Wichita's Early Edition

Musician Skinny Hightower created the song "Summer Anthem" in just one day. We'll hear about his process, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Charlie Wilks is a local musician who provided soundscapes to accompany the Wichita Art Museum's "See, Hear, Feel America" exhibit, in partnership with Envision Arts Center. Torin Andersen reports on Charlie Wilks' process, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Cathy Richardson has been singing with veteran rock band Jefferson Starship since 2008 and she says that despite the group having a wide range of hits and classic songs, she and her bandmates remain committed to creating new music. We'll hear more, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Jedd Beaudoin speaks with Austin, Texas-based musician Kris Schultz, who grew up in Topeka, Kansas. We'll hear that, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Regenerative farming practices can be a tough sell to farmers facing thin profit margins. But farmer-led groups where farmers can share their knowledge can help. We'll take a look at the farmer-led movement and how it could change agriculture, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Keeping musical instruments in good repair can be expensive, especially for high school bands. But a K-State program is helping rural schools keep their bands sounding top notch. We'll hear about a unique instrument-repair program in Kansas, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Wichita State’s new vice president of student affairs says he wants everyone to feel welcome on campus. We speak with WSU’s Jamarco Clark, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

For many rural Kansas communities, daily routines are punctuated by the sound of the town whistle. Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

A new album celebrates poetry from three women. KMUW's Jedd Beaudoin recently had a chance to speak to the composer about the album and what it took to create the music, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

U.S. rivers used to be so polluted that lots of fish couldn’t even live in them. Then in the 1970s, federal laws took the problem to task. But even as fish and wildlife rebound in many rivers, other problems loom. We'll learn more, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Sedgwick County firefighters are getting practice responding to emergencies, and just in time for what’s normally a busy season. We get a first-hand look at firefighter training, after the news.

Musician Derrick Dove was named Best Guitarist at the 2026 International Blues Challenge in Memphis earlier this year. Although he started off as a drummer, he has a clear memory of when guitar took over. We'll hear more, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Victoria Rigel of the Wichita band Fractured says that performing the songs on the band's new album in the live setting helped her understand them more. We'll hear that, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

We'll hear about what some local girl scouts are looking forward to this summer vacation. They recently came by KMUW's studios for a tour and lesson in audio production. We'll hear that, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

With the costs of groceries rising and food assistance falling, community gardens can help keep healthy food on a family's table. We’ll hear how food banks and other groups are helping provide fresh produce to people, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

The Wichita Public Library is urging children and adults to set a reading goal this summer. We'll look at the library’s new and improved summer reading program, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

We'll hear about a new chamber music festival that was created by a student at UMKC for her doctoral thesis. And we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Styx's Lawrence Gowan says that one of the reasons his band has experienced continued popularity since the 1970s is the timeless nature of its songs. We'll hear more, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Experts say breast milk is critical for premature babies. But sometimes, moms aren’t able to produce their own. To fill this gap, two nonprofits in Kansas and Oklahoma are building a network of donors and supplying milk to Kansas hospitals. We'll learn more about breast milk donation, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

We'll hear about a company that not just keeps much of Hollywood’s history under storage, but helps restore it too. And we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Disc golf is a relatively young sport that’s growing in Kansas. Local disc golfers say it’s easy to see why. We'll explore the popularity of disc golf, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

Community-supported agriculture, or CSA, is a way for farmers to get paid upfront… and consumers to get in-season produce. But some farmers are changing the model to appeal to today’s consumer preferences. We'll hear about the evolution of CSAs, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

It’s never been easier to buy beef directly from a rancher. And thanks to high grocery store prices, it might be cheaper tooBut to get any savings, customers have to make a big up-front investment. We'll hear more, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

A group of Wichita chefs recently spent a day experimenting with a new ingredient. We'll hear what’s so great about a perennial grain called Kernza, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

A Kansas City nonprofit has spent the past decade using donated flowers from special events to brighten up the rooms of seniors living in health care facilities. And now, there’s a new initiative – scholarships. We'll hear more about how this nonprofit is supporting the next generation of local florists, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

The Minisa Bridge near Wichita North High School was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. Supporters say the designation could help preserve the bridge for generations to come. We'll hear about what the new honor could mean for the bridge and the community, and we have news from Wichita and around the state.

In his new book, Wichita State sociology professor Chase Billingham explores Wichita’s cultural and political history and its struggle to become a destination city and we have news from Wichita and around the state.