Kechi, KS Events and More

ICYMI: Bel Aire plans a $13M project on 45th Street from Oliver to Woodlawn

The city of Bel Aire is preparing for major road reconstruction on 45th Street that will widen the roadway and add a two-lane roundabout. The work is expected to begin after the ongoing Woodlawn project wraps up. FULL STORY: Wichita suburb plans $13M road construction project that includes a roundabout Here are key takeaways: The project: Crews will rebuild 45th Street from Oliver to Woodlawn, expanding it from two lanes to three and adding curbs, gutters, a storm sewer, two sidewalks and a two-lane roundabout at 45th and Oliver. Cost and timeline: Funding was approved in 2022 at an estimated $13.7 million, though that figure could change as plans are updated. The construction bid date is set for October 2027. Water main work comes first: The council recently approved a $119,903 design contract amendment with Garver to relocate portions of the water main. That relocation is expected to be complete in July 2027. Why the wait: Bel Aire city engineer Anne Stephens said the city wanted to avoid overlap with the Woodlawn project to limit the inconvenience to residents. The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the

Bel Aire, KS · 1d

Wichita Eagle

Possible new Bel Aire group home for elderly in limbo amid neighbor concerns

A possible new group home for the elderly may not come to fruition after the Bel Aire planning commission failed to recommend approval of a special use permit Thursday night. But the home could still open if the City Council approves it next month. The owners, Torque Investments LLC, applied for a special use permit to operate a Home Plus property in an existing home in a single-family neighborhood in Bel Aire. Home Plus by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services properties are group homes for seniors and people with disabilities who need extra help with daily activities. KDAD’s online directory shows that there are more than 250 Home Plus homes in the state, with just over 100 in Wichita. There are already two Home Plus properties in Bel Aire, according to that same directory. “In general, (this home is) for someone who needs extra care,” the applicant, Tim Harder, said during the meeting. The home in question is at 3900 N. Harding Avenue, near Oliver and 37th St. In addition to the special use permit, the applicants are also requesting a permit to convert the garage to a two-bedroom and one bathroom space. This would bring the

Bel Aire, KS · 1d

Wichita Eagle

Owner of west-side fine dining restaurant KVH shares plans for a second location

He’s happy with how his upscale steakhouse, KVH Chophouse at 2926 N. Tyler, has performed since opening at 2926 N. Tyler Road last year. Now, Greg Hiser is planning another KVH, this one serving the east side of town. He hasn’t yet pulled a building permit and therefore does not yet have a legal street address for the restaurant, but it will be in Bel Aire — at Central Park Avenue and Rock Road, next to Bel Aire’s City Hall. In September, the Bel Aire City council approved a letter of intent to issue industrial revenue bonds and other incentives for the project. Hiser said he doesn’t have an exact timeline for the restaurant. Other opportunities have recently presented themselves, he said, and if they pan out, he’ll have to prioritize which new project to start first. An initial architect’s sketch of the Bel Aire restaurant shows it having two levels. He likes that idea, Hiser said, but “that’s liable to change.” “I like the location. I like all of the nice homes around in the area.,” Hiser said of the Bel Aire property. “I like the proximity to City Hall. I like it being off of Rock Road. I

Bel Aire, KS · 1d

wichitabyeb.com

Merle’s Place could soon be under new ownership by a familiar face in Wichita

Earlier this year, one of my favorite sandwich shops in town, Merle’s Place, announced they were looking to sell the building and business. The restaurant and bar located at 440 N. Seneca has a rich history dating back to the 1930s before rebranding to what we know of it today as Merle’s Place in 1966.

fastfoodclub.com

partner publisher · 71.3K followers

Seven Old Kansas Supper Clubs Where Dinner Still Feels Like A Night Out In 7

Some dinners are just meals, and some still feel like an event worth dressing up for. Across Kansas, a handful of old-school supper spots keep that spirit going with hand-cut steaks, platters of fried chicken, live music, and dining rooms that have barely changed in decades. These are the places...

Wichita, KS · 2d

KSN News

Meetings planned to discuss possible changes to Wichita’s Canal Route

KDOT is conducting a study that will look at existing infrastructure, traffic operations, safety and other transportation needs along the corridor.

Wichita, KS · 2d

wichitabyeb.com

Grabbing some barbecue from Q’s Your Daddy BBQ in Maize, KS

Earlier this year, Q’s Your Daddy BBQ & Catering opened at 5125 N. Maize Road in the former Nancy’s A-Maize-N Sandwiches space. When I dropped by, it was over Sunday brunch and I wasn’t able to get my hands on the BBQ so I had to make a return visit.

Maize, KS · 2d

Wichita Eagle

What's the outlook for safety improvements at this U.S. 54 intersection outside Wichita?

