FEATURED STORY
‘Ignored’: Activist challenges new environmental justice center to represent Black community
Mary Dean, president of Black Women Empowered in Wichita, Inc., and Kansas Justice Advocate, Inc., spoke out at an event at Wichita State for the new Heartland Environmental Justice Center. Dean said, “I couldn’t sit here any longer and listen to this.” “I’m just tired of hearing the same old thing that large groups or…
Get our free newsletter every week! We share our in-depth reporting and the best local stories to help you understand what’s going on in Wichita.
What you didn’t know about curbside recycling in Wichita
Local environmental activist Jane Byrnes was so excited after her group ReGreening Wichita toured a recycling plant in April — recorded here on video — that she created flyers to spread the word and contacted local media. The flyers declare: “Recycling in Wichita is NOW much, much easier! NO more washing or rinsing! Pizza boxes welcome!…
Study finds higher rates of liver cancer, low birth weights near toxic site in northeast Wichita
Rates of liver cancer and low birth weights are higher among people living above a toxic groundwater site northeast of downtown Wichita, a new health study by the state of Kansas finds. The source of the contamination is the Union Pacific rail yard at 29th and Grove, which has a chemical in its soil and…
‘I’m just so angry’: Wichitans feel state neglected to warn them of danger
In November, KMUW and The Wichita Beacon requested records detailing what the state did to inform the public of the contamination. The state produced limited evidence that it followed through on key aspects of its own communications plan between 2003 and 2022.
Has your family experienced unexplained illness? A Black neighborhood group will survey its members on MLK Day
A federal holiday since 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed in Wichita on Monday, Jan. 16. Local celebrations are planned featuring opportunities for prayer, volunteerism and community fellowship. One neighborhood activist hopes to use the opportunity to survey Black community members about any unexplained health problems.
Community members want fishing lake near toxic site tested, but state says it’s not necessary
The lake is directly north of a toxic site contaminated by a large chemical spill, which state officials estimate happened in the 1970s or ’80s.