On the Ballot | Sports Betting in Missouri

By | November 2, 2024

Introduction In the wake of Kansas legalizing sports betting, Missouri voters will decide whether or not to allow the same on the other side of the state line. Amendment 2 proposes allowing people 21 years old and older to bet on sports in Missouri. If it passes, the Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate sports betting statewide.…

On the Ballot | Ranked-Choice Voting

By | November 1, 2024

Introduction On Tuesday voters will decide whether to change Missouri law to prohibit ranked-choice voting and change the language in the Missouri Constitution to say that “only” U.S. Citizens can vote rather than “all”. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank all the candidates in order of preference. The way it works: Transcript Nick Haines [Host,…

On the Ballot | Court Fees to Support Law Enforcement Salaries & Benefits

By | November 1, 2024

Introduction Amendment 6, which asks voters to decide whether to amend the Missouri Constitution to allow state courts to charge administrative fees to provide pensions and other compensation to former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys, is on Tuesday’s ballot. The amendment is in direct opposition to a unanimous 2021 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that…

K-State Professor Designs Biodegradable Garments for Sustainable Deathcare

By | November 1, 2024

A professor at Kansas State University aims to tackle that question in a new exhibition on green burial practices. Sherry Haar, fashion studies professor, designed several garments and textiles for burial made from natural fibers and dyes. Haar said she hopes to start a conversation about green burial practices. The exhibition is available to view…

A Better Big Blue Battlefield | Part I

By | October 30, 2024

Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a three-part series on the restoration of the Big Blue Battlefield in Kansas City, Missouri. It was cold for late October in Kansas City. In 1864 Lt. Patrick Henry Minor, then leading an artillery battery against Confederate forces, would die the following March, from what likely had…

Nick’s Picks: Halloween, Buc-ee’s, Red-Light Cameras, BBQ Sauce Wrestling, and More

By | October 28, 2024

Scariest Day of the Year? This week we mark the scariest day of the year, Halloween. Though some Americans may argue that title better fits Tax Day, or increasingly, Election Day. With that in mind, beware of political candidates ringing your doorbell along with trick-or-treaters on Thursday night. After all, it may be the only…

On the Ballot | Missouri Abortion Rights

By | October 28, 2024

Introduction Amendment 3 presents Missouri voters with the decision to overturn the state’s abortion ban and enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Its inclusion in Missouri’s November ballot is a direct result of a citizen-led campaign that gathered more than 380,000 signatures. If passed, Amendment 3 would overturn Missouri’s abortion ban,…

KC Live Theater Provides Alternative to What People Miss in Shrinking Congregations

By | October 27, 2024

When the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre presents “Freud’s Last Session” the weekend of Nov. 22, the audience will hear a debate about God’s existence by actors playing Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis, and C.S. Lewis, one of the 20th Century’s most important Christian writers. But the goal won’t be to convince anyone of any religious, spiritual,…

On the Ballot | Missouri’s Minimum Wage

By | October 22, 2024

Introduction Proposition A will appear on Missouri’s November ballot, asking voters to decide on raising the state’s minimum wage and implementing paid sick leave. If approved, the minimum wage would increase to $13.75 in 2025 and $15 in 2026, with annual adjustments based on inflation. The law would also require businesses to provide paid sick…

New Ice Rink Opens, Davids Debates Reddy and Country Music Stars Visit KC

By | October 21, 2024

Early Voting Underway The Presidential Election is now just two weeks away, but the voting floodgates open this week as Missouri begins in-person advance voting on Tuesday. Early voting is already underway in Kansas. The Johnson County election office says more than 3,000 people cast ballots within the first hour of advance voting starting on…