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LV Arts, Inc. held a Harvesting Hope mural reveal party last Saturday at the north-facing wall bordering Exchange Bank, 630 Delaware St.About 50 people attended the event to celebrate the completion of the mural. The art project was a collaborative effort between the bank and LV Arts, Inc., an arts-based nonprofit. LV Arts founder and president Michaela Fitzgerald said about 50-60 volunteers, including individuals and community organizations, helped paint the mural which took over two weeks to complete. Those attending the reveal party lined up along the mural wall and celebrated by waving their arms to create the look of a wheat field waving in the wind.“It was fun to bring community together – art, agriculture,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re sharing in community. It’s amazing. Great things happen when people work together.”The mural pays homage to Turkey Red wheat, an heirloom variety of hard red wheat. Kansas is the second largest wheat-growing state – behind North Dakota. Kansas grows mostly hard red winter and hard white wheat. Turkey Red wheat is prized for its adaptability to harsh climates and for its easy digestibility.Celebrants continued the mural reveal party at Willcott Brewing Company, where they could enjoy a beer the brewery created from the Turkey Red wheat called “1874 Turkey Red Wit.”Darrin Unruh of Reno County, Kansas, is the farmer whose wheat is used to produce Willcott’s 1874 Turkey Red Wit. Unruh was on hand to discuss his collaboration with the brewing company.“Sean (Willcott) was interested in doing a beer that involved Kansas wheat,” Unruh explained. “We wanted to do a beer that was as natural as possible. As a grower, I don’t use any synthetic fungicides or herbicides or anything like that. So, the way it’s raised is a little bit different - more natural, more healthy.”Unruh is a descendant of immigrants who brought the original seeds to Kansas. He and his brother, Stacy, are still farming on the land of his ancestors in Reno County near Pretty Prairie, Kansas. This is the 150th anniversary of Turkey Red arriving in Kansas from Russia.The Turkey Red heirloom wheat was brought from Russia to Kansas in 1874 by Mennonites immigrating to the United States. The group had originally escaped religious persecution by fleeing from Germany to Russia where Catherine the Great welcomed them. That welcome didn’t last, though. When Catherine the Great passed away, subsequent rulers changed many policies. Tsar Alexander II revoked the military exemption for the pacifist Mennonites. Hundreds of families fled Russia, eventually settling in the Midwest. They brought the seeds of Turkey Red wheat with them.Kansas soil and climate was particularly suitable for that wheat, which attracted the Mennonite farmers to settle here. They brought with them their reverence for farming and nurturing the soil.Unruh uses regenerative farming techniques, which involves tending the soil using natural techniques and avoiding the use of pesticides and other chemical means.“It’s about improving the soil as we are growing crops,” Unruh said. “So, it’s really about improving the soil health.” Unruh said he and his brother are fourth generation Kansas farmers.“We mostly run cattle,” Darrin Unruh said. “The wheat isn’t on a lot of acres but it’s a heritage wheat brought over by our ancestors. It doesn’t yield as much but it’s a lot better for soil health. It’s got a bigger root system, it’s more drought-resistant. It’s different than the modern wheats. It’s better for you.”After the reveal party, Unruh joined the rest of the volunteers and celebrated with one of Willcott’s 1874 Turkey Red Wit beers. He offered a review.“It’s real smooth. Real creamy,” Unruh said. “I’m no beer professional or anything like that. I find a beer I like, though, I keep buying it. I like this beer. But I’m biased.”Willcott provides a description of 1874 Turkey Red Wit on their website. “Light, citrus aroma with golden appearance. Light bodied with a smooth, sweet hint of orange.”

A local trash disposal service is proposing to open a solid waste transfer station at the site of the former Abeles Field football stadium. The… Login to continue reading Login…

There’s a newly formed Kiwanis Club in the Basehor-Linwood area that is looking to expand its membership to be able to help even more people. The Kiwanis Club was founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. The name was chosen as it translated to “we build” from the Algonquian Native American language. Originally founded as a networking club, a few years later it changed its focus to the service of children. With clubs in 80 countries, the organization’s motto is "serving the children of the world."President Sara Kobe enjoys being a member and finds it fulfilling to help children of various ages in the community. From elementary school to high school, the Basehor-Linwood Kiwanis Club is making an impact.“We help behind the scenes by donating funds to their clubs and causes, as well as providing some programs for younger students. We become involved in the community by helping with various service projects. If you love your community, like to build relationships, be kind and focus on what really matters, you would be a great fit for our group,” Kobe said.Kobe and her family moved to the area from Iowa last summer. With her husband growing up in Wyandotte County, they knew they didn’t want to live in the city proper and an outlying area was a better fit for their family. Currently working as a financial adviser in Lansing, Kobe is looking forward to working on the upcoming community service projects the Basehor-Linwood Kiwanis Club will be doing, including a bike rodeo planned in September during Basehor Dairy Days. Most recently, the group had a booth at Holy-Field Winery’s annual Ladies Night to spread word about their new organization and look for interested people to join. Members also assisted with April’s Earth Day celebration of cleaning up debris around Basehor as well as starting a new program called the Kiwanis BUG (Bring Up Grades) Program later this fall for students ages 6-12.At the organization’s charter celebration in May, the Basehor-Linwood Kiwanis Club presented a $100 check to the VEX Robotics Club at Basehor-Linwood High School for them to put toward the world championship the high schoolers participated in. More than 80 teams participated in the event that was held in Dallas, Texas.“We were so proud of how well they did and excited to see what the members of their club do in the future with all of the skills they have developed. We are happy to already be helping the children in the community and look forward to doing more,” said Kobe.Anyone who wants to help children and get involved in the community is invited to learn more about the group. Contact can be made through the club’s Facebook page or by attending a meeting. Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at noon at Cider Hill’s barn and the fourth Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at Basehor Middle School.

Leavenworth County commissioners want to meet with a law firm to discuss a possible lawsuit against the state of Kansas.

The Leavenworth Family Pride 2nd Annual Pride Picnic was held Sunday at Hawthorn Park. About 200 people attended the free event that included a catered lunch, games, vendor booths and a raffle. The park splash pad provided a cooling reprieve from the heat.Leavenworth Family Pride was founded in 2023 by Barbara Williams, who has grown the group to over 300 Facebook members. June is Pride month.“We now have a (local) group that is supporting the LBGTQ+ community,” Williams said. Organizer Logan Pinedo said it was important that Leavenworth have its own Pride event to help those who can’t travel to Pride events in other towns. “A lot of people will go to Kansas City or Lawrence,” Pinedo said. “Kansas City and Lawrence have incredibly inviting and inclusive environments. But, some people can’t get out there. Having a place that’s local, here in town, showing that they don’t have to be afraid to be themselves. It’s very, very important.” Pride month origins date back to 1969. According to the Library of Congress: “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.”Pride month has grown to include a variety of celebrations throughout the month, including parades, concerts, workshops, parties and picnics. “We just wanted to have a family-oriented, welcoming event just to kind of gather together as community,” Pinedo said. “It’s been wonderful to see how many people are coming together and knowing that they’re not alone – that there is support here locally here in their own town. Families need support. We just want to bring visibility to the community in general. This has been great. It’s a wonderful turn out. There’s so many people having a great time and they are so happy.”