3+ week, 6+ day ago (356+ words) WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - How well do you know who you're casting a vote for? Ahead of election season, a Manhattan, Kansas-based nonprofit was created to connect voters to candidates before going to the polls. When it comes to elections, challenges with deciding who to vote for in races, especially at the state and local levels, include not even knowing who's on the ballot. That's a dilemma that Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater said isn't foreign in Sedgwick County. Ahead of Tuesday and the next round of local elections in which voters will decide on positions to lead school boards and city councils, Rainwater touched on how unfamiliarity can translate to low voter turnouts. "That's another excuse, "I don't know who the candidates are, so I'm not going to vote," Rainwater said. Organizations like the Manhattan-based Transparent Campaign Initiative are…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (436+ words) BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - An El Dorado couple is stepping up in a big way for victims of a natural disaster thousands of miles away. Jeremy and Nicole Sheffler started the nonprofit, Cow Team 6, a little after Hurricane Helene devastated part of the southeastern United States last September. The couple noticed the needs and made several trips to donate food and supplies. This outreach effort was successful enough for Cow Team 6 to build off of it, donating supplies and helping with recovery efforts in other parts of the U.S. Now, they're attempting their biggest undertaking yet, getting aid to Alaska, specifically, thousands of pounds of beef. The Shefflers said they never imagined doing more outreach after providing Kansas beef and other supplies to those impacted by Hurricane Helene. "We were kinda quiet about it at first," Jeremy said. "But then we…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (142+ words) The Voice of the Wildcats, Wyatt Thompson, joins the show to dive into Kansas State basketball and what's unfolding as the season gets underway. Thompson shares insight on early standout players, key ... WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - It was a big night for Kansas sports, and fans are getting plenty to talk about. The Voice of the Wildcats, Wyatt Thompson, joins the show to dive into Kansas State basketball and what's unfolding as the season gets underway. Thompson shares insight on early standout players, key matchups, and how K-State is positioning itself in a competitive Big 12 race. The action isn't limited to the college hardwood. We're also reacting to a wild edition of Monday Night Football. Whether you're tuned in for the Wildcats or the NFL, it's a night packed with energy across the sports world....

5+ day, 21+ hour ago (220+ words) The AG's office said it was unaware of the inappropriate link until contacted by 12 News. Officials quickly removed the document that was linked but have not provided additional details about the security breach. Other reports indicate the breach may be connected to a recent hack of Granicus, a cloud-based platform the AG's office confirmed it uses. Granicus primarily serves government agencies and provides technology to improve government operations and citizen engagement. An AG's office spokesperson said it was unsure if Granicus had contacted them about the confirmed hack and that it had only learned about the hack through media reports Bill Ramsey, a cybersecurity expert with Market Advisory Group in Wichita, said the hack may not have compromised personal data. "It could be that just the website itself was breached, not the data that stands behind the website," Ramsey said....

1+ week, 3+ day ago (234+ words) Moderate to heavy rain will continue overnight for most of the state and into Friday morning. The heaviest of the rain will focus on areas along and north of I-70 during the morning. Rain should taper off by the early afternoon. Most areas should receive at least an inch of rainfall. Expect cooler highs on Friday to range from the 40s to the low 60s. Some fog is possible across western Kansas Saturday morning; however, most of the weekend will be dry and milder with temperatures climbing to the low 60s by Sunday. Our next weather maker will move in Sunday evening and Monday, bringing showers and a few storms to the state. Looking ahead, the rest of the holiday week will start to trend cooler with highs in the 40s by next Wednesday. Thanksgiving remains chilly and mostly quiet, but active weather may return…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (284+ words) WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The City of Wichita will soon have a new manager. Monday afternoon, the 11-person City Manager Search Committee announced three finalists in the running to replace the current city manager, Bob Layton, who is set to retire at the end of the year. The city received 89 applications for the position. CPS HR Consulting validated the candidates against the position requirements and selected 17 applicants for review by the Selection Advisory Committee. The finalists include Mark Freitag, Dennis Marstall and Donte Martin. The mayor and Wichita City Council will meet the candidates starting next week, on November 17. A public forum will be held on Tuesday, November 18, from 5:30-9 p.m., at Botanica. 12 News spoke to Council Member Becky Tuttle about what she hopes to get out of the process moving forward. "I think opportunities like this are essential, not only for us…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (353+ words) WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The three candidates running for Wichita City Manager answered questions from the public on Tuesday evening at Botanica. People could ask questions about anything they liked, from homelessness to making the city more bike-friendly. In attendance was Elizabeth Timsah, a member of Wichita Mayor's Youth Council, who says it's important for young people to get involved. "I'm here tonight because it's really important for young people to be at these events and kind of voice their opinion, because we are the people of the future, and we should have a voice in what happens in our city," Timsah said. "The main issues that we're talking about right now are homelessness, sustainability, Wichita history, and freedom and equity." Mark Freitag, one of the candidates, has 13 years of city management under his belt and wants to focus on affordable…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (408+ words) WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - This week, the Wichita City Council will be making one of its biggest decisions in years: Who will be the next city manager? As the final three candidates for the leadership position go through a series of interviews, 12 News spoke with the city's elected leaders about why the role of city manager is so critically important. The city manager will be in charge of more than 3,000 city employees and for carrying out the council's policy decisions. "The city manager is very important because that's who really runs the day-to-day operations of the city," said Wichita City Council member J.V. Johnston. "City council sets policy but the day-to-day operations, the hiring and firing of department heads, that's all the city manager." The City of Wichita started with 89 applicants for the city manager position before a selection committee narrowed the…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (256+ words) WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Get ready for temperatures to approach record high territory on Friday. We are waking up to cool temperatures in the 40s this morning with mostly cloudy skies. Clouds will give way to sunshine this afternoon with highs expected to reach the low 70s. Friday will be much warmer with highs ranging from the mid to upper 70s across the state. Record highs are likely for several locations. Wichita's record high is 78 set back in 1897. The sunshine and warmth will continue into the weekend with highs in the 70s on Saturday. A cold front will push through the state Saturday afternoon, cooling down Sunday with highs in the 60s. A storm system will pass to the north on Monday, bringing gusty winds but keeping most rain chances out of the state. Our next opportunity for rain will arrive between Wednesday and Thursday. However,…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (265+ words) WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - It is another quiet morning across Kansas with wake-up temperatures in the 40s, and the day ahead will follow suit. Expect afternoon temperatures in the upper 60s with a light breeze and mainly sunny skies. A strong cold front will cruise across Kansas this weekend. While no rain (or snow) is expected with its passage, highs in the lower 60s on Saturday will be followed by afternoon temperatures in the lower 40s on Sunday. Temperatures will tumble into the lower 20s on Monday morning, but it will feel like 15 to 20 degrees when you factor in the breeze. The cool-down will not last long. Highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s on Monday will quickly be replaced by afternoon temperatures in the 60s on Veteran's Day. Wednesday and Thursday will be even warmer with highs near 70 degrees. Looking ahead" our weather pattern promises to turn…...