Nick’s Picks | St. Pat’s Parade, Transit Woes, Planet Comicon, and More … Preparing you for the week ahead, before it happens…

Kansas City Turns Green

We didn’t get to have a Super Bowl parade this year, but it looked like we were heading for a massive St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

With most kids out of school for Spring Break and temperatures in the 70s, organizers were expecting a larger-than-usual crowd for today’s Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The 18-block parade route was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Broadway and Linwood Boulevard.  The route was to take the floats south on Broadway towards Westport, ending at 43^rd Street around 1:30 p.m.

City Manager Learns His Fate

Could Brian Platt be fired as KC’s city manager this week?

The Kansas City Council votes Thursday on whether to terminate Platt’s contract, a week after a jury found he had directed city staff to lie to the media.

Platt, who’s currently on paid leave, makes more than $300,000 a year. He was hired five years ago.

Bus Service on the Chopping Block

Its rubber hits the road week for bus service in Kansas City.

In a move that would impact thousands of riders, the KCATA is expected to detail massive cuts Thursday that could eliminate nearly half of the city’s bus routes, drastically reduce operating hours, and lay off about 170 workers.

The metro’s largest transit provider is trying to offset a $30 million budget shortfall.

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Are Fired Federal Workers Getting Their Jobs Back?

A judge has ordered the government to rehire thousands of pink-slipped federal employees, including more than 100 IRS workers in Kansas City.

California federal judge William Alsup has ruled the dismissals “unlawful.”

The White House has been given a Wednesday deadline to reinstate the employees.

5^th Anniversary of First ‘Stay at Home’ Order

Friday marks the fifth anniversary of Kansas City’s first COVID-19 pandemic order.

Does it feel like it’s been that long?

On March 21, 2020, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas ordered residents to “stay at home” and for non-essential businesses to cease in-person operations.

It would take another three months before the city’s first mask mandate would be put in place.

Remembering Joplin Tornado

We’ve been experiencing a lot of volatile weather lately. This week, Netflix will premiere a new documentary on one of the deadliest weather events in our region’s history, the Joplin tornado.

With $2.8 billion in damages, it ranks as the costliest single tornado in U.S. history.

161 people died in the 2011 twister.

The winds destroyed 17,000 trees, tossed around thousands of cars and trucks, flattened homes and businesses, and took out the main hospital in the Missouri town, located 150 miles south of Kansas City.

“The Twister: Caught in the Storm,” debuts Wednesday night on Netflix.

At The Statehouse

Not much happening at the Missouri Statehouse this week. The House and Senate have both adjourned for Spring Break.

But over in Kansas, lawmakers are deep in the trenches of some of the session’s biggest battles.

Here are some of the top issues worth watching this week:

• The Kansas House takes up a Senate-approved measure that would shake up the way Supreme Court justices are selected
• A bill ending the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots is inching closer to the governor’s desk
• More debate is scheduled this week on a bill that limits how much property taxes can go up year-over-year
• And lawmakers weigh up a local measure that would permit Wyandotte County to collect an earnings tax.

March Madness Begins

It’s that time of the year again. Easter candy has replaced chocolate Valentine’s hearts on grocery store shelves, and mentions of online brackets are popping up everywhere.

You guessed it — March Madness has officially arrived.

The 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament starts Tuesday.

Kansas City isn’t hosting any of the games, but Wichita is one of the venues.

That’s where Mizzou will begin its championship quest on Thursday against Drake. (Game Time: 6:25 p.m.)

The game could lead to some tense moments at local bars and watering holes as KU will be playing at the same time. The Jayhawks are traveling to Providence Thursday to take on Arkansas. (Game Time: 6:10 p.m.)

K-State failed to make this year’s tournament, but they’re the only local university to qualify for the NCAA Women’s Tournament, which starts Wednesday.

Big Names in Town for Planet Comicon

If you want to see a lot of stars in one place, head to Bartle Hall this week.

Helen Hunt, David Tennant, Vincent D’Onofrio, Christopher Lloyd, Andy Serkis, Mario Lopez, Tori Spelling, Christina Ricci, and Hollywood legend Ann-Margret are among the featured guests for Planet Comicon.

The region’s largest annual comic book and pop culture convention runs Friday through Sunday at the Kansas City Convention Center.

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.