🌱 Doughboyz Closing At West Ridge Mall + Boys & Girls Club Sign-Ups

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out the most important things going on in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Hot; a stray morning t-storm. High: 98 Low: 74.
• Thursday: Humid with partial sunshine. High: 94 Low: 71.

Here are the top three stories in Topeka today:

1. A popular pizza spot in North Topeka has closed one of its locations just weeks ahead of its three-year anniversary. Doughboyz Pizzeria first opened in August 2020, and the restaurant added a second location last year at West Ridge Mall. However, that location has closed due to a decline in mall shoppers and other anticipated growth at the mall that did not materialize. The restaurant owner said he will focus on the remaining Doughboyz location on North Kansas Avenue, including plans for a block party on Aug. 28 to celebrate the restaurant's third anniversary. (KSNT)
2. Sign-ups are now open at the Boys & Girls Club of Topeka for the 2023-2024 school year. Click here to learn more about registration. The Boys & Girls Club is also running its annual "Stuff the Bus" campaign. This school supply drive supports thousands of students at four different Topeka school districts. Click here to see the list of requested items or to learn how to make a donation. (KSNT)
3. The Topeka NAACP will host an ice cream social on Saturday, Jul. 15, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. This event will be held at New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and tickets cost $15. The event will support the organization's programs throughout the year and is casual and family-friendly, which will include a short presentation. (WIBW)

Business owners and marketers in Topeka: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Today and tomorrow in Topeka:

Wednesday, July 12

• Country Stampede 2023 Kickoff Party With Braxton Keith At Heartland Motorsports Park (6:30 PM)

Thursday, July 13

• Summer Cocktails & Mocktails Tasting At The Tee Box (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Westlake Ace Hardware and the Salvation Army in Topeka are partnering to provide local residents with free box fans. Fans will be distributed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Salvation Army Topeka. (The Salvation Army Topeka Kansas via Facebook)
• Have you written a letter to the mayor? You can if you stop by the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Children and adults can fill out the letter template, which will be delivered to the city government. (Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library via Facebook)
• This Friday, Jul. 14, you can spend an evening hunting ghosts at the Shawnee North Community Center. Ghost Tours of Kansas will be sharing basic ghost-hunting skills, and then they'll turn out the lights for ghost-hunting fun. Click here to register. (Shawnee County Parks + Recreation via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Prime Day Is Happening Now — Shop & Save! (July 12)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday off right!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.