The exterior of Lawrence Beer Co. with the sunset in the background.

Tap List | Lawrence Beer Co. Parties in the Street

Lawrence Beer Co. tops this weeks local craft beer news by throwing a street party on Saturday to celebrate its fifth anniversary.

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Mayor Quinton Lucas speaks at the Aug. 17 committee meeting, behind yellow KC Tenants protest signs. At least eight KC Tenants leaders gave testimony at this meeting, and dozens of members returned the next day for the City Council vote.

To Attract More Developers, Kansas City Changes its Affordable Housing Ordinance — Again

According to KC’s new affordable housing ordinance, the median income for a four-person household is nearly six figures. Advocates say this is a problem.

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Volunteers sign a clipboard.

curious KC | What Questions Do You Have About Ballot Initiatives in Missouri? 

This month on Flatland, we’re examining ballot initiatives. We’ll talk to successful campaigns and failed campaigns to see what works, what doesn’t and why it’s important to many Missourians.

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The long-vacant historic City Workhouse Castle opened in 1897 to incarcerate petty criminals and vagrants.

Boutique Hotel Proposed for Historic Workhouse Castle on Vine

(Editor’s note: This article was originally published Feb. 1) By Kevin Collison The ruined former City Workhouse Castle built in 1897 to incarcerate petty criminals and vagrants would accommodate a far more upscale clientele as a boutique hotel in a new redevelopment proposal. The massive limestone curiosity at 2001 Vine St. near the 18th &…

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People outside of a crashed Amtrak train car.

Surviving Amtrak Tragedy, Thanking God

Survivors of the recent Amtrak crash in Missouri describe their overwhelming need to give thanks following the accident.

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A dust storm approaches the southwest Kansas town of Elkhart during the Dust Bowl in 1937.

Here Are 7 Ways 2022 Stacks Up Against the Worst Droughts in Kansas History

How bad is the Kansas drought? Among the worst droughts in recorded history. But some other years were more extreme. Here are the numbers.

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Liberty Street Green Space Completes First Year in West Bottoms

(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared Dec. 29, 2021) By Kevin Collison One of greater downtown’s newer “parks” recently celebrated a quiet first anniversary, except for the rumbling trucks overhead. It’s called the Liberty Street Green Space and it replaces a grubby, former no-man’s land beneath the I-670 overpass in the West Bottoms with decorative…

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Jessica Piper is seen in profile with trees in the background.

Meet Jessica Piper: Missouri’s ‘Dirt Road Democrat’

Jessica Piper, a self-described “Dirt Road Democrat,” is running an uphill political campaign for the state House of Representatives in a heavily Republican district of northwest Missouri.

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Marijuana Beneficiaries

The legalization of medical marijuana in Missouri has resulted in $30 million in sales in June 2022 alone. As an upcoming ballot measure seeks to legalize recreational use, Flatland looks at who currently benefits most from this emerging industry and whether those affected most by damaging policies of the war on drugs are getting a…

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Blue Sushi Making a Splash at Power & Light This Fall

(Editor’s note: This article was originally published Feb. 24) By Kevin Collison Blue Sushi Sake Grill will be splashing at a new location in the Power & Light District this fall, its second operation in the metro since opening in Westwood in 2016. The fast-growing national chain that prides itself on serving sustainable seafood in…

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