Nick’s Picks | Primary Elections, Kamala’s Pick and Chiefs

While much of America is fixated on the race for the White House, there are some pretty important elections going on where we live this week. 

Tuesday is Primary Election Day in Kansas and Missouri. 

What’s at stake? 

Missouri voters will choose their parties’ nominees for governor. There are also dozens of congressional and state legislative seats up for grabs.  

Childcare and police funding are on the statewide ballot in Missouri.  

Jackson County voters will be deciding on a new prosecutor.  

In Kansas, the Johnson County sheriff and the Johnson County district attorney are being challenged. And many residents in Wyandotte County will be picking a new member of Congress. 

Confused? We have your back.  

Check out our new voter guide that sizes up all the races on the ballot, on both sides of state line.  

When can I vote? 

Polling locations in Missouri open at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and remain open until 7 p.m. 

All polls in the state of Kansas open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. 

Where do I vote?  

To find your voting location in Missouri, enter your home address on the secretary of state website.  

To find your voting location in Kansas, visit the secretary of state website. 

Join me Tuesday at 7 p.m. on KCUR 89.3 FM as we unpack the results as they come in.  

And we will explore what happens next on “Week in Review,” Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS. 

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Last Week, Reviewed

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Remembering Ferguson 

Ten years ago this week, the nation watched as the city of Ferguson, Missouri, erupted following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown.  

We’re marking the 10th anniversary with a town hall tonight with local law enforcement and civil rights leaders.  

You can join us at the Church of the Resurrection Downtown for “The State of Policing: 10 years after Ferguson.” 

The event starts at 6 p.m. 

Kamala’s Pick 

Kamala Harris is expected to announce her vice-presidential pick, either later today or tomorrow.  

The Harris campaign says it will make the announcement in Philadelphia, fueling speculation the presumptive Democratic nominee will select Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. 

But the Washington Post claims Harris is still actively considering other names, including Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. 

Olympic Update 

Doesn’t it just seem like yesterday we were watching the Olympics opening ceremonies?  

Now the big party in Paris is coming to an end.  

Closing ceremonies are on Sunday as the Olympic flag passes to the 2028 host city, Los Angeles. 

In an elaborate stunt, actor Tom Cruise is expected to rappel down the side of the Olympic stadium as part of the handover ceremony. 

In the meantime, there are a lot of medals to be won.  

Today, Simone Biles will compete in the beam and floor exercises to conclude her Olympics. 

If you’re going to miss seeing her flips and vaults, you should know that Biles will be in Kansas City soon. 

T-Mobile Center has just announced that Biles will be in town on Oct. 16 as part of the Gold Over America gymnastics tour. 

Jackie Robinson Statue 

Six months after a statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson was stolen from a Kansas park, a new bronze replacement sculpture will be unveiled this week.  

Donations have poured in from around the country to rebuild the statue which had been hacked off at the ankles and set on fire. 

While original reports suggested a racial motive for the theft, the man charged with taking the sculpture says he wanted it for its scrap value. He acknowledged in court he needed fast cash to feed a fentanyl addiction. 

Several former MLB stars and the head of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum will be at the statue unveiling ceremony in Wichita today.  

All that remains of the old statue are Robinson’s bronze cleats. They’re now on display at the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City. 

Chiefs Preseason 

The Kansas City Chiefs are flying off to Florida this week to play their first preseason game.  

The Chiefs will be in Jacksonville on Saturday for a match-up against the Jaguars.  

Kansas City is looking to be the first team in history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. 

The team’s first regular season game is Sept. 5 against the Ravens. 

Swiftie Monarchs? 

The Kansas City Monarchs baseball team is rebranding this week… for one night. 

The ballclub will be the “Kansas Swiftie Monarchs” on Saturday when the team takes on the Lincoln Saltdogs at Legends Field. 

The Monarchs will unveil a new logo and special uniforms, and Taylor Swift music will blast between innings and after every big play. 

There will also be a big giveaway. One lucky fan will go home with two free tickets to Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert in Indianapolis. 

Shaq Attack at Kauffman Stadium 

Not to be outdone, the Kansas City Royals are hosting their own music cross-promotion event this week. 

After Friday night’s game against the Cardinals, Shaq will take the field at Kauffman Stadium. 

Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neil is hosting a post-game concert party.  

Shaq’s DJ show is free with a Royals game ticket. 

KC Hosts Women’s Summer Cup 

Some of the best teams in women’s soccer will be in Kansas City this week for the semi-finals of the Summer Cup. 

It’s a new tournament that pits the most competitive clubs in the United States against Mexico’s top women’s teams.  

The KC Current has one of the final four spots.   

The Kansas City women play the North Carolina Courage in a semi-final Thursday night at CPKC Stadium. The game starts at 8 p.m. 

You can listen to the game live on our sister station, 90.9 The Bridge.  

Pickleball Tour 

Some of the world’s best pickleball players will be in Kansas City this week as the Pickleball Pro Tour swings into town.  

You won’t see pickleball at this year’s Olympics, but Kansas City Sports Commission President Kathy Nelson insists, “it’s the fastest growing sport in America.”  

While you may think of it as a game favored by seniors, pickleball is now attracting top athletes. There’s some big money to be made. Pickleball’s top players can make $2 million a year in prize money, appearance fees and sponsorship deals.  

To give you even more of a sense of how big the sport has become, this week’s tournament in Kansas City will be broadcast nationally on ESPN 2.  

The five-day tournament starts Wednesday at the Kansas City Elite Tennis Center in Overland Park. 

But wait, there’s more… 

We’re also playing host to the world’s first ever “PickleCon.”  It’s being billed as a pickleball paradise with more than 100 courts being set up at Bartle Hall for the event.  

So, what is PickleCon?  

Think ComiCon…except all the discussions, speakers and vendors are focused exclusively on pickleball.  

The four-day event starts Friday at the Kansas City Convention Center.  

Missouri State Fair 

If you’ve been missing your yearly fix of funnel cakes, pot-belly pig racing and tractor pulls, worry no longer. The Missouri State Fair is back. 

It’s an election year, so beware! You may see more politicians at the fair than animals. 

Topping the entertainment this year are Ludacris, Foreigner and the hall-of-fame country band, Alabama.  

The Missouri State Fair starts Thursday in Sedalia. 

Nick Haines dissects the week’s most impactful local news stories, Fridays at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.