Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí. Andree Sisco’s entry into public service came about when she couldn’t find anyone willing to mow the grass. Sisco moved to Oaklawn, an unincorporated community sandwiched between Wichita and Derby, in 1981. Nestled between the Arkansas River and Kansas 15, Oaklawn sits on 260 acres, a […]
Stefania Lugli
Lugli is a community watchdog reporter at The Wichita Beacon. She is a Report for America corps member.
Posted inLocal Government
Emailing, tweeting and subscribing: All the ways to contact Wichita City Council members
Local governments shouldn’t operate without their community’s input. So, how can you bring an issue to the City Council? Who represents what? Where can a Wichitan stay updated on their council member’s agenda? The Wichita Beacon has put together a guide on the members of City Council, how to contact them and where to follow […]
Posted inKansas State Government, Watchdog
‘Knocked down over and over again’: How a Kansas bill loosening SNAP restrictions failed
Andrew Hubbard, faced with barrier after barrier when trying to restart his life, said he started to question why he even bothered. A three-time felon, Hubbard struggled to climb his way to sobriety with so many obstacles — lacking a valid driver’s license, finding housing with 11 evictions on his record and struggling to pay […]
Posted inWichitans You Should Know
What does it take to erase food inequality in Wichita? Tajahnaé Stocker is working on it.
When research revealed a disproportionate amount of dollar stores versus grocery stores in Wichita ZIP code 67214, it sparked an ambition within Tajahnaé Stocker: eliminate food insecurity in Kansas. To do so, Stocker practices anti-hunger advocacy through several mediums. She wields social media as a platform to highlight food inequities in Wichita. She lobbies for […]
Posted inWatchdog
In his nine-year tenure, Sedgwick County District Attorney has yet to prosecute a police killing
Fifteen men. One woman. No prosecutions. Law enforcement personnel from the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office have shot and killed 19 people since District Attorney Marc Bennett took office in 2013. Bennett, citing Kansas law, has declined to file charges against officers in 16 of those fatalities. In 15 cases, the officers […]
Posted inLocal Government, Watchdog
Proposed changes would expand role of Wichita’s police review board
The Wichita Citizen’s Review Board could issue independent reports on allegations of police misconduct for the first time under changes proposed by the city last week. How board members are appointed and the length of their terms would also change under a proposal offered Feb. 24 by Wichita City Manager Robert Layton. The 13-member board, […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Watchdog
Wichita nonprofit strives to vaccinate at least 400 unsheltered people by June
Social distancing is not a homeless shelter’s strong suit. But several mobile clinics are popping up in shelters in Wichita to vaccinate as many unsheltered people as possible against COVID — especially as winter temperatures force scores of people inside. The city of Wichita approved a $50,000 grant for United Way of the Plains to […]
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 […]
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 […]