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LATEST NEWS
Fentanyl-laced drugs are in Wichita. Here’s what can be done to keep residents alive.
Dr. Heather Roe has a front-row seat in watching a generation of parents bury their kids. She’s an addiction medicine specialist running Harmony Medical Clinic, a facility that specializes in medical treatments for people addicted to opioids, alcohol and other substances. Drug addiction has been a national concern for years, but she’s seeing a dramatic…
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Hurdles too high for some Kansans seeking emergency rental assistance
Sheila Sager doesn’t know if she should pack her bags. Her twins caught COVID. The electric company was threatening to shut off the lights. Her landlord was preparing to sell the house she rented, irritated with her pleas to get his cooperation on rental assistance paperwork. Sager was unemployed and behind on her bills —…
Over 225 complaints have been filed against Wichita Police so far this year
If you’ve been mistreated by local law enforcement, there are avenues you can take to file a complaint against a police officer. The Professional Standards Bureau of the Wichita Police Department investigates allegations of misconduct against the department and its staff. The department’s website encourages citizens to report allegations of misconduct to an officer’s bureau commander or…
Out of detention, into debt: How fines and fees bury young people in Kansas’ justice system
The moment a case is filed in juvenile court, the dollars owed rack up. There’s a $34 docket fee. Sedgwick County can tack on a law library fee up to $14. Kansas does appoint an attorney for free, but for any following casework the attorney can charge a “reasonable fee,” a number not specified in state law. NyKia Watkins said…
Wichita joins a long list of cities where gang data has been challenged
No due process. No appeal. No notification. No crime done. Tens of thousands of people, mostly Black and Latinx, are documented in law enforcement databases across the country classifying them as gang-affiliated. Last month, The Wichita Beacon reported on Wichita’s confidential Master Gang List, a police database fiercely contested by civil rights groups that say it violates…
How to be a Wichita whistleblower: What to do when things go wrong
No one knows a city’s secrets, patterns or stories as intimately as its residents. As a Wichitan, what can you do if your gut tells you something’s wrong? Are you protected from sharing potentially sensitive information? How do you even start checking things out? We’ve crafted a short guide on how you can be a…
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