Civic Affairs

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves talks Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 about her pending retirement. (Carlos Moreno | KCUR 89.3)

Nick’s Picks | Top Cop, Mission Mall, Lucas’ Travels and More …

Nick Haines also has the lowdown on information for the upcoming election, the arrival of fall and Kansas City’s Day of the Dead celebration.

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Starting in January, I-70 will shut down in both directions, along a 4-mile stretch between downtown and the Truman Sports Complex. The Missouri Department of Transportation holds a public meeting on the closure Tuesday. (Screenshot)

Nick’s Picks | I-70, Tax Break, School Petition, and More …

An Interstate 70 closure, a tax rebate for Jackson County property owners, a school closure petition, and more …

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Kansas City Helping Renters Avoid Eviction

On any given Thursday, a small hallway in the Jackson County Courthouse crowds with tenants, landlords, and attorneys arriving for their scheduled hearings and trials. The scene unfolds on Floor 7M, which is half the height of the building’s other levels, and is where Associate Circuit Judge Mary Weir recently worked through 55 eviction cases…

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The Midtown Costco closes Thursday for a months-long hiatus before reopening as a Costco Business Center. (Frank Morris | KCUR 89.3)

Nick’s Picks | Costco, Homicides, Rain and More …

Is Missouri’s congressional map saga over? It seems so, but who knows if there will be another twist or turn. That story and more …

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Vice President JD Vance touches down in Kansas City for a visit on Monday. (U.S Air Force)

Nick’s Picks | Veep, Gerrymandering, Football and More …

Vance Lands in KC Again … Vice President JD Vance will make two stops in the Kansas City area today, his second visit to the metro in less than four months. The White House says Vance will visit a federal law enforcement facility in Kansas City, Missouri, to highlight the Trump administration’s crackdown on fraud….

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Darrian Davis and his wife, Nicolette Paige-Davis, are the caretakers and community organizers behind Kansas City Urban Farm Co-Op. Located in the heart of Swope Park, it features more than 100 fruit trees. (Todd Feeback | Flatland)

City Dwelling Growers Provide a Fresh Alternative to the Grocery Aisles

Don’t be fooled by appearances. The produce from urban farms might not look as perfect as it does at the local supermarket, but it can be as tasty as it is healthy.

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United in Opposition: The Bipartisan Response to Data Centers 

From Independence, Missouri, to Osawatomie, Kansas, data centers are angering residents and spurring bipartisan opposition.

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Independence voters head to the polls Tuesday in a recall election aimed at ousting City Councilman John Perkins. Opponents are angry that he voted for tax incentives for a data center under construction in the city. (The Beacon)

Nick’s Picks | Map, Recall, Trial and More …

The Missouri Supreme Court takes up a question about a local congressional district, an Independence councilman fights to keep his seat, and a long-delayed murder trial is set to get underway.

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The only remains of Karleton Fyfe, one thighbone, are buried behind a church in Chapel Hill, N.C., not far from where he grew up.

25 Years Later, Still Trying to Make Sense of 9/11

Flatland columnist Bill Tammeus reflects on the “misguided, ugly and wildly destructive version of Islam” that drove the 9/11 hijackers.

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Nancy Kassebaum, the trailblazing former U.S. senator from Kansas.

Nick’s Picks | Call for Stadium Vote, Power Outages and More

Public Vote on Ballpark in Limbo Activist groups say they’ve collected enough valid signatures to put the issue before voters. But so far, the City Council hasn’t taken up the petition. The deadline to act is Aug. 31, making Thursday’s council meeting the last scheduled opportunity. Except that the mayor has canceled this week’s regular…

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