General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

KSN - Kansas 50th Anniversary Tour coming to Wichita

The legendary rock band Kansas has added more dates to its 50th anniversary tour, and, this time, Wichita is included.

The Kansas “50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road” will stop at Hartman Arena on Saturday, Oct. 5. The pre-sale starts this Thursday, March 21, at 10 a.m. Sign up for the pre-sale code by clicking here.

The rest of the tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or the Hartman Arena box office. Tickets start at $49 and go up to $128.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Drone maker AgEagle remains in Wichita under new leadership

After a year of falling stock prices and a relocation announcement that didn't materialize, Wichita-based AgEagle Aerial Systems is changing leadership — again — while also consolidating offices and reverse splitting stock.

In recent weeks, the drone designer and manufacturer hired another president — its fifth in six years — and at the start of the year appointed longtime board member Grant Begley as interim CEO.

Although Begley said the future is "good" for AgEagle, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently warned that if the company cannot generate significant sales growth, it's at risk of default.

Recent deals of the company's new eBee Vision drone has helped AgEagle (NYSE: UAVS) expand into the defense market, and for now, it's remaining committed to Wichita.

"The reason we're in Wichita is because Wichita is the Air Capital of the World, and there's a great talent pool of individuals that have the technical skills and the manufacturing skills," Begley said.

This company has had a lot of trouble. Would love to see them find some stability and move forward.

"We did it because the 8,000 square-foot facility allowed us to process and build sensors more efficiently," he said. "We doubled our production capacity without having to increase the manpower and without having to buy new equipment."

There might be a possibility of expanding the company in Wichita, Begley said, adding he was pleased with the talent.

"It's been really great to see that team take to the new location and demonstrate the additional output," said Brent Pope, a recently hired vice president of operations.

Let's hope they've figured some things out.

AgEagle’s market is expanding with the recent introduction of the eBee Vision drone. The first to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration as safe to fly over people, the drone, which weighs 3 1/2 pounds, provides defense and security capabilities that detect, track and geo-locate objects in collaboration with special forces.

On Feb. 8, AgEagle announced the sale of its eBee drone to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a Department of Energy-affiliated operation. The drone holds National Defense Authorization Act compliance and are on the Blue UAS cleared list program for U.S. government procurement.

"The eBee vision ... is extremely capable and was made specifically for military users in mind," Begley said. "It was designed over the past two years in collaboration with Special Operation Forces."

Maybe there's hope for them yet.

[SubGod22]

Audacy - KNSS - Wichita Indian Museum to mark 50th Anniversary of the Keeper

From 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, Mid-America All Indian Museum (MAAIM), 650 N Seneca, will host an event entitled Party for the People, which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Keeper of the Plains. The event will be a free, family-friendly celebration that will include a re-dedication of the Keeper of the Plains sculpture, a park run, an indoor powwow, Native performances, art exhibits, food trucks, outdoor games and activities, exhibits from community partners, free museum admission, fireworks and more.

MAAIM’s Bosin Society is named for Blackbear Bosin, the Kiowa-Comanche artist who was the creator of Wichita’s iconic Keeper of the Plains as well as one of the original founders of the Indian Museum. Bosin was initially commissioned by Elmer Hall of Kansas Gas and Electric in 1968 to design a statue for the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers but due to funding issues, the project stalled. With help from the City, State and community fundraising efforts led by the Quivira Council of Boy Scouts of America and through the hard work and generosity of Architectural Metal Products, the Keeper was completed and installed on May 18, 1974.

Over the years, the Keeper has become one of the most iconic symbols of Wichita. In 2006, a City of Wichita built the Keeper Plaza and bridges, elevating the Keeper on a 30-foot-tall rock surrounded by a ring of fire pots. The sculpture is a local landmark and one of the most-visited attractions in Wichita.

For me, I think the Keeper is THE most iconic symbol of Wichita. Also seems to be the symbol that receives the most universal love from the people in the metro area.

I'm glad that they're having an event like this to honor and recognize the Keeper of the Plains and Blackbear Bosin.

[SubGod22]

More Park City news.

WBJ - $150M project in Park City will construct 2 million square feet of warehousing

Wichita real estate developer Lou Robelli has been approved for a major project — again.

