News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
curiousKC | How Do You Discuss the Scary Virus With Children?
The curiousKC team talks to parents and experts about how to discuss COVID-19 with children.
Nick’s Picks | Line Forms for COVID-19 Vaccine, Electoral College Meets
COVID-19 vaccine shots will begin in Kansas City this week. Also, the Electoral College meets to cast its votes for president. And hopes for economic stimulus hang in the balance the week before Christmas.
Nearby Neighborhoods Big Part of ‘Imagine Downtown KC’
By Kevin Collison The Imagine Downtown KC project launched by the Downtown Council last summer is deep into reimagining a new relationship between downtown as most people know it and surrounding neighborhoods as far as Pendleton Heights and Beacon Hill. “This plan is changing our perception of downtown,” said Lynn Carlton, chairwoman of the Downtown…
‘Buy it or else’: Inside Monsanto and BASF’s Moves to Force Dicamba on Farmers
Monsanto and BASF knew about dicamba’s propensity to harm farmers’ livelihoods and the environment before releasing the weed killer.
FTA Grants Full $174M for Streetcar Extension to UMKC, Signing Early January
(Updated Jan. 7, 2021: Federal officials are scheduled to finalize full funding for the Main Street streetcar extension project at an event tomorrow (Friday) morning, according to a media alert from the Kansas City Streetcar Authority. Federal Transit Administration Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams, Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Brian Platt, local elected officials,…
FTA Approves $174 Million for Streetcar Extension to UMKC
Kansas City is on the cusp of receiving full federal funding to extend the streetcar along Main Street from downtown to the University of Missouri-Kansas, a $174 million Christmas present from Washington.
Starving for Business, Downtown Marriott Savors Success with ‘Ghost Kitchen’
By Kevin Collison Starved for hotel guests because of the pandemic, the Downtown Marriott is pivoting to feeding the appetites of nearby residents and workers by opening a “ghost kitchen” for take-out and delivery. “It’s no secret, 2020 has been hard on the hospitality industry and convention hotels,” said Dustin Holcumbrink, director of sales and…
Kansas City Area Has All-Stars and Also-Rans in Terms of LGBTQ Support
Several Kansas City area communities scored highly for local LGBTQ equity and inclusion efforts in the latest Municipal Equality Index report published by the Human Rights Campaign.
Price of Potholes: Missouri Scrambles for Funding to Fix Its Transportation System
National nonprofit finds Missouri drivers lose $8 billion annually due to poor roads, despite MoDOT’s efficiency.
Chaotic Downtown Stunt-Driving Part of Long, Reckless Season
By Kevin Collison A raucous stunt-driving session that closed one of downtown’s most visible intersections over the weekend is the latest outrage in what’s been a loud, chaotic year for residents in the urban core. The high-profile, donut-spinning incident Sunday night at 13th and Grand by the T-Mobile Center was part of a pattern in…