Wichita's Early Edition

Vinyl records remain a popular item for music fans but getting your record pressed can be expansive. Josh Thomas of the Kansas City, Missouri band RXGhost found a way around that. He started pressing his own records. We have more with Thomas. Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

Have you ever wondered how lyrics come together? Carla Eckels has, and she asked KC of KC and the Sunshine Band about the lyrics to "That's the Way (I Like It)." We have Carla Eckel's conversation with KC of the Sunshine Band. Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

Kansas farms have expanded their operations and are now bigger than ever which has led to an economic boom. But bigger farms means fewer farmers, and that has contributed to depopulation in rural parts of the state that were socially isolated to begin with. We’ll hear how isolation from farm consolidation can have negative impacts on the health of farmers in western Kansas, plus news from Wichita and around the state.

KMUW's Beth Golay speaks with Lauren Elkin about her novel Scaffolding, which follows two couples who live in the same apartment in Paris, but decades apart. Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

Performing in a high school musical takes a lot of work. But for some Kansas students, that’s where they find peace and a real connection to school. We’ll hear from Wichita voice coach Amy Menas about the value of music education and what it takes for kids to make it onstage, plus news from Wichita and around the state.

The band Low Cut Connie is the subject of the new film, "Art Dealers," which was co-directed by the band's frontman, Adam Weiner. Jedd Beaudoin spoke with Weiner about the project. Plus we have the correct conversation between Jedd, David Lord and Charles Rumback. And news from Wichita and around the state.

Musicians Charles Rumback and David Lord both grew up in Kansas and have collaborated with some of the same musicians. But it's only recently that they've made music together. Rumback says that collaborating with Lord has been easy because they share a similar musical vision. We'll have Jedd Beaudoin's conversation with the duo. Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

Since 2022, Sedgwick County has added $64 million dollars in employee compensation to deal with staffing challenges post-pandemic. These pay raises worked– but they've made it more difficult to balance the budget. KMUW's Celia Hack tells us more. Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

When it comes to public shaming, author Melissa Petro says she sees a shift on the horizon. KMUW's Beth Golay speaks with Petro about her book, "Shame on You." Plus news from Wichita and around the state.

Beef often gets a bad climate rap. That’s because cattle produce lots of planet-warming pollution. But can you limit your greenhouse gases and enjoy a steak? We’ll explore that question, plus we have news from Wichita and around the state.