Two years ago, scientists in Kansas and around the world found an interesting way to track the novel coronavirus: sewage water. By measuring the concentration of virus particles in flushed bowel movements, they are able to estimate how much of the virus was generally present in any given area. People infected with the coronavirus shed it through breathing, sneezing, coughing and in their stool. By measuring viral particles in the sewer system, known as wastewater surveillance, scientists can capture the total amount of virus present in large groups of people regardless of whether they had been tested. Source: Wichita Eagle

One day in 1973, The Wall Street Journal published a review of Kansas tourist attractions. It was not kind. “Kansas is trying to promote tourism,” the Journal noted, “but it really doesn’t have a heck of a lot to promote.” The column singled out the godfathers of Kansas roadside tourism — the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, the World’s Largest Hand-Dug Well in Greensburg and the folk art town of Lucas — for particular ridicule, with pause breaks in the spots where the Journal expected its audience to chuckle at Kansas’ expense. Local newspapers from Salina to Lawrence [...]

Wichita voters may be given the option in November to reshape the way Kansas’ largest school district chooses school board members after community members raised concerns that minority voters aren’t being heard. As it stands, registered voters in USD 259 can weigh in on all school board races in general elections. District-specific primaries narrow the field of candidates before races are decided citywide. Critics of the current system say the board would be more representative if members were elected directly by residents in each of the six school board districts. Source: Wichita Eagle

If you’re looking for evidence of rural decay and postindustrial decline in this dusty north-central Kansas town, you can find it. The last remaining manufacturing employer, US Tower, closed its facility during the pandemic, putting about 25 local workers out of a job. On the edge of town lies a subdivision without any houses, a barren reminder of a free land program that has failed to attract much interest. In the middle of the day, the shutting of a car door echoes for blocks, bouncing between the aging two-story buildings that bracket Lincoln Avenue downtown. Many are vacant. Source: Wichita [...]

When Reece Hembree takes his dog, Simba, to the dog park, he has to drive east. That’s because Hembree lives out west, and the closest dog park is on Meridian, in north central Wichita. “The closest one I saw was like 11 to 12 miles away, and I was like, ‘OK,’” he said. “It’s not bad, but it would be pretty convenient to have one somewhere in west Wichita.” That’s a common request, the two City Council members who represent west Wichita say. Source: Wichita Eagle

Wichita’s Animal Control Advisory Board will resume community debate Wednesday on whether to recommend a city-wide ban on pet stores selling dogs and cats from breeders. At stake is whether Wichita’s two Petland stores should be allowed to keep their current business model of selling from breeders, which Petland east owner Brad Bockus says accounts for 70% of store sales. The proposal to reevaluate pet store practices was brought by a community member to the board’s May meeting, where it sparked passionate debate. The Kansas Humane Society and Wichita Animal Shelter remain at maximum capacity, and some say a city-wide ban [...]

While early estimates put the cost of the incentives at $1.3 billion, the Kansas Department of Commerce on Wednesday said Panasonic would be eligible for $829 million in tax credits, exemptions and other incentives. The state’s new incentive program created refundable tax credits, which allow firms to not only reduce their tax burdens but receive cash from state coffers for meeting certain hiring and investment goals. Paired with an expected local property tax incentive from De Soto, the state deal means taxpayers will fund close to a quarter of the projected $4 billion cost of the project. Kelly said the cost [...]

Nationally, the housing market may be experiencing a correction, but in Wichita, there’s still a boom on. That’s because the greater Wichita area is still seriously short of houses, so it comes down to supply and demand. “It’s economics 101,” said John McKenzie, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate, who is in his 50th year in real estate. He said the past 24 months — particularly the past 12 months — are like nothing he’s seen before. That includes potential buyers “crawling all over each other other” at a home with 18 showings in a day and, in [...]

The Wichita City Council rejected contracts with nine towing companies that impound vehicles for the Wichita Police Department, with one member saying the move hurts small businesses and another accusing the firms of price gouging at the expense of some of city’s most vulnerable residents. The move represents a failed, last-minute renegotiation of a contract that’s set to expire June 1. The City Council delayed the contract earlier this month in hopes the companies would alter their proposal. That did not happen. Source: Wichita Eagle

More than 1,000 buildings were affected when a strong tornado swept through Andover on Friday evening. Search and rescue operations were continuing Saturday, officials said in a noon briefing. As the sun rose over the ravaged community, local emergency officials found a more widespread path of destruction than was estimated earlier. “We now know that our damage path extended approximately 3 1/2 to four miles to the north of where we believed it to have ended last night,” Andover Deputy Fire Chief Mike Roosevelt said. Source: Wichita Eagle