November 1, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
McConnell Air Force Base has served many missions through the decades, from training bomber crews and maintaining intercontinental ballistic missiles to its current focus on air refueling and military intelligence. No task proved more perilous to the pilots stationed there than its stint as a home to fighter squadrons during the Vietnam War. “It was […]
October 21, 2022 | By The Active Age
Sedgwick County Fire District 1 has implemented a burn ban for the entire county. This is a combined effort of all full-time and volunteer fire departments in Sedgwick County in order to combat the current dangerous fire conditions. No outdoor burning is allowed including any open burning, chimeneas and/or other outdoor fireplaces. Active burn permits […]
October 18, 2022 | By The Active Age
The Kansas Society Daughters of the American Revolution has moved its collection of more than 6,000 books and genealogical/historical resources to Wichita Public Library. The collection was formerly housed in Dodge City. A celebratory reception will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. 2nd St. At the reception, […]
August 31, 2022 | By The Active Age
A small slice of the 2023 Sedgwick County budget set aside for senior-related services generated the longest and most contentious debate of any section before county commissioners approved the spending plan Wednesday. The back-and-forth came after 5th District Commissioner Jim Howell suggested adding $125,000 to the Department on Aging budget, a move seconded by 4th […]
August 30, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
Dr. G.G. Brown moved his medical practice to Wichita in 1908 to serve the city’s black community. Although the days of segregated medicine are long gone, the need for black physicians such as Dr. Brown has never been more acute than it is now. “We really need to figure out how to get more minority […]
August 25, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
A small slice of the 2023 Sedgwick County budget set aside for senior-related services generated the longest and most contentious debate of any section before county commissioners approved the spending plan Wednesday. The back-and-forth came after 5th District Commissioner Jim Howell suggested adding $125,000 to the Department on Aging budget, a move seconded by 4th […]
August 1, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
If you own a painting by Ernest Aspinwall, Bob Bayer wants to talk. Aspinwall is hardly a household name, but he was something of a criminal celebrity in Wichita in the 1940s and ’50s. Charged with kidnapping a Wichita taxi driver in October 1940, Aspinwall escaped from the Sedgwick County Jail three months later and […]
June 30, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
You can have a say in who’s chosen as Wichita’s next police chief. The city of Wichita is seeking input from the community as part of the search and selection process for the next chief. The community stakeholder survey is available in English and Spanish at Wichita.gov/WPDChiefSearch. A stakeholder survey for Wichita Police Department officers and […]
June 29, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced Wednesday that the Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $1.3 million grant to Exploration Place to create an outdoor riverfront park at Exploration Place. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan. This project will provide the Exploration Place science and discovery center a […]
June 13, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum is offering free admission from 4-7 p.m. every Thursday through August. There’s free street parking after 5 p.m. The evening openings will feature live music and other special activities. The museum, which occupies Wichita’s 1890 City Hall, is located at 204 S. Main. It features dozens of exhibits and thousands […]
May 2, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
The Sedgwick County Department on Aging returned $320,000 to the county’s general fund this year, disappointing some people familiar with the needs of older residents. County commissioners created a $500,000 contingency fund for the department in August and directed staff to determine if and how the money should be used. That came after commissioners adopted […]
April 26, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
HopeNet, a faith-based nonprofit organization that provides affordable mental health services, will hold its second annual “SpreadHope ICT” event at Chicken N Pickle from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, May SpreadHope will feature a panel of mental health professionals sharing personal stories and answering questions on today’s pressing topics, including suicide awareness and youth mental health first […]
April 19, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
Face masks will no longer be required at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport, at Wichita Transit facilities or on Wichita Transit vehicles, city officials said Tuesday. Officials cited a decision by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which said that a court ruling overturning its mask mandate required its removal. “Due to today’s court ruling, the Center […]
April 6, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
More proof that Wichita’s cost of living is extremely attractive: A new study shows that Wichita rental units are the biggest in the United States per dollar spent. In a comparison of the nation’s 100 largest cities, Wichita offered the most space for the money at a little over one square foot per dollar. In […]
February 25, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
DERBY — Myrna and Ray Messer knew they were doing something important for the nation’s Minuteman nuclear missile defense program in the 1960s and 70s. Otherwise, they might not have been willing to pack up and move 15 times as part of a group who called themselves the “Boeing gypsies.” “Considering the amount of pressure […]
January 5, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
Three and a half years ago, Dan Hill’s wife, Lori, invited him to join her for pickleball at the Andover rec center. “I went out there to appease her,” Hill said. “I didn’t like it.” Hill, 70, a longtime tennis player, didn’t like the way the pickleball bounced. He allowed his wife […]
November 1, 2021 | By By Debbi Elmore
After more than a decade on Facebook, Flossie Alexander can speak with experience about the good and bad aspects of social media. “In the beginning, I was drawn to Facebook as a means to promote my business as a life fitness coach,” Alexander, who joined in 2009, said. “I soon discovered that I enjoyed getting […]
September 30, 2021 | By Debbi Elmore
When Mark Mohesky retired, he quickly started volunteering with Meals on Wheels. Mohesky, who spent 33 years in the Wichita school district’s media production department, said he derives a great deal of satisfaction taking nutritious meals to people who might not otherwise have them. “Getting out into the community to deliver the lunches and looking […]
| By The Active Age
Congrats to the winners of our drawing for Riverfest buttons: Sue Erwin, Deb Phillips, Cynthia Rhodes and Janice Massucci. Each of these Active Age readers receives a pair of Riverfest buttons. They qualified for the drawing by correctly answering the question: Who is the only two-time Admiral Windwagon Smith? The answer is Clay Bastian (we […]
August 31, 2021 | By Bob Rives
By Bob Rives When Major League Baseball staged a game in the Iowa cornfield where “Field of Dreams” was filmed, it became one of the most-talked-about regular season contests in decades. Something similar plays out in Wichita when the city’s two vintage baseball teams square off at Old Cowtown Museum. Baseball is now rivaled in […]
June 1, 2021 | By Debbi Elmore
An anti-hunger campaign started by a 6-year-old Wichita boy has turned into an intergenerational effort reaching into six other states. Called Paxton’s Blessing Boxes after Paxton Burns, who’s now 11, the red boxes are stocked with donated food and personal hygiene products that are free for anyone to take. The endeavor has grown to 93 […]