News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
A Lawrence Farmer’s Innovative Approach to Food Security
LAWRENCE, Kansas — Pantaleon Florez III looks at food security as an issue to be solved. He asks those working in local food systems (and himself) what they would do if their community didn’t have a hunger issue. “That’s my new narrative: ‘What would you do if you didn’t have to do this work?’”…
Politicians Battle Rural Population Declines in Kansas, But Drop-off Continues
Rural parts of Kansas continue to see significant population declines. Some local and state officials are trying to staunch the seemingly endless bleeding.
Proposed Greenline Trail Price Tag $80M, Plan to Seek Federal Funding
(Editor’s note: This article originally was posted July 12, 2022) By Kevin Collison The proposed Greenline recreational trail loop around downtown now has an estimated $80 million price tag, according to backers who plan to eventually seek federal funding for the project. The Greenline was initially pitched almost three years ago by developer Vince Bryant,…
Black Drivers in Missouri More Likely to be Ticketed, Arrested
Black drivers stopped by Missouri law enforcement are much more likely to end up with a citation or in a jail cell than whites, according to a new report.
Omaha Postcard: Big Downtown Park Overhaul Shows How to Attract People
(Editor’s note: This article originally was posted Sept. 21, 2022) By Kevin Collison We have one restless, striving neighbor to our north. In July, Omaha finished the first phase of a $325 million overhaul of its downtown and riverfront parks, and what’s occurring 200 miles upriver offers an important lesson for Kansas City. First a…
Nick’s Picks | Hail to the Chiefs, and Other News
The Kansas City Chiefs will be at the White House today to celebrate the team’s latest Super Bowl title. But Chiefs matriarch Norma Hunt died over the weekend.
Big Waldo Apartment Project Proposed, Revives Streetcar Extension Idea
(Editor’s note: This article originally was published Sept. 15, 2022. The project remains active and is in the preliminary development phase.) By Kevin Collison A 300-unit apartment project that would transform the scale and nature of the Waldo entertainment area received preliminary support from a transit-oriented development agency Wednesday. EPC Real Estate Group is cooperating…
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…