After recently receiving approval for a warehouse expansion project in Newton Industrial Park, Robelli is headed back near I-135 in Park City with a $150-million development project that involves the construction of 10 buildings over the next decade totaling 200,000 square feet each.

Park City's City Council this week unanimously approved a resolution of intent for the use of up to $150 million in industrial revenue bonds; a 10-year, 75% property tax exemption for each building; and a sales tax exemption on construction materials for the project. The effort is led by Robelli's Murdock Properties LLC and Air Capitol Investments LLC.

Robelli said he hopes to lease the potential buildings to tenants and create up to 325 jobs by the end of the project.

"This is very exciting," he said. "This project is going to bring so many jobs and house so many people and it will develop Park City even more."

I will give Park City credit for trying to grow their place in the metro.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Park City equipment company expands in region with 30 jobs in next decade

Midwest Truck Equipment, a Park City-based truck equipment and body parts business, was approved Tuesday by the local City Council to expand its footprint at 61st Street North near Seneca St.

The truck equipment company is constructing a 35,000 square-foot building to add to its current building across the street at 200 W. 61st North, according to an agenda report.

Midwest Truck is a distributor for Knapheide, a national truck body and bed manufacturer with roots in Quincy, Illinois. It serves the Wichita area and southern Kansas with Knapheide truck bodies.

With 17 employees, the company plans to expand operations and add three full-time jobs for its first year, then add 30 over the next 10 years, the report said.

"It's so new," Midwest Truck owner Mike Hahnfeld said of the project. "We're just trying to get everything started and going and all that right now."

I like to see any local business grow. Sounds like this one will help more than double employment over the next decade.

[ABC]

The Boeing Corporation has been a troubled company for more than a decade. Recall when they attempted to move their corporate headquarters to Chicago for some esoteric reason...probably a lot of Illinois tax breaks promised or something like that. Have to agree...don't trust the company leadership.at this point.

I thought Boeing's stated reason to move to Chicago was to be close to their customers, which have HQ in Chicago or a major presence. Then they moved their HQ to Arlington, VA probably to be closer to another major customer, the Dept. of Defense . . . and Congress.

[N Crestway]

I’m not sure how to feel about this if Boeing did end up buying back their work. Lot of uncertainty around where work would go, commitment to the community, etc.

Boeing has never given me the warm and fuzzy that they’re all in on Wichita and the workforce there. Would hate to see Boeing buy it back just to long term plan to move all the work to Washington. If that happened, just start calling Wichita little Detroit.

The Boeing Corporation has been a troubled company for more than a decade. Recall when they attempted to move their corporate headquarters to Chicago for some esoteric reason...probably a lot of Illinois tax breaks promised or something like that. Have to agree...don't trust the company leadership.at this point.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Cyber company Knowmadics will grow footprint in Wichita with U.S. Special Ops agreement

After opening offices in Wichita last fall, a cybersecurity firm has been offered a government contract that will help it expand locally.

Knowmadics, a Virginia-based cybersecurity and software company, was awarded an agreement in February from the U.S. Special Operations Commandto develop technology solutions designed to secure space and terrestrial operations.

Because of the nature of the contract, called an Other Transaction Agreement, or OTA, Knowmadics is not allowed to release either the dollars awarded or the project it will develop.

But, Paul Maguire, the company's CEO and co-founder, said "traditionally, OTAs have a substantial ceiling like in the hundreds of millions of dollars."

The Wichita office of Knowmadics, which operates a Cyber Center of Excellence at Groover Labs downtown, already has three employees, with Maguire ready to hire three more within the month and another three by year's end.

Maguire said he wants to hire people from the cybersecurity squadron at McConnell Air Force Base as they retire, and he expects Wichita State University will also need to hire more people as the project ramps up.

"We're going to be moving a substantial amount of revenue to WSU to help us with research," Maguire said. "They're going to be helping us take and create digital representations of physical devices and then securing that so that we can run tests and evaluation against it."

[SubGod22]

Wichita by EB - Wichita Asian Night Market, one of Wichita's fastest growing events, returns this May

Put May 18 on your calendar now. It’s the return of the Wichita Asian Night Market which will once again take place at Riverfront Stadium.

