Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that abortions are banned in Missouri, regardless of the length of pregnancy, because of a “trigger law” passed on June 24. A previous version of this story stated that abortions were banned in Missouri after 8 weeks of gestation. That part of HB 126, which included […]
Missouri’s new abortion law: no exceptions for rape, incest, and doctors may face charges
Posted inLocal Government
Here’s what the community-led search committee is looking for in a new Wichita police chief
Editor’s note: Faith Martin and Harvey Sorensen are donors to The Wichita Beacon. Michael Birzer is a member of The Wichita Beacon’s Community Advisory Board. View a list of our financial supporters here. As the Wichita Police Department reels from a scandal regarding racist text messages sent by Wichita police officers and faces a lawsuit […]
Posted inEducation, How To
Universal free school lunch is gone in USD 259, but here’s how to find out if you still qualify
Before the pandemic, Wichita schools operated under a system that allowed parents to apply for free or reduced-cost meals. USD 259 will be using this same system once again, but this time it’s only for lunches.
Posted inEducation
Local students receive community college scholarships through Kansas Promise
When Melissa Farrar enrolled in WSU Tech’s nursing program, she paid for her first semester out of pocket. Then she heard other students talk about the Kansas Promise Scholarship, which offers free community or technical college to students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields. Through this scholarship, Farrar’s past two semesters have been paid in full. […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
‘We need more time’: Advocates want more Medicaid postpartum health care for Missouri moms
Missouri ranked 44th nationwide for its maternal mortality rate in 2019. And Black mothers in the state are four times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related issues, higher than the nationwide average. Yet Missouri is not among the many states that are seeking to take advantage of an offer from the federal […]
Posted inHousing, Local Government
Wichita allocates additional $100K to fund demolition of dangerous and dilapidated properties
To pay for more demolitions of blighted houses in the next year, the Wichita City Council added $100,000 to the 2022 building and construction department budget on June 14. The city condemns and demolishes vacant residential properties that it considers unsafe — for example, fire-damaged homes, residences with falling-in porches and unsecured houses. To reduce a […]
Posted inState Government, Uncategorized
Kansas has $56 million to help homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage following pandemic
A new $56.6 million statewide program funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act aims to help homeowners who are struggling financially due to the pandemic.
Posted inEnvironment
Foxes, possums and deer, oh my! KC experts advise how to live with street critters this breeding season
The Kansas City area is home to more than 2 million people, driving to work, tending to lawns and gardens and enjoying parks and green spaces. As the region grows, so does the population of urban wildlife in KC that simultaneously thrives on cohabitation with human beings while also facing shrinking habitat. Under patios, in […]
Posted inEnvironment
How climate change affects tornado season — and how it doesn’t
“Especially here, there’s so much variability from year to year to what causes our weather,” Bowman said. “I don’t think you can draw any kind of conclusion on any one, two or three years. You have to look at a multi-decade study.”
Posted inWichitans You Should Know
Armando Minjárez hopes to highlight the humanity of Wichita’s immigrants
Armando Minjárez was once an undocumented immigrant, a status that put him on a path to both art and activism. The multidisciplinary artist and organizer moved to Wichita in 2012 to co-found the grassroots organization The Seed House/Casa de la Semilla. But he is best known for directing Horizontes, the public-art and documentary project that […]