Walden Pond at sunset in Concord, Massachusetts.

Time of Reflection: Soul Searching and Simplicity

Voluntary simplicity is a “less is more” lifestyle focused on the values of personal growth and concern for others. It starts with some soul searching.

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Group of men and woman standing together

Immigrant Labor

Many jobs in our area are performed by folks who have immigrated to the US, but the complexities of our immigration system can make this labor easy to exploit. This month, the Flatland team looks at industries that survive on immigrant labor and what systemic barriers affect these workers.

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Mac Wins Key Support for Big Apartment Plan at Main and Armour

By Kevin Collison Mac Properties’ ambitious plan for a 10-story apartment and retail complex at Main and Armour received crucial support Wednesday from a City Council committee, one year after its initial proposal for the site was rejected. In a unanimous vote, the Council Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee endorsed what’s now a 300-unit project…

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The Band That Fell to Earth plays music on stage.

Weekend Possibilities | Bowie Fest, Chiefs vs. Jags and Lunar New Year at Made Mobb

The Band That Fell to Earth KC will take the recordBar stage this weekend, with a part of proceeds going to charity. It’s a dandy addition to watching the Chiefs.

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Kansas City skyline

A Solution for Economic Problems: Hire More Immigrants

One way to address worsening labor shortages and inflation is fairly simple: Hire more immigrants. Improving the immigration process is more complicated.

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Jim’s Alley Bar Adds Cozy North Woods Vibe to East Crossroads

By Kevin Collison Jim’s Alley Bar, the new creation by the owner of King G, is about celebrating family roots and chilling in a cozy North Woods-feeling place with an ice cold yard beer served in a koozie. “It’s demographic is totally mixed at this place,” said Eric Flanagan. “We’ve had everyone from an older…

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A group of people stand outside. Several people belong to an encampment where people experiencing homelessness live. One woman Alice Delbosque has her back to the camera. She is wearing a sweatshirt of her organization called Angel Hearts Rescue, which provides aid to pets belonging to those experiencing homelessness.

KC Journalists Discuss How to Tell More Inclusive Stories

On the National Day of Racial Healing, the Health forward Foundation invited Kansas City journalists to speak on how they can do more inclusive, healing work in their communities.

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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delivers a speech.

Missouri Lawmakers Vow to Expand Child Care Access. Governor’s Speech May Lay Out the Plan

On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Mike Parson is expected to lay out his vision for addressing what some legislators have framed as a child care crisis in Missouri. 

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City Spending $3M for NFL Draft, Big Economic Payoff Expected

(UPDATED Feb. 10 with more details from an NFL press release:) “In partnership with the Kansas City Sports Commission and the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL today released the first renderings of the 2023 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light that will come to life in Kansas City, April 27-29. The league previously announced that…

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Exterior view of Shawnee’s Transport Brewery.

Tap List | Transport Brewery Celebrates Four Years of Beers

Transport Brewery is preparing a four-day celebration to mark its fourth anniversary of brewing in Shawnee.

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Craig Reed, director of network engineering, and Paul Kreuger, hope to double the number of EverFast Fiber Networks customers in the next two years.

Local Cable Company Looks Back to the Future: Old Everest Becomes New EverFast

A local cable operator with a new owner hopes to counter the cord cutting trend.

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Image: Martin Luther King Jr. hangs his head with a cigarette hanging in his right hand (left) and Andrew Young in 1966 at the Montgomery, Ala., airport. Credit: Bob Fitch, Stanford University Libraries, Department of Special Collections

A Review of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impact on Kansas City

Each year, Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy is observed. These are Flatland’s stories in remembrance.

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Rail Delivered for Final Stretch of Streetcar Extension on Main

One year after the arrival of its initial rails near Crown Center, the final delivery is underway near UMKC for the steel required to complete the 3.5-mile long streetcar extension on Main Street. Trucks will be delivering the 429 rails necessary to build the southern half of the streetcar route during the next couple weeks,…

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A scene from "Different Flowers."

Art House | Morgan Dameron Shares Female Filmmaker Perspective

Kansas City filmmaker Morgan Dameron shares how she has balanced her work in independent film with Hollywood blockbusters.

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Faro District, Portugal.

The Best Places in the World to Retire Now

Soaring U.S. inflation and a moderating pandemic in much of the world are leading more Americans to pull up stakes and retire abroad.

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