News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
The Christianity Spectrum: Local Millennials Share How They Do Church
Chantell Smith was sitting on the couch in her apartment flipping through the channels when she saw the news. A gunman had entered a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, and killed nine people. She felt defeated. Her cheeks were wet with tears. “That was the one where I was just like, ‘What is…
Money Issues Hamper Progress In Some School Districts
What’s the best way to ensure that future generations get the best education possible? For many people, the answer is simple: money. More specifically, these proponents argue that additional funding must go toward attracting and retaining quality teachers — arguably the most important component of the education system. The problem, however, is that school funding…
Keystone Innovation District Seeks to Transform East 18th Street Corridor
(Editor’s note: Updated March 11. The Keystone Innovation District initiative has announced its Governing Board: Doug Girod, Chancellor, University of Kansas; Mauli Agrawal, Chancellor, University of Missouri – Kansas City; Kimberly Beatty, Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College; Elizabeth MacLeod Walls, President, William Jewell College; Denise St. Omer, VP of Grantmaking and Inclusion, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation;…
Can KC’s new leadership fix ‘the land that time forgot’?
The kielbasa recipe hasn’t changed much since Peter May, a Polish immigrant, opened a grocery store in Kansas City’s Blue Valley neighborhood in 1929. Customers can count on the same fresh meat, no preservatives, spiced with a mixture passed down through the family. The location is the same, too. Peter May’s House of Kielbasa still…
Pioneering East Crossroads Apartment Project Kicks Off Construction
By Kevin Collison Construction of a $72 million East Crossroads apartment development in the works for 16 months is scheduled to begin today with the first residents expected to begin occupancy by Fall 2020. John McGurk, an official with the Indianapolis developer, Milhaus, said the 341-unit project, which will be called “Artistry KC,” received its…
Kansas City Construction Career Academy Trains Next Generation of Skilled Workers
If you are like many folks, if something breaks in your house, you have to call someone to fix it. It could be a broken pipe, faulty light switch, or wheezing furnace. That means there are good, steady jobs available for people with the “fix-it” attitude and aptitude. Plus, with a lot these tradesmen reaching…
Streetcar Extension Plan Fails to Make FY 2020 Federal Budget Cut
By Kevin Collison The planned extension of the streetcar from downtown to UMKC failed to make the funding cut in the proposed new federal budget, a setback local streetcar officials hope to overcome next year. The Federal Transit Administration’s budget recommendation for FY 2020 did not include the $151.6 million being sought by the Kansas…
Vibrant Crossroads Street Art Scene Subject of New Guided Tour
By Kevin Collison To the uneducated eye, when it comes to the explosion of street art brightening the alleys and buildings in the Crossroad Arts District in recent years it’s hard to know the difference between a “tag,” a “throw up” or a fully realized “burner.” Much less who some of the better artists are…
Taco Bell’s Churro Donut is Only in Kansas City. We Ate One. Let’s Talk.
The corner of the bag was the first spot to soak through with grease. Next, the table where we shot the photo began to glisten as I slid the dense circles around. My fingers came away slick within seconds of touching the cinnamon-sugar dusted rounds. Welcome to a many napkin affair. This is the Churro…
Designing and Building a Better Kansas City for the Future
GUEST COMMENTARY By Kevin Klinkenberg Coming back to Kansas City has left me excited about the recent changes. The ship has turned, and there’s a strong sense of optimism in the air. But as I noted before, the work is far from done. In fact, we have a long, tough mission ahead of us. The…