In 2015, residents along North Meridian Avenue and 29th Street called for the city to pave their street. The dirt road was hard on their cars and caused drainage issues, neighbors wrote in a City Council document. “As people who use it often, we feel our cars get banged up every time we drive on […]
Celia Hack
Hack covers local government for The Wichita Beacon. She is a Report for America corps member. Follow her on Twitter @CeliaHack.
Posted inLea en Español, Local Government
¿Le gustaría que pavimentaran su calle? A continuación, le indicamos cómo hacer que eso suceda.
En 2015, los residentes a lo largo de North Meridian Avenue y 29th Street pidieron a la ciudad que pavimentara su calle. El camino de tierra no era bueno para sus autos y causaba problemas de drenaje, escribieron los vecinos en un documento del Concejo Municipal. “Como personas que usamos la calle a menudo, sentimos […]
Posted inLocal Government
Chief Ramsay is out. How Wichita will hire its next police chief.
Update: On March 8, the Wichita City Council approved a contract with Public Sector Search & Consulting, a California-based search firm that focuses on police executives, to lead the city’s effort to find a new police chief. The company said its search process will include community engagement, public forums, focus groups and online surveys. The contract is […]
Posted inLocal Government
Why dozens of Wichita public housing units are sitting vacant
Aujanae Bennett wants to see her Northeast Millair neighborhood flourish — children playing in the streets, clean lawns and driveways, pride in the community. But the 41 city-owned homes dominating the northwest corner of her neighborhood are an obstacle to that, Bennett said. Over the past four years, she’s noticed the homes have been vacated […]
Posted inKansas State Government, Local Government
‘We’ve become the substitute state hospital’: Four years later, Sedgwick County still calling for state mental health hospital
For decades, the Sedgwick County Jail has been overcrowded. A federal lawsuit in 1986 that capped the jail population and required a plan to deal with overcrowding at the facility was only the start. Since, multiple expansions and facilities have been built in an attempt to alleviate the numbers. But throughout 2021, the jail continued […]
Posted inLocal Government
From tall grass to tires, here’s how Wichita handles over 10,000 nuisance complaints a year
From a lawn with grass 12 inches too high to vacant homes with broken windows, the city of Wichita’s Neighborhood Inspections division takes complaints about major and minor neighborhood nuisances. For some residents, what appear to be minor code violations can hint at more serious issues. Aujanae Bennett, president of the neighborhood association in Northeast […]
Posted inLocal Government
Five questions with Wichita’s two new incoming council members
This November, a shake-up to the Wichita City Council was clinched by the election of two political newcomers. Wichita’s City Council District 6 elected Maggie Ballard, defeating one-term incumbent Cindy Claycomb with 55% of the vote. Wichita’s City Council District 3 elected Mike Hoheisel, defeating nine-month incumbent Jared Cerullo with 50% of the vote. The […]
Posted inLocal Government
Accomplishments, regrets, advice from Wichita’s outgoing City Council members
Nearly four years ago, Wichita City Council member Cindy Claycomb was sworn into her seat after winning a landslide election for her District 6 seat. Nearly nine months ago, City Council member Jared Cerullo took office after the existing council appointed him, in a 4-to-2 vote, to fill a vacant District 3 seat. Now, Claycomb […]
Posted inLocal Government
What eliminating the food tax could mean for Wichitans
In early November, Gov. Laura Kelly announced a major initiative: “Axe the Food Tax.” The plan would eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. Efforts to squash or reduce this 6.5% tax on food items have been ongoing since at least 2015. But with the opposing parties both signaling their support for removing the tax, […]
Posted inLocal Government
Why has Wichita removed 189 bus stops in 2021?
When Cindy Coss picked Dodge Literacy Magnet Elementary for her son, a huge draw was the bus stop three blocks away from the school. “‘It was like, ‘Yay,’” Coss said, when they learned of the bus stop at Maple and Bebe streets. Coss can’t drive due to epilepsy. She relies on the city bus system […]