Ark Valley News

07/28/2026

One person was killed in a motorcycle wreck north of Valley Center Monday (July 27).

This is from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office:

The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office Major Crash Team is investigating a fatal crash involving an SUV and a motorcycle near 109th Street North and Meridian, north of Valley Center.

At approximately 9:07 p.m. Monday, July 27, 2026, deputies and emergency responders responded to an injury crash involving a Toyota RAV4 and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle near 109th Street North and Meridian.

The motorcycle rider, 46-year-old Guerrero Moreno Jr. of Wichita, died at the scene.

The driver of the Toyota RAV4, a 68-year-old Sedgwick woman, suffered minor injuries. She was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

The preliminary investigation indicates Moreno was traveling southbound on Meridian when, for reasons unknown, he entered the northbound lanes and came to rest in the roadway. The Toyota RAV4 was traveling northbound on Meridian when it struck Moreno and the motorcycle.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office Major Crash Team continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

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07/25/2026

Large police presence in the 1300 block of South Meridian in Valley Center.

07/09/2026

We are weeks away from mailing out the Back to School Guide to all residents in Valley Center. This guide details specific dates and important details about our great school district!

To get your business information into this special guide, contact Erika Birk by July 17.

07/09/2026

Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire at 218 N Birch in Valley Center. It appears no one was inside the home.

07/02/2026

The Ark Valley News is preparing the Back to School Guide - a guide mailed out to all residents in the USD 262 school district! This is a great place to let everyone know what business you have in or around town. Contact us - the deadline is July 17.

06/02/2026

The two-story building at Main and Park in downtown Valley Center is up for auction. The building with a long history of different occupants was most recently home to E&J’s Eatery, which closed in 2024.

05/19/2026

Three Valley Center High School golfers qualified for the 5A state tournament — Christian Fowler, Jacob Kline and Parker Wright.

05/16/2026

The Valley Center High School tennis team completed 5A state tournament play Saturday. Seniors Gabe Shaffer and Braxton Nicholson took seventh in doubles. Freshman Gabriel Tamayo placed 10th and senior Nick Neff placed 11th in singles. As a team, Valley Center tied for fourth with Andover. Maize South won the team title. Blue Valley Southwest was second and Bishop Carroll third.

05/16/2026

Valley Center High School fared fairly well on the first day of the 5A state tennis tournament Friday. A doubles team and two singles players made it to the medal rounds. The best finish each can have is fifth, the worst is 12th.

After a first-round bye, No. 3 seed Gabe Shaffer and Braxton Nicholson beat St. James Academy in a third-set super tiebreaker but lost in the quarterfinals to Blue Valley Southwest in two sets. Shaffer and Nicholson will play Topeka West in the consolation quarterfinals on Saturday.

Valley Center’s Nick Neff is also in the consolation quarterfinals. He won his first-round match, but lost in the second round. Neff won back-to-back matches, including an 8-6 grinder against St. James Academy.

Valley Center freshman Gabriel Tamayo won his first-round match in straight sets, but ran into the tournament’s No. 2 seed from Maize South, getting one game, but losing in two sets. Tamayo won two matches to get into the consolation quarterfinals.

The season ended for Valley Center’s Charlie Anderson and Lucas Balthrop. The doubles team won its first match in two sets, but went into the consolation bracket with a second-round loss. They beat a Newton team but lost to a Maize South duo to end their tournament.

Matches start at 9 a.m. Saturday at Andover District Tennis Complex behind Andover Central High School.

05/15/2026

Shaffer and Nicholson earn a spot in the quarterfinals at 5A state tennis.