Kansas.com: Local

Wichita-area charities have many to help, and need help too

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:45 CST

Before last week, Terry Olguin had never stood in line at the Bread of Life food pantry. But the 53-year-old grandmother lost her bartending job a few months ago, so she and her husband, who also is unemployed, "started hitting some of the food banks," she said. Last week she waited hours in the cold for a turkey and supplies for Thanksgiving dinner.

"I have some prospects" on jobs, Olguin said. "But right now it's hard. We're just looking for a little help wherever we can."

Leaders of local nonprofits say a recession that began well before last year's holiday season has stretched into this one and likely will continue for several more months. That means the demand on relief agencies is up, contributions are down, budgets are tight and everyone's anxious.

Keyes blasts Obama policies in speech

HURST LAVIANA — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

Former ambassador and presidential candidate Alan Keyes blasted President Obama and his policies in a speech to a Wichita audience Saturday night.

"It looks like nothing any rational person would do if he was hoping for a positive outcome," Keyes said.

Keyes spoke to about 200 people at the Beech Activity Center, 9710 E. Central, in support of Republican congressional candidate Jim Anderson.

Big crowd turns out to apply to work at arena

Chandra Stauffer — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:53 CST

When the doors to Century II opened Saturday morning for the Intrust Bank Arena job fair, a line of applicants already stretched as far south as Waterman.

During the six-hour job fair, organizers expected at least 5,000 people to submit resumes for the 420 available part-time positions.

Chris Presson, general manager of the arena, wasn't surprised by the large, early crowd.

Arena draws hundreds of job seekers

Chandra Stauffer — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:39 CST

When the doors to Century II opened Saturday morning for the Intrust Bank Arena job fair, a line of applicants already stretched as far south as Waterman.

During the six-hour job fair, at least 5,000 people were expected to submit resumes for the 420 available part-time positions.

Chris Presson, general manager of the arena, wasn't surprised by the large, early crowd.

Jail consultant's original proposal promised more

DEB GRUVER — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:56 CST

A consulting firm that did not meet its contracted goal of reducing the jail's population by 25 percent in 10 months initially made an even bigger promise.

The consultants made light of the 25 percent goal in a meeting with Sedgwick County commissioners on Thursday, asking whether anyone really believed such a reduction was possible in 10 months.

But when Justice Concepts first approached the county in 2007, it said it thought it could reduce the jail's population by 40 percent within six months for $48,000, records show.

Building a family tradition

Chandra Stauffer — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:28 CST

Holiday traditions are often passed from generation to generation, but a tradition has to start somewhere. For three sisters from Wichita, that tradition started Friday at the Gingerbread Village, a fundraiser for the Assistance League of Wichita.

Patty Ferris has been taking her children to the annual event to make gingerbread houses for five or six years, but this is the first year two of her sisters joined her.

"The kids love it," she said. "I love it. It's become our family tradition."

Thanksgiving travel could spread flu

KAREN SHIDELER — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

Measures of H1N1 flu continue to decrease, in Kansas and nationwide, health officials said Friday, but what health officials call "influenza activity" continues to be much higher than would be expected this time of year.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported that another death — the state's 19th — has been linked to the virus.

KDHE said a 75-year-old man from the Topeka metropolitan area — Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties — was infected with H1N1 when he died. The man had underlying health conditions that placed him at greater risk for serious complications of influenza, KDHE said.

Theft, burglary charges for pregnant woman

STAN FINGER — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

A pregnant woman believed to have stolen from west Wichita residents once they let her inside to make a telephone call has been arrested and charged, authorities said Friday.

Nicole L. Bell, 26, was charged Friday in Sedgwick County District Court with two counts of aggravated burglary and two counts of felony theft.

She is accused of stealing $245 from one west Wichita house on Nov. 1 and $103 from a second house on Nov. 18, court officials said.

Mom's brain cancer bills pile up

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:12 CST

Share the Season is an annual campaign that offers one-time aid to people affected by unforeseen hardships. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.

After being diagnosed with brain cancer and losing her job, a single mother of three is struggling to get by.

Andover program to aid 65 families

STAN FINGER — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

More than 65 Andover families will be served this year through the Andover Caring and Sharing Program.

The families will receive a holiday food basket, staple food items, presents for kids and gift certificates for older children. The program began in 1995

Families are nominated and screened to determine their needs. The program accepts toys, gifts and food items as well as cash and mailed monetary donations. Delivery to the families will be made Dec. 17.

Soles4Souls program offers new shoes for Wichita's homeless

COURTNEY LOONEY — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:52 CST

Kevin Duckett sat in a chair in the hall of the Union Rescue Mission on Thursday night as Jason Tanner measured his foot. Size 13.

