News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Missouri Becoming Strategic Home for Indoor Farming
The U.S. has about 2,000 indoor farms, and the industry is expected to grow nearly 10% annually over the next decade. Many are popping up in Missouri.
Nick’s Picks | Stadium Fatigue, Bus Fares and Murders
Kansas City newsmakers will deal with stadium issues, free bus fares and a mounting murder count in the week before Christmas. We also mark the winter solstice.
Development Humming at 18th & Vine with New Apartments, Other Projects
By Kevin Collison The 18th and Vine Jazz District has received a double dose of good news recently with the opening of the $25 million One Nine Vine apartment project and the award of tax credits critical to another project that would revitalize a strategic block. The 80-unit One Nine Vine is located at the…
Kansas City Ponders Impact of Free Bus Service
A new study has been launched to ponder the impact of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s “zero fare” policy for bus riders.
Four Financial Tips for First-Time Homebuyers
Here are the top four financial mistakes first-time homebuyers make, and a few tips on how to avoid them.
Recycling Program Turns Plastic into Park Benches
Several cities in the Kansas City area have gotten park benches made out of recycled plastic bags, thanks to a program supported by Trex Co. Inc.
Higher Cost Estimates Pause UMKC Arena Proposal at 51st and Brookside
By Kevin Collison UMKC’s proposal for a 5,000-seat arena at a campus site by the south terminus of the Main Street streetcar extension has been paused until spring because of higher than anticipated costs. Officials said responses came in higher than expected based on the specifications in a request for proposals (RFP) issued last spring…
Kansas’ Unrivaled Rural Hospital Crisis: 58% at Risk of Closing, 82% Lost Money on Patient Care
Financial weaknesses at four of every five rural Kansas hospitals provide leverage to Medicaid expansion advocates seeking $680 million annually.
Historic ‘Castle’ Back on Market Near 18th and Vine
By Kevin Collison A plan to renovate the historic City Workhouse Castle into a boutique hotel has fallen through and it’s now part of a 20-acre group of properties that’s on the market near the 18th & Vine Jazz District. “There are few sites that close to downtown with that kind of land assembly, it’s…
University of Kansas Deal with Missouri Hospital Feels ‘Terribly Wrong’ to Lawmakers
The proposed takeover of Liberty Hospital in Missouri by the University of Kansas Health System is being greeted with scorn by lawmakers in Missouri and Kansas.