Nick’s Picks | Ballots, Soccer, Music and More … Preparing you for the week ahead, before it happens…
Published April 7th, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Above image credit: A view of Hazel Grove Elementary School in the Lee’s Summit school district. Local voters will see candidates for the Lee’s Summit school board on their ballot April 8. (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon)Local Election Day is Tuesday
Tuesday is local Election Day, and there are a lot of issues on the Missouri side of the state line.
Voters are being asked to approve a new Kansas City jail. And Kansas City Public Schools wants voters to say yes to more than $400 million in building and classroom improvements. The district hasn’t successfully passed a bond in nearly 60 years.
Elsewhere in the metro…
Independence wants voter approval for big infrastructure projects, from fixing crumbling bridges to building a new police headquarters.
Liberty is asking for a tax hike to expand its police department building.
Scores of school board candidates are also on the ballot on Tuesday, along with nearly a dozen school bond issues, from Lee’s Summit to Park Hill.
The polls open on Tuesday at 6 a.m.
Another World Cup?
As Kansas City prepares to host the World Cup, could more global tournaments be on the way?
Over the weekend, FIFA selected the United States to host the Women’s World Cup in 2031. With the only purpose-built women’s soccer stadium in the world, it’s hard to believe Kansas City wouldn’t play a major role in the tournament.
Kansas City is also bidding to host the Rugby World Cup when it comes to the United States for the first time in 2031. A top representative from U.S. Rugby was in town last week to explore Kansas City’s suitability as a potential site.
World’s First BBQ Museum Opens
The world’s first museum dedicated to barbecue opens this week at Crown Center.
Guests head through a giant smoker as they wind through interactive exhibits focused on BBQ meats, rubs, and sauces.
It’s the brainchild of my former Kansas City PBS colleague Jonathan Bender, who’s a longtime food writer.
The Museum of BBQ is located on the second floor of the Crown Center shops. It opens Saturday at 10 a.m.
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In Other News You Can Use …
- Financial Markets face another volatile week: On Wednesday, President Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs go into effect on products from virtually every region of the world.
- Freezing Temperatures: What happened to spring? Gardeners take note: It’s expected to dip below freezing tonight. You may want to grab your coat, hat, gloves, and scarf as you head out the door Tuesday morning.
- Kansas Veto Session: Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka on Thursday for the legislature’s annual veto session. Anything can happen before lawmakers wrap up on Saturday.
- Missouri Considers New Abortion Restrictions: Five months after Missouri voters approved abortion rights at the ballot box, the Missouri House is set to vote this week on a revamped constitutional amendment that reinstates most abortion restrictions.
- JOCO Uncertainty: Johnson County Chair Mike Kelly delivers his State of the County Address Tuesday at the Overland Park Convention Center. His speech comes amid growing uncertainty over the county budget as the Trump administration cuts matching funding for everything from transportation to public health services.
- A new Bi-State Tax for Buses? Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas meets with regional leaders on Friday to discuss a metro-wide tax to support the cash-strapped transit system.
- NCAA Championship Final: No. 1 seeds Florida and Houston square off in the title game tonight (7:50 p.m., CBS).
- Master’s Golf Tournament starts Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.
- NBC News Anchor Lester Holt at KU: The network newsman and host of “Dateline NBC” will accept the 2025 William Allen White Award in the Kansas Union Ballroom on Thursday. The event is free and open to the public. Holt will accept the award at 3 p.m.
- Passover begins on Saturday evening.
KC Gets Amazon Prime Spotlight
The Kansas City music scene is getting a global spotlight this week.
Amazon Prime is streaming a new two-hour documentary that tracks the history and influence of Kansas City music over the past 100 years.
Tech N9ne, Lonnie McFadden, and Kelly Hunt all have starring roles.
The film premiers Friday night at the Uptown Theater.
“Sounds of the City” hits Amazon Prime on Saturday.
A New Tradition on the Plaza
In a quest to boost foot traffic, the new owners of the Country Club Plaza have dreamed up a new event.
The first annual Spring Market and Shopping Stroll is this Saturday, featuring food tastings, pop-up vendors, and live music.
It starts at 11 a.m.
Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 pm on Kansas City PBS.