News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Local Cable Company Looks Back to the Future: Old Everest Becomes New EverFast
A local cable operator with a new owner hopes to counter the cord cutting trend.
Rail Delivered for Final Stretch of Streetcar Extension on Main
One year after the arrival of its initial rails near Crown Center, the final delivery is underway near UMKC for the steel required to complete the 3.5-mile long streetcar extension on Main Street. Trucks will be delivering the 429 rails necessary to build the southern half of the streetcar route during the next couple weeks,…
Wolfepack BBQ Sets Up Smoker in Columbus Park
By Kevin Collison A well-known Columbus Park landmark is reopening this spring as Wolfepack BBQ and its owners first order of business is soothing the neighborhood indigestion caused by its previous operator. “We want to have a neighborhood welcoming day to start things off on the right foot,” said co-owner Sam Parker. He and his…
Plaza Area Council Now Official, Plans to Boost District’s Next Century
By Kevin Collison A new civic effort to shepherd the Country Club Plaza and environs into its second 100 years has organized as a nonprofit, and plans to hire staff and begin pursuing its goals by the end of the year. What’s called the Plaza Area Council intends to be an umbrella organization for looking…
New Support Group for Country Club Plaza Takes Shape
A new support group for the Country Club Plaza and its environs has been organized as a nonprofit, and plans to hire staff by the end of the year.
Historic Scarritt Apartment Renovation Plan Advances
By Kevin Collison A $47.5 million plan to renovate the historic Scarritt office tower on Grand Boulevard and its adjoining Arcade into 126 apartments was endorsed for tax incentives Monday by a Port KC committee. The 11-story tower at 818 Grand and its four-story arcade at 819 Walnut are considered among the most attractive historic…
‘This is Do or Die’: Western Kansas Farmers Push to Save the Ogallala Aquifer Before it’s Too Late
After decades of irrigation, the aquifer that makes life possible in dry western Kansas is reaching a critical point. But a new plan could save more of what’s left.
Nick’s Picks | Big Week Ahead for Politics and KC Restaurants
The week ahead will be dominated by political news at the local, state and national levels.
North Kansas City Streetcar Plan Hits $222M Roadblock
By Kevin Collison A proposal to extend the streetcar to North Kansas City has hit a hard fiscal reality; it’s far too expensive to build utilizing the local funding method that has developed the system so far on Main Street and to the riverfront. It would cost up to $222 million to extend the streetcar…
North Kansas City Streetcar Extension Sidetracked by Financial Concerns
A proposal to extend the streetcar to North Kansas City has hit a hard fiscal reality — it’s far too expensive to build utilizing the local funding methods that have developed the system so far.