis holiday concert
In Ireland, where acclaimed harpist Cormac De Barra grew up, Christmas is a time for families and loved ones to come together. “No matter where you are, you drop everything and make it home for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,” De Barra, an internationally touring musician based primarily in Dublin, says of the holiday tradition he and fellow Irishmen hold dearest.
Local musician looks back on career in advance of band's Kansas Music Hall of Fame induction
In a pinch-me moment of Caribe’s decades-long presence in the Midwest music circuit, the reggae-Latin ensemble played at a party for industry big shots such as the Oakridge Boys and Roy Orbison. It was glamorous, to be sure, founding member Gary Frager recalls now. But for Frager, who went by the stage name Willie Skate in his tenure as the band’s trumpet-trombone-sax player, rubbing elbows with famous musicians wasn’t the point.
Tragic comedy 'for millenials, about millennials' to open at KU Theatre
Think of it as “The Big Chill” for a new generation. That’s how Peter Zazzali, the director of KU Theatre’s upcoming production of “Pooter McGraw is Not Dead Party,” describes the coming-of-age tale set to open Friday at 7:3o p.m. at KU’s Crafton-Preyer Theatre, 1530 Naismith Drive.
Ira Glass on storytelling, the state of journalism today and the runaway success of 'Serial'
Lawrence’s public-radio nerds are in for a treat this weekend. On Saturday, longtime “This American Life” host and producer Ira Glass (the veteran journalist is also the editorial adviser behind the megapopular “Serial” podcast) will stop by the Lied Center to share “Seven Things I’ve Learned.” The multimedia talk, slated for 7:30 p.m., covers more than just seven lessons, however, from a career that spans nearly four decades, several broadcasting accolades and more quirky, poignant and ultimately informative “This American Life” stories than we could possibly mention.
City announces 2016 Phoenix Award winners
The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission has announced the winners of this year’s Phoenix Awards. The awards, now in their 21st year, annually recognize outstanding artistic achievement in the Lawrence community.
In advance of his Lied Center show, a conversation with country crooner Clint Black
On Saturday evening, country singer-songwriter Clint Black will perform under the bright lights of the Lied Center stage, 1600 Stewart Drive. In the weeks leading up to his Lawrence visit, Black shared his thoughts on the current state of country music, among other things, with the Journal-World in an email exchange. (In the interest of preserving his voice for the big show, of course.)
