News & Issues

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

Kata Nori Hand Roll Bar Coming to East Crossroads

(Editor’s note: This article was published originally March 1, 2022. The owner now hopes to open by early March 2023.) By Kevin Collison A new sushi place is in the works for the East Crossroads, this one specializing in hand rolls, a newer trend for serving the popular cuisine. Nam Phan and his partners plan…

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River Bluff Expands River Market Craft Beer Scene

(Editor’s note: This article originally was published Feb. 2, 2022) By Kevin Collison River Bluff Brewing, the latest addition to the greater downtown microbrewery scene, expects to open in mid-February on a cozy street near the Town of Kansas Bridge at the foot of Main. “We feel like with Second Street, we’re in the heart…

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The Missouri House chamber during the 2022 legislative session.

Missouri Lawmakers Reconvene Focused on Sports Betting, Teacher Pay, Initiative Petitions

For a vocal slice of Missouri’s population, sports wagering is the most important item on the agenda as lawmakers begin their annual session.

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LED and traditional streetlights at a Kansas City intersection.

From Streetlights to Potholes: A New, Tech-Savvy KC Emerges

Kansas City is leaning into technology to address some of its most vexing problems.

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Pedestrian Plaza Plan to Enliven 18th and Vine District

By Kevin Collison The 18th and Vine District is looking forward to transforming its main drag into a more pedestrian-friendly corridor that can be closed temporarily for events thanks to $4 million in the new federal budget. The money obtained by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and matched by at least $2.5 million and up to $4…

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The new 18th and Vine Pedestrian District will remove curbs and smooth 18th Street to become a seamless corridor with wide sidewalks and two lanes of traffic.

Pedestrian Plaza Plan to Enliven 18th and Vine District

The 18th and Vine District’s main drag will become a more pedestrian-friendly corridor that can be closed temporarily for events thanks to $4 million in the new federal budget.

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Daniel Gilmore, founder of Chosen Creative Concepts.

Ferguson, Missouri, Experience Inspires Marketer to be ‘Incubator’ for Creatives 

Daniel Gilmore plans to start a nonprofit marketing agency, Chosen Creative Concepts, to link people of color with a network of resources and opportunities.

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Country Club Plaza holiday lights

Flatland’s Top 50 Stories From 2022: 5-1

Flatland is presenting 50 of our most popular, impactful or interesting stories of 2022 in chronological order between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2.

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Opinion: Twenty Years Later, Our Downtown Heart is Healthier to Live and Play, More Work Needed

(Editor’s note: This column was published Oct. 31, but the review of the “Mending Our Broken Heart’ series also is a good way to anticipate the New Year in greater downtown Kansas City.) By Kevin Collison Twenty years after The Star published its groundbreaking “Mending Our Broken Heart” series, downtown is back in the game,…

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Republican candidate Amanda Adkins (left) and incumbent U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids participated in a 3rd Congressional District debate on Friday at the studios of Kansas City PBS.

Flatland’s Top 50 Stories From 2022: 10-6

Flatland is presenting 50 of our most popular, impactful or interesting stories of 2022 in chronological order between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2.

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