October 27, 2026 | By Joe Norris
When twin brothers Roy and Robert Hayden were teenagers, they began noticing a strange burning sensation in the abdomen. The symptoms didn’t require a doctor to diagnose. The boys had a fire in the belly to ride motorcycles. But their dad threw cold water on the idea of them hitting the highway on two wheels. […]
| By Sherry Howerton
BENTON — As a healthcare executive, Ann Buckendahl sat in the driver’s seat for years, leading colleagues and programs. Now, she’s retired but still in the driver’s seat — driving a bus, literally. Buckendahl, a native of Marion, Kan., spent five years working in marketing for Wesley Medical Center, 15 at Heartspring and another 20 […]
| By The Active Age
President Donald Trump’s visit to Wichita last month made him the eighth president to visit the city and the first since George W. Bush in 2007. Trump flew in for a political rally Oct. 19, landing at McConnell Air Force Base in Air Force One. A TV camera showed him descend the plane’s stairs deliberately, […]
| By Chris Frank PBS Kansas
A few connected metal rings, lifted from the soil of McPherson County, brought a search through nearly five centuries of Kansas history into sharp focus. On Aug. 28, researchers recovered what archaeologist Deni Seymour identified as a fragment of riveted chain mail — linked metal armor she believes came from Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s 1541 […]
| By Cecilia Green
The evidence is clear that exercise helps us live longer and feel better, both physically and mentally. Still, most people over 65 are not getting the recommended minimum amount of exercise. Part of the problem may be that walking into a crowded gym full of strangers and unfamiliar exercise machines can feel intimidating. Some personal […]
| By The Active Age
Growing up in a Michigan town so small it didn’t have an art teacher, Kathleen Shanahan still managed to develop a talent for drawing. Then a family trip to an art institute in Flint, Mich., led to an encounter with an instructor who helped set her life course. “My parents said, ‘Kathy here is interested […]
| By The Active Age
GODDARD — The city of Goddard has launched an accessible shuttle service for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Seniors can schedule rides in advance within Goddard city limits, including transportation to and from the Goddard Senior Center, 122 N. Main. The shuttle operates 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and […]
| By The Active Age
Just her cup of tea Ruby Tobey, right, is congratulated by Gov. Laura Kelly after winning a first place at the Kansas State Fair. Tobey’s tea cup and saucer, painted to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, will be displayed at the Governor’s mansion in Topeka. Book sale The Friends of the Wichita Public Library will hold […]
| By Bonnie Bing
One of the best parts of being retired is Sunday evening. For many, many years on Sunday evening I would get out my date book and take a look at everything that would be happening the coming week. Deadlines, meetings, volunteering, giving talks, lunch dates and more were listed. By the time I finished I […]
| By Diana Breit Wolfe
When I open the lid on my automatic washer and pull out clean, wet laundry to put into the dryer, I often think of how lucky I am. That’s because I remember how my mom and I did laundry in the 1950s. It is difficult now to even comprehend spending three to four hours every […]
| By Mark McCormick Kansas Reflector
Gwendolyn Nevada Toney, 96, died peacefully in her sleep the Sunday morning of Aug. 24. Gwennie long had been the caterer of choice for Wichita’s elite. A mother of five who lost four before her death. A faith-filled Christian. A neighbor who offered children M&Ms from the candy dish in her immaculate living room. According […]
| By Deanna Bonn
EL DORADO — These ’cats have never lacked camaraderie. Members of El Dorado High School’s Class of 1956 gathered at the El Dorado train depot last month to celebrate 70 years since graduation. Twenty-one former Wildcats attended, along with guests and spouses. Judy Cole helped organize the reunion with a committee of four other women. […]
| By The Active Age
TOPEKA — The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature approved five resolutions that set its priorities for the 2027 legislative session. Sixty-five delegates took part in the two-day session on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives, with every Planning and Service Area in the state represented. On the first day, each resolution […]
| By Libby Hastings
Kansas Advocates for Better Care is urging state leaders to provide additional funding to eliminate the waitlist for the Home and Community-Based Services Frail Elderly Waiver, which helps older Kansans access the services they need to remain in their homes and communities. In testimony submitted to the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature last month in Topeka, KABC […]
| By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior, I always get my annual flu shot, but I never know whether I’m getting the right one. Can you explain which flu vaccine is best for seniors this fall and whether there are any other recommended vaccines I should get? Trying to Stay Healthy Dear Trying, If you’re 65 or older, getting your annual […]
| By The Active Age
Share the Season is a community program that assists people during a time of hardship in their lives. The program offers hope and help to working families and individuals who have experienced difficult circumstances resulting in financial strain and emotional stress. Often, an illness, car accident, layoff or other unexpected situation can put a family […]
| By Joe Stumpe
When a friend returned from Japan raving about, of all things, the egg salad sandwiches sold by convenience stores there, I had to find out why. Turns out there are a few differences between the American and Japanese versions. Instead of mashing yolks and whites together, as is the custom here, Japanese cooks mash the […]
| By The Active Age
The Active Age and Mark Arts are giving away five pairs of tickets to Holiday Tables: Gather & Glow, the annual fundraiser for Mark Arts hosted by Designing Women. The event features imaginative tablescapes created by local businesses, nonprofits and individuals, plus shopping in the Art Boutique and Sweet & Savory Shoppe. It’s the 59th […]
September 30, 2026 | By Joe Stumpe
If Sheldon Lawrence tells you to dive for the oyster and dig for the clam, he’s not giving you directions to find shellfish. Lawrence is an acclaimed square dance caller, and his colorful patois is all part of the job. Or rather passion for a Wichitan who’s been spreading his love of square dancing for […]
| By Sherry Howerton
How does a physician and surgeon from India end up practicing in a small town like Hill City, Kansas? One patient at a time. That’s the story for Dr. P.J. Reddy, who practiced in that Kansas town for 41 years before retiring to Wichita in 2014. Born in Andhra Pradesh, India, in 1942, Reddy was the son […]
| By Sherry Howerton
Reading is something I have always taken for granted. My mother insists I came out of the womb talking, and she swears by age 1, I was reading full sentences. While I appreciate the accolades, I’m doubting that’s true, but I don’t remember learning to read ever being a problem. But for millions of Americans, […]
| By The Active Age
Most of our mothers probably taught us the value of sending thank you notes and remembering people’s birthdays with cards, but as with most lessons, some children took to that advice a little better than others. There’s probably no one who outdoes Sharon West, who sends at least 750 cards a year, each with a […]
| By Joe Norris
PITTSBURG — Looking up at a machine that stands 160 feet tall and weighs 9.3 million pounds, one realizes that calling it Big Brutus is inadequate. And that’s why people still drive to the southeast corner of Kansas, in what was once King Coal Country, to see the gigantic powered shovel. It’s the centerpiece of […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Concluded five years before Wichita was founded, the American Civil War nevertheless influenced our city in ways still evident today. Several thousand Union veterans of the Civil War made their homes in and around Wichita after the war, part of an influx that earned Kansas the nickname of “The Soldier State.” They wasted little time […]
| By David Bernstorf
The Wichita Wurlitzer turns 100 years old this year. I’ve felt a connection to it since its arrival here in 1968, during my senior year of high school. I already played piano, clarinet and saxophone, and I aspired to play the Wurlitzer, which could mimic the sound of an entire orchestra. That year, an arsonist […]