The personal information of at least 30 Sedgwick County election workers has been exposed following a data breach, according to information reviewed by The Wichita Beacon. EasyVote Solutions, LLC, a company that Sedgwick County contracts with to manage election workers, recently became aware that some of its data may have been available online, according to […]
Sedgwick County
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government
Nearly 90% of Sedgwick County homes rose in value this year. Here’s how to appeal your property valuation.
Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that sales prices of nearby homes are available on the county appraiser’s website. An overheated housing market across the nation is reflected in Sedgwick County’s housing valuations this year. In 2022, 88% of residential homes in Sedgwick County increased in value — about 158,467 of […]
Posted inHealth, Local Government
Who do you call in a mental health crisis? Hotlines and hospitals to know in Sedgwick County.
Editor’s note: We updated this story on Feb. 23 to include the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas. Sedgwick County is in the midst of a communitywide conversation around mental health, law enforcement and juvenile justice in the wake of Cedric Lofton’s death. One question has been recurring: whom to call in a mental […]
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 […]
Posted inCivic Engagement
The Beacon is hiring: Paid positions involve working with community
How well does local news serve you and your community? What information sources do you trust, and why? What do you wish people understood about your life and your community? We want to know. The Wichita Beacon wants to learn how people in Wichita get the news and information they need. We’re hiring Community Representatives […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘Supposed to rehabilitate’: What to know about the Sedgwick County facility where Cedric Lofton was restrained
On Sept. 24, the Wichita Police Department brought 17-year-old Cedric Lofton to Sedgwick County’s Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, later describing him as “paranoid” and “behaving erratically.” Hours after his arrival, county corrections employees restrained Lofton face-down until he became unresponsive. Two days later, he died in the hospital. His death — which the district attorney […]
Posted inKansas State Government, Local Government
‘We’ve become the substitute state hospital’: Four years later, Sedgwick County still calling for state mental health hospital
For decades, the Sedgwick County Jail has been overcrowded. A federal lawsuit in 1986 that capped the jail population and required a plan to deal with overcrowding at the facility was only the start. Since, multiple expansions and facilities have been built in an attempt to alleviate the numbers. But throughout 2021, the jail continued […]
Posted inLocal Government
What eliminating the food tax could mean for Wichitans
In early November, Gov. Laura Kelly announced a major initiative: “Axe the Food Tax.” The plan would eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. Efforts to squash or reduce this 6.5% tax on food items have been ongoing since at least 2015. But with the opposing parties both signaling their support for removing the tax, […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘It hasn’t gotten the focus and attention it should’: How Sedgwick County redistricting will impact Hispanic residents
Araceli Amador is concerned about Sedgwick County’s redistricting process. She’s worried that her community, largely made up of Spanish speakers in southwest Wichita, has not been sufficiently included in the county’s redistricting efforts. The process began in the fall and concludes with a vote on the final maps Wednesday. The result will be new boundaries […]
Posted inLocal Government
Why $161 million in local COVID relief still hasn’t been spent
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Heartspring — a nonprofit that provides services and education to children with special needs and developmental disabilities — spent $109,000 on personal protective equipment and cleaning equipment. They paid $1.24 million in COVID-related personnel costs. They’ve also lost $170,000 to rescheduled, modified or canceled events and $2.12 million in revenue when the […]