Nick’s Picks | Downtown, Spain, Jackson County, and More …
Next Steps on New Royals Ballpark Who’s got the toughest assignment in Kansas City right now? Try City Manager Mario Vasquez who’s been tasked this week with turning a new Royals stadium plan into something resembling an actual deal. Despite all the smiles and celebrations last week, many of the details are fuzzy and some…
Area Christians Join Unification Movement
Much blood — literal and figurative — has flowed since the Protestant Reformation snapped the Catholic Church in two in the early 1500s. It wasn’t the first major break in Catholicism. The “Great Schism” happened in 1054 when what’s now known as Orthodox Christianity split from Roman Catholicism. But the results of those divisions can…
Are Kansas City-Area municipalities doing enough to protect our trees?
How much do Kansas Citians love their trees? So much so that neighbors have been known to mourn the loss of giants like “Frank,” the historic burr oak that had to come down earlier this year in the Historic Northeast. However, some area residents — and elected officials — contend municipalities are not doing enough…
Nick’s Picks | Baseball, Education, Conservation and More …
Stadium: What’s Next The push for a new downtown ballpark heads to Jefferson City this week. Kansas City leaders are looking for a number: How much is the state willing to put toward a new home for the Kansas City Royals at Washington Square Park? Right now, there are more questions than answers around the…
Hospitality Workers Learning to Play Defense During the World Cup
“What college kid doesn’t want access to free pizza?” Jennifer Kabler asked, as she recounted a horrifying evening from two decades ago. She was taking a co-worker home, and he said that his roommate could hook them up with the grub. Even though she felt a little uneasy about the situation, Kabler took the guys to pick…
Nick’s Picks | Sports, Liquor, Bans and More …
New Royals Ballpark Two years after a failed stadium vote, Kansas City leaders are trying to get a new Royals ballpark plan across the finish line this week. The city council’s finance committee takes its first swing Tuesday at the $1.9 billion proposal, with a full council vote expected on Thursday. Mayor Quinton Lucas unveiled…
Missouri Seeks Stable Funding for 988 Mental Health Helpline
Trigger warning: This story contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, call, text or chat 988. It was nearly 3 a.m. Lauren Ross awoke to spiking anxiety, the result of stress from the holidays, work and the general state of affairs…
Nick’s Picks | Filings, Openings, Holidays and More …
Political Filing Frenzy Get ready for a major reshuffling of Kansas City’s political decks this week. Tuesday at 5 p.m. is the deadline for Missouri candidates to file for office in this year’s midterm elections. And with a new congressional map now in play, it’s triggering a frantic last-minute political scramble. Here’s the breakdown of…
KC Reparations Leaders Uncertain Work Will Lead to Action
Do you know the details of how Kansas City’s past public policies and actions created a community with a long history of segregation that led to the racial disparities of today? Mayor Quinton Lucas says a primary purpose of his Mayor’s Commission on Reparations will be to teach you that history and to help you…
From Concord to Kansas City: Henry David Thoreau’s Influence Ripples Throughout the Region
As a teenager, she sometimes would just walk. Often, it was to escape the chaos and loneliness of being one of 11 children in her family. “We had moved to the suburbs of Chicago, and we didn’t fit in,” Evelyn Vogel-Leutung said on a recent morning, standing on a perch overlooking the Blue River in…
Nick’s Picks | Taxes, Elections, AI and More …
Royals Return Baseball is back…and earlier than ever. Opening Day lands Wednesday, the earliest start in MLB history. The Kansas City Royals will begin the season on the road, with a Friday opener in Atlanta. And what about that much-hyped Royals new stadium reveal in time for “Opening Day?” Yeah, right. Consider it stuck in…
Nick’s Picks | March Madness, Jail Opens, St. Paddy’s & More
The Madness Begins ‘Tis the season for buzzer beaters, broken brackets and according to HR experts, plummeting productivity. Welcome to March Madness! The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships tip off this week. KU and Mizzou play their first games late Friday night in the men’s tournament. Missouri State is the only local team to…
Nick’s Picks | Sports, Immigration, Booze and More …
Big 12 Takes Over Downtown It’s that time of year when workplaces start clearing out early to chase a bouncing orange ball. The Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship rolls into town this week… the first sign that March Madness is on the way. K-State takes the court at T-Mobile Center on Tuesday. KU plays Thursday….
Making Murals That Make a Difference
The North Kansas City Police Department sits on Howell Street in a rather plain building, but is anything but ordinary inside, where a huge piece of art prompts people to pause and take it all in. The pause comes in front of a mural that features a black and white American flag, a thin blue…
Hoping for more affordable housing, Kansas City rolls back energy efficiency codes
Reda Ibrahim has devoted his work to building affordable and sustainable housing in Kansas City. After immigrating from Egypt, he started RK Contractors LLC and co-founded the nonprofit Mercy in the City to do just that. In 2024 new residents moved into a three-bedroom house he helped build in northeast Kansas City — one of…