General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

AOL - Wichita City Council to vote on downtown street plan that calls for some major changes

The Wichita City Council will vote Tuesday on a concept plan for redesigning downtown streets that calls for converting several one-way roads to two-way and reducing the number of lanes on other two-way streets.

The proposal, born out of Wichita’s Project Downtown master plan, aims to serve as a blueprint for improving safety and mobility in the city core. Wichita’s Capital Improvement Plan allocates $17.4 million for upgrades to downtown streets over the next 10 years.

“We want to foster economic development and really embrace safety and health as a philosophy for downtown Wichita,” Tia Raamot, senior management analyst with the city’s transit department, said in a video uploaded to the city’s YouTube channel Friday.

Under the proposal, Market and Topeka would both be converted from one-way to two-way streets with one lane each for northbound and southbound traffic, as was recently completed on Emporia. Main Street would also be converted from four lanes of one-way traffic to two lanes of traffic in each direction.

Curious what some of you think of this? Turning one way streets into two way streets sounds good to me. They're also looking to encourage more walking and biking downtown by making some the roads a little more pedestrian friendly.

As downtown continues to grow and develop, this would seem to be a wise move to make, at least in theory.

[SubGod22]

AOL - Navy Blue Angels to be at 2024 McConnell Airshow

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Navy Blue Angels will be at McConnell's Frontiers in Flight 2024 Open House and Airshow.

McConnell's 2024 airshow will be Aug. 24-25, 2024, and feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron as the headline act.

The announcement came during the recent International Council of Air Shows annual convention, when the Air Force Thunderbirds and Blue Angels both released their 2024 performance schedules.

The Angels were last in Wichita in '07

[SubGod22]

A lot of information here regarding the future of K96 and the possible new interchanges that will come with the work (expected around 2026).

KSN - Wichita may get diverging diamond interchanges on K-96

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita drivers may travel through a newer type of interchange on Kansas Highway 96 in the future. Highway officials are considering switching some northeast Wichita interchanges to diverging diamond interchanges (DDI).

A diverging diamond interchange (Image courtesy KDOT and K96Improvements.com)


Wichita doesn’t have any of those yet, but a few other Kansas towns do — mainly in northeast Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says DDIs are safer because there are no left turns across oncoming traffic. So the design team tasked with improving nine-and-a-half miles of K-96 in Wichita is suggesting using them or the option of displaced left turn (DLT) interchanges

The article eventually goes exit by exit if you're interested.

I believe a big reason for this is the fact that at certain times of day, traffic gets backed up onto K96 with cars waiting at stoplights and that causes a lot of potential for accidents, as well as simply slow travel.

[SHOXJOCK]

A lot of information here regarding the future of K96 and the possible new interchanges that will come with the work (expected around 2026).

KSN - Wichita may get diverging diamond interchanges on K-96



The article eventually goes exit by exit if you're interested.

I believe a big reason for this is the fact that at certain times of day, traffic gets backed up onto K96 with cars waiting at stoplights and that causes a lot of potential for accidents, as well as simply slow travel.

I've used diverging diamond interchange in other states they work well. And thanks for all the information you provide on shocker net.

[SubGod22]

I can't recall having used them or not. Seems like maybe I've seen them on travels to Colorado, but I'm not 100. The article said there are some up around KC, but I haven't been up there in a few years and can't remember having used any.

[NCAABound]

There is one at I-70 & US 77 around Junction City. It is kinda confusing at first but seems to improve the flow a bit once I got used to it.

[WstateU]

I can't recall having used them or not. Seems like maybe I've seen them on travels to Colorado, but I'm not 100. The article said there are some up around KC, but I haven't been up there in a few years and can't remember having used any.

Yes, 435 and Roe has one. Pretty simple for an old fart to navigate... just follow the car in front of you.

[SubGod22]

AOL - Wichita City Council to vote on downtown street plan that calls for some major changes



Curious what some of you think of this? Turning one way streets into two way streets sounds good to me. They're also looking to encourage more walking and biking downtown by making some the roads a little more pedestrian friendly.

As downtown continues to grow and develop, this would seem to be a wise move to make, at least in theory.

Saw a blurb where this has been approved by the city council.

[SubGod22]

And another championship event to be hosted in Wichita

KSN - Wichita to Host 2023 and 2024 NAIA Men's Soccer Championship

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita will host the 2023 and 2024 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men’s Soccer Championship.

Visit Wichita, which is hosting the 2023 Championship, says it will be held at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 30-Dec. 4. The championship will bring hundreds of athletes, their families, and friends to Wichita.

“NAIA Men’s Soccer is excited to move to Kansas with great partners in Visit Wichita and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference,” says NAIA Director of Championships Austin Bennett in a news release. “As the previous host in other championships, we know the high-class event that they will provide the student-athletes, coaches, and fans over the next two years.”

Expected economic impact of $300K.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Butler aims to help address workforce needs with apprenticeship certification

Butler joins WSU Tech, Hutchinson Community College and other local entities — such as FlagshipKansas.Tech — on the state's intermediaries list.

