News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
A Hidden Gem of Renewable Energy
Kansas may be known as one the best states for wind energy in the country. But it also is home to a hydroelectric plant hidden in plain site.
Iconic Katz Cat to Grin Again in Downtown KC
By Kevin Collison The Katz Drug Store sign, a one-time iconic streetscape fixture in Kansas City and beyond with its happy cat sporting a bow tie, has a new life thanks to LUMI, a museum dedicated to neon signs. A 10-foot tall replica of the Katz sign has been fashioned by Fossil Forge, a Lee’s…
KU Doctor Wins Big Grant to Pursue New Alzheimer’s Theory
Dr. Russell Swerdlow, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Kansas, has won a big grant to pursue an alternative theory about what causes Alzheimer’s disease.
Iconic Katz Drug Store Sign Finds New Life
The Katz Drug Store sign, an iconic Kansas City streetscape fixture with its happy cat sporting a bow tie, has a new home at the LUMI neon sign museum.
Union Station Only U.S. Stop for Major Maya Exhibition
By Kevin Collison Union Station’s new “Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises” exhibition vividly tells the little-known story of the ancient civilization that dominated Central America for 1,500 years, but its arrival was far from timely. The exhibition which runs through the end of this year originally was scheduled to begin in May, but bureaucratic delays,…
To Attract More Developers, Kansas City Changes its Affordable Housing Ordinance — Again
According to KC’s new affordable housing ordinance, the median income for a four-person household is nearly six figures. Advocates say this is a problem.
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…