a Wichita Beacon analysis of over 1,000 emails county commissioners received ahead of the vote on the mask mandate found that anti-mask emails outweighed pro-mask emails by nearly two to one.
wichita
Posted inLocal Government
‘Headlights to the future’: Wichita’s youth demand climate action now
Dolly Farha, 19, didn’t plan on returning to Wichita. After a seven-year stint in Massachusetts, she told herself that she wouldn’t ever come back. “To me, one of the biggest issues of Kansas and Wichita is it was created for … generations of the past,” Farha said. “Without that forward-thinking, headlights to the future … […]
Posted inLocal Government
Wichita economic development incentives topped $85 million since last September. Here’s how they work.
This summer, bulldozers, excavators and graders filled the sleepy residential North Riverside neighborhood. A once-vacant field at 11th and Amidon is becoming a new development of 40 single-family homes. Developer Jerry Jones said without the $1.7 million tax incentive Wichita offered him in February, the Riverside Housing Redevelopment District wouldn’t be single-family homes. “It definitely would’ve been a […]
Posted inWatchdog
15 years after Wichita unveiled a plan to end homelessness, progress stagnates
Donnie has a roof over his head. He’s still homeless. His left hand was nearly severed during an accident. Now, when Donnie lifts his hand and rotates his wrist, one can follow the length of a thick, white scar. “I’m limited in working,” said Donnie, who requested to be identified by his first name only. […]
Posted inLocal Government
How should the city spend its federal COVID recovery dollars? Wichitans weigh in
Prior to the pandemic, Faith Martin saw affordable housing largely discussed in the context of homelessness or the limited availability of Section 8 vouchers. Recently, though, she’s seen the issue balloon. Her friends who are long-term tenants had to move after a rent increase. As an advisory board member for her City Council district, she […]