Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Why Wichita’s mayor refused a raise most city employees just received

Also check out Winter Solstice Spirit Fair on the Wichita Patch calendar

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Wednesday December 17th Patch AM
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Greetings Wichita! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why Wichita’s mayor refused a raise most city employees just received
  • How Wichita teens built a real airplane before graduation
  • How will Douglas Avenue’s lane cut change your daily drive?

Also on today's calendar: Winter Solstice Spirit Fair and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Wichitafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Wichita? Post it to Wichita photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Find out what's happening in Wichitafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 53 and low of 42 degrees.
  • Thursday: Windy with plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 54, low: 26.
  • Friday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high of 52 and low of 36 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Wichita Mayor Lily Wu turns down pay raise. Here's why (kansas.com) — Wichita residents may want to know that Mayor Lily Wu declined a 3.5% pay raise while the City Council approved the same increase for themselves and other non-union city employees. Wu says she’s honoring a campaign promise, and one council member noted she donates her raises to local charities while still supporting cost-of-living increases for colleagues.
   

2. Wichita Public Schools unveils new student-built plane (kwch.com) — Wichita high school students just rolled out a fully functional airplane they built themselves at the district’s FutureReady Manufacturing Center, in partnership with WSU Tech and Airbus mentors. The Van’s RV-12iS still needs FAA inspection and certification, but the district is already planning to start another student-built plane project in January, expanding hands-on aviation opportunities for local teens.
   

3. Wichita City Council approves lane reduction on portion of Douglas (kwch.com) — Wichita drivers will soon see Douglas Avenue reduced from four lanes to three between Washington and Grove, after the City Council approved a long-debated redesign. The project adds new parking, sidewalk upgrades, and public art, while raising concerns from nearby businesses and safety hopes for students at Wichita East High School.
   

4. From kitchen to classroom: Wichita chef is taking on a new role in January (kansas.com) — A well-known Elderslie Farm chef from just north of Wichita is stepping into a new role this January, teaching seventh-grade science mornings at Trinity Academy while still running her farm-to-table dinners. She’s reorganizing the restaurant’s management so she can spend more time with her kids, who are moving from the Classical School of Wichita to Trinity, and hopes the change reenergizes both her cooking and teaching.
   

5. Like architecture? Here are 9 cool, odd Kansas buildings (cjonline.com) — One of Kansas’ quirkiest architecture roundups includes a standout right here in Wichita: the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Allen House, praised nationally for its historic tours. The list also spotlights unusual sites in Lindsborg, Topeka, and other towns, offering road-trip ideas for architecture fans across the state.
   

📸 Around Wichita

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Wichita

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

📣 Wichita Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Wednesday December 17
  • Slate Creek Christmas Bird Count
    Slate Valley Church , S Oxford Rd and E 80th St , Oxford
    8:00 am
    • Thursday December 18
  • End of 2nd Nine Weeks/1st Semester
    Wheatland Elem Valley Center, KS 67147
  • Sedan Christmas Bird Count
    One Stop Gas , 301 W Main St , Sedan
    8:00 am
  • AB Preschool AM Holiday Room Activities
    Abilene Elem Valley Center, KS 67147
    11:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • My wife’s car was stolen approximately 9 days ago.
    We reported it stolen. Fast forward to yesterday; While in church, we got a call notifying us the car had been located. Come to find out OFC Tuan M… (Nextdoor Delano)
  • Our husky got out early this morning.
    Please let me know if you see him. His name is Huxley. He is very old and much loved. He has one ear that lays down. (Nextdoor Pine Valley Estates)
  • Kroger Family of Companies posted a job opening for Online Grocery Pick-Up Clerk in Wichita. Apply here.
  • Spirit Aerosystems, Inc. posted a job opening for Manufacturing Planner in Wichita. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Wichita here.

Ok Wichita! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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