An affordable senior living complex opened on Friday in Bel Aire, but before doors opened, it was already full with a large waitlist. Homestead Affordable Housing has launched 14 projects like this one across the state in an effort to meet the needs of low-income seniors looking for a place to live. The one in Bel Aire has 36 units, which are already full. The non-profit now has 170 people on the waitlist, searching for an alternative. “We’re doing everything we can to make the units more affordable rent,” said Homestead Affordable Housing President Tom Bishop. Bishop said their 14 properties in Kansas provide the opportunity for low-income seniors to live comfortably. “The lowest targeted rent is 30% of area median income. For one bedroom, I think that’s $305 a month,” said Bishop. George and Regina Wilson were the first ones to move into the property. They said their former homeowner raised the rent, and they could no longer afford the monthly payment. They said they are now thankful to have their new community in Bel Aire. “It really took the stress away. When they put that key in our hand, it was really a blessing,” said Regina Wilson.
Source: KSN-TV

Green Frog Brewing has been open for about a month in the small town of Douglass. On Friday, they already had customers at four in the afternoon. “We do some traditional styles and we do brown ales and red ales. Peanut butter porter. Honey beer,” said Jay Sanderson, head brewer at Green Frog. “Open for four weeks, it has gone really, really well. Business has gone way better than we thought it would have. We sold out of four beers already so I am brewing faster than, the sales are going up faster than I can stay up. Which is a great problem to have.” Sanderson said they have invested in more equipment to make more beer. And they may need it now that they can sell beer outside their own doors without having to use a distributor in the wake of Kansas House Bill 2421 being signed into law. The bill allows microbreweries to distribute their own beers and hard ciders to clubs and restaurants as well as at public venues. “And people are like, wow, where’s the beer from? It’s from this place in Douglass,” said Sanderson. “Now, with the new law going in on July 1st, we can take our beer to take it out to bars, restaurants, places where it will generate more foot traffic in here for us.” Sean Willcott brews beer and offers it for sale in northern Kansas with Willcott Brewing & Taproom of Holton. “It was very challenging to get our product to market. There’s a reason Kansas ranks 49th in the country for beer production,” said Willcott on Friday. “This is Kansas Craft Beer Week, so this is a perfect time for such a huge industry win.”
Source: KSN-TV