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The Range | January 13, 2023

In the last several years, Wichita has poured a lot of money into growing the sport of pickleball. But one of its biggest investments wasn’t new courts or lighting. It was a person.

Noi Sourinthone came to Wichita to be the city’s pickleball director — and the story of how he got the job involves fleeing his home country, table tennis and an unlikely move. KMUW news reporter Celia Hack has more.

Also, a small private school in Wichita got a huge surprise last month. Urban Preparatory Academy won a $500,000 prize from the Yass foundation. The funds will be used for upgrades at the Black-owned school that was founded in 2014. For this edition of In The Mix, Carla Eckels starts her day at Urban Prep.

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KMUW News is a team of dedicated on-air and digital reporters working to tell the stories of Wichita and its residents.