News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
‘Into The Zone’ | Flatland’s Opportunity Zones Documentary Premieres on KCPT
Flatland’s documentary on Opportunity Zones premieres tonight on KCPT.
Union Station Hitches Covid Rebound Hopes on ‘Dinosaur Road Trip’
By Kevin Collison “Dinosaur Road Trip,” Union Station’s new exhibition, is a fun, kitschy blend of dinosaurs, roadside attractions and corny 1950s Godzilla movies, but before you hit the hokey highway, the ramp was bumpy. Like other Kansas City cultural institutions hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, Union Station was in dire straits after being forced…
‘Famous for the 4th’: How a Small Town Celebrated Independence Day in a Pandemic
A small town in Missouri worried about proceeding with the traditional Independence Day celebration amid a pandemic.
River Market Apartment Project Starts Work Soon, Opening Summer 2022
By Kevin Collison Work on the latest new apartment development in the River Market, the Ashland on Third project, is expected to begin later this month. The 94-unit, market-rate project being developed by KC Commercial Realty Group was first approved by the City Council in February 2018 and was praised by then-Councilman Quinton Lucas for…
An Olathe Hospital Sued Thousands for Medical Debt, and Dozens Went to Jail
Other hospitals sue patients for medical payments in Johnson County. But until recently none did so as frequently as Olathe Medical Center.
Troost Midtown Project Underway, First Historic Building Ready by Fall
By Kevin Collison Work is well underway on a $17 million redevelopment project along Troost Avenue that is restoring three historic building as office and retail space and a proposed museum of regional Native American culture. The Troost Midtown Project, which was approved for tax incentive assistance more than a year ago, includes the renovation…
Masks Pose Challenges for Early Childhood Learning
As COVID-19 cases spike again, child care providers are wrestling with how the use of masks will affect the social and emotional development of children.
Patients Describe the Road to Recovery From COVID-19
Coronavirus survivors often have psychological effects ranging from anxiety to depression to PTSD. Many recovering from the disease feel stigma.
Crown Center WeekEnder Outdoor Concert Series Begins July 10
People craving live music during these Covid-bound times will be able to satisfy their ears at Crown Center beginning July 10 when the annual WeekEnder series resumes on its sprawling outdoor plaza. “We felt like the square offered a wide space where people can sit in a chair and keep a safe distance from everybody…
Blip Coffee Shifts Gears to New West Bottoms Location
By Kevin Collison Ian Davis knew his Blip coffee shop and roasterie in the West Bottoms was in for a bumpy business road when his connections on the West Coast warned him of the looming Covid-19 crisis in early March. “We were one of the first to close up because of Covid,” he said. “My…