LATEST NEWS
500 dead and counting from fentanyl as Wichita struggles to curb overdoses
Under Wichita’s towering landmark, the Keeper of the Plains, a group of grieving Wichitans gathered at dusk, lighting candles for loved ones lost to fentanyl. Among the dozens of mourners at the recent memorial were Mark and Val Sandoval, who lost their son just weeks before his high school graduation after he took a single…
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.
MORE STORIES
Kansas Supreme Court to decide if Wichita’s ‘noisy conduct’ ban violates First Amendment
It’s not what Gabrielle Griffie said, but how she said it, the city of Wichita argued before the Kansas Supreme Court on Sept. 12. More specifically, how many people she said it with, and their reasons for saying it. Griffie was convicted of a misdemeanor — unlawful assembly — after leading a protest against police…
Data dive: What spending more money on elections means for voter turnout
A county-by-county examination by The Beacon showed counties that spent more per voter got some payoff on turnout — with limits. Counties that spent less than $20 per registered voter tended to see turnout of about 40%. Those that spent more than $30 per voter could generally expect turnout north of 50%.
Kansans can lose big on sports betting with a single click. Experts want more protections
People in Kansas can now lose hundreds to thousands of dollars, and possibly more, with just a few taps on their phone. The fallout from gambling addiction can be devastating — from people losing their life savings and stealing to suicide. Up until about a year ago, Kansas only allowed gambling through the lottery and…
Kansas taxpayers — not casinos — are underwriting ‘free’ sports bets that entice gamblers
Kansas taxpayers subsidize the millions of dollars nationwide sports gambling apps hand out to bettors for their initial wagers that get them in the habit of gambling. The new sports betting industry also makes hardly any revenue for the state, amounting to a small drop in the bucket of the state’s multi-billion dollar operating budget.…
Kansas economy depends on Latinos and Hispanics, state’s fastest growing demographic
Hispanic people represent 18% of residents in Wichita and the fastest growing segment of the Kansas population — making them an integral part of the state’s workforce, critical to the state’s overall economic success. On July 29, the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission held a Latina Leadership Summit at Wichita State University. It…
‘Nothing to fear’: Wichita police chief, county sheriff on HB 2350’s impact on undocumented people
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan and Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter say Wichita’s immigrant community should not fear HB 2350, an anti-smuggling bill that takes effect July 1. Since its passage, the bill has come under fire from state politicians and immigration advocates for its vague language. Many people were concerned the law could be…
The month the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Kansans bet $194 million on sports but the state got only $1,134
Update: Following publication of this story, Gov. Laura Kelly’s office issued a statement via Brianna Johnson, her communications director: “Governor Kelly agrees there are aspects of the sports betting legislation that could be improved. She will continue to discuss any potential changes with legislators.” It may not surprise you that in the same month the…
Scholarships, tuition, transgender athletes: What’s changing in Kansas education law
New Kansas education laws will allow private school and home-schooled students to access more publicly funded resources and will create a new scholarship for adult learners in high-demand fields.
Fentanyl test strips will finally be legal in Kansas. Here’s why that matters.
Kansans will soon be able to use fentanyl test strips without fear of being prosecuted after Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 174 earlier this month, a measure that addiction experts hope will prevent deaths from accidental fentanyl poisoning. “By decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, we are helping Kansans protect themselves from a deadly poison that…
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…
2023 Kansas legislative session: What passed, what didn’t, what was vetoed
Kansas lawmakers concluded this year’s legislative session last Friday after a three-day flurry of veto overrides and finalizing budgets for both public schools and the state, but without passing any of the tax relief policies each party wanted at the start of the session. Neither did Gov. Laura Kelly achieve the major priorities she laid…
‘I trusted her wholly.’ After breaking from Gail Finney, can Rep. Ford Carr earn constituents’ trust?
When state Rep. Gail Finney, a Democrat from Wichita, died in August, her successor Ford Carr knew that she left big shoes to fill. So much so that Carr has a pair of women’s shoes — presumably Finney’s, but Carr didn’t confirm this when The Beacon asked him — displayed in his office, a dedication…
It took three years for Kansas lawmakers to ban trans athletes from girls’ teams. What happens now?
Transgender and nonbinary student athletes will no longer be allowed to play on girls’ sports teams in Kansas schools, following the state legislature’s override of Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of House Bill 2238. The Kansas trans sports ban does not restrict who might play on boys’ teams. The override is the culmination of a three-year…
‘Storm of Addiction’ Part 2: Sober and ready to fight
This is the second part of a two-part series. Read the first part here: “How a Kansas woman emerged from the storm of addiction to fight fentanyl.” This story contains references to drug use, addiction and overdose. When Ashley Alexander found her fiance, Dustin Gotham, lying on the bathroom floor with a needle in his…
Is support for legal medical marijuana in Kansas coming in 2023?
Recreational marijuana is legal to the west in Colorado and to the east in Missouri. Medical marijuana is legal to the south in Oklahoma. But Kansas remains one of three states where possession for any purpose remains illegal — despite the fact that nearly 90 percent of Americans support legal use for at least medical…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.