News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Homestead Turned Children’s Shelter to Open in October
A Northland organization that serves victims of abuse and neglect is poised to open an enlarged children’s emergency shelter, a project that comes with a backstory of success, generosity and a few ruffled feathers. Synergy Services plans to open its new children’s center at 2501 N.E. 46th St. in Kansas City, North, on Oct. 13….
The Real Bob Ross: Meet The Meticulous Artist Behind Those Happy Trees
We’re not going to bury the lead here: Bob Ross’ hair was actually straight. Just ask his longtime business partner Annette Kowalski, who knew Ross better than anyone — he had just gotten out of the Air Force, and was unsuccessfully trying to make a living as a painter, she says. “He got this bright…
Can The ‘Airbnb Of Kitchens’ Give Local Food Economies A Boost?
The hardest part of starting a new food business should be in perfecting the secret recipe. For many entrepreneurial cooks though, the tough times come when searching for a space to legally make and sell their food. Commercial kitchen space, with stainless steel counters, industrial appliances meeting food safety regulations and appropriately-sized sinks, can be…
One Professor’s Quest To Collect Every Video Game Soda Machine
It’s a hot day in the nuclear post-apocalyptic wasteland, and you’ve spent all afternoon fighting off mutated zombie creatures. What you probably need right now is a nice, cold soda. Chances are, if you’re playing a video game, there’s some sort of soda machine right around the corner. Jess Morrissette has the evidence to prove…
Voice Recognition Software Finally Beats Humans At Typing, Study Finds
In a face-off between voice entry and typing on a mobile device, voice recognition software performed significantly better. The results held true in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
Take 5 For Your Health
Regardless Of Sentence, ‘Medicaid 23’ Plan To Appeal An attorney for the so-called “Medicaid 23” says his clients will appeal their convictions on trespassing charges, even though they face no jail time. A Cole County, Missouri, jury on Wednesday acquitted 22 clergy members of obstructing government operations but found them guilty of trespassing when they…
Task Force Addresses Growing Problem of Poverty in Johnson County
Armed with a master’s degree in English, Amy Jude Keaton was a successful university English instructor before moving back to Johnson County, where various ailments left her unemployed and periodically homeless. Keaton now clocks 52 hours a week at two jobs, but she can barely make ends meet, largely because her contribution to company-sponsored health…
Shrimp Grown In Tanks Make A Splash, Coming To A Market Near You
Americans love shrimp. We import about $5 billion worth of it from all over the globe, including from India, Thailand and Indonesia. But over the past year, we’ve learned more about the downsides of global shrimp production. The AP uncovered slave labor in Southeast Asia, and there’s also documentation of environmental degradation from destruction of…
Justice Department Will Phase Out Its Use Of Private Prisons
Federal officials said the contract facilities don’t offer substantial cost-savings or provide the same level of security as those run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Commentary | Finding Teachable Moments in Unexpected Places
The night before Jacob P. Goldman, a 2016 graduate of Blue Valley North High School, headed off to a college career at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, he attended the 20th annual Crescent Peace Society dinner in Overland Park in mid-August. Jake was there to get one of two Syed Farrukh Shabbir Memorial Scholarships….