News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Historic Kansas City Streetcar Moved to its Permanent Stop as Future River Market Ice Cream Parlor
By Kevin Collison (Updated Sept. 11) After running routes from Kansas City to San Francisco with a long layover at Union Station, the old Country Club streetcar has found a new home in the River Market where it’s expected to become an ice cream parlor. On Monday morning, the 46-foot streetcar was at its new…
Techweek Kansas City Begins Today, an Annual Celebration of What’s Next
Techweek Kansas City is expected to draw more than 6,500 people downtown this week to expand their minds, show off their entrepreneurial chops and perhaps win one of nine major grants from the LaunchKC program. The annual event, one of several held around the country, brings together industry leaders and creative minds in a series…
Vietnam War Refugees Succeed — and Struggle — in Kansas City
When American troops made a chaotic, embarrassed withdrawal from Vietnam in April 1975, the flood of terrified Vietnamese refugees to Kansas City began. Ty Bui, who had spent seven years in the Vietnamese military, escaped his country in August that year and, after staying in a refugee camp in Arkansas, came to Kansas City in…
Booming Spring Venture Group Plans to Add Over 650 Jobs in Downtown Kansas City and Gobble New Office Space
By Kevin Collison Spring Venture Group, a fast-growing senior health insurance brokerage firm, is moving its downtown headquarters this winter from Crown Center to 12 Wyandotte Plaza and expects to occupy almost half of the 18-story building by the end of 2019 At a time when downtown leaders are focused on attracting more private jobs,…
Pair of Downtown Festivals Saturday Promises a Great Day of Beer and Music
By Kevin Collison A pair of fun annual events are overlapping Saturday in downtown Kansas City, promising a day of great live music and a huge selection of craft beers. Beginning at 3 p.m., the Ninth Annual KC Beer Fest will take over Grand Boulevard from 13th to 14th streets and the adjoining Power &…
Councilwoman Says New Independent Poll Reveals “Tide Has Turned” in Support for New KCI Terminal
By Kevin Collison Kansas City Councilwoman Jolie Justus, a key player in the city’s effort to build a new airport terminal, said today an independent “sophisticated” poll commissioned by civic leaders found 55 percent of frequent voters support the project. “The data shows the tide has turned,” Justus told a meeting of the Downtown Council…
Mean Mule Plans to Start Kicking in its Own Crossroads Stall Early Next Year
By Kevin Collison The growing thirst for tequila is inspiring a young couple and their friend to open what they believe will be the nation’s fifth agave distillery in the Crossroads District in January. Jeff and Meg Evans, and Patrick Little, are the co-owners of Mean Mule Distilling, and they plan to be start at…
KC Leaders To Explore Disparities in School Discipline
Biases, race inequity and gender discrimination in Kansas City schools are some of the alarming patterns set to be explored this morning at Kansas City Mayor Sly James’ School Suspension Summit. Those topics aren’t often aired in public, but city leaders argue it’s mistake to ignore disparities because they play a big role in absenteeism,…
Feeding the Mind
Education and nutrition go hand in hand. If a child is hungry or malnourished, it’s a good bet they can’t concentrate on their studies. That premise underpins the federal school-lunch and school-breakfast programs, which provide free- or reduced-price meals to millions of at-risk students each year. So, class breaks are a challenge for families that…
Sale of Historic Kansas City Star Building Completed, New Owner Weighing Options for Redevelopment
By Kevin Collison The sale of The Kansas City Star building was completed last week although the new owner has no immediate plans to redevelop the historic property at 1729 Grand Blvd. “I’ve worked a little over a year on the transaction so I’m excited to complete the acquisition,” Vince Bryant of 3-D Development says….