Sedgwick County Zoo mourns death of beloved elephant
The Sedgwick County Zoo announced Thursday that the matriarch of its African elephant herd has died.
Stephanie was the zoo's oldest elephant, at 55, and had lived at the zoo since 1972. She was the third-oldest African elephant in North America.
Zoo officials said on social media that Stephanie had been receiving specialized care to keep her comfortable in her senior years.
Her care team noticed a significant decline recently and decided to humanely euthanize her. After Stephanie died, the herd spent time with her to process the loss.
Both sides await decision on lawsuit over transgender rights
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach clashed with transgender rights advocates in court, and now both sides await a decision challenging a new state law.
That law requires people to use driver’s licenses and restrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth.
The state says the law makes Kansas safer.
Two law enforcement officers gave theoretical examples, including the use of different pat-downs based on gender, and officers potentially misidentifying a wanted person because of confusion over the sex listed on a person’s driver’s license.
But real-world examples were harder to find.
Kobach said that won’t hurt the state’s case because there are few transgender people in Kansas.
"One would not expect a law enforcement officer to run into lots and lots of law enforcement encounters where the suspect is transgender," he said.
ACLU attorney Harper Seldin, who represents the plaintiffs, calls the law a solution looking for a problem.
A decision is expected by mid-November.
Enrollment drops 3% in Wichita schools
Enrollment is down at Wichita Public Schools, according to the state’s latest headcount data.
The state’s annual headcount provides a snapshot of about how many students are enrolled at each district in Kansas.
Wichita’s headcount this year was 43,643 — down about 3% compared to last year.
Because of the decline in enrollment, the Wichita school district is set to lose about $8 million in state funding this year.
Schools at all levels across the U.S. are seeing enrollment drop as people are generally having fewer babies.
The Wichita school district projects that trend will continue through 2034.
Wichita airport will offer nonstop flights to Orlando again
Wichita's Eisenhower National Airport will once again offer nonstop flights to Orlando, Florida, next summer.
The airport posted on Facebook this week that the summer 2027 schedule for Southwest Airlines includes nonstop service from ICT to Orlando.
It's the second summer in a row that the airport has offered nonstop service to Orlando, which is known for Disney World and other theme parks.
The flights out of Wichita are available on Saturdays next summer. They are listed through early August on the Southwest Airlines website.
Army report: Systemic flaws led to fatal midair collision in D.C.
A new investigative report from the United States Army says systemic issues within the military branch were part of the cause of a crash between an Army helicopter and American Airlines flight last year.
The investigation reveals that Army officials failed to tell pilots that the Blackhawk's altimeter has been known to under-report altitude depending on how the helicopter is loaded. Pilots were eventually notified in August 2025.
The Army's investigator also joined transportation safety officials and victims families in calling for the use of ADSB-In. The device allows pilots to receive information about the position of other aircraft in their airspace.
Homeless Stand Down will connect people to resources
Wichita’s Dole VA Medical Center is hosting an event to connect those experiencing homelessness with resources.
The Homeless Stand Down will take place Friday at Hyde Park near Douglas and Hydraulic.
Personal care items, clothing and food will be available. More than 50 providers are offering resources for things like substance abuse counseling, housing assistance and legal support.
The event is open to the public. There will also be services for veterans at risk of becoming homeless.
More information is on the VA Medical Center’s Facebook page.
Prairie Fire marathon will close streets Sunday
Wichita is preparing to turn over its streets to more than 3,400 runners on Sunday for the annual Prairie Fire Marathon.
The marathon and half-marathon kick off at 7:10 a.m. at Equity Bank Park.
The city will close sections of Douglas and McLean starting at 4 a.m. to protect runners as they make their way into downtown and along the course through College Hill, Delano, Riverside and Indian Hills.
Race organizers expect that more than 4,500 spectators will set up along the route to cheer on the runners.
This year's racers come from 45 states and six countries.
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