Winfield schools issue statement on murder-suicide
The Winfield School District issued a statement expressing concerns after a Winfield man killed his wife and three children before killing himself.
The statement says the district is saddened by the tragedy. It says the children who died were not current Winfield students, but that "a tragedy of this magnitude is felt throughout our entire community."
GracePointe Assembly of God in Winfield plans to host a community vigil Friday night to honor the family. It will be held at 8:30 p.m. in the GracePointe sanctuary at 7th and Harter streets.
Wichita unveils new municipal court program
A new municipal court program in Wichita will text people reminders for when they are expected in the courtroom.
Defendants with a scheduled hearing in municipal court will soon receive an automated text message letting them know when and where to appear for their case.
Residents can reply 'stop' to opt out of the program at any time, but city officials say they hope the alerts will help reduce the number of people who are jailed for failing to appear in court.
A California study last year found pre-trial incarceration decreased by 20% when defendants received text reminders.
Kansas Turnpike tolls will increase to pay for upgrades
The Kansas Turnpike Authority announced plans for $500,000 in improvements, and it's increasing tolls to help pay for them.
The multi-year plan is designed to preserve and modernize the Turnpike system, which runs from Kansas City to the Oklahoma state line.
The plan calls for preserving the roadway, improving interchanges and expanding capacity in growing travel corridors.
The Turnpike board approved a toll increase, three percent [3%] for passenger vehicles and four percent [4%] for commercial vehicles, each year for three years. The new tolls start September 1st.
Billboard campaign urges Kansas City Chiefs to ‘Stop the Chop’
An annual billboard campaign calling on the Kansas City Chiefs to change their name and end a longstanding fan tradition expanded its reach this summer.
The Kansas City Indian Center puts up the billboards every year when football season starts in the fall, calling on the team to change its name and stop the so-called tomahawk chop, which is popular with fans in Arrowhead Stadium.
“It's a stereotypical Hollywood kind of chant, and it freezes us into kind of this primitive image,” said Gaylene Crouser, executive director of the center and a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
She told KCUR’s Up To Date that the center put up more billboards this year to catch attention during the World Cup. Crouser said the team’s pending move to a new stadium in Kansas is one more reason to re-evaluate its name and fan practices.
Bill Koch wants out of his lease at the Wichita Boathouse
A foundation led by billionaire Bill Koch wants out of its lease at the Wichita Boathouse, and city leaders have learned that might come at a high cost.
Koch’s America3 Foundation leases the boathouse for $1 a year, in exchange for maintaining it. But now the roof needs repairs, and the city might have to pay for it if the lease ends.
While the city could serve notice requiring the foundation to make the repairs, there are few options to enforce it.
Vice Mayor Dalton Glasscock said he was stunned that the only recourse might be to take back the building.
“My mind's just blown,” Glasscock said. “Please say … this is not common practice in our real estate agreements now, that the only clawback is to do what they want the clawback to do.”
Koch houses his World Cup-winning yacht at the boathouse.
Democratic State Representative Abi Boatman addressed council members, saying the public should know more about the lease.
“I think I speak for a good number of people when I say that we're kind of tired of hearing that everything on the river only costs $1 for certain people,” she said.
The city council will consider the lease terms at a meeting next month.
Century II over budget, rental rates could increase
Wichita’s Century II was over budget by about $163,000 last year, and city leaders are considering potential upgrades and increasing rental rates.
Officials said attendance and concession sales are down. They cite economic uncertainty as part of the reason, but they also think rental rates are too low.
Assistant City Manager Dante Martin said there needs to be a balance when considering a rate increase.
“Any increase that we make to rental rates has an impact to not only our partners that provide shows, but our customers, our residents, and our community.”
Venue officials also want to add a center aisle in the Concert Hall. They are looking into private funding to finance a redesign.
Century II general manager John Hale said the Concert Hall’s awkward design could be affecting concession sales because guests feel stuck in their seats during performances.
“If you're sitting in seat 1 or 101, if you want to get out, you're going to bump over 32 people to get out, and so you're not going to go out and go to the restroom. That's a client issue. That's a comfort issue.”
In a report to the Wichita City Council, Hale said a top priority is updating the heating and air-conditioning system and upgrading restrooms.
City will apply for school safety grants
The Wichita City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to approve a grant application for school safety technology.
The Wichita Police Department is trying for $500,000 in federal grant money. It would be used to provide real-time information from schools during a violent incident, such as a school shooting.
The city would have to provide matching funds of $125,000. Police representatives said the school district might pay a portion, but no agreement was provided to the council.
Council member J.V. Johnston opposed the idea, citing concerns about cost.
“If we keep approving all these grants that keep ballooning the police department's budget, it takes money away from other things in our community that I think are important,” Johnston said.
Council members Joseph Shepard and Maggie Ballard also voted against the application, citing privacy concerns.
Shepard said he’s concerned about surveillance issues as they relate to the school district’s treatment of black students.
“One of the things that keeps me up at night is raising children who look like me in our country right now, and how to mitigate any risk of them not feeling any safer than their counterparts,” he said.
