October 16, 2024 | By The Active Age
United Way of the Plains is recruiting 160 volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that will operate Feb. 1 through April 15 in 2025. According to a news release, the service is offered at no charge to households making $64,000 or less annually. Funded through an annual grant secured from the Internal […]
October 15, 2024 | By Carla Eckels/KMUW
Known to many as Mammy in the movie “Gone with the Wind,” or as the first Black actor to receive an Academy Award, Wichita native Hattie McDaniel’s achievements didn’t stop there. According to McDaniel’s great-grandnephew, Kevin Goff, she was more than an award-winning actress. “She was a was a dancer, she played the drums, she […]
October 14, 2024 | By Stefania Lugli/The Journal
The deaths of more homeless residents are being counted this year after local officials implemented a formal process to identify them – the latest symptom of the intensifying conversation around homelessness in Wichita. As of September, 46 homeless people had been confirmed dead by Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center investigators. That’s more than the 42 that […]
October 13, 2024 | By Courtney Brown/The Beacon
Dreena Reed has Medicare coverage, so she wasn’t personally affected when Textron Aviation cut off striking workers’ health insurance. But she’s worried about her daughter’s family. Her son-in-law is also on strike, and the company-sponsored health insurance covers him, Reed’s daughter and their kids. “That just goes to show that they’re not caring about their […]
October 11, 2024 | By The Active Age
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater is reminding voters of several important dates this month, including next week’s voter registration deadline, in preparation for the 2024 General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Tuesday, Oct. 15 – Last day that Sedgwick County residents can register to vote and be able to cast a ballot in the […]
October 10, 2024 | By The Active Age
Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for more than 72.5 million Americans will increase 2.5% in 2025, the Social Security Administration announced today (Oct. 10). On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $50 per month starting in January. Over the last decade the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase has averaged […]
October 9, 2024 | By The Active Age
A woman who stole thousands of dollars from her great uncle has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison, according to a news release from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office. Sedgwick County District Judge David Kaufman sentenced Stephanie Bracks, 43, of Dallas, Texas to 47 months in prison and ordered her to pay […]
October 3, 2024 | By The Active Age
Wichita home prices will rise by nearly 8 percent next year, slightly more than the statewide average, according to the 2025 Kansas Housing Markets Forecast series published by the Wichita State University Center for Real Estate. “Inventories of homes available for sale remain quite tight,” said Dr. Stan Longhofer, director of the WSU Center for […]
September 30, 2024 | By Meg Britton-Mehlisch/The Beacon
One big rainstorm won’t fix Wichita’s water shortage. Dark storm clouds that hovered over Wichita one mid-September softened the ring of cracked dirt that’s inched wider around Cheney Lake each week, but it didn’t erase the underlying problem. Kansas is in a drought. For much of the last year, Cheney Lake, Wichita’s primary water source, […]
| By Chance Swaim/The Wichita Eagle
The two candidates for Sedgwick County Commission District 3 have different visions for how county government should raise and spend money in the face of increasing property taxes and a housing shortage in the Wichita area. Celeste Racette, a fiscally conservative Democrat with a background in accounting, said she wants to offer property tax relief […]
| By Chance Swaim/The Wichita Eagle
Sedgwick County Commission District 2 candidates Sarah Lopez, the Democratic incumbent, and Jeff Blubaugh, the Republican challenger, disagree about how the county should address affordable housing in Sedgwick County. But they both said they think county property taxes play a key role. Lopez said she plans to offer property tax relief by consolidating services offered […]
September 26, 2024 | By The Active Age
Three new members have joined the board of directors of The Active Age newspaper. Steve Criser is one of the founders and owners of CGP Group, LLC, a tax and accounting firm. A Wichita native, he graduated from East High and Wichita State University. Criser jokes that a job he held during college — drawing […]
September 25, 2024 | By Matthew Kelly/The Wichita Eagle
For the first time in over 100 years, Park Elementary School did not welcome students and teachers back for another school year. Instead, the recently shuttered elementary in the heart of Midtown is set to reopen around Thanksgiving as an emergency winter shelter. The Wichita City Council last month finalized its $1 purchase of Park […]
September 24, 2024 | By The Active Age
Sedgwick County is doubling the size of its Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 801 Stillwell and adding parking to the east side. According to a news release, the $1.9 million project is needed to handle growth in customer usage and to facilitate tours and school field trips in the future. Meantime, the facility’s Swap & […]
September 20, 2024 | By The Active Age
As Wichita’s drought continues, the city said this week that it will step up enforcement of water use restrictions — including the levying of fines when warranted — and may discuss prohibiting all outdoor watering in the future. “All water customers are urged to continue to find ways to cut back on water usage,” a […]
September 17, 2024 | By Suzanne Perez/KMUW
The Wichita school district will ask voters in February to approve a $450 million bond issue to finance school construction and other improvements — a plan leaders say will reduce the district’s overall footprint and make it more efficient. School board members voted 6-1 on Monday to hold a special election Feb. 25. It will […]
September 16, 2024 | By The Active Age
The state of Kansas will begin this fall to provide $1,000 to unpaid caregiers caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, it was announced today (Monday, Sept. 16). The Kansas Respite for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Program (K-RAD) will be overseen by Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) but managed and administered by […]
September 9, 2024 | By Laura McMillan/KSN
The Wichita City Council has been looking for ways to prevent problems at short-term rental sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Should the property owner or just the renter be fined and possibly arrested? On Tuesday, council members approved an ordinance allowing law enforcement officers to shut down nuisance parties at short-term rental properties. The ordinance states […]
September 5, 2024 | By The Active Age
Leaders of Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre on Wednesday announced its Second Century Campaign and plans to fully restore the interior of the historic venue. “We are proud to announce that the Second Century Campaign launched during our 100th anniversary (in 2022) is at 73 percent of its $9.5 million goal,” said Glen Nilsen, chairman of the […]
September 3, 2024 | By Joel Mathis The Journal
On the day after Valentine’s Day, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach went to the Capitol and made a surprising announcement to the media: Nearly 60 years after the state carried out its last execution – and almost exactly 30 years after its current death penalty law went into effect – Kansas might soon be ready […]
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 […]
May 23, 2024 | By The Active Age
Senior Services, Inc. is experiencing extremely low volunteer numbers in its Meals on Wheels program due to the start of the vacation season. The program delivers approximately 800 lunch-time meals each weekday to homebound, isolated seniors. According to a news release, the program has experienced numerous open delivery routes each day for several weeks. Having […]