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The Wichita Beacon
Two homes, one lot and a possible way to make homeownership more in reach in Wichita
As Julie Moore and her elderly parents prepared to move from Oklahoma City to Wichita, they had some very specific needs. They wanted to be close to family and friends north of the city. And with Moore working from home, they needed enough space for her to do her medical coding and for her parents […] The post Two homes, one lot and a possible way to make homeownership more in reach in Wichita appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
Wichita will remove 3,517 names from gang list after lawsuit. Here’s what else it will do
The 3,517 people previously classified as “inactive gang members” and “gang associates” will be struck from the list under a settlement agreement approved by the City Council earlier this month, meaning they legally can no longer be subjected to heightened police scrutiny and harsher punishments. Under...
A Kansas ban on gender-affirming care couldn’t overcome a veto last year. Things are different now
Kansas lawmakers may have the votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. A bill failed last year when a handful of Republicans voted against their party. This year’s bill is different, but it has the same goal. Conservative Kansas lawmakers couldn’t ban gender-affirming care for transgender children last...
Wichita roads could just get bumpier. Eco-friendly cars are chipping away at street repair funds
State motor fuel tax revenue has dropped by 27% in Kansas since 2002 because of increasing fuel efficiency of cars, giving the state less money for street repairs. States are experimenting with different ways of collecting taxes from fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles, such as road-usage charges and extra registration fees.
Wichita-area politicians pick between war on drugs or treatment when spending opioid settlement cash
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter has strong opinions about how the county should spend the windfall it expects from legal settlements with opioid makers, distributors and retailers. “It has to be spent,” he said, “for recovery, rehab, that type of stuff.” Law enforcement, Easter said, should not be getting any of it. As local governments […] The post Wichita-area politicians pick between war on drugs or treatment when spending opioid settlement cash appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
Wichita nurses win contract after threatening third strike in a year
Union nurses ratified contracts with two Wichita hospitals this week, averting a third strike in less than a year and beating the odds against new unions getting first-time contracts at all. Nearly 1,000 registered nurses at Ascension Via Christi’s St. Francis and St. Joseph hospitals voted to ratify two-year contracts....
The Beacon wins 6 Kansas Press Association awards
The Beacon won six Kansas Press Association awards for its work in 2023 covering Wichita and the state, including first place for feature story and for a story originating from a public notice. Polly Basore Wenzl’s First place feature story profiling Desmond Bryant-White, Defying a “gang list” label to find his voice and lend it […] The post The Beacon wins 6 Kansas Press Association awards appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
A Kansas grandmother couldn’t adopt her grandchild. The case points to larger issues in foster care
Takeaways: Mindy Mathes was thrilled when a foster agency picked her and her husband to adopt their granddaughter. The girl had been weathering the chaos of the Kansas foster care system, living in multiple homes before finding people to call family. At the Mathes home, she’d have stuffed animals — unicorns and a beloved Grinch […] The post A Kansas grandmother couldn’t adopt her grandchild. The case points to larger issues in foster care appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
Will Gov. Laura Kelly sign or veto tax cuts? Here’s what else passed
State lawmakers passed dozens of bills in the final weeks of session. Kansas lawmakers passed another tax cut, a top priority for the Republican-controlled Legislature. Some bills are likely to be vetoed, setting up veto fights in the upcoming weeks. Kansas lawmakers approved new tax cuts, bans on gender-affirming cares...
Kansas and Missouri bans may spur families to travel far out of state for gender-affirming care
If Kansas bans gender-affirming care for minors, Kansas City families with transgender children will be hundreds of miles from a doctor who could help them. Kansas lawmakers stand poised to follow a conservative playbook that 24 states, including Missouri, already have used to outlaw treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
Wichita parents fight to reverse the school board’s vote to close six schools
Minutes after the Wichita school board voted to close six schools last month, a handful of parents began signing petitions in the hallway outside of the meeting. It was the first skirmish in their battle to reverse the decision. “When we started doing the petition,” parent Ruth Lehman said, “that was the only thing that […] The post Wichita parents fight to reverse the school board’s vote to close six schools appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
What’s at stake for Wichita if Boeing buys Spirit AeroSystems
Boeing wants a reunion with a corporate relative that’s drifted away. Spirit AeroSystems, once a Boeing subsidiary, split off from the aircraft manufacturing behemoth nearly 20 years ago. But they’ve continued to partner and now find their fates and reputations intertwined over the safety of a flagship jetliner they built together.
A hiring freeze for Wichita schools? Kansas Senate action could spare USD 259
A sudden switch to a new funding system would have hurt hiring at Wichita Schools. The new funding model gives more money to growing districts. Lawmakers amended the bill and alleviated concerns of the Wichita school district. Kansas lawmakers amended a bill Monday to prevent a possible hiring freeze at...
Kansas may ban gender-affirming care for minors. Doctors cite physical and mental costs of waiting
Takeaways: Iridescent Riffel wishes she could have started gender-affirming treatment when she was younger. Riffel, a transgender Kansan, said she wasn’t in a welcoming home, so she delayed her transition until she felt more safe. She went through an unwanted puberty while she waited. “I didn’t really want to grow facial hair,” she said. “A […] The post Kansas may ban gender-affirming care for minors. Doctors cite physical and mental costs of waiting appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
A U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the abortion pill could drive more patients to Wichita
A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could drastically limit access to medication abortions, now the most common form of abortion in the United States. That could increase the already fast-growing flow of patients to Wichita trying to escape abortion bans that have swept through the region since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
What to know if you’re thinking about buying a house in Wichita
Buying a house can be a daunting process at any time, with it being the largest purchase most people make. It may be especially so right now because of rising housing costs and interest rates, plus the limited market of houses available. This story was developed for an email course,...
A post-pandemic oddity: Wichita has fewer car crashes, but more traffic deaths
The COVID-19 pandemic has many ongoing side effects — increased drinking, worse mental health and increased risk of diabetes, cancer and other diseases. And, in Wichita and other places, more traffic deaths. The increase in deaths comes despite a drop in auto accidents. Exactly why isn’t clear. “We just do not know why,” said Chad […] The post A post-pandemic oddity: Wichita has fewer car crashes, but more traffic deaths appeared first on The Wichita Beacon.
With a casino on their phones, more Kansas gamblers risk addiction
Just over a year since Kansas legalized sports gambling, addiction specialists are seeing more signs of gambling addiction. People have wagered almost $3 billion in Kansas since sports betting became legal. Just in February, the month of the Super Bowl, the state reported almost $194 million in online wagers. Gamblers...
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