Daily editionFriday, May 9th, 2025
Good morning, Wichita.
The Daily Wichita Team
Here’s your local news at a glance for Friday, the 9th of May.
Community
Tomorrow, May 10, the Wichita Public Library will host the grand reopening of its remodeled Westlink Branch at 8515 Bekemeyer — the branch now doubles in size with meeting rooms, study spaces and updated technology — with a ribbon-cutting at 9:45 a.m. and live events running until 5 p.m.
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Justice Together — a Wichita nonprofit focused on social change — introduced its Nehemiah Assembly that offers solutions to community challenges.
The group works to address local social issues and plans future events to engage residents.
KSNRead more
Culture
Family members in Wichita keep their hope alive as church officials move closer to canonizing Fr.
Emil Kapaun, a revered war chaplain & Medal of Honor recipient who died in 1951; he was declared venerable in February & his remains returned from Hawaii in September 2021. The family sees the new pope Leo XIV as a positive sign that further steps will soon complete his canonization process.
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Shane Carter was named the new executive director of The Kansas African American Museum in Wichita and will begin his role this month.
He comes from the Lincoln Community Center in Troy, where he led a $5.5 million capital campaign and expanded community programs—skills expected to aid the museum's planned transformation into a state-of-the-art cultural center.
The VoiceRead more
Economy
Governor Laura Kelly and Merck Animal Health announced today an $895 million expansion at the De Soto facility that will add over 200 jobs and expand vaccine production.
Site preparation has begun and will create 2,500 construction jobs while commercial manufacturing will start in 2030—making the project the second largest private investment in Kansas history.
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Health
Measles resurfaced in Sedgwick County this week when a child aged five to ten tested positive near Carniceria El Guero on 21st and Kansas — prompting parents to seek advice on following CDC vaccine guidelines.
Health officials at Grace Med offered guidance to help parents who are unsure about vaccinating their children.
FOX KansasRead more
May is American Stroke Month, and the American Heart Association and other groups are urging Wichita residents to learn stroke warning signs and adopt healthy habits since 80 percent of the 800,000 annual strokes are avoidable.
Residents are advised to act quickly using the FAST method if they notice symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech difficulty.
KWCHRead more
Accidents
A 7-year-old boy who was on life support after being pulled from a hotel pool at the Red Roof Inn in the 7300 block of E. Kellogg Ave died, his mother said—he had been swimming under the care of a trusted friend when the incident occurred last Thursday.
KSNRead more