News & Issues

Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.

Plaza Building Morphing from Angry Graffiti to Hopeful Murals

By Kevin Collison A Plaza-area building tagged with graffiti during the George Floyd protests in late May is being transformed from what was a lingering eyesore to a five-story canvas for street art celebrating unity. “I wanted to take those messages left in anger, which I understand, and put it in a positive light,” said…

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Developers Pursuing Affordable Housing Projects on Riverfront

Two developers are proposing separate projects that would add 166 affordable apartments along the riverfront and are seeking state low income housing tax credits to help finance their plans, according to a Port KC report released Tuesday. The developers, who were not identified, plan to submit their low income housing tax credit applications to the…

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A commuter behind the wheel.

Commuter Culture Altered During Pandemic

Even in normal times, folks in Missouri and Kansas have shorter commutes than the national average. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re spending even less time behind the wheel.

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Solar panels in downtown Kansas City.

KC Ranks 25th Among 100 Cities on Clean Energy Scorecard

Kansas City ranked 25th in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s latest analysis of how well 100 cities are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

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Made in KC Opens River Market Café in Vintage Streetcar

By Kevin Collison After months of bureaucratic delays, Made in Kansas City’s River Market location is on track for opening this Friday, serving a variety of coffee drinks from a vintage streetcar permanently parked at Fifth and Delaware. News of a potential River Market location first surfaced almost two years ago, and Keith Bradley, co-owner…

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Beer enthusiast Cassie Niemeyer

Tap List | Which KC Seltzer Goes Hardest?

Tap List Beer enthusiast Cassie Niemeyer tastes tests three local hard seltzers.

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Crossroads West 18th Street Fashion Show Goes Hollywood

By Kevin Collison The annual West 18th Street Fashion Show is steering clear of its Crossroads address this year and going Hollywood instead this Friday at the Boulevard Drive-In Theatre in KCK for its 20th anniversary. “We were planning for it to happen the first Saturday in June, then everything started shutting down in March,”…

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Nick Haines

Nick’s Picks | Supreme Court Hearings to Dominate Headlines

Confirmation hearings for the new Supreme Court justice nominee will dominate the headlines this week. Amy Coney Barrett is appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill today.

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Proposal Would Redevelop Historic Westport High as Apartments

(Editor’s note: The PIEA board approved a blight study for the Westport High School redevelopment proposal on Oct. 15, the first step in the agency’s review of the plan.) By Kevin Collison The developers who renovated the former Westport Middle School into co-working space now are tackling the historic high school across the street, proposing…

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Westport High School

Historic Westport High School Would Become Apartments Under New Plan

The developers who renovated the former Westport Middle School into co-working space now are tackling the historic high school across the street, proposing a $45 million apartment redevelopment.

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