General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

FYI for your Saturday travels.

KAKE - Two ramps at I-135 at K-96 to close this Saturday

The Kansas Department of Transportation says the ramp from southbound I-135 to eastbound K-96 and the ramp from westbound K-96 to northbound I-135 will be closed part of the day on Saturday, May 11.

The closures, beginning at 7 a.m., are so crews can remove a crane and concrete safety barriers. Detour signs will help guide drivers to alternate routes during the closure, which is expected to be completed Saturday afternoon.

KDOT urges drivers to be alert and obey warning signs when approaching and driving through highway work zones. You can check road conditions and closures by calling 511 or visiting KanDrive.org.

[SubGod22]

KWCH - Wichita anticipating economic benefit from new biomedical campus

Construction on the new campus is happening at Broadway and Topeka.

It will house Wichita State University’s College of Health Professionals and Speech and Language Clinic, WSU Tech’s Healthcare programs and the Wichita campus of KU School of Medicine and Pharmacy. This campus will lead to roughly 15,000 jobs.

“Post-COVID, we had a lot of people that exited this workforce, and we have a demand for filling those spaces,” said Jeremy Hill, Director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University.

“Does this help improve that supply? Absolutely.”

WSU, WSU Tech, and KU School of Medicine aim to partner and help the Kansas healthcare system. The campus is also expected to add more vibrancy to downtown.

“I’ve seen in other towns, like Savannah, you could see increased foot traffic,” said Hill. “That increases safety, and brings more people, and enhances a lot of quality amenities and creates a dynamic community.”

The campus will also help the economy grow as it’s estimated to bring roughly $60 million to the area.

[Kung Wu]

Ransomware group called ‘most prolific and destructive’ claims credit for Wichita attack

Wichita’s government operations appear to have been disrupted by a Russian hacker group, according to Eagle research and a cyber threat analyst. A notorious Russian cybercriminal group — LockBit — is claiming credit for the attack on the most populous city in Kansas. A dark web listing flagged by cyber threat analyst Brett Callow indicates LockBit is prepared to post the city’s data for other hackers if a ransom is not paid. LockBit’s demands are unclear. Wichita officials would not confirm whether LockBit or any other group has contacted the city about a ransom. The group is known to ask for multimillion dollar payouts in BitCoin, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Wichita's city government is currently shut down. A Russian organized crime group is asking for millions to release our city, but if you read the article, that won't totally release Wichita from future difficulties because they copy and keep the files. Lockbit is trying to extort money from the City of Wichita. They have been involved in extorting hundreds of millions from government entities throughout the United States.

This is one time that I would be in favor of assassination from our federal government. Send in the "Seals". We got Bin Laden. Let's go get some Russians.

https://www.kansas.com/news/politics...288397380.html

wichita.gov is STILL down.

shoxlax what is the word on the street on this disaster?

[SubGod22]

Local company growing.

WBJ - Lee Aerospace will invest $2M in Wichita expansion, acquires California plastics fabricator

Lee Aerospace, a supplier of aviation manufacturing parts, plans to invest $2 million for a renovation and new equipment at its northeast Wichita headquarters.

Located near 34th Street and Webb Road, the project will add a new clean room, layup room and a sputter chamber used to apply thin layers of material to aircraft windows — including $1 million in property improvements and $1 million in new machinery, according to a city of Wichita report.

"That particular expansion is to increase production on CoolView and other heated aircraft transparencies," said Jim Lee, who is president of Lee Aerospace, in an interview.
.....
The company employs about 150 employees in Wichita, and plans to add 15 new employees over the next five years with wages of $54,000 annually because of the renovation project.

"Additional hiring will happen in the months to come after completion of the project," Lee said, adding that he expects the improvements to finish in August.

Lee Aerospace is growing in other ways, too.

The company completed an acquisition May 8 of the California-based Llamas Plastics, a plastic fabrication company that serves military, commercial and space exploration, including the F18, F15 and V22 — "all types of different military applications," Lee said.

"It extends our capabilities in the aerospace transparency market," he said.

Terms of the acquisition deal were not disclosed.

Lee also said he expects "more expansion in the future" at Lee Aerospace.

[SubGod22]

This makes me happy. She was fairly well known around here in the music scene prior to the accident and it's good to see her continuing her career the best she can and returning to Wichita to raise funds for others.

KMUW - Jenny Wood returns to Wichita for weekend performance

In 2019, musician Jenny Wood was nearly killed in a car accident in which both her mother and niece died.

Although Wood survived, she endured a difficult recovery process and still suffers from grand mal seizures, which, she says, could prove fatal.

Wood, who relocated to Nashville a few years ago, will return to her former hometown on Saturday, May 18, for Jenny Woodstock. The event will raise funds for the Salvation Army and The Lord's Diner. It begins at 5 p.m. at Naftzger Park.

Wood will perform with Nashville musicians Amoretta Layne and Rob Stewart as The Wooden Lovers on a bill that also features The Cavves, Citadel Bucket Brigade, and Jenny Wood and The Watchers with other special guests slated to join.