At 9:19 a.m. on Oct. 27, a Goddard resident sent a text expressing concerns about the intersection of U.S. 54 and 215th Street West. Before that morning was over, 68-year-old Wichita resident Bradley Alan Voran would be pronounced dead after being involved in a two-vehicle accident at that very intersection, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report. Residential and commercial growth have led to increased safety concerns in recent years. “The city of Goddard shares concerns regarding the safety of the 215th and U.S. 54 intersection and others such as the 199th and U.S. 54 intersection,” said Goddard City Manager Craig Crossette, in an email to The Eagle. Development of the new Trail’s End subdivision , southeast of the 215th Street West and U.S. 54 intersection, has added vehicle and school bus traffic to the area. And more homes are still being built. Additionally, PrairieLand Partners recently confirmed that it has purchased 26.2 acres near that intersection to build a John Deere dealership , where customers will go to service or purchase tractors, combines, sprayers and applicator equipment, planters, seeders, excavators, backhoes and loaders, among other things. That intersection is also home to a Dillons Distribution Center, which has hundreds

Goddard, KS · 1d

kmuw.org

From east to West, Wichita restaurants are moving, opening and closing

If you’re the type of person who gets regular cravings for Angelo’s Wich-Italian style pizzas and pasta dishes, it’s time to start planning ahead. The restaurant is finally ready to move to its bigger location. It will operate at 5900 E. Central only through Saturday. After that, it will close so owners can relocate it to the restaurant space at 550 N. Rock Road where restaurants like The Grape, Ernie Biggs and Dempsey’s Burger Pub have previously operated. The owners have said that the restaurant will be closed for a minimum of seven to 10 days while the move is happening, so now is the time to start stocking up on take-and-bake dishes.

Wichita Eagle

partner publisher · 71.3K followers

State sues developers of Derby Shores project because ‘it has not been built'

Journalists have asked a lot of questions about the numerous false starts and delays at Derby Shores — part of a state-financed STAR bond district — and now the Kansas Department of Commerce wants answers. “More than four years after the project was approved and bonds were sold, it has not been built,” the state said in a lawsuit filed this month in Sedgwick County District Court . “Announced opening dates have come and gone.” The suit is against Derby Destination Development , a team consisting of Dave Murfin, Rick Worner and Rodney Steven II. Security Bank of Kansas City , the trustee on the project, and the city of Derby also are named. “It is going to take action by the developer to move things forward,” said Derby city manager Kiel Mangus. None of the developers returned calls for comment on Wednesday. A Commerce spokesman said no one was available to comment Wednesday, and neither of the department’s two Morris Laing attorneys returned calls for comment. Mangus said the city is still analyzing what’s in the lawsuit. “We haven’t fully been able to evaluate all the things in the suit, so that’s what we’re going through right now,” he

Derby, KS · 2d

KSN News

New owners reopen west Wichita Japanese steakhouse seized by state

A Japanese restaurant in Wichita that was seized due to unpaid taxes is back open.

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Country Herald

Kansas Snow Squalls: Topeka, KS Drivers Face Whiteout Risks

Kansas drivers should prepare for blowing snow, icy pavement and rapidly changing visibility.

Topeka, KS · 14h

Wichita Eagle

Wichita restaurant was about to get a second rebrand. Now it's just plain closed.

The restaurant space on the northeast corner of Central and Maize has gone through a bit of an identity crisis over the past couple of years. After operating for years as a Planet Sub, the space at 10330 W. Central was taken over by local restaurateur Johnny Chandra and some partners, who opened it in January 2025 as a dual-concept fried chicken and boba restaurant called Crispy & Co/HaneBe. Then, in March, the owners renamed the restaurant Zen Bento and began serving bento boxes with choices such as spicy pork bulgogi, udon noodles, Chinese sweet-and-spicy chicken, and General Tso’s chicken. But in August, Zen Bento closed, and a sign posted on the door said the restaurant was closed for remodeling and would be rebranded as a sushi bar. Those plans are now off, Chandra said. “We decided not to reopen with the new concept because we weren’t able to find a partner to run it,” he said. Now, the 2,360-square-foot space is listed for lease with Landmark Commercial Real Estate . Chandra and his partners have opened several other restaurants in Wichita over the past eight years, starting with Tuptim Thai, 2121 N. Rock Road, in October 2018 and followed

Wichita, KS · 3d

travelmag.com

The 11 Best Steak Houses In Kansas That Locals Swear By For 2027

One Kansas steakhouse has stayed at the same address since it opened as a supper club in the early 1940s. That’s more than 80 years of steak dinners in one spot. Another broils its filets at 1,600 degrees. A third grills its beef over an open wood fire, the old-school way.

Kansas · 2d

KWCH.com

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“Any donation, no matter the amount, will help”: Fundraiser organized to support family of student found dead at Newman

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Nearly a week after the death of Newman University student McKenzie Rohr, the community has set up a GoFundMe to support her family. “This sudden loss has left them carrying an unimaginable emotional burden, and support is needed to help them through the difficult days ahead,” the GoFundMe page says.

Wichita, KS · 22h

KSN News

Kansan’s secret CIA mission declassified after 61 years

For one Kansas veteran, a classified military mission kept much of his service private for more than six decades.

Wichita, KS · 2d

WLBT

‘A lot of people knew her’: 18-year-old college freshman found dead in her dorm room

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - A first-year student-athlete has been found dead in her dorm room over the weekend at Newman University. According to the university, a resident found 18-year-old McKenzie Rohr, a member of Newman’s new track and field team, in her room on Sunday. First responders were...

Wichita, KS · 4d

KWCH.com

Wichita airport provides update as nationwide ground stop continues

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop at approximately 3:15 p.m. Friday. The ground stop affects all airports in the U.S., including Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). The ground stop remains in effect until further notice. Aircraft currently in flight will continue...

Wichita Eagle