General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

Eagle - Sedgwick County prepares for launch of new 988 mental health hotline

For several years Sedgwick County has had a higher average suicide rate per 100,000 people than the national average.

In 2020 Sedgwick County recorded its highest rate, according to data from Sedgwick County and KU School of Medicine-Wichita. During a year of lockdowns, isolation and closures, there were approximately 20.4 suicides per 100,000 Sedgwick County residents, which equates to 105 individuals.

Mental illness was linked to more than half of those 2020 deaths, with 55% of the individuals who died having a known history of mental illness.

Amid a suicide rate that has peaked and rising mental health concerns in the United States, the nation is taking a step to make it easier for those who need it to get help.

Starting July 16, anyone in Sedgwick County — and across the county — who is experiencing mental-health-related distress or worrying for a loved one’s mental health will be able to dial 988 to receive support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The new number is intended as an easier way for people to remember where to call in times of need, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The lifeline’s current number, 800-273-8255, will remain available even after 988’s launch.

Here’s a look at Sedgwick County’s preparation for the launch of 988 and mental health in the Wichita area, as well as what to know about the new three-digit number and how to access resources that can help you now.

I had to include the following as the numbers jump out at you and are important to know.

Eric Litwiller, director of development and communications at the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas, said online screenings in Wichita for anxiety increased by 650% and screenings for depression increased by 900% in 2020.

I'm a big advocate for mental health, and it's important to know that 988 isn't restricted to suicidal concerns and is there for any mental health or substance abuse concerns from anyone.

Other important numbers available:

Breakthrough: 316-269-4160
Cana Counseling Services (Catholic Charities): 316-263-6941
Center City (Comcare Homeless Program): 316-660-7800
Comcare of Sedgwick County: 316-660-7540
Center on Family Living, Friends University: 316-295-5638
CRISIS INTERVENTION (Suicide Hotline): 316-660-7500
Family & Children Community Services, Comcare: 316-660-9605
GraceMed Health Clinics: 316-866-2000
Guadalupe Clinic: 316-264-6464
HealthCore Clinic: 316-691-0249
Higher Ground: 316-262-2060
HopeNet, Inc: 316-684-4673
Hunter Health Clinic: 316-262-2415
KCSL Outpatient Mental Health - West: 316-686-6671 ext. 7217
Mental Health Association of South Central KS Counseling Center: 316-652-2590
Wichita State University Psychology Clinic: 316-978-3212
Wichita State University Student Services: 316-978-4792
Word of Life Counseling Center: 316-677-7646


When I saw this article on FB yesterday, it was behind a paywall. I get why they have a paywall, but for something like this, that shouldn't be a concern for people who need to learn about this or understand what it is.

[SubGod22]

Fightnews.com - Nico Hernandez remains unbeaten

Unbeaten super flyweight Nico Hernandez (8-0, 4 KOs) scored a six round unanimous decision over Delvin McKinley (4-3-1, 4 KOs) on Saturday night at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Hernandez dropped McKinley in round four en route to a 60-53 3x verdict.

Still think it's kind of cool that The Chuck hosted boxing.

[SubGod22]

A step towards helping with the nursing shortages in the area

WBJ - Two new training centers will prepare Wichita teens for health-care careers

"We are a firm believer in creating a pipeline and an opportunity to give people access to a living wage career with an emphasis in health care," Evans said. "We've had a nursing shortage and a health-care worker shortage for years. Covid just exacerbated that problem."

The Health Science Future Ready Centers will offer courses in a range of entry-level programs. Students can get certified in EKG or phlebotomy, for example, or work as certified nursing assistants or home health-care assistants as soon as they graduate. There will also be tracks for dental, veterinarian technician, and EMT.

After graduation, students can seek employment right away or further their education in health care at WSU Tech or elsewhere.
Wesley, specifically, offers tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per year to part- and full-time employees.

The two facilities will be at WSU Tech South and at Wesley. The WSU Tech space can currently handle around 100 students, with that capacity expected to double when the project is completed. Currently, the program in use has been traveling to different area high schools, but the new facilities will allow students to be bused in, which means the program can have better equipment and teacher retention as you're only concerned with one facility instead of traveling to many.

