Coming to the Tipping Point

As a reporter for The Star, Mike McGraw examined the federal prosecution of the 1988 explosion that killed six firefighters in numerous articles. He retired from The Star in 2014 and is now a special projects reporter for Flatland. What finally pried the cell door open last week for Bryan Sheppard, one of the defendants…

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a man in a shamrock hat

The Weekend Starts Today

With St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, you may be thinking about a thoughtful, in-depth contemplation of Irish culture. You might explore the literary brilliance of Joyce, Yeats and Wilde, then grab a copy of “From the Bottom Up: The Story of the Irish in Kansas City” by Pat O’Neill. You will do all of this,…

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Eric Flanagan tends to a keg

Tap List | 99 Hops House Bets Big on Craft Beer

Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa (777 Argosy Casino Parkway) is betting on the house brew. 99 Hops House, the craft beer bar tucked inside the casino, is set to release 99 Hops Red Ale, a new collaborative brew with the Cinder Block Brewery, this Thursday. The collaboration beer will be exclusive to 99 Hops House, which…

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Perceptions Continue to Shape Districts

When Heidi Van moved to the West Plaza with her two young children, she joined a vanguard of families staying in Kansas City rather than chasing the idea of a better public education in the suburbs. She welcomed the diversity. As her daughter prepares to enter kindergarten, Van said she’s hardly strapped for high-quality public…

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It’s the Journey: A Slice of Bus Life

Climb on board as we follow three Kansas City residents as they navigate daily life on our regional bus system. One surprising point agreed upon from both those who need to use it and those who want to use it: It may be the key to a stronger community. Public Works? The Cost of Our…

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A field.

Study: Agriculture Sector Should Ramp Up Response To Climate Change

The agriculture sector needs to ramp up its response to climate change, especially in the Midwest, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers at the University of Maryland used climate projections and historical trends in agricultural productivity to predict how changes in temperature and rainfall will…

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Do Showers Make Oranges Taste Better? NPR Investigates

The Internet is full of things, including a Reddit subgroup devoted to the act of eating an orange in the shower. We gave it a shot ourselves.

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It’s the Journey: A Slice of Bus Life | Preview

If you’ve ever wondered how people navigate the city using public transportation, watch “The Bus Riders,“ the first in a three-part series on the quality of the city’s infrastructure and how Kansas Citians use it. Here’s a preview in advance of Monday’s Episode 1. All three episodes culminate in a documentary at 7:30 p.m., March 30 on KCPT. — Follow the entire…

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Engineers Say Tax Increase Needed To Save Failing U.S. Infrastructure

Our roads, bridges, dams, transit systems and airports are in pretty poor shape. The nation’s civil engineers are calling for a significant increase in the gas tax to pay for the needed upgrades.

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grapes in the vineyard

Lawrence Public Library’s Edible Book Challenge & Other Weekend Possibilities

Think of it as a pop-up book that you can eat. The Lawrence Public Library (707 Vermont St., Lawrence, Kansas) is hosting its 2017 Edible Book Challenge  from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The idea is to reimagine your favorite title as a dish or cake or whatever food makes sense. You have…

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A worker cleans a basketball court floor

(Not Actually) 12 Things To Do During the Big 12 Tournament

If you are in town for the men’s Big 12 Tournament, even if you’ve only come from as far as Lawrence, Kansas, welcome. While you’re watching the games, this Official Big 12 Media Guide might come in handy. While you’re not watching the games, or should your team get unexpectedly trounced, we’ve got a few…

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Broderick Crawford

It Starts With You And Must Engage Others

Walking along the Jersey Creek Park Trail in northeast Kansas City, Kansas, Broderick Crawford can see the overgrown weeds, the fractured asphalt trail and broken benches. “You can’t sit on them without getting a splinter,” he points out. No one could blame him for being angry with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas…

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a musician with a sound machine

Sympathetic Vibrations | Sparking Innovation Through Collaboration

What happens when you give a group of musical and visual artists free reign to collaborate and create something new and cutting edge, as well as a prestigious venue in which to perform it? That’s the question that Peter Anthony and Will Funk are asking this weekend at the premiere of their months-long labor, “Light +…

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a man and his daughter hug

Behind the Bryan Sheppard Ruling: What the Release Order Says and Doesn’t Say

A federal judge’s decision last week to release a man serving a life sentence in the 1988 deaths of six Kansas City firefighters was, at least for some of the families of those men, a hurtful betrayal by the legal system. For the families of the accused, it was the final arrival of justice long…

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A woman being suspended in the air by other performers.

The Weekend Starts Today

March is when the madness begins. No, not just the craziness we see on the basketball court. Warmer weather and longer days bring a special sort of lunacy that we all feel. With a nod to Daylight Saving Time kicking in this weekend, let’s spring forward to our list of stuff happening around town. Sports…

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