Due to an editor’s error, the first version of this story reversed the results. Missouri voters rejected an amendment allowing for court fees to fund sheriff and prosecutor retirement benefits. Amendment 6 was failing by a margin of roughly 61% with 95% of the vote in when the Associated Press called the race. The issue […]
Wichita
Posted inKansas City
Democrat Melesa Johnson elected Jackson County prosecutor
Melesa Johnson, who promised to combat Kansas City’s high violence rate with aggressive prosecution and crime prevention, easily won the Jackson County Prosecutor’s race on Tuesday to become the first Black woman in the job. Johnson, 35, who emphasized her roots in the city’s urban core, will replace prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who has held […]
Posted inElections
Kansas Board of Education: Your election guide to the 2024 showdowns
Half the seats on the Kansas Board of Education are up for election. The 10-seat board is losing three of the more moderate elected officials, which could swing the political leanings of the board to the left or right. The Beacon asked Board of Education candidates the same list of questions to see their priorities […]
Posted inWichita
Some say Wichita’s new city website still poses problems for people with disabilities
Staff at Wichitia’s City Hall weren’t happy with their virtual footprint. In 2022, they described the city’s website, www.Wichita.gov, as “suboptimal,” “outdated” and “confusing.” So the city spent $312,000 on a website refresh intended to flip that description and create a welcoming and easy-to-use virtual gateway to local government. The city’s communications staff say the […]
Posted inElections
Kansas’ top election official suggests drop boxes over USPS for your mail ballot
This story was updated to include comments from the most recent conversation between Kansas and USPS officials. Kansans should think twice before mailing their ballots this election, the state’s top election official said. The warning comes after Scott Schwab, the secretary of state, said the U.S. Postal Service likely won’t address problems that led to […]
Posted inElections
Beryl New and Bruce Schultz run for northeastern Kansas State Board of Education seat
A retired teacher and a current Kansas State University professor are running for the state school board. Republicans have won this seat in the past five elections. Election day is Nov. 5. Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote and early voting starts Oct. 16. You can find your polling place and […]
Posted inElections
Betty Arnold and Jason Carmichael run for Wichita State Board of Education seat
Betty Arnold is running for another term on the state school board, but Army veteran Jason Carmichael is trying to take her place. Republicans have won this seat three times in the past five elections. Election day is Nov. 5, Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote and early voting starts Oct. […]
Posted inElections
Jeffrey Jarman, Debby Potter and Kent Rowe seek open Kansas Board of Education seat
Two locally elected officials and a former substitute teacher are running for an open seat on the Kansas Board of Education after a three-term incumbent didn’t run for reelection. Republicans have won this seat in the past five elections Election day is Nov. 5, Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote and […]
Posted inLabor
Striking Textron Aviation in Wichita workers lose health insurance
Dreena Reed has Medicare coverage, so she wasn’t personally affected when Textron Aviation cut off striking workers’ health insurance. But she’s worried about her daughter’s family. Her son-in-law is also on strike, and the company-sponsored health insurance covers him, Reed’s daughter and their kids. “That just goes to show that they’re not caring about their […]
Posted inElections
Kansas House Elections: Your guide to voting in Wichita and Sedgwick County
All 125 Kansas House seats are up for election this year, and Democrats are hoping to break the GOP’s veto-proof majority. Democrats need to flip two seats to break the supermajority, and voting in Wichita could make the difference. The Beacon asked candidates in the Sedgwick County election the same list of questions to see […]