Some residents envision new life for L'Ouverture Elementary
Some northeast Wichita residents say a new deal between the city and the Wichita school district could be a second chance for L'Ouverture Elementary School.
The school is set to close in May, and district officials have talked about demolishing the building. A tear-down is paused now that the city has agreed to consider taking on L'Ouverture in a proposed land-swap for Claude Lambe Park near 13th and Oliver.
Former council member Lavonta Williams said the deal feels like a reprieve for the historically Black school and the neighborhood around it.
"I'm just asking for the (memorandum of understanding)," Williams said. "Let us work after the MOU to figure out how to put something in there that's going to be resourceful to the community."
The MOU passed by the City Council Tuesday does not commit Wichita or the school district to a land swap.
New federal rule requires more healthy options for SNAP participants
Grocery stores and gas stations that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are required to offer more perishable foods and variety under a new federal rule.
Katie Sorrell with the Iowa Food Bank Association said the organization supports more healthy options for SNAP participants.
But her group and others across the U.S. say a sixth-month delay would help stores comply with the changes, which went into effect last week.
"We love that these retail stocking standards are opening up varieties and fresh varieties. We think that is great," Sorrell said. "We just want to make sure these small stores have time to build the infrastructure, figure out how to store the food and display the food, and have space for that."
Without enough time to make these changes, she worries there will be fewer SNAP-authorized retailers, resulting in fewer options for low-income households to buy food.
Gov. Kelly: Funding will go toward domestic violence prevention
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has announced that $1.4 million in federal funding will go toward efforts to prevent domestic and dating violence.
The funding is coming from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Family Violence Protection and Services Act.
It also will be directed toward services for victims of domestic violence and their dependents.
In Sedgwick County, Catholic Charities Harbor House will receive more than $100,000. The Wichita Family Crisis Center will get about $50,000.
Dispute over Cozy Inn mural could be over
Salina city leaders signaled Monday that the long-running dispute over a mural on the Cozy Inn restaurant could be over.
A federal appeals court ruled last month that the Cozy Inn did not need a permit to paint the mural, which features hamburger-like UFOs.
A statement read by Salina Mayor Mike Hoppock at the end of Monday’s Salina City Commission meeting signaled that the city is conceding to the court ruling.
The mayor said the city plans to update its regulations on murals and other signage and review other parts of the city code.
Kansas woman dies in crash trying to avoid deer
A Kansas woman died this week in a crash that happened after she tried to avoid hitting a deer.
The Kansas Highway Patrol said the crash happened around 3:45 p.m. Monday about three miles east of Kansas Highway 57 in Linn County.
A 52-year-old woman was driving a Kia Rio when it braked hard to miss a deer entering the roadway. The Kia veered across the center line and struck a GMC pickup truck going the opposite way.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A 55-year-old man driving the pickup truck was not injured.
Downtown Wichita 'Clean Team' will clean up riverbank
The Downtown Wichita Clean Team is expanding its service area to the banks of the Arkansas River.
The group helps remove litter and clean graffiti, and does other routine maintenance in the downtown Wichita area.
The expansion will allow them to clean the riverbank from near Seneca and McLean toward Kellogg.
Funding for the project came from Fidelity Bank and Hutton and is expected to last a year.
Officials with Downtown Wichita will then determine the project's effectiveness and future plans for the area.
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