General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

They’re not that great.

This article is surprising considering they’ve already closed down 2 of their locations already. Expanding to just expand is a recipe for disaster.

They actually talk about not expanding just to expand and have turned down opportunities that they didn't feel right with.

My old job did have lunch catered in by them a few times and some of the sauces weren't bad. I was just given sauce by the Executive Assistant and didn't actually have it with the Chick N Max food.

[SubGod22]

KSN - Wichita Baseball Museum opens at Riverfront Stadium

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A new museum has opened inside Riverfront Stadium near downtown Wichita, the Wichita Baseball Museum.

The museum has historical artifacts showcasing Wichita’s baseball history, including Wichita’s all-black baseball team, the Monrovians, the National Baseball Congress, and preserve components of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

“We are excited to share local baseball history with the entire community,” Jane Schwechheimer, general partner of the Wichita Wind Surge, said in a news release. “One of Lou’s greatest wishes was to provide inspiration for children through baseball.

I'd forgotten about the museum plans.

[SubGod22]

MASSIVE NEWS!!!


KSN - Krispy Kreme ice cream now available in Wichita ahead of National Ice Cream Day

National Ice Cream Day was yesterday, but it is now available. I'm not completely sure how I feel about this, but I will have to try it.

Making its official debut in Wichita, just in time for National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 17, is the original glazed soft-serve ice cream. This frozen treat is made with ingredients from Krispy Kreme’s secret original glazed doughnut recipe available in shakes, cones, and cups.

Original Glazed Soft Serve offerings include:

• Shakes: Original Glazed, Strawberry Iced Sprinkled, Chocolate Iced, Lemon Filled®, Cookies & KREME™, Birthday Batter, and Coffee & KREME™
• Cups and waffle cones: Original Glazed, Strawberry Iced Sprinkled and Chocolate Iced
• Toppings and Inclusions, including Original Glazed doughnut pieces

Is this an item that we just never knew we needed?

[SubGod22]

KSN - Wichita approves $1 million grant to improve north end

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The north end of Wichita is getting a financial boost, thanks to a $1 million grant approved by the city.

The City of Wichita approved the grant for the organization “Empower.” It is planning on using the funds to help the north end of the city, which is a predominantly Hispanic community.

One of the leaders with Empower says the investment will specifically help small businesses in the area move forward.

I'll be interested to see how this grant money is used.

[SubGod22]

I almost felt like giving this one its own thread, and KW is welcome to pull it out and do so if he thinks that worthy and it generates enough interest.

We don't get a lot of films made in Wichita, or Kansas in general, but this one actually sounds like it might be interesting.

Eagle - Feature-length movie filmed in Wichita is a homecoming for director

The person directing the chaos is Chris Lawing, who returned to his hometown to make “Penitentia,” his first feature-length film. It honors the legacy of his father, the late civil rights attorney Jim Lawing, who practiced law in Wichita for 50 years.

“My father impacted thousands of lives, and he took on cases because he thought they were worth fighting for,” Lawing said. “He was driven by a very strong moral compass. He believed that the law could help people, and he dedicated his life to it.

“I wanted to find some way of honoring that.”

“Penitentia” is the story of Alejandro “Ale” Villacano (Glenn Stanton), a young lawyer with an unusual past. An attorney at a top Wichita law firm, he was once imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit.

The character of Ale’s lawyer, Marvin Weissman, was inspired by Jim Lawing. The film follows Ale as he struggles to leave his past behind, even as an old friend needs his help.

The cast and crew spent 10 days in Wichita in February and then returned for a long weekend in June. The production was relatively smooth, given the “frigid nightmare” that was the first trip and unusual summer storms that threatened to disrupt filming last month, Lawing said.

Some scenes were filmed a few doors down from the house where Lawing grew up. Other Wichita locations include the bar at Georges French Bistro and the dining room at Scotch & Sirloin.

Lawing said his next project will have a larger budget and is set in western Kansas.

