General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

Since I brought up Riverfront, I went back to Downtown Wichita to see if I could find more specific numbers and time frames. Can't remember exactly what I covered during my last dive into the site and am too lazy to go find it. I know I posted a lot when I did.

The Destination Riverfront section informs us that the plans include an eight-story hotel and a six story office building along the west bank. The hotel will have 150 rooms with commercial space on the ground floor. The office building will be located at Maple and McLean and be 55,000 sq-ft with 5000 sq-ft of commercial space. Attached will be a 200 space public parking garage. All of this is expected to be completed by summer of 2024.

According to the linked WBJ article that was done in December of '21, the above mentioned plan is more 'aggressive' than the original plans put forth in '19. It includes about 20,000 sq-ft more of commercial space available. They also mention that they expect the office building to bring in 'new to market' tenants and not just move in established Wichita entities, though some of that is likely.

Sounds like construction will begin in the next month.

And as I keep clicking on links, there was an April article in the WBJ that states the hotel is now expected to be 160 rooms, there will be two office buildings instead of one with a total size of about 89,000 sq-ft with around 31,000 sq-ft for commercial use and the parking garage has increased to 283 spots. They're required to begin construction by July 7 and finish by July '24.

Riverfront Stadium hosted around 120 events last year and they have a goal of getting that up to 150-175 in time.

[SubGod22]

KSN - Section of I-135 closing in north Wichita this weekend

The Kansas Department of Transportation is closing southbound I-135 at the North Junction construction site from 7 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Sunday.

KDOT said the closure is so workers can safely install bridge beams over traffic lanes at the North Junction.

Signs will detour southbound I-135 traffic onto I-235. Drivers will then take the Broadway exit, turn right, and then get back onto I-235 northbound. From there, they will take the southbound I-135 exit.

On Tuesday and Wedneday, June 14 and 15, the northbound I-135 exit to southbound I-235 and westbound K-254 will be closed for bridge construction over southbound I-135 traffic. The closure will be from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day.

I can't wait until this project is finished. I travel across this section of highways every weekday and though the problems aren't so much in my path, you see the headache it causes and it's a much needed upgrade.

[SubGod22]

KWCH - 75th Annual Tony Awards includes strong connections to Music Theatre Wichita

If you needed any more reason to, or are maybe on the fence, to support a new, state of the art performing arts center in Wichita, here you go.

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Preparations are underway for the 75th Annual Tony Awards happening this weekend. It marks the first full Broadway season since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and includes several local connections. This year, at least 19 people involved in Tony-nominated shows come from Music Theatre Wichita.

Every summer, Music Theatre Wichita produces Broadway-scale shows at Century II. That was interrupted the last two years due to the pandemic. The 2020 season was canceled and last year, a split season included several shows at the Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover. This year, they’re back at the Century II Concert Hall. Coming up is the award-winning “42nd Street,” set to run June 15-19. You can see the full schedule for MTW’s 2022 season here: https://mtwichita.org/shows_tickets/...eason/overview.

Wichita has strong ties to Broadway and definitely deserve much better than they currently have at CII.

[AZ Shocker]

That last bit is interesting. Will Topgolf help us attract more businesses? It obviously can't hurt, but if it was specifically singled out in multiple conversations it's interesting.

I would say yes it will help attract new business. Here in AZ all three of the Phoenix area Top Golf's are continually packed to the gills with business people wining-and-dining other business people.

One of the vendors who sells to my wifes place of employment will treat her whole office and spouses for a night out on occasions. Not a bad evening teeing it up and putting back a couple coca-colas on someone else's dime. :)

[Veritas]

Not completely related to the 316 but I’m glad to read we’re better than Ok, Ia, Ne…
Mass has the same plate as when I went to school there so I’m partial. Pa hasn’t changed either since when I lived in Philadelphia.

Co is the same as well—- classic.

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/07/02/best-worst-license-plates/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618

[WstateU]

Not completely related to the 316 but I’m glad to read we’re better than Ok, Ia, Ne…
Mass has the same plate as when I went to school there so I’m partial. Pa hasn’t changed either since when I lived in Philadelphia.

Co is the same as well—- classic.

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/07/02/best-worst-license-plates/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618

I don't like the newer Kansas 'flat tags'; wish they'd go back to the embossed.

[SubGod22]

I don't like the newer Kansas 'flat tags'; wish they'd go back to the embossed.

Agreed. I like the older ones better. Though you could remove the building and just leave the wheat and clouds.

