April 10, 2025 | By Tammara Fogle
The Active Age won several awards in the 2025 Kansas Press Association contest, including first and second place in the column writing category for publications in the largest circulation category. Ted Blankenship won first place in column writing for his “It’s Not Serious” column, while Diana Breit Wolfe won second place for her “Dear Reader” […]
April 4, 2025 | By Tammara Fogle
Sedgwick County Fire District 1 plans to conduct prescribed burns from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, April 7, weather permitting. According to a news release, the park and zoo will remain open to the public, but barricades along walking paths and other areas will keep visitors away from the burn sites. Likewise, SCFD1 will […]
| By Tammara Fogle
Sedgwick County Environmental Resources is hosting a free waste tire collection April 10-12, 2025, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at its West Yard, 4701 S. West St. According to a news release, this event is open to residents, farmers and local governmental agencies. Tires will not be accepted from businesses. For safety reasons, anyone using a […]
April 3, 2025 | By Celia Hack/KMUW
When Kashmire Baker’s apartment at the Bradford Glen complex flooded in December 2022, she said she figured the pipes might have burst in the cold. Then it happened again in January. And in April. Twice in May. A big flood in June. Repeatedly, the water soaked the carpet and contaminated toys Baker’s 2-year-old had strewn […]
April 2, 2025 | By The Active Age
Sedgwick County will offer free measles vaccinations this Saturday, April 5, according to a news release noting that the county has no reported cases of measles at this time. The county Health Department is “is responding proactively to a measles outbreak in other parts of Kansas and the nation,” the release states. As part of […]
| By The Active Age
Wichita City Manager Robert Layton announced Wednesday that he would retire at the end of 2025, after more than 16 years on the job. Layton, who was hired in 2009, has worked under four Wichita mayors and 21 different City Council members. “Earlier today, I informed the Mayor and City Council of my plans to […]
March 28, 2025 | By The Active Age
A 30-year-old man has been charged with intentionally damaging a Tesla Model X, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office said Friday. There have been numerous reports of Teslas being vandalized across the United States by opponents of Tesla majority owner Elon Musk, a top advisor to President Trump. The Tesla here was damaged March 20, […]
March 25, 2025 | By Laura McMillan/KSN
What was once the busiest branch library in Wichita may regain that title. The Wichita Public Library has reopened the Westlink Branch after an almost two-year remodeling project. The library at 8515 Bekemeyer, near Central and Tyler, has doubled in size, adding community meeting rooms, more study spaces, a drive-up window, an expanded children’s room, […]
March 18, 2025 | By The Active Age
A $42,047 consent judgment was entered in Sedgwick County District Court against the owner of a basement and foundation repair business and the business itself for engaging in deceptive and unconscionable acts under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). According to a news release, the matter was investigated by the Office of the District Attorney […]
March 17, 2025 | By Kylie Cameron/The Wichita Eagle
The former downtown library near Century II could become the Wichita Police Department’s new headquarters. At least, that’s the idea floated by Wichita Mayor Lily Wu at her first State of the City address Sunday night. “That would restore a great public asset with a civic use and put officers closer to a critical part […]
March 6, 2025 | By Celia Hack/KMUW
The city of Wichita created a land bank in 2021 to ease affordable housing development in the center of the city. But four years later, city staff have suggested dissolving it, saying it faces too many obstacles. Two vacant lots near 9th and Ash are dotted with plastic Dillons bags and crushed soda cans. Laurie […]
March 5, 2025 | By Meg Britton-Mehlisch/KMUW
Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran broke from many of his Republican colleagues during a trip to Wichita this week by reiterating his support for Ukraine and condemning Russia’s actions in the country. “In my view, the world is a safer place and, most particularly, the United States is safer whenever we are aligned with our allies, […]
March 3, 2025 | By The Active Age
Via Christi’s Cancer Outreach and Risk Assessment program is again offering colorectal screening kits, while supplies last, at no cost to anyone 45 and older. Those whose stool samples test positive for blood are followed up by a nurse navigator and, if they need and cannot afford a colonoscopy, funding is available through a […]