[SubGod22]

Yahoo! finance - Valence Wichita Receives Additional F-16 and F-22 Approvals from Lockheed Martin

Obtaining these new approvals supports the Valence strategy to increase regional capability, provide redundant capacity and supply chain risk mitigation across our North America locations. This further expands Valence's ability to support all Lockheed Martin sub-tier supplier partners in the Central United States from the VST Central Region locations in Wichita, KS and Grove, OK (Formerly Pride Plating).

When asked about the significance of these approvals, General Manager Marcus Wagoner commented, "Valence Wichita has worked hard to obtain these additional approvals and now has approvals for all Lockheed Martin programs. The team is excited to expand our support of the defense industry and to allow our customers to have a one-stop shop to complete all their processing needs with best in class quality and lead times."

Valence Surface Technologies is the largest independent provider of metal finishing to the commercial aviation, defense, space and medical market verticals, with OEM approved painting, plating and coating capabilities throughout the United States. Valence is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and is sponsored by equity investors ATL Partners and BCI; the British Columbia Investment Management Company.

More aviation related capabilities for the local workforce.

[SubGod22]

We've seen some of this downtown in the past, and maybe elsewhere.

WBJ - New west Wichita co-working space aims to fill need, provide connection

In addition to 14 private offices (which range from 92 to 242 square feet), the location includes a conference room and breakroom, along with other amenities.

On the project, Schellenberg Construction served as the general contractor, Shelden Architecture was the architect, and Kaity Robinson with TheBrand 5 leads marketing efforts.

Schellenberg said the reaction to Clockwork, which used to be a Tabor College location, has been positive in its initial weeks in business.

“It’s been great," he said. "People love how it turned out and how modern it looked.”

Now that the first phase of the project is 80% filled, Schellenberg said a second phase will be kicking off. That work will expand the finished footprint to 7,000 square feet and include a recreational room that could be used for office parties and other functions.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - ReNew looks to convert some ground-floor retail to more apartments

A bit of a bummer that they've struggled to find commercial uses for the ground floor.

Since it took over ownership, FPA has struggled to lease out much of the retail space in the Exchange Building, wrote Ron Wu, vice president of Red Tail, in the company's request for an amendment.

In fact, the first floor of the Exchange Building has been vacant for more than 40 years, city documents say. At one point, previous owners had even offered one month free rent in an effort to entice a commercial tenant, the WBJ wrote in 2018.

According to the staff report, retail re-use is a challenge because the space is a former bank lobby and does not have traditional storefronts.

The conversion would add nine apartment units between 596 and 1,374 square feet and leave a remaining 8,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space along Douglas Avenue, providing "the ideal windows and storefronts that activate downtown," the city says.

[WstateU]

I almost felt like giving this one its own thread, and KW is welcome to pull it out and do so if he thinks that worthy and it generates enough interest.

We don't get a lot of films made in Wichita, or Kansas in general, but this one actually sounds like it might be interesting.

Eagle - Feature-length movie filmed in Wichita is a homecoming for director



Lawing said his next project will have a larger budget and is set in western Kansas.

I still believe a 'feature film' should be made about this tragedy; so many intriguing stories to tell. I forgot about Chris Connelly's ESPN article in 2020.

Three generations later, the secrets of Wichita State's devastating plane crash are still unfolding (espn.com)



Dave Lewis - RIP

*Survivor of Wichita State University football team plane crash has died

Survivor of Wichita State University football team plane crash h - KAKE

[SubGod22]

WSU - WSU to present free Suspenders4Hope suicide-prevention training

It's no secret that mental health advocacy is one of the things I really care about.

Wichita State University, along with several community partners, presents the Suspenders4Hope Preventing Suicide Training at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 21 at The Phoenix Gym, 145 N. Wabash in Wichita. This free training will be facilitated by Dr. Jessica Provines, Wichita State’s assistant vice president for wellness and chief psychologist. It’s open to all addiction treatment counselors and providers and community members.

Suicide and substance abuse are inextricably linked, and research informs the best ways to assist in times of suicidal crisis. Asking direct questions and sharing concerns, staying close and offering resources can all make a positive difference. The Suspenders4Hope Preventing Suicide Training empowers attendees to contribute to a culture that supports mental health and encourages wellness.

