News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Honoring Minority Veterans, A Century Later
A task force at Park University is conducting a systematic review of World War I to find minority soldiers who might have been denied a Medal of Honor due to discrimination against their race or religion.
Rural Health Departments in Missouri Struggle to Meet Overwhelming Vaccine Demand
Missouri currently is 49th among U.S. states in the percentage of population vaccinated for COVID-19, at 5.6%. Rural counties in particular are lagging even that figure.
Hotel Kansas City Looks to Local Artists for Style
By Kevin Collison The recently-opened Hotel Kansas City has emerged as a significant new patron of local artists and crafts people, spending an estimated $175,000 to purchase their works in keeping with its homegrown style. “With our name being Hotel Kansas City, we wanted to have that local flavor,” said Ryan Baldwin, general manager. From…
Young Students Talk About School in a Pandemic
What do students have to say about learning in a pandemic? Four young students give their personal takes.
Crown Center Shops Swaps Crayons for Quesadillas
Adios crayons, hola quesadillas, Crown Center Shops has landed a Tex-Mex restaurant to fill the space once occupied by Crayola Café. The new La Fuente Mexican Street Food is part of a reshuffle at the shopping center that also includes the expansion of Initial, a streetwear shoe and clothing boutique, and a new location for…
Nick’s Picks | Super Bowl Countdown, Vaccine Chase and Black History Month
Top headlines in Kansas City this week include the Chiefs Super Bowl countdown, the pursuit of COVID-19 vaccine and the beginning of Black History Month.
Council Approves Affordable Housing Set-Aside, Offers Developers Olive Branch
By Kevin Collison The City Council approved an affordable housing set-aside mandate for projects receiving tax incentives Thursday, but also offered an olive branch to developers who warn it could sabotage further investment in the city. The ordinance by Councilwoman Melissa Robinson will require developers who receive tax incentives such as property tax abatements and…
COVID on Campus: Unprecedented Challenges, Mixed Results
An analysis of four major Midwestern universities shows that no matter what the schools did to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic the results were worse than predicted.
Historic Ozark Building at Ninth and Grand Slated for Hotel…Eventually
By Kevin Collison A Little Rock hotel developer has bought the historic Ozark building at Ninth and Grand and plans to ultimately redevelop it as a 240-room AC Hotels by Marriott at some point in the post-pandemic future. Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels purchased the buildings at 906-910 Grand and a nearby parking lot at 710 Walnut…
Q&A: Christina Haswood On Becoming a Kansas State Representative
Get to know one of the youngest representatives in the Kansas legislature.