Wood has spent her time in Nashville writing and performing music while also volunteering at a food bank in East Nashville. She recently spoke with KMUW about her life there and why she's eager to help the Wichita community.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

You've been living in Nashville for a while now, and I wonder what your life is like there.

I'm always with the East Nashville food bank, and I've been there since I moved here. That has changed my life, myperspective. I'm very grateful for the co-volunteers and my bandmates. I've been with them since I've been here, too. Everything's kind of stable and set. Of course, my grand mal seizures happen. I can't really go up and down stairs very well [or] balance. I have to do things differently now. That's OK.

Yes, I live in Nashville and am staying here, but what I am able to do is continue my lifestyle with the food bank, with my bandmates and take all that I'm learning here and take that back to Wichita. Wichita saved my life. The community did. It's my job to go back and celebrate and try to make people feel better or do anything I can to try to give back to them for all that they did for me.

If you have the opportunity to make it out to Naftzger Park, go and support Jenny as well as The Lord's Diner. The woman has been through a lot and still seems to have a loving and caring heart.

[SubGod22]

KAKE - Blue Angels to headline air show at McConnell AFB this summer

Mark your calendars and prepare for the next Frontiers in Flight air show at McConnell Air Force Base featuring the Blue Angels this summer. It's free to the public.

The two-day event is on August 24 and 25. According to the U.S. Navy Blue Angels schedule, the squadron will take to the sky for both days of the event, which also includes a wide variety of civilian and military static aircraft. The last time the Blue Angels were in Wichita was in 2007.

Preparations underway for 2024 Wichita air show featuring the Blue Angels

The 2022 air show was McConnell's first airshow in four years. Between 60,000 and 70,000 people attended, which didn't account for those who watched by parking off of Pawnee or Rock Road or those watching from the Kansas Aviation Museum.

Easily the most famous show aircraft in the country, if not the world. I believe the last air show had the Air Force Thunderbirds who are pretty damn good as well. Their paint job just isn't quite as flashy and cool.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - National report rates Wichita's high-performing outpatient surgical centers

A national report shows that Wichita's ambulatory surgery centers have made great strides in performance this year.

The U.S. News and World Report — in collaboration with health-care analytics company CareJourney— debuted Tuesday a ranking of the best ambulatory surgery centers in 2024, which included four high-performing facilities in Wichita.

Ambulatory surgery centers are same-day surgery centers that conduct relatively minor surgical procedures or sometimes even nonsurgical procedures that don't require being hospitalized. Some procedures at these centers include cataract surgeries, colonoscopies and hip and knee replacements. Patients typically are discharged from the hospital on the same day they arrive.

The report rated health-care providers' performance in colonoscopy and endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopedics and spine, and urology.

Of the 14 rated ambulatory surgery centers in Wichita, four were ranked high-performing:

• Associated Eye Surgical Center (ophthalmology)
• Kansas Endoscopy (colonoscopy and endoscopy)
• West Wichita Family Physicians (colonoscopy and endoscopy)
• Wichita Orthopedic ASC (orthopedics)

Along with same-day surgery centers, Wichita's hospitals have also had high-performance rankings by U.S. News and World Report. These hospitals were rated highly in procedures related to diabetes, neurosurgery, gynecology and hip and knee replacements.

High-performing hospitals in Wichita:

• Ascension Via Christi, including the Ascension Via Christi Behavioral Health Center, St. Joseph and St. Francis (diabetes, neurosurgery and gynecology)
• Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center (hip and knee replacements)
• Kansas Medical Center (hip replacement)
• Kansas Spine and Specialty Hospital (hip and knee replacements)

Wesley Medical Center, meanwhile, landed on a list of America's 100 Best Hospitals for 2024 from national website Healthgrades, considered the top 2% of hospitals in the nation for clinical excellence.

The healthcare industry in Wichita has generally been seen as pretty good. I think this most recent report is encouraging.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - First Tee Greater Wichita plans $1.8 million indoor learning center to better serve youth

A Wichita-based nonprofit plans to launch a new 6,000 square-foot facility poised to expand the organization's impact on area youth through the game of golf and beyond.

First Tee Greater Wichita, which provides educational programs, mentorship and golf instruction to kids ages 5 through 17, is targeting an August groundbreaking for the Indoor Youth Learning Center on the Steve Hatchett Youth Golf Campus near 13th Street and Hillside.

Located at MacDonald Golf Course, the center will feature four indoor/outdoor hitting bays, a multipurpose room — which can be used for putting, as well as youth events and mentoring — and a learning library for homework and tutoring.

Trent Jones, First Tee Greater Wichita executive director, said that with the organization serving many youth at or below the poverty line, he hopes the facility can help put at-risk kids "on a better life track than they may currently be on now."

"It's going to be a safe, year-round space for kids, who really find a passion within our First Tee curriculum and connect really well with our coaches, to come each day after school and during the summer months and just be really invested in," he said.

