Jim Howell, a Republican, is the current county commissioner representing District 5. He is being challenged by John McIntosh, a Democrat. Where do they stand on key issues like marijuana, mental health and diversity.
Trace Salzbrenner
Trace Salzbrenner is the former community journalist for The Wichita Beacon. Follow him on Twitter @RealTraceAlan.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Elections, Local Government
Sedgwick County commissioner District 4 candidates give stances on fentanyl, mental health and marijuana
Lacey Cruse, a Democrat, is the current county commissioner representing District 4. She is being challenged by Ryan Baty, a Republican.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Elections, Local Government
Marijuana, mental health and diversity: Where do Sedgwick County commissioner District 1 candidates stand?
Pete Meitzner, a Republican, is the current county commissioner representing District 1. He is being challenged by Kelli Grant, a Democrat.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education
Wichita NAACP, teachers union and other leaders team up to support ballot initiative
A coalition calling itself Vote Local USD259 has organized in support of the school board election reform ballot initiative coming before Wichita voters on Nov. 8. The coalition is urging the public to vote “yes” on the proposed change to how school board members are elected.
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government, Watchdog
Community members want fishing lake near toxic site tested, but state says it’s not necessary
The lake is directly north of a toxic site contaminated by a large chemical spill, which state officials estimate happened in the 1970s or ’80s.
Posted inLocal Government, Watchdog
Cedric Lofton’s brother wants accountability from Wichita police and Sedgwick County
One year ago, 17-year-old Cedric Lofton died after being held down for over 30 minutes by four workers in a juvenile detention intake facility. That wasn’t what was supposed to happen. His foster father had called 911 seeking help for Cedric, who was in a mental health crisis, expecting Cedric would be taken to a […]
Posted inHealth
PrEP Is a drug 99% effective at preventing HIV. Here’s how to get it in Kansas City
PrEP is said to be up to 99 percent effective in preventing the transfer of HIV from sex when taken correctly. It is also 70 percent effective in preventing infection through sharing needles.
Posted inHealth, How To
PrEP is a drug 99% effective at preventing HIV. Here’s how to get it in Wichita
“We can stop the spread of (HIV) if we do two things: get people who are engaging in high-risk behavior on PrEP and, for the people already infected, get them in therapy and keep them on therapy,” Sweet said.
Posted inKansas State Government, Local Government, Uncategorized, Watchdog
One year later, Wichita works through 60 recommendations to avert another tragedy like Cedric Lofton’s
In response to the death of 17-year-old Cedric “CJ” Lofton a year ago, Sedgwick County asked 23 community members to form a task force to explore what systemic problems in foster care, emergency response and law enforcement contributed to his demise. The group was officially called the Community Task Force to Review Youth Corrections Systems […]
Posted inHealth
Community is key after experiencing a loss to suicide, Wichita mental health leaders say
This story on mental health contains data analysis by Gretchen Lenth, The Wichita Beacon’s Dow Jones data intern from this summer. Content warning: This story discusses suicide, suicide attempts and mental health in general. If you or someone you love is struggling with their mental health, check out The Beacon’s local mental health resource list. […]