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The Sunflower •

‘I open my phone every day and I see a new person die’: Students speak at vigil for Lebanon

After recent Israeli air strikes on Lebanon this week, the Wichita State organization Students for Justice in Palestine held a vigil on Friday for the lives that were lost. 
Instead of candles, students held red and white flowers. Combined with the green stem, the colors matched those of Lebanon’s flag: two horizontal red stripes with a white stripe in the middle, and a green tree on top of the white. 
The flowers were placed next to a small memorial for Jawad Fadel. He was one of the people kil...
KMUW •

How homeless service providers grapple with the absence of a women-only shelter

The number of single women living on the streets has increased in Wichita over the past few years, according to Officer Brittney Graham from the Wichita Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team.“It seems like every camp that we’re dealing with has a female at the camp,” Graham said.Annual point-in-time count estimates compiled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from Wichita and Sedgwick County seem to reflect this trend. The 2024 census counted 215 homeless women, which wa...
KLC Journal •

Real estate investor plays role in making properties liveable

Wichita’s Mike Heldstab is an example of a real estate investor who doesn’t merely flip houses to make his profits and rent prices skyrocket. He buys and rehabs damaged and poorly maintained homes that an average buyer may not be able to buy and fix themselves, then rents them at affordable rates. In the process of rehabbing houses, Heldstab is contributing to the supply of livable housing in the area. Homebuilding collapsed following the Great Recession and never returned to previous peaks. The...
KMUW •

‘I get to keep my memories’: Tenant purchases home, former public housing unit

Lawonder Markham’s home is her comfort place — it’s where she raised her daughter, where she took care of her mother until she died and where she’s lived since 2003. But she didn’t own her home until July. It used to be public housing.The city of Wichita announced plans in January 2022 to sell its 352 single-family public housing units. Tenants were given the option to begin the process to purchase and own their home.Markham leaped at the opportunity to purchase hers.“I’ve been through a lot of...
KMUW •

As extreme heat continues, where can a homeless individual find water and shelter in Wichita?

Last summer brought the hottest temperatures on record — then came this summer. Local volunteers are trying to help provide drinking water that homeless individuals need to survive in the dangerous heat.This week’s temperatures are expected to hit triple digits multiple days, but there are differing perspectives on the best ways for the community to help the homeless when temperatures rise.Of course, there’s the direct approach.This year’s heat waves sparked a local community member in Wichita,...
The Sunflower •

‘Contribute to this catastrophe’: Well-versed photographer finds passion in education

Cary Conover often takes a philosophical approach to his photography. He notes the beauty of feeling an emotional connection to subjects in a photograph that he might never personally interact with.
“How can a photographer get so into the lives of these people?” Conover, a photographer and educator, said, contemplating the thought. 
Conover lived in New York City from 2000 to 2010, working as a freelance photographer, namely for The New York Times and The Village Voice.
In New York City, Conover...
The Sunflower •

Community advocates embrace harm reduction techniques to help against substance misuse

Lisa Bortz lost her daughter, Jillian, to a fentanyl overdose in 2022. Instead of celebrating Jillian’s 33rd birthday, Lisa was burying her. 
“She tried, she really did try. She had three kids at a very young age,” Lisa said. “She just struggled real hard.” 
Jillian was in and out of recovery from substances for years. During periods of time when she wasn’t using, Jillian helped others through the Oxford House, a house for people recovering from addiction. To assist those in need, she organized...
The Sunflower •

Lily Wu wins Wichita mayoral election

Lily Wu has been elected as Wichita’s mayor, defeating incumbent Brandon Whipple in Tuesday’s general election.
In Sedgwick County’s unofficial final tally, Wu received 35,859 votes (58%), beating Whipple’s 25,557 votes (42%). According to The Wichita Eagle, Wu is the second woman to win a citywide election for mayor, and she will be the first Asian-American person in the position, according to KMUW.
Around 23% of Wichita’s registered voters cast a ballot, with 77,253 Wichitans voting out of 332...