Featured Story
500 dead and counting from fentanyl as Wichita struggles to curb overdoses
Deaths are no longer skyrocketing, but multiple local, state and federal efforts have yet to turn around a health threat growing since 2018.
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Local Government
Featured Story
Language barriers shut some Wichitans from local government services
Lack of language access leaves some in Wichita out of conversations that should involve them. Spanish language advocacy groups say it’s more people than you’d expect.
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Education
A Black parent’s guide: How to help protect your kids from racism at school
Experts say reporting racist incidents is key to ensuring students are free from discrimination in public school — a right they’re guaranteed by federal law.
A tale of two campaigns: Wichita’s school board candidates can’t match large sums raised by mayoral candidates
The Wichita School Board manages a nearly $1 billion a year operation, but donors pay little attention. Few candidates managed to raise more than $5,000 from contributors.
Know your rights: Your child’s school must communicate in a language you understand
You shouldn’t have to rely on your child to translate conversations. Instead, a school should provide effective interpretation and translation.
Wichitans You Should Know
Meet Sister Ursula, a glamorous nun advocating for gay and trans youth
Civil servant Scott Sullivan explains why he thinks his life is boring – and what led him to become Sister Ursula of the Emerald City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Meet the latest cohort of The Wichita Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau
Our community representatives come from a variety of backgrounds and neighborhoods across Wichita.
Refugee from the Congo escapes violence to build life anew: ‘Wichita is my home’
Gédéon Bahemuka Jino started life 8,000 miles away, but he now joins nearly a thousand Congolese refugees finding community in Kansas since 2018.
State Government
Data dive: What spending more money on elections means for voter turnout
Counties with bigger elections budgets generally see higher voter turnout. But questions remain on what spending produces the highest impact.
Kansans can lose big on sports betting with a single click. Experts want more protections
Legal sports betting in Kansas came with mobile casinos that offer easy access to place wagers online. Experts say that also comes with a higher risk of addiction.
Kansas taxpayers — not casinos — are underwriting ‘free’ sports bets that entice gamblers
When Kansas lawmakers legalized sports betting, they seemingly gave lobbyists for casinos everything they wanted. That includes tax exemptions on promotional bets that are aimed at getting bettors hooked.
About Us
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More Stories
Automatic mailing of mail-in ballot applications cut from Sedgwick County’s $3.5 million 2024 election budget
Commissioners instead opted to fund more polling sites and postcards promoting advance in-person voting locations and giving instructions to apply for mail-in ballots online.
La economía de Kansas depende de los latinos y los hispanos, el grupo demográfico de más rápido crecimiento del estado
The Beacon ofrece una transcripción abreviada de un debate en profundidad de líderes latinos de Wichita, quienes hablaron en un panel organizado por la Comisión de Asuntos Hispanos y Latinoamericanos de Kansas, el 29 de julio.
Kansas economy depends on Latinos and Hispanics, state’s fastest growing demographic
The Beacon offers an abridged transcript of an in-depth discussion by Latino leaders from Wichita, who spoke at a July 29 panel hosted by the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission.
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