This story idea came from The Wichita Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau. Learn more about it here. This story is also available in Spanish. Read that version here. When an EF-3 tornado touched down in Sedgwick County on April 29, some residents had little time to react — and some didn’t receive warnings they could understand. One […]
Tornado sparks conversation about emergency weather alerts in Spanish
Posted inState Government
With Missouri overdose rates on the rise, federal funds for Narcan dry up
Since 2016, the state of Missouri has relied on a federal grant to help purchase and distribute naloxone, often known as Narcan, a life-saving treatment that can reverse potentially fatal overdoses. That grant has expired, leaving treatment providers without a centralized resource to turn to for the medicine. With no long-term replacement for the same […]
Posted inEducation
William Jewell has two groups doing slavery research. Some say that’s a problem
In front of a large audience at the college’s April 22 Duke Colloquium, history professor Christopher Wilkins said members of the Slavery, Memory and Justice project — which also includes alumni — had hoped the college would endorse their work, amplify it and follow their suggestions on “best practices.”
Posted inLocal Government
In their own words: Public housing residents speak out about Wichita’s plan to sell their homes
In January, the city announced plans to sell its 352 single-family public housing units. About half of those homes are vacant — a casualty of a five-year effort to rethink single-family public housing in Wichita and a lack of funding to keep them habitable. But the other half have tenants in them — with families, children, […]
Posted inHealth
Residents explore KC air sensor program at community forum
On a recent Saturday morning, Kansas City residents gathered with local organizations to learn how to monitor air quality in the city’s Troost Avenue corridor. Hosted by KC Digital Drive at the Lucile H. Bluford Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, the event aimed to inform community members about how they can participate in […]
Posted inKansas State Government
Here’s what happened during the Kansas Legislature’s veto session. But lawmakers aren’t done yet.
Lawmakers returned to the Kansas Statehouse on Monday with a lengthy to-do list: seven vetoes from Gov. Laura Kelly, school funding and several high-profile bills left unresolved when they departed for spring break earlier in April. They wrapped up many of the matters in four days. But there’s still more to be done. On May […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government
How to request public records in Wichita and Sedgwick County
Journalists often request public records as part of their jobs, but anyone can do it. Court records. Government salary databases. Policies. Reports. Budgets. All that information and more can be requested by the public. In Kansas, public records can be requested under the Kansas Open Records Act. All records of public government bodies within the […]
Posted inEducation
College. Work. Starting a business. KC grads with disabilities have options
Kim Riley, founder of the Transition Academy, said it’s not unusual for people with disabilities and their families to be confused about choices after high school. The nonprofit connects people with services for a variety of situations that could affect access to jobs and school, including physical disabilities, neurodivergence and intellectual disabilities.
Posted inState Government
Picture looks brighter for better starting teacher pay, school transportation as Missouri legislators wrangle over budget
Update (May 4, 2022): The joint committee responsible for finalizing Missouri’s 2023 budget passed both proposals. With just weeks to go until the Missouri legislature must approve the state’s budget, the outcome looks brighter for teachers and school districts. A joint committee of House and Senate members took another step toward finalizing the Fiscal Year […]
Posted inLocal Government
Small businesses were ineligible for Wichita small-business grants. That confused a lot of people.
Jessie Gray’s business plan always included building a stage. The troupes that frequent Gray’s improv studio, the Flying Pig on East Douglas Avenue, give performances to sold-out crowds on a flat surface. When Gray opened in 2019, she estimated that by 2022 she would have the funds for a stage and lights. COVID changed that. […]