Flatland’s Top 21 Stories of 2021

Free (Steamboat) Willie: How Walt Disney’s Original Mouse Could be Entering the Public Domain Steamboat Willie, the original version of Mickey Mouse, could enter the public domain in 2024.

curiousKC | What was Columbus Park Like in its Heyday? This is was what life was like in Kansas City’s “Little Italy.”

‘Warehouse Warriors’ Living on the Edge(rton) NorthPoint Development’s rezoning proposal in Edgerton for Kansas City Logistics Park expansion has riled up rural residents.

Troost Village Plan Would Transform Heart of Historic Commercial District Troost Village plan would transform the heart of a historic commercial district.

Museum Tower, $116 Million Apartment Project, Proposed for 45th and Main Museum Tower, a $116 million apartment project proposed as a gateway to a potential cultural district at 45th and Main streets, leads the list of development proposals filed with the city in advance of stricter tax incentive policies taking effect…

Signing Off: Demolition of Old Radio Station Triggers Nostalgia in Westwood In Westwood, Kansas, demolition of an old radio station has triggered a wave of nostalgia.

Embracing a Millionaire Mindset Just Down the Road From Kansas City A new study finds Pittsburg and Joplin are great places to stretch $1 million.

KC’s Craft Barbecue Scene Heats Up Since March 2020, three Kansas City area craft barbecue restaurants – Chef J BBQ, Fox & Fire Barbecue and Night Goat – have opened as pop-ups, part of a new generation of young pitmasters using offset smokers and cooking with…

Rural Johnson Countians Pay the Price of Progress at the Edge(rton) Edgerton, Kansas, is on track to approve Northpoint Development’s proposal to expand Logistics Park Kansas City, despite resistance from nearby rural residents.

Getting Shingles or Hives After the Shot? Experts Connect the Dots Medical experts break down recent occurrences of shingles and hives and folks’ concerns about the vaccine for COVID-19.

Tracing Kansas City’s Ties to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre sent ripples that could be felt in Kansas City. Flatland explores the sometimes surprising local links to arguably the most serious, yet little known, race crime in U.S. history.

As Kansas, Missouri Keep Building Wind Turbines, Some Communities Look to Regulate In Missouri, Boone County is considering regulations renewable energy proponents say would make building a wind farm impossible.

Kansas Farmers Find The Only Thing Harder Than Growing Hemp Is Selling It Growing industrial hemp, the less sexy cousin of the plant associated with getting high and some medicinal uses, has proven riskier and more difficult than many Kansas farmers initially expected.

Cerner Plans to Sell KCK Campus, Move Employees to South Kansas City Cerner Corp. plans to sell its “continuous campus” in western Wyandotte County and relocate the remaining employees to its South Kansas City Bannister campus.

Lake City Ammo Plant in Cross Hairs of Proposed Budget Cuts Lake City Army Ammunition Plant is facing deep cuts in U.S. Army spending on small caliber ammunition, threatening hundreds of jobs in Independence.

The Return of Black Restaurant Week: July 23-Aug. 1 The 10-day “No Crumb Left Behind” campaign focusing on the road to recovery for Black-owned restaurants kicks off today in Kansas City and runs through Aug. 1,

curiousKC | Tracking Down KC’s Old Streetcars What became of Kansas City’s original streetcars? This curiousKC quest left us with questions.

Remembering Missouri’s ‘Woodstock’: Star-Studded 1974 Ozark Music Festival in Sedalia Subject of Film During the summer of 1974, Missouri staged a ‘Woodstock’ of its own. The Ozark Music Festival is now the subject of a documentary.

Kansas City Pursues Massive Solar Farm at KCI Kansas City is considering putting a massive 2,000-acre solar farm on city land at Kansas City International Airport, creating one of the largest solar power installations in the nation.

curiousKC: What Happened to Berbiglia Wine & Spirits? With origins dating back to the early 1900s, Berbiglia Wine & Spirits once dominated the local market. But whatever happened to the chain?

Kansas Citians Embrace Magic Mushrooms and Altered States Even though the use, possession or distribution of psychedelics is a felony, more Kansas Citians are embracing magic mushrooms as scientific evidence mounts that they can help deal with a variety of emotional disorders.