Nick’s Picks | Kansas City Braces for ‘Extreme Heat Warning’

The chainsaws are still revving around Kansas City as crews cut up debris from the powerful storms that passed through 10 days ago. Now, there’s another big weather event to worry about. 

The National Weather Service says the metro will be under an “extreme heat warning” for most of the week. 

In 2022, Kansas City experienced just three 100-degree days. 

We may surpass that by the end of this week.  

Triple-digit temperatures are forecast for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

And to make matters worse, it won’t cool off much at night, with temperatures remaining in the low 80s. 

You’re being advised to reduce your time outdoors and look out for your neighbors who may be vulnerable to the high heat. 

Also keep an eye on the electrical grids. This heat wave could push them past their limits, though our local utility companies say they don’t expect rolling blackouts. 

Last Call to Appeal Assessments 

Jackson County property assessments will continue to dominate our headlines. 

If you’re unhappy with how the county has valued your home, this is your last week to file an appeal.  

Next Monday is the deadline to challenge your appraisal notice. 

So far, more than 38,000 property owners have appealed their assessments. That represents about 12% of the houses in the county. 

Jackson County Assessor Gail McCann Beatty says her office is beefing up staff in its call center this week to cut down on wait times.  

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Last Week, Reviewed

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Early Voting in Kansas 

Voters in Missouri went to the polls in June to decide local mayoral and city council elections. Now, it’s the turn of Kansas voters. 

Early voting is now underway in Johnson and Wyandotte counties ahead of next Tuesday’s primary election. 

Last year at this time, Kansans were headed to the polls in historic numbers to vote on a statewide abortion amendment. There’s nothing as attention grabbing on the ballot this time around, but there are dozens of council and school board seats up for grabs. 

In Prairie Village a dispute over affordable housing and zoning changes is dividing candidates in a city council race. In Wyandotte County, public anger over water and electric rate increases is fueling interest in three contested seats for the Board of Public Utilities. 

New Names at City Hall 

Don’t expect any big decisions at City Hall in Kansas City this week. The outgoing council has wrapped up its business and there are no council meetings scheduled.  

It’s changeover week! 

The city’s facilities and maintenance crews will be doing most of the work as they move old council members out of their offices in preparation for the new officeholders who will take their place.  

The new council will be sworn in next week. That’s when Mayor Quinton Lucas will deliver his second and final inauguration speech. Ahead of that public swearing in, Lucas will host an inaugural gala at Union Station on Saturday night.  

Future of Arrowhead 

Could Missouri Gov. Mike Parson spill the beans this week on the future plans of the Kansas City Chiefs? 

Parson will be at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday as he addresses the annual banquet of the Heavy Constructors Association. That’s a group with a keen interest in seeing the Chiefs do something big. 

With the Royals adamant about leaving the Truman Sports Complex, there is less known about what the Chiefs want to do. 

Last week, team president Mark Donovan said the Chiefs have three options: 

• Upgrade Arrowhead 
• Build a new structure at the sports complex 
• Start construction in a new location 

Donovan says the current preference is to upgrade and renovate Arrowhead. 

The Royals are expected to leave Kauffman Stadium and announce their new ballpark location by the end of the summer. Team owner John Sherman says the team could be playing in a new stadium by 2027 or 2028. 

Delivery Delays? 

If no deal is struck this week, more than 300,000 UPS (United Parcel Service) workers are ready to walk off the job. 

It could mean uncertain delays for that online order you just placed. It could also hobble businesses already struggling with challenging supply chain issues.  

UPS is the largest shipping service in the nation, delivering 24 million packages a day. 

If the labor action happens, it would be the biggest strike against a single employer in U.S. history. 

UPS drivers are represented by the Teamsters Union, which wants higher wages, better working conditions and the elimination of what they call “forced overtime.” 

The union says that UPS workers deserve a share in the company’s success, which reached a record $100 billion in revenue last year.  

Twitter to Rebrand as ‘X’ 

Is another big change on the way to Twitter? 

Elon Musk says as early as today the social media platform will dump its longtime blue bird logo and replace it with a stylized “X.” 

Musk has a long history with the “X” symbol.  

The entrepreneur’s rocket company is called SpaceX and his Tesla car company features a Model X. And in 1999, Musk founded a startup called X.com, an online financial services company now known as PayPal. 

Musk’s move to change Twitter’s branding comes as the platform faces new competition from Facebook’s new app, Threads. 

World Cup Watch Parties 

The Women’s World Cup enters its second week in Australia and New Zealand. That means another week of World Cup Watch Parties in Kansas City’s Power & Light District. 

The U.S. women are back in action Wednesday night as they take on the Netherlands. Game time is 8 p.m. 

By the way, according to the Nielsen ratings service, Kansas City was the top TV market for the percentage of viewers who watched the U.S. women play Vietnam, Friday night. 

‘Long Island Medium’ in KC 

Do you believe we can communicate with the dead? 

Theresa Caputo has made a career out of it. 

The star of the TLC reality television series “Long Island Medium” is bringing her psychic powers to Kansas City this week.  

Known for her big platinum blonde hair and unmistakable accent, Caputo will take the stage at the Midland Theatre on Sunday as she tries to connect audience members with loved ones who have passed on. 

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful local news stories on “Kansas City Week in Review,” Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.