News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
New Push in Missouri to Provide Free Emergency Contraception
Missouri Family Health Council will mail more than 5,500 free kits containing emergency contraception pills in a pilot program launching Thursday.
Life Expectancy Lags the Nation in Missouri
A new nationwide study concludes that Missouri ranks 42nd and Kansas 33rd in terms of states with the best outlook for life expectancy.
Inclusive Crossroads Bar to Focus on Agave and Sugar Cane Spirits
By Kevin Collison For those who recall the “fern bar” trend of the Seventies and Eighties with their brass, backgammon and greenery, the new iteration that Bryan Arri is opening this Fall in the Crossroads will be both similar and very different. Whereas the original fern bars were intended to try to woo more women…
Details of Massive KC Solar Project Begin to Emerge
Evergy is among the companies responding to Kansas City’s request for proposals to develop a massive solar farm at Kansas City International Airport.
In Their Own Words: Testimonies from Trans Kansas Citians
Kansas Citians share their stories of life in the trans community and the pursuit of gender-affirming care.
Plaza Restaurant Project Served Big Day, Expects Summer 2026 Opening
By Kevin Collison The Cocina47 restaurant project at the Plaza had a big day Wednesday, winning support from City Hall and Port KC, and converting a former staunch critic into an ally and indirect partner. The plan for a three-story building at 47th and Pennsylvania at the Country Club Plaza was unanimously endorsed by the…
New Perspectives Emerge on Hyatt Regency Skywalks Collapse
Two new books offer fresh perspectives on the Hyatt Regency skywalks collapse, regarded as the most devastating structural collapse in U.S. history.
Study Looks at Reconnecting Berkley Riverfront to Columbus Park
By Kevin Collison After being neglected for much of the 20th Century, the downtown riverfront is becoming a new community and now is looking for better ways to connect with nearby neighborhoods, including Columbus Park. A Connectivity Study is underway with the goal of identifying ways to overcome obstacles posed by the busy rail corridor…
Study Looks at Reconnecting Riverfront and Columbus Park
A study underway that will consider ways to reconnect the Berkley Riverfront Park and the nearby Columbus Park neighborhood.
Gay Priest Shepherds Nontraditional ‘Catholic’ Church
Fr. Taylor W. Tracy is married. To a man. And he is leading a nontraditional “Catholic” church on Kansas City’s West Side that is exceptionally ecumenical.