News & Issues

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

Plan to Rebuild Barney Allis Plaza Revived by Council

(Updated Sept. 3. Supporters of rebuilding Barney Allis Plaza and its underground garage hope to obtain City Council approval next March to fund the estimated $61.7 million project, the Downtown Council board was told today. The board was presented with a schedule for the proposed Barney Allis project by Bill Crandall, a consultant for the…

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Nick Haines

Nick’s Picks | Back to School…For Now, RNC Week and New Charlie Parker Film

It’s the first day of classes for most universities in Missouri and Kansas. It’s anybody’s guess how long they’ll stay open amid new COVID-19 outbreaks.

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Quixotic Performs ‘Twilight Soiree’ on Westin Crown Center Rooftop

By Kevin Collison Quixotic, Kansas City’s premier blend of acrobatic grace and theatrical verve, is returning to Crown Center this weekend for what the troupe hopes will be a series of open-air performances. The “Twilight Soiree” rooftop variety show will be performed on the fourth level sports deck at the Westin Crown Center, an outdoor…

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Covid Scuttles Riverfront Mid-Rise Apartment Concept

A big mixed-use project contemplated for the downtown riverfront that would have included two, 10-story apartment buildings has been shelved, at least for now, an apparent victim of the Covid-19 pandemic. An undisclosed local developer had been considering what would have been a project that included apartments, office and retail on a 2.6-acre site near…

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Chiefs fan in headdress doing the tomahawk chop

Chief Concerns in Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs are grappling with a branding issue as social justice advocates criticize the appropriation of Native American culture.

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Leather Elevator Lobbies? Luxury Digs Bring New Settlers to Old Westport

By Kevin Collison Westley on Broadway, an upscale apartment development so big it prompted a new master plan, has opened, adding hundreds of residents to the evolving, eclectic and sometimes rowdy blend that is Westport. The 256-unit project on the southeast corner of Westport Road and Broadway quietly began accepting tenants in mid-July and is…

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Storm clouds form over grain bins.

What You Know About Rural America May Be Wrong

Younger Americans are considering rural life as an option, spurring what some observers are calling “brain gain” in seemingly unlikely places.

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Near East Cuisine Meets Westside at Clay & Fire

By Kevin Collison Clay & Fire, the new restaurant specializing in Turkish and other Near East dishes, has one foot on the Westside and the other still in Turkey thanks to hassles related to Covid-19. Chef Brent Gunnels is using FaceTime and WhatsApp to obtain recipes and prepare the menu with his Turkish counterpart, and…

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How risky is it to gather with friends these days?

Pandemic Roulette: How Researchers are Weighing Socializing Risks

What do researchers care about during COVID-19? For these two groups it has to do with risk and behaviors.

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DGX Opens New Urban Living Store in Crossroads

By Kevin Collison The new DGX store, Dollar General’s urban store concept, opened Friday at 1979 Main in the Crossroads and manager Luci Koan is happy to be part of the downtown revival. “I feel honored and so excited for all the people down here,” she said, “and I think they’ll be excited about what…

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