[SubGod22]

KWCH - Historic Keeper of the Plains marks 50th anniversary as beloved Wichita landmark

The historic Keeper of the Plains statue in Wichita marks its 50th anniversary this week. The iconic image stands above the city as a tribute to the land and its history.

“It’s a tribute to the first inhabitants of this land. It’s really an icon and a symbol of Wichita,” said the Board of Trustees Chairman for Wichita’s Mid-America All-Indian Center Dal Domebo.

At 44 feet tall, the steel sculpture stands as a symbol of pride and unity for the Wichita community. Domebo said “The Keeper” is a one-of-a-kind vision for the artist who brought it to life.

“Blackbear Bosin, most people don’t realize he wasn’t a sculptor,” Domebo said. “The Keeper of the Plains was the only sculpture that he made.”

For me, when I think of the most iconic structure in Wichita, it's The Keeper.

[WstateU]

KWCH - Historic Keeper of the Plains marks 50th anniversary as beloved Wichita landmark



For me, when I think of the most iconic structure in Wichita, it's The Keeper.

Keeper - 1
Century II - 2

IMO, a couple of outstanding Wichita landmarks...

[SubGod22]

I still don't get the love affair some have with Century II. To me, it's just a large, antiquated building that serves very little value or purpose these days and just takes up space that could be better used and is a waste of money trying to put lipstick on that pig.

[WstateU]

I still don't get the love affair some have with Century II. To me, it's just a large, antiquated building that serves very little value or purpose these days and just takes up space that could be better used and is a waste of money trying to put lipstick on that pig.

I remember it being built in 1969. It's always been a Wichita icon to me. Although I see both sides of the argument, it's unique and historical and it's Wichita. Of course I have a passion for history and prefer to repurpose, versus tear down in most circumstances. I'm probably in the minority with my thinking. I wish we were more like Europe. Maybe they had better architects and materials.

[SubGod22]

KAKE - Wichita's self-service kayak rentals are 50% off this weekend

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu says self-service kayak rentals will be 50% off this weekend to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Keeper of the Plains.

Three stations with four kayaks at each are ready for rentals:

• OJ Watson Park, 3022 S McLean Blvd - rentals are normally $10 per hour
• Under the Kellogg Bridge, 605 S Wichita - rentals are normally $30 for 2 hours, then $15 per hour
• Riverside Tennis Center, 551 Nims - rentals are normally $30 for 2 hours, then $15 per hour

You can save 50% with the promo code "keeper50." The code is valid one user per person. Rentals include a life jacket, paddle and kayak and are facilitated through the Rent.Fun app.
Click here for more information.

[SubGod22]

New leadership coming to Downtown Wichita.

WBJ - Downtown Wichita hires Syracuse economic development veteran as next executive director

Downtown Wichita has its next executive director.

On Thursday, the affiliate of the Greater Wichita Partnership announced the hiring of Heather Schroeder — who has most recently served as deputy director and director of economic development for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc. in New York — to the position. She will also serve as executive vice president of the Partnership.

The move comes after Downtown Wichita executive vice president Jason Gregory announced late last year he would be stepping down from the role after nearly 13 years to pursue a career in real estate.

"I am thrilled to join the Downtown Wichita and Greater Wichita Partnership teams, and I am eager to work with the community to help position downtown Wichita as a world-class destination with opportunities for all," Schroeder said in a news release. "I am impressed by the private and public sector’s unwavering commitment to downtown vitality. Wichita is positioned for remarkable growth and I look forward to being a part of downtown's dynamic story."

Schroeder's first day on the job is set for Aug. 12.

In the position, Schroeder will oversee strategic initiatives focused on downtown Wichita's economic vitality, quality of life and cultural richness, the announcement said.

Schroeder spent nearly 9 years with Syracuse's Downtown Committee.

During that time, Downtown Wichita says she "secured and deployed millions of dollars for programs ranging from historic building improvements to downtown master planning and downtown activation projects."

Hopefully she brings some fresh eyes and ideas to Downtown Wichita and we continue to see progress.

[SubGod22]

New cuteness at SCZ

KWCH - Sedgwick County Zoo welcomes red panda

A trade of red panda’s with Garden City’s Lee Richardson Zoo didn’t make the Sedgwick County Zoo any less cute.

While bidding farewell to Ravi, who came to SCZ in 2000, Wichita’s zoo welcomed a new red panda, 3-year-old CJ, from Lee Richardson. CJ will turn 4 in August and came to Wichita while the zoo’s Big Cat Trek was under construction. The zoo said it’s eager for its female resident, Sunsari, to join him. The two have already been introduced off-exhibit.

This switch was guided by the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which aims for the best genetic pairings to ensure healthy, diverse populations of animals under human care. SSP’s recommendation for CJ and Ravi to switch places is a strategic move to pair experienced breeders with those less experienced – in this case, Ravi and Sunsari with CJ and Paprika. The goal is to support two successful breeding pairs, contributing to the conservation of their species.