[SubGod22]

Ticket News - Reba McEntire Announces Reba: Live In Concert Fall Run

Tickets go on sale the 15th and the show will wrap up at Intrust Bank Arena on November 19th.

Terri Clark will be her featured guest.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Cargill to fund Exploration Place visits, summer camp scholarships for Title I schools

The gift for the 2022-23 school year is similar to a program the county-operated science center began last year with Title I schools in the Wichita district. Title I schools are classified as high-poverty schools based on the percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches.

It will also provide STEM activity kits to hospitalized children, as well as 200 need-based scholarships to youth summer camps at Exploration Place, three Wichita library branches and other off-site locations.

"This gift is an extraordinary investment in STEM education for all," said Exploration Place president and CEO Adam Smith. "The emphasis Cargill places on values such as education, sustainability and equity aligns very strongly with the values of Exploration Place."

Exploration Place offered free field trips to students at Wichita Title I schools in the last academic year. Cargill's donation will expand the program to schools in Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, Cowley, Sumner, Reno, Kingman and Harper counties.

A valuable gift that could help a number of metro(ish) area kids and another win for Exploration Place in that they will be able to reach and potentially inspire and educate even more kids.

[SubGod22]

There's talk about downtown office space not being as valuable as it once was, and it may be true, but it doesn't stop everyone from valuing a downtown location.

WBJ - Riverview Building adds fourth new tenant in 4 months

Oklahoma City-based Physician Housecalls, which provides home-based primary medical care, begins a new lease Aug. 1 in the building at 345 Riverview. The company's Mobile Medical branch is based in Wichita and serves patients across Kansas.
.....
"We wanted something easily accessible and by major highways," said Lewis, who added most of the Kansas team, based on the nature of the business, travels frequently and is spread across the state.

The company's Kansas office will be moving from its current location at 530 N. Ridge Road.

Lewis said of the company's approximately 100 to 150 employees, one third are in Kansas, and the move to 1,697 square feet in the Riverview Building will help the company toward its goal of growing another 50% over the next few years.

[SubGod22]

Still a couple of weeks away, but

KSN - National Baseball Congress announces promotions for 88th NBC World Series

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The NBC World Series will be held in Hutchinson July 28-31 and Wichita August 1-6.

The NBCWS will be in Hutchinson for the first four days, with four games each day starting at Noon, before moving to Eck Stadium at Wichita State University on Monday, August 1 for the final five days of the tournament.

Full Tournament

• Youth Wear a Jersey, Get in Free! promotion, presented by Evergy.
  • All youth who wear their youth sports jersey to the game receive free entry, when accompanied by a paid adult

Full daily deals in the link.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - NXTUS group reaches $1.5 million in growth capital over 9 months

I'm a big fan of this group and what they've been aiming to help do over the past few years.

“Overall, NXTUS exists to help entrepreneurs build companies of significance by connecting them to capital, customers, and community,” said Quinn Robertson, who runs NXTUS' Accelerate Venture Partners angel investment group and other NXTUS capital programs. “On the capital front, we are keenly focused on expanding awareness and increasing the supply of risk capital in Kansas. Growing this ‘pie’ helps all entrepreneurs, but it particularly enables currently underrepresented populations to both build companies and access new forms of equity ownership."

A $350,000 Build to Scale Capital Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration helped lead to growth within the 14 portfolio companies NXTUS has invested in. Companies in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma are working in, among other technologies, biotechnology, software and crypto.

NXTUS said those companies have grown to employ more than 250 people, up 40% since Accelerate Venture Partners' first investments. The companies brought in almost $15 million in 2021 revenue and raised more than $150 million in total funding.

[Veritas]

Still a couple of weeks away, but

KSN - National Baseball Congress announces promotions for 88th NBC World Series[/LIST][/LIST]Full daily deals in the link.

That’s absolute BS. Part of the marketing for a new stadium was the NBC.

AAA. Nope
NBC. Nope
NBC museum. Unknown
Yearly Multiple Events. Nope

what a bunch of financial carpetbaggers.

in the very least, hold the championship game(s) at Riverfront.

