Fountain City Frequency | Making History in Missouri Politics
Fountain City Frequency’s Matt Hodapp sat down with Kansas City Councilmember Jolie Justus to talk about her historical tenure as the first openly-gay member of the Missouri State Senate, where she served from 2007-2015. Here, and in the accompanying podcast, Justus gives the back story on her experience serving in the Missouri Legislature. Two years before…
Muslim Like Me | Powered by Love, Acceptance, and Coffee
According to the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, and Muslims currently make up just less than 1 percent of the total U.S. population. Pew projects the numbers of Muslims in America to grow to 2.1 percent of the population by the year 2050. What these findings suggest is that…
Searching for the ‘Smart’ in New Kiosks
Kansas City officials finally debuted the first tangible development in becoming a “smart city.” As the Big 12 tournament took center stage recently at the Sprint Center, bringing thousands into the Power & Light District, two interactive touch-screen kiosks were installed on the 1300th block of Grand Ave. As part of Kansas City’s Smart City Initiative, these two…
Welcome to Can-sas City
When most production breweries begin distributing their beer, they usually start with kegs sold by distributors. And when a local or regional brewer decides to distribute packaged beer, they face a choice of using cans or bottles. Right now, the trend toward packaging beer in cans is on a roll. Tallgrass Brewing Company, based in…
Kansas City Health-Funding Battle Headed to City Council
A simmering dispute over spending from a multimillion dollar health fund is scheduled to come to a head next Thursday as the Kansas City Council considers the city budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget would reallocate the $31 million in health levy funding that supports indigent care at six hospitals and clinics, including…
Kansas Can Win It All. Here Are Six Things That Need to Happen First.
Stats are big this time of year, and you can crunch numbers forever. But as Kansas begins their run for the Final Four against Austin Peay this afternoon, one set of digits might matter most. In the spirit of gambling-obsessed Brent Musburger we’ll note that Vegas oddsmakers have put KU as a 9-2 favorite to…
The Weekend Starts Today
With St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, and all the debauchery that goes along with it, you could be excused for spending the whole weekend hungover at home. Assuming that you recover, however, and that you don’t want to spend the next four days watching NCAA basketball, we’ve got a ton of events to see around…
Commentary | Putting a ‘solid rocket booster’ on my journalism
KCPT Reporter Mike McGraw looks back on the experience of putting his journalism on the stage with StoryWorks KC.
Take 5 For Your Health
Missouri, Kansas Health Centers Get Grants To Combat Opioid Abuse With overdose deaths from painkillers, or opioids, on the rise, the federal government is giving $3.8 million to health centers in Missouri and Kansas to combat the epidemic. The grants are among $94 million the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is awarding to…
Fountain City Frequency |Getting Real About A Complex Diagnosis
Kevin Bryce is a filmmaker from Kansas City, Missouri. His 2012 documentary “We Are Superman” (produced by Re:Dream‘s Christopher Cook) explored the after-effects of hyper-segregation on Troost, and a movement trying to transform it from a dividing line into a gathering place. Bryce’s newest documentary “All These Flowers” investigates bipolar disorder through the stories of six people who been…
Cary Esser: A Ceramist for the 21st Century
At age 19, Cary Esser flew alone from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to Kansas City, a place she’d never been. “When I got off the plane,” Esser recalled in a recent interview, “I just walked up to somebody and asked, ‘Can you tell me how to get to the Kansas City Art Institute?’” Esser had…
Betty Rae’s Ice Cream Gets Ready to Scoop
David Friesen wants to serve all the old standbys — chocolate, vanilla, pineapple with Thai basil — when Betty Rae’s Ice Cream opens in Waldo (7140 Wornall Road) on Thursday, March 24. “Ice cream is a heightener,” said Friesen. “The sun is shining and you want to get out and have ice cream. It just makes your day better.”…
How KC is | Big 12 Championship Tournament
We’re asking the question: How “Kansas City” is… for all the good stuff going on in our world. On today? The Big 12 Championship tourney is taking over Power & Light this weekend in Kansas City. But just how well-represented is KC inside the Sprint Center? Check out the video above, and if you know of something that didn’t make the cut send…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Proud to Be An Amexican
Maria and Tess Cuevas are dealing with deep-seated identity issues. Not to worry though, they are extremely well adjusted people and coping in maybe the best way possible — by making music that complements that precarious sense of self. The Cuevas sisters front Maria the Mexican, a Topeka-based band celebrating the release of its sophomore album,…
Combating Cancer with a Vaccine
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common of all sexually transmitted infections, with more than 100 different types. It causes almost all cases of cervical cancer, and to a lesser extent is to blame for several other cancers, including mouth and throat. A three-dose vaccine significantly reduces the chances of contracting an HPV-related cancer, especially…