Kansas
Site of bloody 1863 massacre named most peaceful place in Kansas
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A city with a violent past is now considered the most peaceful place in Kansas by users of the travel website TripAdvisor.
The northeast Kansas community of Lawrence was the Sunflower State’s representative on a list the travel website thetravel.com published this past summer identifying the most peaceful sites in each state.
“Whether you fancy the midnight-lit stillness of a shimmering lake, the distant calls of wildlife in an untouched wilderness, or the calming experience of strolling through a beautiful downtown, these places transport you to a meditative state and offer more than just stunning scenery,” the article said. “According to travelers on TripAdvisor, these are the most peaceful places in every U.S. state.”
What makes Lawrence so peaceful?
Lawrence, which the U.S. census showed had a population of about 95,000 in 2020, “is a beautiful college town in Kansas, between the Kansas and Wakarusa rivers,” said thetravel.com.
It said the city’s “storied past” includes its’ having played a central role in the “Bleeding Kansas” conflict over slavery in the 1850s, then being the site of a massacre in 1863 during the Civil War in which between 150 and 200 men and boys were killed.
Today, Lawrence is home to a lively downtown and offers beautiful natural scenery, with an abundance of wildlife, said thetravel.com.
“Clinton State Park boasts numerous hiking trails and is the perfect place to relax, while the Baker University Wetlands is perfect for a peaceful stroll through one of the most diverse habitats in Kansas,” it said.
Those wetlands, toward the city’s southern end, were formerly the subject of a 20-year battle over whether the Kansas Department of Transportation would be allowed to build a highway through them.
That dispute ended in 2012 with the approval by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals of a plan that took only 56 acres of that 573-acre area for the project while arranging for the Kansas Department of Transportation to provide about $9 million in an endowment fund to manage the wetlands.
What other places made the ‘most peaceful’ list?
The following 49 other sites were on the “most peaceful” list published by thetravel.com.
- Dauphin Island, Alabama.
- Homer, Alaska.
- Sedona, Arizona.
- Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
- Cohasset, California.
- Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Litchfield County, Connecticut.
- Brandywine Valley, Delaware.
- St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Savannah, Georgia.
- Kailua, Hawaii.
- Moscow, Idaho.
- Galena, Illinois.
- Miller Beach, Indiana.
- Decorah, Iowa.
- Frankfort, Kentucky.
- Covington, Louisiana.
- Baxter State Park, Maine.
- Frederick, Maryland.
- Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan.
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota.
- Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi.
- St. Francois Mountains, Missouri.
- Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Montana.
- Cowboy Trail, Nebraska.
- Baker, Nevada.
- North Conway, New Hampshire.
- Red Bank, New Jersey.
- Taos, New Mexico.
- Forest Lawn, New York.
- Lake Toxaway, North Carolina.
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota.
- Hocking Hills, Ohio.
- Talimena State Park, Oklahoma.
- Wallowa Lake, Oregon.
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
- Providence, Rhode Island.
- Beaufort, South Carolina.
- Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
- Franklin, Tennessee.
- Wimberley, Texas.
- Moab, Utah.
- Stowe, Vermont.
- Shenandoah, Virginia.
- Orcas Island, Washington.
- Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia.
- Schoolhouse Beach Park, Wisconsin.
- Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department of Agriculture held a meeting on Thursday to discuss proposed rules regarding the Kansas Water Appropriation Act.
The Division of Water Resources is proposing new regulations and changes to current regulations under the law.
The division is looking at amending or revoking regulations related to flowmeters tracking water usage.
It is also proposing changes to groundwater usage rules on how far you can move a well from its original location to prevent harming the water rights of other landowners.
Another regulation would create voluntary Water Conservation Areas, where landowners work with the division to establish water conservation plans on their properties.
Some of the concerns raised at Thursday’s meeting dealt with property rights and the transfer of land to new owners. Some expressed concern about the sale of water rights to other landowners in the area.
There is no listed timeline for when the changes could be made.
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.
On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.
It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.
The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.
The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.
From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.
Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.
“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.
According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.
Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.
Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.
He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.
“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.
The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.
KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.
While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.
A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.
Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.
KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.
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