March 30, 2026 | By The Active Age
World War II center seeks stories EL DORADO — The World War II History Center has a couple of projects underway in preparation for the United States’ 250th birthday. The center is accepting stories of Kansas World War II veterans and volunteers from the battle and home fronts. They will be used to create a […]
| By Joe Norris
CALDWELL — One morning in 1885, Wichita Eagle subscribers may have choked on their coffee when they read news of a nearby cowtown: “As we go to press, hell is again in session in Caldwell.” The statement was deadly accurate. Between 1879 and 1885, the small town of Caldwell had the highest murder rate in […]
| By Karlene Karst
When you’re under the weather, your body craves rest, hydration and most importantly, comfort. During these vulnerable moments, food becomes more than just nourishment; it transforms into care, warmth and healing. Here are my favorite comforting foods to turn to when illness strikes. Start with easy-to-digest foods Oatmeal is one of my top picks. It’s warm, […]
| By Ted Ayres
“1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History — and How It Shattered a Nation,” by Andrew Ross Sorkin (Viking, 2025, 592 pages, $35.00) My father was in his tenth year when Oct. 29, 1929 — Black Tuesday — set in motion the Great Depression. My mother had turned six two years before. While their […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Each of the answers to these questions contains the letters “l-a-n-d.” The answers appear on page 21. 1. What is the name of the new TV series about roughnecks and wildcat billionaires that stars Billy Bob Thornton? 2. What is the name of the area in the Netherlands that has become synonymous with tulips and […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Journalists are great givers of advice. It’s a fairly regular part of the job that we pore through a report or interview an expert on some topic — say health or finances or gardening — then crank out an article that we hope readers will find useful. In March’s issue, for instance, I wrote an […]
| By Jim Miller
Where to Get Help with Medicare Decisions Low-Cost Smartphone Plans for Budget-Minded Seniors Understanding the Social Security Breakeven Age How to Prepare to Be an Executor of an Estate The Silent Warning: Understanding Prediabetes Where to Get Help with Medicare Decisions Dear Savvy Senior, I’ll be 65 in a few months and could sure use […]
| By Diana Morton
The American Theatre Guild, Broadway in Wichita. The Music Man. Tony Award-winning musical follows fast-talking salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City. April 24-26. Call for times, 316-755-7328 Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. My Big Bad Rad 80’s Wedding by Ryan Schafer and Molly Tully, followed by a new musical […]
| By Starla Criser
Seniors on the Go continues to attract new members who know how important it is to stay active as we grow older. The group is designed to bring people together to attend events they might not want to attend alone, and also to support senior centers, museums and other organizations and places that make our […]
| By Family Features
A thief who wants to gain access to your home may do so by any means possible, including breaking windows or kicking in doors. However, those methods are loud and may attract attention. Instead, thieves will look to find the easiest house to enter. Consider these small changes you can make to deter thieves from […]
| By Suzanne Perez KMUW
Micala Gingrich-Gaylord traveled to Japan about two years ago and immediately noticed something different about the way that country treats its older generation. “In the entire community of Tokyo, which is massive, you could see it everywhere,” Gingrich-Gaylord said. “This reverence for elders, and support.” As CEO and president of ComfortCare Homes in Wichita, Gingrich-Gaylord returned home […]
| By Eric Thomas Kansas Reflector
Libby is an app that for many Kansans brings their public libraries’ books and audiobooks to their phones. Since September when I installed Libby on my phone, I have blazed through audiobooks at a pace that would have cost me a small fortune if I purchased each title. All that was required? My public library […]
| By Tammy Allen
VALLEY CENTER — Ande Armstrong speaks softly to the frail red mare as she slips a halter over her head, slowly walking her to a trailer. The emaciated horse’s spine and hipbones jut out sharply as she hesitates, then, with Armstrong’s encouragement, steps in for a ride to the vet. The horse — Dolly — […]
February 25, 2026 | By Beth Bower
Alb. Chasuble. Stole. Dalmatic. Amice. Even devout Catholics may not recognize these terms for the vestments, or outer garments, worn by Catholic priests. But Liz Ann Tolberd has become an expert in them thanks to a request she received from her son, Father Jon Tolberd. Prior to graduating from seminary, he asked his mother if […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Four friends who regularly play pickleball together say they’ve come up with some common-sense guidelines to avoid injury. “No diving!” joked Steve Schaack. “Don’t take the game too seriously,” added Jim Walters. Nevertheless, one of the men, Brian Hoffman, noted that he had skinned his knees a couple of times playing the sport. As pickleball […]
| By The Active Age
Editor’s note: The Active Age periodically publishes ratings of nursing homes in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties taken from medicare.gov, the federal government’s official source for Medicare information. The overall ratings, ranging from much above average to much below average, are based on three sources: health inspections, staffing and quality measures. You can find more […]
| By The Active Age
TOPEKA — Advocates for Kansas’ elderly are warning that a projected budget shortfall jeopardizes in-home services that help keep older residents from being sent to nursing homes prematurely. Dan Goodman, executive director of Kansas Advocates for Better Care, testified before House and Senate committees of the Kansas Legislature this session. Goodman told both that a […]
| By Joe Norris
PIQUA, Kan. — Just inside the front door of Rural Water District #1 headquarters, there’s a lady behind a wooden desk. She’s talking to someone on the telephone. She sizes us up, decides that we aren’t locals with a water problem, and points at the door to a darkened room. “The museum’s there on your […]
| By Diana Wolfe
Why is a teenage girl renting rooms to customers at a motel on South Broadway? Because it’s 1957 and her parents own the place. That girl was me, and I worked at our family motel as counter attendant, room maid, switchboard operator and whatever else was needed. I was 12 years old in 1956 […]
| By Tammara Fogle
When John Saindon bought the Kansas Sunflower Swap Meet a decade ago, he was hoping for a return on his investment. But not for himself. Saindon planned to donate all profits from the event to AbilityPoint, which serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Astute businessman that he is — Saindon owns Ron’s […]
| By Ted Blankenship
Ted Blankenship, longtime columnist for The Active Age, died in January at age 97. Blankenship was born in El Dorado, Kan., on Sept. 29, 1928, and grew up in the oil fields of Teeterville, now a ghost town in the Flint Hills. As a teenager, he played trumpet and sang professionally on a radio station […]
| By Tammara Fogle
Library book sale The Friends of the Wichita Public Library will hold its next sale of donated books from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. 2nd St. Customers can buy a FWPL cloth tote bag and fill it for $10 or bring a previously purchased FWPL […]
| By Tammara Fogle
Water rebates offered The city of Wichita is offering rebates of up to $100 for the purchase of water-saving devices and drought- tolerant landscaping. The rebates will be made in the form of credits to residents’ water accounts, and up to five items per account are allowed. Qualifying purchases include indoor and outdoor irrigation controllers, […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
The answers to these questions all have something to do with the name of this month. You have your marching orders! Answers appear at right. 1. What popular term refers to the annual NCAA Division 1 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments? 2. What nickname was given to John Philip Sousa for composing classics like “The […]
| By Amy Geiszler-Jones
March brings its own kind of madness for members of the Wichita Caledonia Pipes and Drums group. That’s when the drone of their bagpipes and cadence of their drums are in high demand because of St. Patrick’s Day. This month, the band will play about a dozen public and private gigs on Saturday, March 14, […]