News & Issues

Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.

Two South Loop Link Concepts Presented, Each Close Street

By Kevin Collison Two alternative concepts for the proposed four-block park above the South Loop freeway, one calling for the closure of Baltimore Avenue, the other Walnut Street, were presented at a public meeting Tuesday. The proposed South Loop Link would cover the freeway from Wyandotte to Grand, and designers with OJB Architecture said a…

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Rendering of a park above the South Loop with the downtown skyline in the background.

Kansas Citians Share Hopes for South Loop Link

More than 1,650 people have shared their wishes for the proposed $200 million South Loop Link over the freeway in downtown Kansas City.

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California Life Science Software Firm Opening Downtown Hub

Veeva, a San Francisco-based firm that develops cloud-based software for the global life sciences industry, is opening an engineering hub downtown this Fall in the lightwell office tower. The firm is leasing 10,000 square-feet for what is described as its second “purpose-built Work Anywhere office space.” The other location is Boston. The engineering hub will serve…

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Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, chats with Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, and Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, on the opening day of the 2023 session in January.

Sports Wagering Bill Remains Mired in Missouri Senate Split Over Gambling Expansion

The odds that the Missouri General Assembly will pass sports gambling legislation during this year’s session area dwindling.

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Nick Haines

Nick’s Picks | NFL Draft Prep Disruptions Begin

The NFL Draft is still more than two weeks away, but prep work on the huge event will start causing traffic headaches this week.

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Lux Living Briefs Neighborhood on 14th & Wyandotte Hotel, Apartment Plan

By Kevin Collison Lux Living provided fresh details of its planned hotel and apartment project at 14th and Wyandotte along with updated renderings at a briefing to the Downtown Neighborhood Association Thursday. The project calls for a 10-story, 200-room boutique hotel to be built on a vacant, rubble-strewn lot at 1319 Wyandotte and a 20-story…

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This double display case at the Country Club Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library holds books provided to the library by an interfaith group called Cultural Crossroads.

‘Canceled, Censored, Banned’ Sparks Questions About Government, Books and Public Libraries

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s proposed rule addressing material at public libraries has sparked questions about book restrictions. Here are answers.

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Brownie Wilson of the Kansas Geological Survey uses a metal measuring tape to determine the depth of the aquifer's water level in western Kansas. Statewide aquifer levels dropped by nearly two feet over the past year — this third-largest decline since the 1990s.

With the Ogallala Aquifer Drying Up, Kansas Ponders Limits to Irrigation

Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer continue to plummet. But after decades of inaction, Kansas’ approach to water conservation might be shifting.

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Torn Label Brewing Adds Spice to its Suds with Tacos Valentina

By Kevin Collison Next time you’re at Torn Label Brewing in the East Crossroads, you can pair your Alpha Pale Ale with  a taco or quesadilla prepared by Tacos Valentina. The microbrewery at 1708 Campbell became a new home to what had been a rambling, pop-up eatery about two weeks ago. Rafi Chaudry, owner of…

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Kansas City-based author and illustrator Shane W. Evans.

KC Author of Banned Children’s Books Marches On

A Kansas City-based author of children’s books recently learned his work was on a list of the most banned picture books. Here’s how he responded.

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