As Wichita nears the end of winter, many people are past thinking about cold air and bitter wind. For April Holt, it’s all she thinks about — stressing about those without homes to take cover in. Holt has amassed an online following in Wichita with her social media posts about the people she meets on […]
How Wichita homeless advocate April Holt builds trust
Posted inState Government
Child restraints, no-knock warrants, survivor benefits: Kansas criminal justice reform bills to watch
Legislators introduced several bills in the opening weeks of the legislative session that would bring reform to the Kansas criminal justice system, such as prohibiting the use of restraints on children in hearings and setting a new standard for search warrants. The 2022 legislative session opened on Jan. 10. The Wichita Beacon is highlighting several […]
Posted inWatchdog
Wichita police, Sedgwick sheriff’s office closed nearly 500 misconduct complaints in 2021
A clogged toilet. Gossip. A race-based traffic stop. Excessive force. These are some of the nearly 500 complaints the internal affairs bureaus at the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office closed in 2021. In about a third of the cases, the agencies sustained the complaints, according to an analysis by The Wichita Beacon. Wichita […]
Posted inEducation
What’s next after MO House approves millions in COVID funds for KC-area schools
School districts are eager to receive federal funding because it affects their planning, such as for summer programming, and is directed toward COVID-19-related needs such as making up for pandemic learning loss and improving air quality.
Posted inHealth
Tracking COVID relief spending in Wyandotte County: How $37.3 million was spent
Audio-Reader · TheBeacon 2-15-22: Tracking COVID Relief Spending In Wyandotte As part of a new series, The Kansas City Beacon is following how millions of dollars of coronavirus relief funding was spent in the area. Last month, we explored how Kansas City, Missouri, spent $31 million in government aid through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘It’s an equity issue’: Wichita has no plan for its 84 miles of unpaved roads
The streets of the Orchard Breeze neighborhood are where Dan Warren grew up. They’re where he rode his bike growing up. Where he tossed the morning news into driveways on his paper route. Warren, 67, still lives on the streets of the west Wichita neighborhood. But instead of loving those streets, he fears them — and […]
Posted inLea en Español, Local Government
‘Es un problema de equidad’: Wichita no tiene un plan para sus 84 millas de caminos sin pavimentar
Las calles del vecindario de Orchard Breeze son donde creció Dan Warren. En esas calles montaba su bicicleta mientras crecía. Donde tiraba el periodico con las noticias de la mañana. Warren, de 67 años, todavía vive en las calles del vecindario oeste de Wichita. Pero en lugar de amar esas calles, las teme y teme […]
Posted inEconomics
Shocked by your natural gas bill? Thank last year’s winter storm.
If you live in Kansas City, Missouri, chances are your wallet just got hit with the impact of last year’s winter storm. While Kansas Citians haven’t faced widespread power outages this winter, natural gas providers are working to regain profit they lost during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. The sustained cold temperatures caused demand […]
Posted inCivic Engagement
The Beacon is hiring: Paid positions involve working with community
How well does local news serve you and your community? What information sources do you trust, and why? What do you wish people understood about your life and your community? We want to know. The Wichita Beacon wants to learn how people in Wichita get the news and information they need. We’re hiring Community Representatives […]
Posted inKansas State Government, Watchdog
Child restraints, no-knock warrants, survivor benefits: Kansas justice reform bills to watch
Kansas legislators introduced several bills in the opening weeks of the legislative session that would bring reform to the state’s criminal justice system, such as prohibiting the use of restraints on children in hearings and setting a new standard for search warrants. The 2022 legislative session opened on Jan. 10. The Wichita Beacon is highlighting […]