Aging KCK Congregation Bequeaths Building to Serve Youth
Across much of the nation in recent decades, shrinking churches have confronted the painful question of whether they can afford to maintain a building for worship and other activities. Time and again the answer has been no. Sometimes that means finding other places in which to continue offering worship. But often it means either abandoning…
Bodhi Home Reopens to Homeless Clients After Renovation
It has been nearly two decades since Kar Woo, a sculptor and gallery owner, established Artists Helping the Homeless (AHH) in Kansas City, Missouri. And Woo recently returned to his roots by renovating the first home opened by the nonprofit. AHH refreshed the Midtown home with about $60,000 in new paint, fixtures, appliances, and furniture….
Nick’s Picks | Trash Service, Political Action, Comedy Star Power … and More
This week, many Kansas Citians will finally be able to unload their New Year’s Eve party trash. Last week, several cities including Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, canceled garbage pickup after one of the heaviest snowstorms in decades. Also, this week, our kids are going to have to do something they haven’t done…
Renters: How to Weatherize Your Home to Reduce Energy Costs
Energy burden is defined as the percentage of gross household income that is spent on energy costs. In some areas of the Kansas City Metropolitan area, residents experience an elevated energy burden. However, some energy costs can be reduced through weatherization. While it may be challenging to tackle as a renter, there are options to…
Watch: Mapping and Managing Energy Burden in Kansas City
Energy burden is defined as the percentage of gross household income that is spent on energy costs. In some areas of the Kansas City Metropolitan area, residents experience an elevated energy burden. We caught up with experts to learn more about how energy burden impacts residents and potential solutions for mitigating the problem.
Nick’s Picks | KC Blizzard, Carter Funeral, New Laws, and More …
Snow-Mageddon We’re tracking the fallout from this weekend’s snow-mageddon. As we start our week, schools and libraries are closed, so are some of our biggest attractions, including the Truman Library and Museum. More than a dozen local cities have shut down their municipal offices and, depending on where you live, trash pickup is either postponed…
Truth, Religion and the Demise of Local Newspapers
When I started reporting at The Kansas City Star in late 1970, it was a regional newspaper that served not just the metro area but also east to mid-Missouri, west to central Kansas, and beyond. I was part of a staff of hundreds, and the paper’s circulation — all print then, of course — was…
KC Library Exec Focuses On Native Americans in National Role
As the Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) celebrated its 150th anniversary this year, a member of its leadership team made her mark in a national organization with a distinguished history of its own. As the library’s director of policy analysis and operational support, Cindy Hohl is the first KCPL representative to serve as president of…
Nick’s Picks | Winter Arrives, Congress Leaves, Decisions Loom, and More …
Office holiday parties are in full swing, and with Christmas and Hannukah just over a week away, you’re probably feeling time-pinched this morning. So here are 10 ultra-quick headlines to watch out for this week: Winter is Coming This Saturday marks the official start of winter. And we’ll welcome the new season with a big…
This Group is Saving the Kansas River from Tons of Trash
Bill Hughes has his eyes on a hot tub. The Valley Falls resident isn’t planning a bathroom remodel, though. He’s part of a volunteer group that helps clean up the Kansas River. The hot tub is lodged in the river bottom and it’s too large to lug away. It pops into view during dry spells, when…
Nick’s Picks | Abortion Ban, Death Penalty, Solar Energy, and More …
New Missouri Abortion Amendment Takes Effect Missouri’s near-total ban on abortion officially comes to an end this week. It follows last month’s voter approval of Amendment 3, which enshrines the right to an abortion in the state Constitution. Its provisions take effect on Thursday. That’s when Planned Parenthood says it will open three temporary abortion…
A Black Friday Romp Through the Metro’s Shoplifting History
Not long ago a woman walked into an Oak Park Mall bath and body store carrying two shopping bags. She lingered for two hours, examining the scented candles. Then the phone of Detective Byron Pierce of the Overland Park Police Department buzzed. The caller was an employee of the store. “Everything okay?” Pierce asked. No….
The Bison that Protect One of Missouri’s Last Prairies
Before European settlement, the place that we call Missouri was home to millions of acres of tallgrass prairie, a grassland biome home to a diverse array of plant and animal species, like bison. Today, less than one percent of it remains. Bison once roamed North America with numbers in the millions. After government-sanctioned mass slaughter…
Nick’s Picks | Holiday Lightings, Hallmark, Hardwood, and More …
It’s going to be a short week for many Kansas Citians as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. Here are the upcoming week’s big events… Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt Flips the Switch on the Plaza Lights The Country Club Plaza is preparing for its largest event of the year. It’s the 95th Plaza Lighting…
Clergy Sex Abuse Survivor Reflects on His Reform Work
A 2002 series of Boston Globe articles turned a scandal about Catholic priests who sexually abuse children (and bishops who protect those priests) into a national story. The Globe, however, wasn’t the first newspaper to expose this reprehensible crime. Credit for that goes to the independent, Kansas City-based National Catholic Reporter. NCR was writing about…