Nick Haines shares the upcoming week’s biggest news stories, before they unfold.
Nick’s Picks | White, Shutdown, KCI and More …
Frank White’s Replacement We may find out today who is replacing Frank White as Jackson County executive. Two weeks after voters ousted him from office, county lawmakers are scheduled to meet this afternoon to consider their pick for the job. Nearly a dozen candidates have applied for the interim leader post, which will last only…
Nick’s Picks | Barnes, Redistricting, Shutdown and More …
Kay Barnes Replaces White This week, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes will officially roll up her sleeves to temporarily lead Jackson County government. She will take over from Frank White, who was ousted by voters in a special recall election last week. But the official handover won’t take place until the results of that…
Nick’s Picks | Steak, Jail, Tower and More …
New Missouri Map Signing Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is promising to sign a new congressional map this week that would make it tougher for Kansas City Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to win reelection. Kehoe is also expected to sign a ballot reform measure that raises the bar for passing citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. If approved by voters…
Nick’s Picks | Gerrymandering, Brewing, Haunting and More …
Final Redistricting Vote Missouri lawmakers are expected to sign off this week on a new congressional map that could force out Kansas City Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. The full House is expected to vote on the measure today. If approved, some dramatic changes are on the way. Downtown Kansas City, the Plaza, and Brookside would all…
Nick’s Picks | Diapers, Troops, Fans and More …
It’s the last blast of summer for many Kansas Citians this week. Expect quiet commutes and empty desks as Labor Day’s three-day break has folks heading out early. Many area schools are also cutting the week short. Here are some other local stories we’re keeping tabs on this week… New Laws From Diapers to Marriage…
Nick’s Picks | Redistricting, Heat, Football and More …
Back to School Week Kansas students returned to the classroom last week, now it’s Back to School week for Missouri kids. Mayor Quinton Lucas was scheduled to greet students on the first day of class in the Kansas City school district today. In addition to the pain of getting up early, Missouri students will be…
Nick’s Picks | Buses, Schools, Eats and More …
Bus Service Shutdown? Money to run the bus service in Kansas City officially runs out on Friday, leaving thousands of riders worried about how they’ll get to work. The metro’s largest bus agency, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) has been struggling to keep the service afloat after federal pandemic money dried up and…
Nick’s Picks | USDA, LBJ, Streetcar and More …
Trump Set to Move Thousands of USDA Jobs to KC We are waiting to hear more details this week about a new plan by President Donald Trump to move thousands of federal agriculture department jobs to Kansas City. It is part of a new push by the White House to shift government offices closer to…
Nick’s Picks | White, Garner, Lucas and More …
Frank Decision Jackson County Executive Frank White has done something no one else has been able to accomplish over the past year. He’s managed to knock the stadium story off the front page. White’s fate has become Kansas City’s newest and biggest political drama. This week, we are waiting for a judge to rule on…
Nick’s Picks | Batteries, Recall, Butterflies and More …
Panasonic Plant Grand Opening Panasonic’s $4 billion Kansas battery plant finally begins operations this week. The company is hosting a grand opening ceremony today in De Soto with state and local leaders. The project is jam-packed with superlatives: At full capacity, the plant can churn out 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. But it’s unclear if…
Nick’s Picks | Travel, Fireworks, Lacrosse and More …
Kicking the Can Down the Road on Stadiums A Kansas deal to fund up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals expires tonight. But it looks like the teams and our political leaders have decided to kick the can down the road, yet again. Both teams have asked Kansas…
Nick’s Picks | Stadiums, Heat, Concerts and More …
Pressure Mounts on Chiefs, Royals to Decide A deadline is forcing the owners of the Chiefs and Royals to finally pick a side: Kansas or Missouri? A Kansas offer that would pay up to 70% of the construction costs for building new stadiums for the teams expires at the end of the week. Kansas legislative…
Nick’s Picks | Juneteenth, Sharks, Dragons and More …
World Cup Countdown Party Last week, we marked the one-year countdown to the World Cup. Now, get ready for the big party. Kansas City’s host committee is planning a “Countdown to the World Cup Kick-Off Event” on Sunday at the Aspiria Campus in Overland Park. That’s the former Sprint headquarters site near 119th and Metcalf….
Nick’s Picks | Soccer, Caregiving, Boulevardia and More …
Scramble to Save Stadiums A special legislative session aimed at keeping the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri enters its second week today. The Missouri Senate has voted to cover up to 50% of the costs of new or improved stadiums for the teams, but the measure has yet to be taken up by the Missouri…
Nick’s Picks | Fireworks, Funeral, FIFA and More …
Celebration at the Station There’s a lot to like about this week. We’ve got a three-day holiday weekend to look forward to. Memorial Day is Monday. Here at the TV station, we’re prepping for our biggest show of the year, Celebration at the Station. It’s all hands on deck for our production crews as we…