[ShockerDropOut]

The Wind Surge aren't willing to take a long road trip to accommodate the NBC's use of Riverfront. I don't blame them for not having AAA baseball, but I do the rest. The "fee" they were charging earlier in the year is an example of their greed.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

The Wind Surge aren't willing to take a long road trip to accommodate the NBC's use of Riverfront. I don't blame them for not having AAA baseball, but I do the rest. The "fee" they were charging earlier in the year is an example of their greed.

Seems to me a compromise could be that the Surge play at the Eck, or is that forbidden for some reason? Seems to me you would want to showcase the new stadium for NBC. Seems odd...

[NCAABound]

The Wind Surge aren't willing to take a long road trip to accommodate the NBC's use of Riverfront. I don't blame them for not having AAA baseball, but I do the rest. The "fee" they were charging earlier in the year is an example of their greed.

The Wind Surge are out of town during this year's tourney.

[MoValley John]

The Wind Surge are out of town during this year's tourney.

I'm just asking this because I have no clue how minor league ball promotes or even makes money. Does anyone really go to Wind Surge games? Most cities I go to, minor league ball is sparcely attended. Des Moines does alright and Tulsa Drillers games are totally sold out. That said, I can't remember the last time I attended an Omaha game. I know I"ve been exactly twice. Both times were when my kids came home from school with free tickets. And the place was empty.

If the team does well, great! But if not, why wouldn't you run this at your downtown stadium?

[SubGod22]

The Wind Surge are out of town during this year's tourney.

Not entirely true, as the games taking place in Hutch are going on while the Wind Surge are hosting the Naturals. They do leave town and are in San Antonio during the Eck hosted games.

My guess would be that the NBC commits to locations before the MiLB schedule is finished and the Wind Surge aren't willing to commit to being out of town for the entire thing.

I do think it would work out to be split between Eck and Riverfront as needed, but I don't know why kind of planning and when goes into it.

I'm also not yet going to be critical of the Wind Surge and hosting other events there just yet. Covid impacted a lot of things and last year was the first year that they really had an option and that would have been relatively shorter notice for a lot of things. They did host the Jayhawk Conference title game and will be hosting the Holy War for the next two years. I'm sure they're looking at events that will make sense but it's hard to schedule a lot of summer events until they know their MiLB schedule. That probably does impact some of it but they'll figure things out. They benefit from the stadium being used so I don't think they're just sitting by and saying '**** it'.

And to MKR, I'm not sure what benefit the Wind Surge would have playing at Eck and letting the NBC use Riverfront.

[SubGod22]

I'm just asking this because I have no clue how minor league ball promotes or even makes money. Does anyone really go to Wind Surge games? Most cities I go to, minor league ball is sparcely attended. Des Moines does alright and Tulsa Drillers games are totally sold out. That said, I can't remember the last time I attended an Omaha game. I know I"ve been exactly twice. Both times were when my kids came home from school with free tickets. And the place was empty.

If the team does well, great! But if not, why wouldn't you run this at your downtown stadium?

Last year, the Wind Surge averaged over 4k fans per game, which put them in the upper third of AA attendance and was the best minor league baseball has done in Wichita. The newness of the stadium and the gap between affiliated baseball probably played a part. I know the game I attended with friends was fairly well attended, but I'd kind of expect games against the Naturals to boost attendance as there are a lot of Royals fans down here. Being able to see Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto play was quite the treat for fans who don't get to see them in person often. The first two are now playing in KC while Pratto isn't far off.

I don't know what kind of crowds the NBC draws as I've never attended and actual numbers are hard to come by. Not sure if this is because you don't have to buy tickets for each game and just do it on the daily. I did see a number from five years ago that said 55k was the total number, but that was also boosted by the Kansas Stars team that was allowed to play and was full of retired MLB talent. According to the blurb I got that number from, that was far greater attendance than the NBC had previously had, at least in recent memory. But 55k over 10 days is 5.5k per day which isn't bad, but I'm not sure it would justify moving Surge games to Eck as someone else suggested. I'll have to see if I can find non Kansas Stars boosted numbers.

I will say that the Downtown area might benefit more from the NBC as it would concentrate more visitors in that area as opposed to maybe staying closer to WSU instead, but that isn't on the Wind Surge.