Meet Amelia: Tanganyika's baby anteater gets her name
A giant anteater pup that was born this summer at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard finally has a name.
A public vote to name the baby anteater ended Monday, and the winning name is Amelia.
All the potential names started with an "A" as a nod to the baby's parents, Amara and Armando.
Giant anteaters are classified as a vulnerable population, with only about 5,000 animals in the wild.
Amelia is one of only two giant anteaters born in North America in the past year.
New signs at ICT airport will ease parking
Wichita's Eisenhower National Airport has announced upgrades designed to make it quicker and easier to park.
New electronic signs at the parking lot entrances display the number of available parking spaces, so travelers can plan where to park before entering the lot.
Once inside, overhead displays and color-coded lights guide drivers toward open spaces.
The airport has also installed ticketless pay stations that let drivers use their car license plate instead of a traditional paper tickets.
The upgraded stations also support contactless payments, allowing travelers to pay without inserting a card.
Volunteers needed to help winterize nature center
The Great Plains Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help clean up the park on Saturday and prepare it for colder weather.
From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, community members of all ages are invited to help staff clean up the park. Free lunch and hot chocolate will be provided afterward.
Volunteers will help clean up trails, gardens and leaves at the park.
Anyone interested in helping the nature center can email volunteer@gpnc.com. Thursday is the last day to register.
Holscher begins transition process to be next governor
Cindy Holscher says she has begun the transition process to become the next governor of Kansas, although votes continue to be counted in that race.
The Democratic candidate said in a social media post that she has met with Gov. Laura Kelly and her team to begin the transition process.
Holscher continues to lead Republican Ty Masterson in the vote count, with about 7,500 votes separating the two candidates.
Election workers across the state are currently counting and verifying more than 26,000 provisional ballots.
That process could continue through Monday.
Moran still pushing for aviation safety measures
Republican U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas says Congress is overdue in fixing the safety issues that caused a fatal airplane and helicopter crash in Washington, D.C., nearly two years ago.
Sixty-seven people died in 2025 when a Wichita-based jet and Army helicopter collided outside of Reagan National Airport.
"We have not forgotten January the 29th. We we cannot. I cannot," Moran said. "The time for delay is over, and we have the findings. We have the recommendations. We have a path forward. We just now need determination. Determination to finish the job."
Reviews by transportation safety and Army officials said location-tracking technology — called ADSB-IN — would have helped pilots avoid the crash in congested airspace.
The House and Senate have passed competing aviation bills. Moran is pushing the House to adopt the Senate's requirement that all aircraft have the tracking technology on board.
Some Newton residents concerned about AI drones
City officials in Newton are facing concerns over a proposed facility that would test artificial-intelligence drones designed for the military.
Newton city commission members answered questions from the public during a meeting this week.
They said a proposed Shield AI facility at the Newton Airport would not hurt the environment. They also said noise from the experimental aircraft would be comparable to other planes.
Director of Aviation Brian Palmer says the drones would not be armed when flying over Newton.
"Federal law does not allow us to test armament outside of a military facility," Palmer said. "They are only going to test fly this and the capability of flying it."
Shield AI said the facility would create nearly 3,000 jobs. The Newton city manager said the number is closer to 75.
The city commission will consider the lease for the drone hangar later this month.
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