News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Two-thirds of Kansas’ 25 Largest Public School Districts Adopt Mask Mandates
Two-thirds of elected school boards responsible for the 25 largest public school districts in Kansas imposed some form of an indoor masking mandate in response to the spread of COVID-19.
Mental Health Assistance Hard to Find in Rural America
A shortage of professionals, bad broadband and lingering stigma make it hard for people in rural America seeking mental health help. By at least one measure, Missouri is the worst state in the country in terms of rural mental health access.
Kauffman Center, Folly, Midland, to Require Covid Vaccinations
By Kevin Collison Downtown’s cultural crown jewel, the Kauffman Center, will require patrons to show proof of vaccination for Covid-19 beginning Sept. 6, joining other venues requiring immunization since the pandemic resurged several weeks ago. “We feel that this measure, hopefully a temporary one, will allow us to welcome audiences safely back into the Kauffman…
Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Focus on Inequity in Education, Not Critical Race Theory
Educators, students and advocates urged state lawmakers Monday afternoon to focus on tackling larger issues of inequity across education rather than latch onto the academic concept of critical race theory
Hungry Hatch Opens in City Market
The Hungry Hatch has opened a permanent location at 23 E. Third St. in the City Market in addition to the food truck its been selling its bowls, wraps and salads from the past couple years. The restaurant specializes in healthy dishes that cater to people with special dietary needs including dairy-free and/or gluten-free diets…
Nick’s Picks | Here’s the Latest on COVID-19 Mask and Vaccine Requirements in KC
Nick Haines offers a roundup of Kansas City area COVID-19 news, as well the evolving rules for masks and vaccinations, as students return to schools and campuses.
Persistence Bears Fruit at 2000 Vine Redevelopment
By Kevin Collison The developers of the 2000 Vine historic redevelopment are beginning to taste the fruits of their hard work over the past three years, but are candid describing how tough it can be doing projects on the East Side. “It’s become painfully clear and obvious why development has been difficult east of Troost,”…
World-Class Sculpture Shattered at Bartle Hall Plaza by Errant Driver
By Kevin Collison Jun Kaneko, a world-renowned sculptor, has works displayed publicly throughout the country and internationally, but last Thursday Kansas City apparently became the first where one was destroyed. One of the seven, large ceramic works making up his “Water Plaza” installation in the plaza south of the Bartle Hall Grand Ballroom was shattered…
Mental Health on Campus: University Counselors Seeing Fewer Clients, But More Often
College mental health counselors saw fewer clients, at least initially, during the COVID-19 pandemic. But clients sought help more frequently.
In Kansas City, Restaurant Revitalization Funds Flowed to Whiter, More Affluent Areas
Local businesses received a total of $53 million from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. But few of those dollars flowed east of Troost.