Robert Petrie takes pride in his job. The 38-year-old started working as a Walmart cart attendant in Sedalia, Missouri, nearly two years ago. He made the move when he said his old job with McDonald’s wasn’t challenging enough anymore – the same reason he decided to move on from the job he held before that. […]
Sheltered workshop or community jobs? Inside Missouri’s debate over disabled adults in the workforce
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
Kansas lawmakers file bills about transgender athletes, remote learning, vaccines and parents’ rights
Proposals also include back-to-school tax holidays and benefits for retired teachers.
Posted inLocal Government
A neighborly solution to Wichita’s problems with bulky waste, inoperable cars and too-tall grass
Chelsea Lee’s home had never received a nuisance citation from the city of Wichita before last year. But 2021 was rough for her. First, she spent a week in the hospital in critical condition with a liver infection — and, without health insurance, a pile of bills. Later that year, her back started acting up. Lee, 44, […]
Posted inWichitans You Should Know
Photography with style: Why Hannah Thompson built her business in Wichita
Hannah Thompson has the special skill of transporting people from Wichita to wherever they want to go — but not by plane, train or automobile. She does it with photography. Thompson’s photography business — Reel Photography, LLC, which opened in November 2020 — is unique in that she edits many of her portraits to transform her subjects. […]
Posted inLocal Government
Wichita rolls out a new ‘Forum’ for feedback to more easily engage with residents
Many Wichita golfers are not pleased with the city of Wichita’s proposal to hire a private management firm to oversee city golf courses. As happened in the debate over privatizing management for Century II, a multitude of citizens spoke out in protest. But this time, Wichitans had a new tool to express their concerns. Starting […]
Posted inEducation
2022 Kansas education bills cover remote learning, vaccines, parents’ rights
Both chambers in the Kansas legislature are proposing “parents’ bills of rights” and other bills that would add scrutiny to curriculum.
Posted inHealth, Local Government
Who do you call in a mental health crisis? Hotlines and hospitals to know in Sedgwick County.
Editor’s note: We updated this story on Feb. 23 to include the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas. Sedgwick County is in the midst of a communitywide conversation around mental health, law enforcement and juvenile justice in the wake of Cedric Lofton’s death. One question has been recurring: whom to call in a mental […]
Posted inEducation
Student growth scores highlight progress, not privilege, in Missouri schools
Some researchers think growth should be even more heavily weighted when it comes to determining which schools are best at serving their students, and DESE’s next evaluation framework will place an even stronger emphasis on growth.
Posted inWichitans You Should Know
How Wichita homeless advocate April Holt builds trust
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 […]
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 […]