March 31, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
TOPEKA — Don’t hang out with Lynn Rogers at the Kansas state Capitol unless you want to talk to people. A lot of people. After a legislative hearing one afternoon last month, the state Treasurer and longtime Wichita resident lingered in the wing outside for 15 minutes chatting up lawmakers and anybody else who wandered […]
February 25, 2022 | By Mary Clarkin
In a span of months last year, a 26-year-old Afghanistan native named Wissa flew from his homeland to Qatar, then to Germany, next to Virginia and finally to Wichita. Wissa fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan along with his parents and three younger brothers, who range in age down to 14. He did not choose […]
January 28, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
Growing up in the era of peace and love in the 1960s, Phil Thompson was certain of his future. “I wanted to be a DJ, a hippie or a rock star. Or a DJ hippie or a rock star hippie.” Given that he had no musical ability, hippie disc jockey it was. […]
December 31, 2021 | By Joe Stumpe
A pair of Wichita women seem to have unleashed a mini-stampede with a simple question: Anybody want to go for a hike? Cindy Coughenour and Jeri Brungardt, who started Women Hiking KS and Beyond two years ago, drew 17 women to the first hike they organized. In October, 106 showed up for a hike at […]
December 1, 2021 | By Joe Stumpe
A historic building that was constructed in three months a century ago took volunteers more than a decade to restore. They say it was worth every Saturday spent stripping paint and patching walls, every grant application filled out and every donation request made on behalf of the Fresh Air Baby Camp building. Known by many […]
November 1, 2021 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
When Janice Friedman saw four women bikers roll up to a Harley-Davidson dealership in Wyoming, she was intrigued. “I’d never seen women Harley riders before. But I was the last person you would ever guess would do that,” Friedman said. “I won’t lie, I was kind of high maintenance.” In fact, she didn’t even enjoy […]
September 28, 2021 | By Joe Stumpe
As politicians in Washington debate massive new infrastructure spending, it’s interesting to recall how the New Deal programs of nearly a century ago affected Wichita. The impact of those projects spearheaded by President Franklin Roosevelt can hardly be overstated. They are still a big part of the city’s life in areas ranging […]
August 2, 2021 | By Tammara Fogle
By Annie Calovich Visitors to the Frank Lloyd Wright house in College Hill have always been amazed at the pristine condition of the restored interior of the residence. The grounds surrounding the house, on the other hand, for a long while did not reflect the admirable inside, which is now a museum. But local master […]
June 1, 2021 | By Beth Bower
For Scott Redler, it all started in his hometown of St. Louis. The co-founder of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers made breakfast for his family as a kid and helped his mother and grandmother in the kitchen on a regular basis. “I always had a passion for food,” he said. Redler used that passion to […]