August 30, 2024 | By Ted Blankenship
Recently, I read a newspaper article about the Rorschach test. That’s where a psychologist asks his or her patient to look a series of ink blobs on white sheets of paper and express what they mean to the patient. The patient may say something like, “It looks like you spilled some ink on your prescription […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
How many legendary male actors can you identify from the clues below? (Female legends from the big screen will appear in a separate quiz.) 1. Whose on-screen relationship with Ingrid Bergman has been described as the “greatest love story in American cinema”? 2. Whose good looks and debonair style led to his frequent casting by […]
| By Joe Stumpe
TOPEKA — The growth in the older population is a public health success story that’s created its own challenge: how to help that burgeoning group live as healthy, fulfilled and independent lives as possible. Kansas is now part of one response: a push to create what’s being called Age-Friendly Kansas. An advisory committee held its […]
| By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. The Who’s TOMMY. Stage version of The Who’s exhilarating 1969 rock opera, including the anthems “I’m Free,” “See Me, “Feel Me,” “Sensation” and “Pinball Wizard.” Sept 19-21 8pm; Sept 22 at 2pm; Sept 26-28 8pm; Sept 29 2pm; Oct 3-5 8pm; Oct […]
| By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior, I recently received an email that I needed to update my online Social Security account. Is this legit or is it a scam? Suspicious Susan Dear Susan, The Social Security Administration did indeed send out a legitimate email last month to notify recipients that they are making changes to the way you […]
August 28, 2024 | By The Active Age
The 2024-2025 Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have received federal and state approval and will be available in mid-September. According to a news release from Sedgwick County, the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are no longer approved for use. A vaccine locator lookup tool will be added to www.vaccines.govwhen the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines become widely available. The updated […]
August 26, 2024 | By Zena Taher/KSN-TV
Last year, 800 new housing units were built in Wichita, a five-year high. Still, even with the supply going up, rent went up by 10%. A real estate expert at Wichita State University said the new apartments aren’t helping the market as much as you’d think because we’ve been in a deficit of new builds since the 2008 […]
August 23, 2024 | By Bonita Gooch/Community Voice
If you live near 21st and Grove in the heart of Northeast Wichita, walked to your refrigerator and you needed just one fresh ingredient in preparation for your evening meal, too bad. The nearest store selling fresh meat and vegetables was 3 miles away. While 3 miles is an inconvenience for some, it’s nearly impossible for […]
August 22, 2024 | By Trace Salzbrenner/The Beacon
Money drives politics, fueling the same question every election: Who’s trying to buy influence with their donations? But finding out who funds city or county races can be a challenge if you don’t know where or what to look for. Mark Skoglund, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said voters should look for […]
August 15, 2024 | By Loren Amelunke/The Sunflower
Above: Lawonder Markham stands on the porch of the home she raised her daughter in and now owns. Photo by Monique Bever/The Sunflower Lawonder Markham’s home is her comfort place — it’s where she raised her daughter, where she took care of her mother until she died and where she’s lived since 2003. But […]
August 8, 2024 | By Trace Salzbrenner/The Beacon
TAKEAWAYS Wichita faces a looming budget shortfall, forcing the City Council to pick between raising taxes or cutting back services. “The city is facing challenges,” District 4 Council Member Dalton Glasscock said. “We’re thoughtfully weighing how we can still provide excellent service for our citizens.” City Manager Robert Layton suggested several cost-cutting measures for the […]
August 1, 2024 | By Tim Carpenter Kansas Reflector
A national coalition’s report says one-fourth of Kansas’ 300 nursing homes were categorized as problem facilities due to substandard care and persistent compliance issues. The Long-Term Care Community Coalition’s latest summary, based on the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ five-star quality rating system, showed 24.6% of nursing facilities in the United States were […]
| By The Active Age
Here are the most recent overall ratings of nursing homes in The Active Age’s primary service area of Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties, as determined by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Five stars is the highest possible rating and one star is the lowest. For more detailed information about nursing homes, including […]
July 31, 2024 | By Joe Stumpe
The journalism industry is in crisis, and there aren’t nearly enough reporters around to cover all the public meetings they used to attend. So what if a small army of citizens could be recruited to attend and make a record of those meetings? That’s kind of the idea behind Wichita Documenters, a program launched earlier […]
| By Joe Stumpe
EL DORADO — They called themselves “The Magnificent Seven.” At least when no one else could hear. In truth, the group of seven friends from El Dorado High School’s class of ’67 weren’t the type to wind up in the headlines or principal’s office. “We weren’t the wild bunch, and I guess that’s a lot […]
| By The Active Age
Old time radio back EL DORADO — The Kansas Oil Museum is reimagining a live radio broadcast of the 1930s with a production called “Oil Town Jamboree!” Written by Ken Spurgeon, the show features music, drama and comedy along with guest stars Orin Friesen and Annie Wilson. The show takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, […]
| By Ted Ayres
“Love & Whiskey: “The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest” by Fawn Weaver (Melcher Media, 2024, 355 pages, $28.00) As a young man, beer was my adult beverage of choice. In the autumn of my life, I am an inveterate whiskey drinker, […]
| By Ted Blankenship
Editor’s note: After taking a couple months off, Ted Blankenship reports that he is feeling much better and plans to resume his column on at least an occasional basis. The guy in charge of maintenance where we live is a nice guy (he changes light bulbs too high for us to reach), and […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Wichitans take pride in the city’s aviation heritage. Take this test to see how far and wide your knowledge of aviation extends. The answers appear below. 1. What brothers are best remembered for making the first successful powered airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903? 2. Who flew the Spirit of St. Louis […]
| By Joe Stumpe
As you might have noticed, The Active Age is in some ways an old-fashioned newspaper. For one thing, we still print and distribute many copies each month (about 57,000!) at a time when many publications are going online exclusively. Another way in which we are traditional is by keeping our editorial and advertising sides separate. […]
| By Garry Winger, Pastor
There is tremendous irony in The Active Age for June 2024. On the front page is the Spangles grannies article about the alcohol advertising. It makes it appear that alcohol is a good thing for seniors. On page 8 is the article about Myra Warren (McHenry) and the Kansas temperance movement. I have special interest […]
| By Jim Miller
How to Hire a Caregiver for In-Home Help How to Prevent and Treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration Kitchen Ideas for Aging-in-Place How Extreme Heat Affects Seniors: Tips to Stay Safe Dear Savvy Senior, My wife and I had our estate plan – including a will, power of attorney and advance directive – drawn up about 10 […]
| By The Active Age
For Donna and Arlin Connell, the best day of summer is the first day they find okra at the farmers market. That means it’s time to whip up a batch of Fried Okra Salad. “We have this for lunch the very next day and never admit to anyone the two of us ate the whole […]
July 30, 2024 | By The Active Age
For Donna and Arlin Connell, the best day of summer is the first day they find okra at the farmers market. That means it’s time to whip up a batch of Fried Okra Salad. “We have this for lunch the very next day and never admit to anyone the two of us ate the whole […]