Many people struggle with suicidal thoughts and moments of suicidal crisis. However, more than 99.5% of people also recover from suicidality. When equipped with the right information, many of us may have an opportunity to help ourselves, friends, family members, and coworkers through mental health struggles. And for those who have lost a loved one to suicide, the material provided in the training can help make sense of the loss and promote healing in an accepting space.

Suspenders4Hope

[Kung Wu]

I almost felt like giving this one its own thread, and KW is welcome to pull it out and do so if he thinks that worthy and it generates enough interest.

We don't get a lot of films made in Wichita, or Kansas in general, but this one actually sounds like it might be interesting.

Eagle - Feature-length movie filmed in Wichita is a homecoming for director



Lawing said his next project will have a larger budget and is set in western Kansas.

Dang this is cool!

[SubGod22]

I thought so. Though I feel left out as I've never been to either restaurant they mentioned filming in.

[SubGod22]

AOL - Wichita is so full of rage, it now has a second business designed for smashing stuff

Let’s Smash opened Friday at 917 W. Douglas in Delano, taking over a space next door to Ruben’s Mexican Grill that was most recently occupied by the short-lived Cafe XPress. The business, which allows people to unleash pent-up anger by smashing and breaking things, is the second such spot to open in Wichita this year: ICT Rage Room opened in April at 2952 N. Arkansas.

Amber and Evan Johnson are the owners of Let’s Smash, a business they’ve been planning since October, Amber said.

She has a background in healthcare, she said, but during the pandemic, she decided she didn’t want to be in that field any longer. She’d heard about rage rooms in other cities and thought it was something Wichita could use, too.

I had a friend post on FB over the weekend about going to one of the rage rooms, and she loved it. I believe she went with her husband and that smashed the **** out of some stuff. She found it therapeutic and recommend everyone try it.

I'm not sure these are businesses for me, but I definitely see the appeal for some and how they can be beneficial to others. I was kind of surprised it took so long for Wichita to get one, but now we have two!

[SubGod22]

Hutch News - Rodeo celebrity Justin Rumford returns as rodeo clown for the 85th Pretty Prairie Rodeo

I admit to knowing next to nothing about rodeo and I've never attended this, though I have considered it mostly out of curiousity and the fact that I have a couple of former co-workers who live in/around Pretty Prairie and have been trying to get me to go for a couple of years.

Rumford, who grew up in Abbyville, is one of the top rodeo barrelman in the country. He will share the arena with two other locals.

Jacob Welker of Pretty Prairie and Wacey Muncell of Ulysses will serve as the bullfighters, keeping the bull riders and Rumford safe, but all the while helping Rumford entertain the crowd.

For more than 80 years, the Kansas Largest Night Rodeo in Pretty Prairie, commonly known as the Pretty Prairie Rodeo, has brought in national competitors and local celebrities.

[SubGod22]

I like it!

WBJ - New incubation kitchen planned in north Wichita will bolster Hispanic businesses

Located near 21st and Broadway in north Wichita, the kitchen will be a 24-hour facility in which users can rent the space and use the equipment for designated periods of time. Rodriguez says Empower plans to serve around 40 to 60 businesses in its first year of operation.

The space is designed to support people like Paola Mentis, who started making alfajor, which areartisan Argentine pastries, out of her home about a year and a half ago. Mentis sells her pastries at local farmer's markets and at Argentina's Empanadas, located inside The Anchor's meat market at 1113 E. Douglas Ave. Her gluten-free products are also now available at the new Sunflour Cafe & Collective on West Central.

But Mentis can hardly keep up with the demand.

"I have my two little Kitchenaid mixers, which are working so hard," she said, laughing. "I can't afford my own space to get a 30-quart mixer or dough sheeter. Let's say I have the farmers market or a big private order, and I have to roll out dough for, let's just say 10 or 20 dozen pastries, it's just me and my rolling pin."