February 25, 2025 | By Celia Hack/KMUW
A new bill in Topeka proposes legalizing the use of prison labor to build housing. Current Kansas law limits the state’s corrections department – which oversees eight prisons – from establishing programs that allow inmates to learn the trade and manufacture or build houses, wrote Rep. Kyler Sweely in an email to KMUW. The new […]
February 21, 2025 | By Kylie Cameron/The Wichita Eagle
Tax valuations will increase for 87% of homeowners in Sedgwick County this year. The average median increase for residential properties is 9%. Notices will be mailed out March 1. Last year, 60% of residential property owners saw an increase in valuation, with a 10% median increase. Tax appraisal increases are driven by the sales prices […]
February 11, 2025 | By Chance Swaim/Wichita Eagle
Wichita Public Schools voters will decide this month whether to support a $450 million bond issue that would rebuild, consolidate and close schools throughout the city. The bond issue would pay to rebuild seven elementary and middle schools, close four elementary schools, convert two elementary schools to K-8 buildings and consolidate alternative school programs, among […]
February 10, 2025 | By Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas said a freeze on federal funding and change at the U.S. Agency for International Development left $340 million in lifesaving food grown in the United States sitting at domestic ports awaiting delivery to locations around the world where people were starving. On Friday, President Donald Trump said […]
February 8, 2025 | By Claudia Amaro/Planeta Venus
María Retana arrived in Wichita, Kansas, in 2001 as a minor. Like many immigrants, her family settled in the city in search of a better future. She is the youngest and the only girl among five siblings. Retana benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an executive order established by President Barack […]
February 5, 2025 | By The Active Age
The Wichita Public Schools have scheduled a series of open houses to promote approval of a $450 million bond issue in a Feb. 25 special election. The bond issue, if approved, would keep the district’s mill levy at the same rate it is now. Otherwise, that levy would decrease in 2029. According to news reports, […]
February 4, 2025 | By The Active Age
An area resident was targeted in a “different twist on the age-old jury duty scam,” according to a news release from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office. The resident received a voicemail from someone claiming to be a sheriff’s sergeant, instructing the resident to call back immediately. Despite suspecting the call was a scam, the […]
February 3, 2025 | By Ainsley Smith/The Sunflower
Author and founder of the nonprofit Strong Towns Charles Marohn addressed a packed conference room at the Kansas Leadership Center in downtown Wichita Tuesday night. “We have two conversations going on right now when it comes to housing,” Marohn said. “In one of these conversations, housing prices must fall. They must fall and they must […]
January 31, 2025 | By Tammara Fogle
Gardening workshop The 2025 Design & Grow Workshop will be held Saturday, March 1 at the Sedgwick County Extension Center, 21st and Ridge Road. The morning session will cover native plant design, floral arrangements, resilient plant varieties and planning food gardens during droughts. Registration is $10 through Feb. 21; after that, it’s $15. Separate registration […]
| By Susan Armstrong
Dear Reader, Since February is the month of love, I’ve been thinking about the lost art of writing love letters. I still remember my grade school days when we drew hearts and flowers onto construction paper Valentines and carried them proudly home to our parents. For many generations, before email and text messaging gave us […]
January 27, 2025 | By The Active Age
The Kansas Department of Insurance recovered $1,490,565.11 for Sedgwick County residents in 2024, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced Monday. Last year more than $11.8 million was recovered for policyholders statewide. The total for Butler County residents was $137,441.85 and Harvey County residents $47,694.69. Funds are considered ‘recovered’ are calculated when Department staff assists individuals in […]
January 16, 2025 | By Matthew Kelly and Jonathan Shorman/The Wichita Eagle
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly opened the door to property tax cuts this year, a top Republican priority, during her State of the State address on Wednesday, but demanded that any changes must pay for themselves and not endanger the state’s fiscal health. The Democratic governor’s overture to GOP lawmakers came as Kelly insisted she wouldn’t […]