Community

A new, or not so new, weekly newspaper hits Wichita streets Thursday. F5 returns after a six year hiatus under the direction of founder Mike Marlett.

Marlett says he decided to start the paper back up again after constantly hearing from people that missed it.

“I met some young, successful guys with their own businesses and their own money to invest,” he says. “They had brand loyalty and they wanted it back.

Investment losses in recent years and higher prescription drug prices are forcing many seniors to continue employment or return to work. That’s according to Laurel Alkire, the executive director for Senior Services of Wichita.

“We saw last year about 800 applicants come through looking for work," she says.

"I believe we placed about 560 of those, so our placement rate is pretty high."

The 31st annual Senior Employment Job Fair for workers 55 and older will be on March 19. The application deadline to attend is March 15.

Partners for Wichita and the Kansas Food Bank are teaming again this year to provide meals on weekdays between March 14 and the 22 in their “Filling the Gap – Lunches for Kids” program.

Volunteers expect to serve about 3,500 meals at 14 locations during spring break for public schools in Wichita. That’s roughly double the number served last year.

“We’re aware that about 24 percent of the children in our area are at risk of hunger," says Pastor Sally Fahrenthold, who helped coordinate the program.

A two-day workshop in Wichita will offer skills on how to email, text, tweet and post on Facebook. The workshop is designed to build intergenerational bonds around African-American culture and technology.

The Digital Elder Project is a traveling, leadership and professional development retreat that teaches digital techniques. Shani Byard, founder and director of the Los Angeles-based, Message Media Ed - School of Black Leadership in the Digital Age, will facilitate the workshop. 

Monday is Presidents Day and several City of Wichita facilities will be closed.

Closed:

• Neighborhood City Halls
• Wichita Public Library locations
• Park and Recreation centers
• Watson Park
• Great Plains Nature Center
• CityArts
• Old Cowtown Museum
• Mid-America All-Indian Center
• Century II administrative offices
• Wichita Art Museum
• Botanica
• Wichita Transit bus service and administration offices

Open:

Dozens took part in a lecture Wednesday on African-American newspapers and communities in Kansas at the Wichita Public Library downtown.

Historian Aleen Ratzlaff, professor of communications at Tabor College in Hillsboro, says Kansas has a rich history of newspapers that were owned and published by African-Americans and targeted to black readers.

"The emphasis has been on mainstream newspapers, but there were vital publications that were part of the African-American community as well as other ethic communities," he says.

Megan Phelps-Roper and her sister, Grace Phelps-Roper--granddaughters of Fred Phelps--have left the Westboro Baptist Church and are apologizing for their past behavior. 

Megan Phelps-Roper and her sister, Grace Phelps-Roper, left the controversial Topeka church back in November.  Westboro Baptist Church has gained national attention for, among other things, picketing the funerals of gay people and of soldiers. 

The United States Postal Service announced plans Wednesday to stop mail delivery on Saturdays beginning in August.

Under the new schedule, packages will continue to be delivered on Saturdays and post offices currently open on Saturdays will continue to provide that service. Mail addressed to PO boxes will also continue to be delivered.

The USPS says the move will save the organization about $2 million.

Nearly $100 million was invested in downtown projects last year including the Ambassador Hotel, St. Mary's Cathedral and the YMCA.

This figure comes from the 2012 Project Downtown annual report that was presented to the Wichita City Council Tuesday by Jeff Fluhr, president of the Wichita Downtown Development Corp., and Scott Knebel from the city.

David Dixon, principle for planning and urban design at Goody Clancy out of Boston, was also part of the presentation because he helped craft the master plan.