Imagine you’re driving down Douglas Avenue and hit a pothole that wasn’t there last week. Or you’re walking your dog one evening and notice a streetlight is out or someone dumped some tires on the side of the road. You can be part of the solution. “Just because residents see a pothole or community issue […]
Maria Carter
Posted inLocal Government
Judge approves sweeping changes to Wichita Police’s gang database
Playing basketball with the wrong set of people or frequenting the wrong gas station could land you on a Wichita Police Department list of gang members. Community activists say police make snap judgements that label people as gangsters without any criminal record. That’s about to change. Judge Eric Melgren, chief judge of the U.S. District […]
Posted inWichita
As Wichita pushes for more EV charging stations, some worry about fire risks
Driving around Wichita, you’ll see the occasional Tesla, electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup or even one of the city’s battery-powered buses quietly cruising around town. With more electric vehicles have come more worries about what happens if they catch fire. They burn much hotter, emit noxious gases and pose an electrocution risk. But the idea […]
Posted inLabor
Troubled Boeing is absorbing Spirit with the Wichita economy in the balance
For Ed Ball, everything old is new again in the aviation industry. He began working at Metal Finishing Co. 25 years ago and watched Boeing spin off Spirit AeroSystems in 2005. Now Ball is a vice president at the aviation supplier, and he’s watching history reverse itself as Boeing buys back Spirit. “We have long-term […]
Posted inEconomics
Wichita families struggle to survive as the economy thrives
One set of numbers suggests a booming Wichita economy. Wichita’s unemployment rate stood at about 3.3% in March, slightly lower than the national rate of 3.8%, both at near historic lows. National inflation has fallen from post-pandemic highs topping 8% to more manageable levels below 4% for nearly a year. Yet 40% of Sedgwick County […]
Posted inEnvironment
Hearing more about tornado dangers in Wichita? Here’s why
Violent tornadoes touching down chewing up ground for dozens of miles. Baseball-sized hail. Wind gusts of up to 80 mph. The weather forecast for Monday night in Wichita looked dire. People braced for the worst. Wichita Public Schools canceled after-school activities. Other districts let out early. Dillons grocery store in College Hill posted a sign […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, DIY Democracy, Education
Wichita parents fight to reverse the school board’s vote to close six schools
Minutes after the Wichita school board voted to close six schools last month, a handful of parents began signing petitions in the hallway outside of the meeting. It was the first skirmish in their battle to reverse the decision. “When we started doing the petition,” parent Ruth Lehman said, “that was the only thing that […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health
Wichita’s not just an allergy capital — it’s a triple crown of pollen
Allergies in Wichita are no joke. Just ask comedian Nate Bargatze. A TikTok video shot in October shows him returning from a jog with itchy hands and feet. He said he could feel his lips swelling. The comedian was experiencing a severe and sudden case of what many Wichitans live with for months every year […]
Posted inEducation
Despite some parents’ pleas, Wichita USD 259 board votes for closing 6 schools
Wichita school board members voted 5-2 Monday to close six schools at the end of the academic year. USD 259 faces a $42 million budget deficit due to falling enrollment, the end of federal pandemic relief funds and a $1.2 billion maintenance backlog. Administrators estimate the district will save $16 million next year from shutting […]
Posted inEducation
Wichita plans to close 6 schools. Does the district’s math add up?
The Wichita school district faces a difficult math problem — how to close a $42 million budget shortfall without laying off any teachers or staff, the district’s largest expense. USD 259 is being put to the test by a state requirement to balance its budget, combined with less state funding driven by an 8.4% drop […]