Nick’s Picks | Opening Day, Early Voting, Riverfront Groundbreaking, and More …

Opening Day at the K

Baseball is back…

Thursday is Opening Day at the K.

Is it too early to think World Series?

The Royals take on the Cleveland Guardians at 3.10 p.m.

Let the Voting Begin

Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, ahead of April local elections across the metro.

In Kansas City, voters are being asked to approve a new municipal jail. And Kansas City Public Schools wants voters to say yes to nearly half a billion dollars in building and classroom improvements. KCPS hasn’t convinced voters to pass a school bond since 1967.

Election Day is April 8.

Schools & Universities Scramble

A new executive order dismantling the U.S. Education Department has left local schools and universities scrambling this week.

University of Missouri administrators say they have more questions than answers about what happens now.

From federal funding of schools to how college kids apply for student loans, the impact of President Trump’s order remains largely unknown.

Last Week, Reviewed

Other Big Issues in Limbo …

There are lots of other unknowns this week…

• Going, going, not gone: Will this be the week Kansas City finally parts ways with City Manager Brian Platt? He’s currently claiming his $308,000 annual salary while sitting at home. Platt is on indefinite paid leave after the City Council failed to get enough votes to fire him last week.
• Bus Impasse: Will this be the week Kansas City swoops in to save the bus service? The metro’s largest transit agency is facing a more than $30 million budget shortfall and is threatening to eliminate nearly half its bus routes, scale back operating hours, and lay off 170 workers. City Hall agreed to provide some money to the transportation authority in its new budget last week, but it’s not enough to call off cuts that would impact more than 6,000 riders.
• Plaza Progress: Can we expect a big announcement this week from the Country Club Plaza? Nine months after new owners took over the financially troubled shopping district, they have yet to submit a single plan to City Hall. Mayor Quinton Lucas is getting frustrated. He tells The Kansas City Star that he had high hopes of “a new look Plaza” by the time hundreds of thousands of out-of-town guests arrived for the World Cup. That’s now unlikely to happen. While the new Texas-based owners may be moving sluggishly, they are credited with security enhancements and cosmetic improvements, from painting exteriors to repairing broken concrete and tiles.

Rolling Along on the Riverfront

Wednesday is the groundbreaking ceremony for the new CPKC Stadium riverfront development.

Look for lots of powerful people in suits and dresses wearing hard hats and carrying shovels along the river. Lucas will be there alongside top state leaders.

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Port KC Backs Massive Project Near KC Current Stadium

The project brings housing, restaurants, bars, and businesses to the waterfront neighborhood.

The mayor’s office says it represents the most substantial investment in the riverfront in generations.

March Sadness

March Madness has turned into March Sadness around here.

College basketball’s biggest event continues this week with no local teams in contention. Mizzou and KU were eliminated in the first round.

The only glimmer of hope comes in the women’s tournament where K-State has made it to the Sweet 16.

The Wildcats will play either Southern California or Mississippi State on Saturday.

In Other Sports News…

The NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship is in Kansas City this week.

Now you’ll know why there are so many people with Arizona, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Tennessee shirts wandering around downtown.

It’s the Marquis tournament for the nation’s smaller colleges and universities.

The final is Tuesday night at Municipal Auditorium.

Bob Dylan Gets Rough and Rowdy

Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is heading to our area this week. But if seeing him live is on your bucket list, you’re going to have to hit the road to watch him perform.

Dylan won’t be playing Kansas City, but he’s bringing his “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour” to Springfield on Friday night, Wichita on Saturday, and Topeka on Sunday.

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.