Shawnee Mission Superintendent Pans Legislative Efforts
The superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District is taking umbrage at some of the financial inquiries coming from Kansas lawmakers and from an outside audit firm hired by the Legislature to study the efficiency of state government. Jim Hinson was particularly insulted that the Legislature’s Special Committee on K-12 Student Success, which is looking…
For Fit Food Fast Just Say Chop Chop
Graham Ripple puts out the menus and napkins on the metal counter in front of the window of Chop Chop FitStop, his new food truck dedicated to pre-prepared, Paleo-inspired meals. The food truck, which Ripple runs with co-owner David Lueck, is stocked with Simple Science Juices, protein balls, and chicken enchiladas with cauliflower rice. The…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Celebrating This Guy
In a week and a half, millions of cosplaying moviegoers will file into theaters in Kansas City and across the country, eagerly awaiting the sound of two iconic horn stabs that will accompany the words “Star Wars” on screen as they fade into a backdrop of space. This music will herald the beginning of “The…
‘I Can’t Let It Go’ | Part II
EDITOR’S NOTE: This first-person account of one journalist’s attempts to shed light on potential problems in the U.S. justice system is part of a larger effort by KCPT and The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) to explore the meaning of justice in the context of the 1988 explosion in south Kansas City that killed six…
Spotlight On The Spoken Word | Jeanette Powers
We’re taking a moment to recognize Kansas City’s wordsmiths. Taken from KCPT’s “Arts Upload,” which has amassed an impressive collection of local poets reading their own works, “Spotlight” gives Flatland a chance to catch up with the artists. We find out what they’re up to and get their take on what to watch in the local and national art scene. This week:…
Take 5 for Your Health
North-Central Kansas County Copes With Soaring Alzheimer’s Rate Almost every day, Jay Mellies leaves his home in Clay Center and drives about 20 miles north to visit his wife at a nursing home in neighboring Washington County. Some days when he comes in she tells staff, “I don’t know that guy.” Then she smiles. It’s a…
‘I Can’t Let It Go’ | Part I
EDITOR’S NOTE: This first-person account of one journalist’s attempts to shed light on potential problems in the U.S. justice system is part of a larger effort by KCPT and The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) to explore the meaning of justice in the context of the 1988 explosion in south Kansas City that killed six…
From the Galley to the Guns
With Pearl Harbor survivors well into their 90s, and some passing the century mark, their numbers are shrinking all over the United States. Of the 60,000 Pearl Harbor survivors it is believed that fewer than 2,000 survivors are alive today. Jesse Reynolds of Gallatin, Missouri, was aboard the USS MacDonough when it was anchored in…
EPA Increases Mandate For Ethanol
The amount of ethanol blended into the U.S. fuel supply will go up under new rules issued Monday. In releasing the details of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the policy that sets the amount of biofuels oil refiners must blend into the fuel supply, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it planned to continue to increase the…
“Chi-Raq” has local ties
This weekend, a local filmmaker is getting national attention. Kevin Willmott, associate professor of film and media studies at the University of Kansas, was recently in New York City for the premiere of “Chi-Raq,” a new movie by director Spike Lee. Willmott is the co-writer and executive producer of the film. Based on the ancient…
Cops and Pastors
Police brutality has rocked communities from the East Coast to the Midwest, including here in Kansas City with the shooting death of Ryan Stokes, and a recent Gallup poll found that Americans’ trust in police is at its lowest point in more than two decades. The Kansas City Police Department and Council Member Jermaine Reed…
Sounding Smarter
China is set to build a massive cow cloning facility with an eye toward eventually cloning human beings. Isn’t China making enough human beings the old-fashioned way? In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Secret Service is a hot mess. According to a scathing report released on Thursday, the agency has seen at least a half-dozen previously undisclosed security…
Waiter, there’s coffee in my beer. Or is it beer in my coffee?
A pair of Kansas City brews will be packing a bit more punch this holiday season thanks to a duo of collaborations between local coffee shops and breweries. The Martin City Brewing Company and Second Best Coffee have teamed up on a coffee stout that’s available in MCBC’s tap room right now, and last week…
The Weekender
It’s full-on Christmas season. You can try it to fight it or embrace it. No matter which camp you choose, Flatland has your weekend on lock. BUYING For unique gifts, don’t forget that this weekend is a First Friday. Buying local art from local galleries is always a smart and thoughtful way to shop. You could…
A New Stage
Since artistic director Eric Rosen arrived in 2008, the Kansas City Repertory theater has been staging challenging, world class performances. The theater itself, however, has been a clunky mess. Now, for the first time since being built in 1979, the Spencer Theatre, home of the Rep, has been renovated. To celebrate the completion of a…