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Two historians are marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg with a debate, asking whether the war could have been avoided.

Dr. Tom Morain of Graceland University in Iowa and Dr. James Juhnke, formerly of Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., will square off Saturday at the Sedgwick County Historical Museum in Wichita.

Morain said the debate's been held in Iowa for years, but this is the first time in Kansas.

The University of Kansas is starting a new program to address a shortage of social workers in western Kansas.

Wichita has not had a fireworks display for an Independence Day celebration since 2010, as the Wichita Eagle recently reported, but luckily there are locations in and around the city that will be hosting festivities that include some pyrotechnics:

Crews from the city of Wichita are currently clearing tree limbs and debris that fell into streets and onto public property during the Thursday night wind storm.

However, they will not pick up debris from private property owners. Instead they are encouraging homeowners to work with their trash haulers to remove debris or take it to one of four Wichita locations for a fee. 

Since his arrival on campus in 2011, Wichita State University history professor Robert Weems, Jr. has been busy researching the history of African-American businesses in Wichita.

Weems, a Chicago native, has a longstanding interest in this area.

A task force appointed by the governor has wrapped up a series of meetings looking for ways to reduce childhood poverty in Kansas. They discussed three so-called "pathways out of poverty," which include ways to improve education, get more Kansans working and strengthen families.

The committee was told that in 2011 around 19 percent of Kansas kids lived in poverty, and they’re hoping that focusing on some key areas can reduce that.

Restoration work will wrap up soon on the 140-year-old cabin where Dr. Brewster M. Higley wrote the state song, "Home on the Range."

The cabin in Athol, Kan., has been totally reconstructed with the exception of two walls.

The stone wall on the north side was disassembled and rebuilt, using what good stones were left. The rest of the stones came from the area.

Contracts have been awarded to four vendors, who will take over the duties of child support collection in Kansas next September. State officials say those who avoid paying their obligations can expect a more aggressive approach.

Kansas Department for Children and Families spokeswoman Theresa Freed predicts the four contractors will increase the amount of child support collected in Kansas. She says the department projects an increase of $52 million dollars in collections over the three-year contract period.

Marine Extremes carries the largest volume of saltwater fish and corals in Wichita.

Two open houses of a historic Kansas home are scheduled for potential buyers as the state tries again to sell the property.