News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
curious KC | What Questions Do You Have About Ballot Initiatives in Missouri?
This month on Flatland, we’re examining ballot initiatives. We’ll talk to successful campaigns and failed campaigns to see what works, what doesn’t and why it’s important to many Missourians.
Boutique Hotel Proposed for Historic Workhouse Castle on Vine
(Editor’s note: This article was originally published Feb. 1) By Kevin Collison The ruined former City Workhouse Castle built in 1897 to incarcerate petty criminals and vagrants would accommodate a far more upscale clientele as a boutique hotel in a new redevelopment proposal. The massive limestone curiosity at 2001 Vine St. near the 18th &…
Here Are 7 Ways 2022 Stacks Up Against the Worst Droughts in Kansas History
How bad is the Kansas drought? Among the worst droughts in recorded history. But some other years were more extreme. Here are the numbers.
Liberty Street Green Space Completes First Year in West Bottoms
(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared Dec. 29, 2021) By Kevin Collison One of greater downtown’s newer “parks” recently celebrated a quiet first anniversary, except for the rumbling trucks overhead. It’s called the Liberty Street Green Space and it replaces a grubby, former no-man’s land beneath the I-670 overpass in the West Bottoms with decorative…
Meet Jessica Piper: Missouri’s ‘Dirt Road Democrat’
Jessica Piper, a self-described “Dirt Road Democrat,” is running an uphill political campaign for the state House of Representatives in a heavily Republican district of northwest Missouri.
Blue Sushi Making a Splash at Power & Light This Fall
(Editor’s note: This article was originally published Feb. 24) By Kevin Collison Blue Sushi Sake Grill will be splashing at a new location in the Power & Light District this fall, its second operation in the metro since opening in Westwood in 2016. The fast-growing national chain that prides itself on serving sustainable seafood in…
Marijuana Supporters Spar Over Details Ahead of Missouri Legalization Vote
Recreational marijuana is on the November ballot in Missouri. But division among proponents could threaten passage.
How the Plaza Starbucks Closure Went Down, As Told by Workers
It was a typical Monday for Starbucks workers on the Country Club Plaza. Until it wasn’t. Here’s the workers’ story of how the store’s closure meeting happened, from inside the room.
Imagine KC Strategic Plan Seeks More ‘Equitable Downtown’
(Editor’s note: This article was originally published Jan. 26) By Kevin Collison A strategic plan that encompasses neighborhoods more than a mile from the skyscrapers of its central business district and envisions downtown as an economic catalyst for that larger area was rolled out Tuesday by the Downtown Council. The new Imagine Downtown KC 2030…
‘People Are Paying Attention’: What the Kansas Abortion Vote Could Mean for Missouri
The recent vote in Kansas to protect access to abortion may inspire similar efforts in Missouri via a ballot initiative.