"Let's see what we can round up for you," Tanner said as he headed to a storage room filled with boxes of new shoes. "I've got some new socks for you, too."

Duckett, originally from Pittsburgh, was among the first to benefit from a national program that provides shoes for those in need.

Police warn about pregnant con artist

HURST LAVIANA — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

Police Thursday warned west Wichita residents to beware of a young pregnant woman who has been talking her way into people's homes and stealing cash from their wallets and purses.

Lt. Mike Hennessy said the woman, who appears to be about eight months pregnant, has been knocking on doors and telling residents that her car has broken down and that she needs to use a telephone to call for help.

Once inside, Hennessy said, the woman has been able to gain the confidence of residents, and has then been able to gain access to their cash when they aren't looking.

District to combine south-side schools

LORI YOUNT — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

The best place for the Wichita district's new south elementary school will be the current site of Lewis Open Magnet Elementary School, district officials said Thursday.

Administrators will ask school board members Monday to combine the new neighborhood school and Lewis in the same new building at 3030 S. Osage, near 31st Street South and Seneca. The current Lewis building would be torn down after the new school opens.

In the $370 million bond plan voters approved in November 2008, Lewis was slated for a $1.25 million classroom addition and renovation, and a $10 million new elementary school in the south part of the district was to be built separately.

Jail consultants ask Sedgwick County for 18-month contract extension

DEB GRUVER — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:03 CST

One commissioner's frustration with consultants hired to cut the Sedgwick County Jail's population became evident Thursday when they asked for more time and money to do their work.

Justice Concepts Inc. wants an 18-month contract extension with a price tag of about $228,000.

Its original 10-month contract — valued at $124,616 — expired June 4. It has not delivered on its promise to reduce the jail's population by 25 percent.

New south-side school could be built alongside Lewis Magnet

LORI YOUNT — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:23 CST

WICHITA — The best place for the Wichita district's new $10 million south elementary school would be at a current school's site, district officials said today.

They said lack of land availability and preliminary boundary studies led them to consider expanding a current school site.

Administrators will ask school board members Monday to approve a change in the district's $370 million bond plan so the new neighborhood school will be built beside a new building for Lewis Open Magnet Elementary School, 3030 S. Osage. The current Lewis building would be torn down after the new school opens.

Class project becomes way to help family

LORI YOUNT — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:52 CST

Most students in Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas class start a business to get their first taste of profit.

Three Northwest High School students, though, saw the class project as an opportunity to help a family coping with the death of the students' classmate and teammate.

Deontre "Tre" Reed, a 15-year-old Northwest sophomore, died Sept. 22 of lung cancer.

Tax burden higher on lower incomes

BRENT D. WISTROM — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:05 CST

Most states, Kansas included, put more tax burden on middle- and low-income families than on the wealthy, according to a new study by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

At a glance, Kansas appears to split taxes as a share of income more evenly than the national average. But low- and middle-income families are still seeing a greater percentage of their incomes go to the government than wealthy families.

Kansas families that make less than $19,000 a year pay about 9.2 percent of their income in taxes — the national average is 10.9 percent. More than 6 percent comes from sales and excise taxes, and 3.5 percent comes from property taxes, the report shows. The richest families making more than $424,000 pay 7.1 percent of their incomes in taxes. Offset by federal deductions, the poorest pay the same share in taxes while the richest pay 5.9 percent in taxes — the national average is 5.2 percent.

Retiree needs help to fix home after leak

BECCY TANNER — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:51 CST

Share the Season is an annual campaign that offers one-time aid to people affected by unforeseen hardships. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.

The 73-year-old woman tries to live on her Social Security check of $694 a month. But her mobile home is crumbling.

Charity's goal: 19,000 shoe boxes full of gifts

BECCY TANNER — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:05 CST

Local coordinators with Operation Christmas Child hope to collect 19,000 shoe boxes full of gifts in south-central Kansas by Monday to help children throughout the world.

The group collected more than 1,200 boxes at Wichita's Metro East Baptist Church on Monday, local coordinator Ruth Claybrooks said.

That doesn't count boxes dropped off at other sites.

Wichita Clinic opens station to offer flu vaccine

KAREN SHIDELER — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:05 CST

Wichita Clinic has set up a temporary flu shot station and, beginning today, will offer seasonal flu shots to anyone and H1N1 flu shots to those in the Sedgwick County Health Department's priority groups.

The flu shot station will be at the Wichita Clinic's main location, 3311 E. Murdock. Appointments aren't required, and those getting shots do not need to be Wichita Clinic patients.

It will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday and Monday through Nov. 25. Insurance will be filed.