[Veritas]

The future perhaps?
already used in AZ, CA, MI

not sure I’d spend extra.

https://reviver.com/rplate/?utm_term=digital%20license%20plate&utm_campaign=Non-Brand+General+%5BCA%5D+-+Exact&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=2761442170&hsa_cam=16065021062&hsa_grp=135837846874&hsa_ad=597204456387&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-315926960565&hsa_kw=digital%20license%20plate&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhpTJpoKr-AIVtMLCBB3lVwMCEAAYASAAEgLPE_D_BwE

[SubGod22]

It's an interesting concept, but I already pay too much for my plates as it is.

[SHOCKvalue]

I think our tags are super blah. Kansas always had distinctive ones in the past, then the current blah plate came out in 2009. State law says new tag design every five years, so I'm not sure what the deal is 13 years later. We've gotta have one of the oldest tag designs in the country, outside of the states that intentionally don't change.

[SubGod22]

New KS plate with the infamous John Brown pose smack dab in the middle of it?

Tag line at the bottom that says **** Missouri!

[WstateU]

New KS plate with the infamous John Brown pose smack dab in the middle of it?

Tag line at the bottom that says **** Missouri!

I'm still partial to the '27 Kansas tags...




Continues to be a monumental oversight... sorry, I haven't been on my 'soap box' for awhile.

1927 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans - Wikipedia

"Ross Clayton McBurney (July 29, 1906 – July 4, 1988)^[1] was an American basketball player. A 6'5" center, McBurney attended Wichita East High School, where he led the team to a national high school championship in 1925. He then attended Wichita State University from 1926 to 1929, where he became the school's first basketball All-American in 1927.^[2] That year he led the Shockers to a 19-2 record and a third-place finish in the Amateur Athletic Union tournament. He was also named to the AAU All-American team that year.^[3]

Following his college career, McBurney had a long and successful AAU career. He went to 10 AAU championship tournaments, winning three consecutive national titles with Henry's Clothiers of Wichita in 1930 to 1932 and again earning AAU All-American honors in 1929.^[3] After five seasons with Henry's, McBurney played for Ogden, Hutchinson, Kansas and Golden State Creamery of Oakland, California."

"WU gained notice outside of Wichita in 1927 when, led by First-Team All-American Ross McBurney and Second-Team All-American Harold Reynolds, the Wheatshockers finished the 1927 season with a 13–1 record."

Ross C. McBurney (Basketball, 1926-29) - Wichita State Athletics (goshockers.com)

Ross McBurney - The McBurning Question - Wichita State Basketball Forum (shockernet.net)

Hang his ****ing jersey! (I can't locate a photo of Ross in a WU jersey; someone please Photoshop one)

RIP Rosco!

[MoValley John]

Nebraska's tags just changed. The new tags aren't any better than the old tags. Really just as bad as the old tags.

[SHOCKvalue]

Nebraska's tags just changed. The new tags aren't any better than the old tags. Really just as bad as the old tags.

Almost as blah as ours. The pinstripe border and the state font bring it up a couple of rungs. Really ours looks like something conjured up by a state tax accountant, and he/she was only allotted 23 minutes to come up with it.

Really I have nothing against blah, just give me blah that at least looks like it was come up with by someone with an artistic background (like the new NE plate). Give me back the 70's/80's KS tag with the blue background, yellow numbers/letter, and a stalk of wheat, if I have to have KS blah.

For perspective, you Nuhbraskins are on your fourth plate design since we were first stuck with our current awful ones.

[SubGod22]

I'm not sure how metro this one actually is in the grand scheme of things, as I believe pretty much all employees are based elsewhere and I believe production may actually be done in California.

WBJ - Family of Wichita entrepreneurs launch a new brand of animal-free milk

Strive Nutrition is a brand of lactose- and animal-free milk made with whey protein that will be available for purchase starting in July. The product line, called FREEMILK, includes whole milk, chocolate milk, oat milk and almond milk, which the Cohlmias say are high in protein and tastes, whips, blends and foams just like cow's milk.

In 2018, the Cohlmias bought the Strive brand from its founder in Michigan — when it was just a small protein company.

In product development, the Cohlmias partnered with Perfect Day, Inc., a consumer biology company based in Berkeley, Calif., that makes animal-free dairy proteins made from whey using precision fermentation. The Cohlmias own 80% of Strive, and Perfect Day owns the remaining 20%.

Personally, I rarely drink milk anyway and typically only buy it if I need it for a specific reason. But I also know a lot of people with lactose issues and I have some vegan friends who may benefit from something like this. I'm all for options.