Recently, my daughter’s preschool class took a field trip to Tanganyika Wildlife Park. I had heard about the interactive exhibits and unusual animals featured there, so I was pretty excited to join this group of teeny pre-K explorers.

One of the great things about writing for verb [ICT] is meeting new people. Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the most inspirational men in Wichita, Earnest Alexander. Earnest is the co-founder of Youth Horizons, an organization serving to mentor at-risk youth.
When I arrived at the Youth Horizons office on east Douglas, I was greeted by warm staff members who led me to the office Earnest shares with his longtime assistant, Willa Gale. Willa, who describes herself as Earnest’s biggest fan, was excited …

On May 4, 2007, the farming town of Greensburg, Kansas was devastated when a 1.7-mile-wide, F5 tornado tore through the town. On the same night, tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma, Colorado, and South Dakota, but the Greensburg tornado was by far the worst, consuming 95 percent of the town and taking 11 lives. This weekend, the town will mark the three-year anniversary with a variety of events and community activities designed to showcase the rebirth of Greensburg, including a benefit concert by country legend George Jones.
In the three …

Springtime in Kansas means a lot of things. The trees start to bud, the pollen makes us sneeze, the days get longer and kids start looking out school windows dreaming of summer plans. For most of us who grew up in Wichita, those plans included Joyland Amusement Park.
I miss Joyland. I was lucky enough to spend countless hours in the park in its heyday, the 1970s and ’80s. If you’re too young to remember Joyland, or maybe you’re a Wichita transplant and didn’t have a chance …

When my husband and I were first married, we rarely ate a meal at home. We were selfish DINKS (dual income, no kids) with no particular interest in cooking our own dinner, so we relied on fast food and restaurants for most of our meals. Nine years and two kids later, it’s exactly the opposite. I’ve had to learn my way around the kitchen and even how to be creative with ground beef because frankly, dining out is expensive.
If you have a family of four, or more, …