August 29, 2025 | By y Joe Stumpe
Dennis Suitor jumped out of an airplane the day after his 80th birthday and hasn’t quite come down yet. “I tell you, I’ve had a pretty exciting life — I’ve done a lot of things — but that’s about the most exciting thing I’ve ever done,” Suitor said a few days after his Aug. 2 […]
| By Joe Stumpe
It took Carol Cole a while to appreciate all that makes St. Paul A.M.E. Church special. Sure, the church seemed grand and even a little intimidating to her as a child, its sanctuary filled with beautiful music and stirring sermons. But maybe she didn’t pay enough attention to who was filling the pews. “As I […]
| By The Active Age
In these days when brides don’t necessarily wear their wedding dresses to their own wedding receptions — they have a second or possibly third dress for that— Jeanie Tade is an exception. She’s a bride who almost seven decades after her 1956 wedding is still getting use out of her bridal veil. In 2021, Jeanie […]
| By Jacinda Hall
Just a few steps away from a playground for children, Sedgwick County Park will soon have an outdoor fitness center designed for older residents. The Sedgwick County Department of Aging and Disabilities/Central Plains Area Agency on Aging is building an outdoor fitness center geared toward adults aged 60 and older. The $180,000 center was funded […]
| By Joe Norris
CHERRYVALE — On Sunday, Feb. 27, 1910, the Union Electric Railway tried to sneak its first trolley car into this southeast Kansas town. They wanted to do a test run, without attracting a crowd. But word spreads fast in a small town. And although Cherryvale was already home to a glass factory, a bicycle factory, […]
| By The Active Age
A bi-partisan group of Wichitans who took upon themselves the task of finding ways for city government to operate more efficiently has scored at least a couple of victories. Whether their other recommendations are implemented remains to be seen. The group calls itself the Wichita Organization for Government Efficiency Exchange, or The Exchange. It came […]
| By The Active Age
Congratulations to Lisa Van Arsdale-Hansen of Wichita, winner of our drawing for a 14-carat white gold diamond necklace. Thank you to all readers who donated for a chance to win and to Mike Seltzer of Mike Seltzer Jewelers, who donated the necklace valued at $2,000. The money raised will help us keep bringing readers The […]
| By The Active Age
The Active Age thanks the family of Lynda Anne Connell, who made a generous bequest to our organization in her honor. Born Lynda Anne Igel, Connell grew up in Kansas and Oklahoma and graduated from Ottawa High School. She earned a teaching degree from McPherson College, where she met her husband, Harold. They married in […]
| By The Active Age
Editor’s note: A couple of months ago, while calling attention to a new book about Kansas birds, we asked readers to tell us about any interesting experiences they’ve had with them. Here are two we received, lightly edited for clarity. We will print more as space permits. Red Tails’ tale Working in a grain elevator […]
| By The Active Age
Tour College Hill and Downtown Get a little exercise while learning about architecture and history during walking tours planned for September and October. The College Hill Walking Tour will take in the homes of a movie star, an oil baron, a Kansas governor and more. It lasts about 1 ½ to 2 hours and participants […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
With school back in session, it’s time to test your memory of scientific discoveries and inventions you probably first learned about in a classroom. The answers appear below. 1. What did Alexander Fleming accidentally discover in 1928 when he returned from vacation to find mold growing in a petri dish? 2. Who laid the groundwork […]
| By Diana Morton
El Dorado Elks Lodge, 121 East Pine St., El Dorado, Cafe Murder featuring the Act 1 Players. A strange murder occurs at Cafe Murder; the audience votes on whodunnit and a prize goes to the winner. Sept. 26-27. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., dinner served at 6:30 and performance begins at 7 p.m. Dinner and […]
| By Meg Britton-Mehlisch KMUW
The Sedgwick County Zoo is in the midst of a baby boom. The majority of the African elephants born in North America this year were delivered there. Three have been born to the herd since April and a fourth calf is due any day. Dr. Hannah Arens, the zoo’s director of animal health, said there’s […]
| By Family Features
Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of permanent blindness, often does its with few noticeable symptoms as vision is lost. The condition affects an estimated 3 million Americans, but most people don’t know they have the condition until it’s revealed in an eye exam. If left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness. That’s why when it […]
| By Dr. Mehmet Oz Family Features
When I took on the role of leading Medicare, one of my primary goals was to crush the chronic fraud, waste, and abuse in the program. Ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and that Medicare resources remain available for those who depend on them is a top priority. People with Medicare are at the […]
| By Grace Hills
Kansas Reflector TOPEKA — An open letter from Kansas Catholic bishops urges people to approach immigration with compassion, and condemns portrayals of all immigrants as criminals. “Treating all migrants and refugees as if they were violent criminals is simply unjust. They are human beings made in God’s image,” wrote Archbishop Shawn McKnight, Bishop Carl Kemme, and Bishop […]
| By The Active Age
Donate at least $50 to The Active Age, and you could win a family membership to Botanica. The Active Age holds a drawing for a family membership each month from among people on our Honor Roll list of donors. This month’s winner is Carolyn Anderson. Donations may be made by calling 316-942-5385; through our website, […]
August 1, 2025 | By Joe Stumpe
As a medical student in the late 1960s, Anne Walling was required to read a book called “Boys in White.” It was the standard sociology textbok about medical students, and it completely ignored women. Walling didn’t forget. When it came time to name her own book about the challenges facing women doctors of that era, […]
| By Joe Norris
I never read any of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books when I was a kid. I wasn’t intentionally trying to avoid the lady, I was just more into The Hardy Boys. My wife and I never tuned into the “Little House on the Prairie” TV series, either. Nothing against Michael Landon or his luxuriant forest of […]
| By Joe Stumpe
When Sharon and Hank Brillhart started dating, they found they had a few things in common. For one: “We like to drive fast,” Sharon said. But not recklessly. Today, the Brillharts are regulars in the Sports Car Club of America’s Autocrossing events. In Autocross, drivers compete to see who can complete an obstacle course in the […]
| By Kerry Kennelly
A lot of times when people buy art, they’re looking for the perfect piece to, say, hang above their mantel or the perfect color to match their dining room walls. However, for artist Becky Manson, her glass creations are about celebrating imperfections. Her Imperfectly Beautiful line is “imperfectly beautiful just like you and me,” she […]
| By Teresa Schmied
This spring, we took on four of the smallest — and quietest — houseguests I’ve ever had. They weren’t invited, but they were certainly welcome. It all started when a stray cat gave birth beneath our house in the Sonoran Desert. I never saw much of her — just quick glimpses as she darted from […]
| By Joe Stumpe
To understand George Theoharis’ quirky quests, it helps to know something about him. He’s not afraid to put it out there, is one way to put it. For instance, when comedian Jay Leno visited Wichita in May for a show at the Orpheum, Theoharis sent a message offering to pick Leno up at the airport, […]
| By Tom Schaefer
When John Person of Wichita boarded a 737 in June at Eisenhower National Airport, he had several surprises awaiting him. Person, who served in the Air Force from 1971-1993, arrived in Washington, D.C., on an all-expense-paid charter flight with more than 100 other military veterans. They were part of the 13-year-old Kansas Honor Flight program. […]