Buying a house can be a daunting process at any time, with it being the largest purchase most people make. It may be especially so right now because of rising housing costs and interest rates, plus the limited market of houses available. This story was developed for an email course, part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative’s […]
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Posted inHousing, Local Government, Wichita Journalism Collaborative
Will Sedgwick County homeowners see tax appraisals increase again? Here’s what to expect
Takeaways: Sixty percent of Sedgwick County homeowners will see higher tax appraisals when notices are mailed out March 1. Despite the bad news for three in five residential property owners, it’s actually the lowest proportion of appraisal increases since 2018. Appraisals went up for 80% of homeowners in 2023 and 88% in 2022. This year, […]
Posted inCivic Engagement
Wichita joins City Bureau’s Documenters Network to bridge the gap between the public and public meetings
Members of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), and the Wichita Foundation are partnering with City Bureau, a nonprofit civic journalism lab, to bring the Documenters Network to Wichita. The new participatory journalism initiative is making public meetings more transparent and accessible, training and paying Wichita residents to access the information they need to actualize the change they wish […]
Posted inHousing, Wichita Journalism Collaborative
A young Wichita couple become first-time homebuyers — by acting fast
Carla Mendez and Jacob Salas spent just three days shopping for their first home. It was either that, or miss out on the place the young couple fell in love with. The open dining room and living room connect to the kitchen that comes with new appliances. And it sports a patio off the living […]
Posted inHousing
A Wichita young professional dreams of living downtown, but it’s tough to overcome high rents
Kyle Ritterbush is one of the young, entrepreneurial professionals Wichita politicians talk so much about wanting to keep. At just 20 years old, he started his video production business last year after graduating high school. He wants to grow it – hiring someone part-time, taking on bigger projects – all while here in Wichita. On the side, […]
Posted inLocal Government, Wichita Journalism Collaborative
Union Pacific sued over chemical spill affecting Wichita neighborhoods near 29th and Grove
Wichita residents living above a chemical spill from Union Pacific Railroad face property damages and a loss of property value as a result of the company’s negligence, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week by law firms across the country. The class-action lawsuit addresses a chemical spill at a Union Pacific rail yard near […]