Jon Cressler, chief business development officer for Business Education and Training Analysis (BETA), the business development and training arm for Butler, explained the impact.

"This means Butler can develop and manage registered apprenticeship programs for large and small employers across all industries," he said. "As an intermediary, we handle the administrative side of the apprenticeship’s operations, much like a concierge service. We manage all state-required documentation. It puts the onus of the program on Butler, and the employer can enjoy the benefit of gaining the apprentice."
.....
From aviation worker needs, to Integra Technologies' plans for a $1.8-billion semiconductor plant in the Wichita area, the topic of utilizing apprenticeships to further build the local workforce is particularly timely.

Cressler said Kansas is ramping up apprenticeship efforts, though it has a ways to go to catch up with other states.

According to federal Department of Labor data, in fiscal year 2021, Kansas had 1,903 active apprentices — that's in the bottom 10 of U.S. states.

"Registered apprenticeship intermediaries are a vital component in developing the workforce needed in Kansas," said David Toland, lieutenant governor and secretary of commerce, in a news release. "This designation will allow Butler Community College to capitalize on their local relationships and build upon existing training to meet the need of employers and apprentices."

[SubGod22]

It's a little thing, but I like it.

KSN - Freddy's gives their Wichita and KC-area restaurants time off for Super Bowl

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita-based Freddy’s Frozen Custard is giving a treat to all of their company-owned locations in the Wichita and the Kansas City area.

Wichita, Derby, El Dorado, and the Kansas City-area Freddy’s locations will all close at 4 p.m. so employees can watch the Super Bowl.

So get your Freddy's fix in before 4pm Sunday.

[SubGod22]

More about soccer in Wichita

WBJ - Hat trick: NE Wichita venue set to host 3 national soccer competitions in 2023 after millions in investments

U.S. Youth Soccer's National Presidents Cup is set for July 7-12, with more than 2,000 people expected to come to Wichita.

And in the last month, Visit Wichita announced Stryker will host two major collegiate events: the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division I men's and women's soccer championships (Nov. 12-18) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics men's soccer championship (Nov. 30-Dec. 4).

“Anytime you can combine three events of that magnitude, all in one year, that says a lot about the city and says a lot about Stryker," said Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita, which has a leading role in bidding efforts. "It's huge in terms of numbers, economic impact — but even more so than that — just getting to showcase our city and showcase our great facilities... So it's definitely a big win for Wichita.”

Visit Wichita projects the three championships to yield more than $5 million in economic impact.

[SubGod22]

A good program for teens now seeks more corporate partners due to surging demand.

WBJ - A Wichita job-prep program enrolled 150 more teens than planned. Now it seeks more business partners

The Greater Wichita YMCA expected around 150 teens to participate in this year's Job Prep program, which will be in its 15th year and provides free job training for local high school students and summer jobs at participating workplaces.

Unexpectedly, a record-breaking 303 students enrolled.

"Just because of the big need, we did not want to turn away students," said Nicole Hernandez, who is a senior program director at the YMCA and leads the Job Prep initiative. "We would love if we could get maybe some more businesses on board. I think that that would be really helpful for the city of Wichita in general, and also this generation of our students."

The YMCA has put out a call looking for additional business partners to support the remaining students and ensure there are enough jobs this summer.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Ground breaks on Wichita's largest spec industrial warehouse yet

Construction has started on what will be Wichita's largest speculative industrial warehouse totaling more than 201,000 square feet.

Located within Ironhorse Manufacturing Park at Seneca and MacArthur in southwest Wichita, the warehouse is expected to be finished in October and follows a model that real-estate professionals say has the potential to attract major new companies to the area.

An Overland Park real estate investment firm called Aspen Funds purchased the remaining vacant tracts of land at Ironhorse last year from Jeff Lange's Triple Crown Realty Trust. In addition to the spec warehouse, Apsen Funds also plans to build a second building at the hard corner — a 140,000 to 150,000 square-foot build-to-suit warehouse.

Wichita is definitely trying to get ahead in this area and trying to bring in new businesses. They've had some success already and one would think that we'll be hearing about more down the road.

There's already some speculative interest in the building but they expect interest to pick up in a couple of months as construction moves forward.

Also, of just simple interest:

The largest spec warehouses under development in Wichita:

• 201,000 square feet at Ironhorse
• 195,000 square feet at ICT21
• Two 180,0000 square feet at ICT21
• 159,000 square feet at Webb Industrial Park
• 143,000 square feet at Webb Industrial
• 113,000 square feet at Webb Industrial

[SubGod22]

I count Newton.

Hutch News - Newton's Sand Creek Station to host NJCAA Division I men's golf tourney

The Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon men’s golf team won the 2022 national championship at the Odessa Country Club in Odessa, Texas, and the 2021 national title at the Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas.

If the HCC men’s golf team, led by 2022 Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee Chris Young in his 23rd season, gets the chance to “three-peat” as NJCAA Division I national champions, they can do it close to home.

The 2023 NJCAA tournament will be played May 16-19 at the Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton.

Sand Creek is the same site as the Jayhawk Conference Championship April 17-18.