The Wichita Public Library would like people to vote on a new design for their library cards. There are three categories, kid, teen and adult, with three designs to choose from in each. The categories break down into kid, teen and adult. The most popular card in each category will be the winner which will be announced in January. Once the winners have been announced, current customers will be able to trade in their old library card for one of the new designs for $2.  To vote on which designs you would like the new cards to be, click the link in the source story.
Source: KAKE – News

Tuesday it was time for kids to do a little early Christmas shopping with some folks in blue. Also known as ‘Shop with a Cop.’ We went along as the kids got the chance to make their holiday dreams come true. Jaxyn and her sister Willa got a big treat shopping with a Wichita Police Officer and picking out anything they wanted for a grand total of $100 each. This is the second year the Wichita Police Department had teamed up with Walmart for Shop with a Cop. Children are identified through WPD Random Acts of Kindness submissions. Jaxyn, her sister Willa, and their mom have been trying to deal with a big loss in their family. “We lost my husband last year. So there’s been a lot of changes in our lives and I didn’t realize there were programs out here like this. A lot of changes from a two-parent household to just one. And I am the only one bringing in any money. They don’t typically get pick out for things themselves. Typically we have to budget pretty strictly,” said Jordan Minnis-Forck. Minnis-Forck says she couldn’t believe it when she found out her daughters were picked. “When I got the call to be part of it, honestly I cried for a good while,” said Minnis-Forck. So what did Jaxyn get? “I got a backpack that’s like, makeup in it. And I have a little school set and a little dress. And I have a little doll,” said Jaxyn Forck. A happy night for Jaxyn and more than a dozen other kids like her.
Source: KAKE – News

The state of Kansas is about to make big changes to its mental healthcare system, with a new psychiatric hospital located in Sedgwick County. “We see the mental health crisis that’s occurring, we see the homeless crisis that’s occurring, we see it in our front yard, we see it out our back door,” says Historic Midtown Society President Makayla Welch. “So we had a vested interest in where they were planning on putting this hospital that is desperately needed.” Scott Brunner with the state’s Department of Aging and Disability Services unveiled the possible locations at a public meeting in Wichita on Tuesday. “We want to be sure that we provide information about what the project looks like, who the patients are going to be, how people get there, the project funding and the county and state involvement just so they have a good picture of the project,” Brunner said. “So they can make a judgment about those locations.” Of the four locations, the one located on Central and McLean in Wichita, would be the only one utilizing an existing building. Brunner said that there are benefits to both building a new facility, and using the former Riverside Hospital. “If you build the new building, we can corporate newer technology designed factors around natural light and open spaces, good sight lines for our nurses and clinical staff to be able to be safe and, and patients be safe as well in the environment,” Brunner said. “If you go into an existing building, or where there’s already a structure and walls, you’ve got to start figuring out how those things all fit together. And it does make some accommodations about sightlines and number of patients per wings and units.” Welch said that she’s happy this issue of mental health in Wichita is finally being addressed.
Source: KAKE – News