The event started in 2022 and took place at Naftzger Park. After exceeding expectations with attendance, the event was forced to move to a bigger venue and that ended up being Riverfront Stadium in 2023. Event hosts also extended the Asian Night Market into the evening to give it a traditional nighttime feel.

In 2024, you can expect even more changes. This year, an Asian fashion show, fireworks show and extending the end time even later into the evening will be some new additions that attendees can expect.

If you missed it last year, the Asian Night Market is inspired by the late night bazaars of Asia. It’s an event where people come together to enjoy the many local eats, drinks, and arts of Asian cuisine, socialize and experience a new nighttime entertainment unlike others in Wichita. The Asian Night Market aims to unite and empower the community by serving as a platform for showcasing local talent, including performers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and fun for all ages.

Seems like a fantastic event that I hope to check out at some point.

[SubGod22]

I do enjoy me some Firehouse, and the fact that they do these things makes it even more worthwhile.

MSN - Firehouse Subs donates $91k to local fire departments

Three local fire departments received $91,211 in equipment grants from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.

An equipment dedication event was held at the Firehouse Subs Derby Rock, where the Derby Fire Department, Mulvane Fire Department, and Sedgwick County Fire District 1 all received a check to purchase the equipment.

The Derby Fire Department received a vehicle stabilization kit valued at $35,936. A news release says stabilization struts are the first step in the extrication process and allow for a fast and safe rescue of patients following motor vehicle accidents.

The Mulvane Fire Department and Sedgwick County Fire District 1 both received extrication equipment valued at $55,275.

Rounding up doesn't cost much, but it adds up.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Restoration of historic Orpheum Theatre boosted by 2% sales tax

Wichita's Orpheum Theatre will get a boost from a new city incentive to support its ongoing $9.5-million restoration that is expected to shutter the historic theater for a year.

On Tuesday, Wichita's City Council approved the creation of a new community improvement district, which will allow for an additional 2% sales tax on purchases within the theater, including ticket sales and concessions, to go toward the costs of interior rehabilitation, lighting system upgrades, new seating and other improvements.

Proceeds from the CID will reimburse up to nearly $1.1 million for the project — a small piece of the Orpheum's overall capital fundraising campaign.

"Our theater's aging obviously, she's in urgent need of repair," Orpheum executive director Rachel Banning said Tuesday to the Council. "These updates we'll be able to what we call run her a little bit faster and a little bit harder, so we might be able to host two events a day versus the one a day that we're currently doing."

Over the years, more than $10 million has gone into the Orpheum and "restoring it back to her former grandeur," Banning said during the Council meeting.

She added the theater has so far raised about $4.3 million for the latest restoration effort. That includes roughly $67,200 from a state grant that was approved in December.

With the improvements, Banning said the number of shows at the Orpheum is expected to increase about 25% to 124 shows each year. The project will also increase the number of annual guests from 60,000 to more than 100,000, she said.

[Kung Wu]

Funny story. On a cruise my wife and I did a "swim with the stingrays" excursion. Toward the end she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Of course, we're thinking she somehow got stung. When we got on the boat to return to the island, she asked the Caribbean tour guides about it. They immediately said, you got scratched by a blade of sea grass. Apparently, it's a thing. That spot on her arm was very sensitive for at least a couple days after.

I think the movie Jaws was pretty adequate in explaining that people don't belong in the ocean.

[RoyalShock]

Public service announcement: Reminder this is how Steve Irwin died. They still have the little mini goats you can feed instead.

Funny story. On a cruise my wife and I did a "swim with the stingrays" excursion. Toward the end she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Of course, we're thinking she somehow got stung. When we got on the boat to return to the island, she asked the Caribbean tour guides about it. They immediately said, you got scratched by a blade of sea grass. Apparently, it's a thing. That spot on her arm was very sensitive for at least a couple days after.

[SubGod22]

Just saw a post on FB about another horrible accident at 254 and Hunter (Towanda). I have no specifics other than people saying it is pretty bad.

The sooner they figure out all of 254 the better.

[ShockBand]

Robotic weeding for farms being developed in Sedgwick County.

https://www.kmuw.org/2024-03-08/robots-are-in-cheney-company-new-tech