Kansas Water Talk Slows to a Trickle
Securing Kansas’ water supply — once a hot topic of the legislative session — has faded into the background in Topeka amid pounding rains and a grinding budget crisis. Rep. Tom Sloan, a Republican from Lawrence, led weeks of hearings on water issuesearlier in the session as chairman of the House Vision 2020 Committee. But, sitting in his office between largely unproductive recent House floor sessions, Sloan said the concerns raised during those hearings largely have been forgotten.
KU Hospital To Manage Inpatient Services At Marillac
The University of Kansas Hospital is expanding a four-year-old relationship with Marillac, a youth behavioral health provider in Overland Park.
Life After Green
At the end of June, Dr. Stephen Green, superintendent of the Kansas City Missouri School District, plans to leave for another job offer in Atlanta —superintendent at the DeKalb County School District. Mike Shanin interviewed Green on “Ruckus” about this departure and what the transition to a new superintendent will look like. Green is optimistic that…
From farmers market to brick-and-mortar
Levi Holland adds another sealed black bag of coffee beans to the small pile that is accumulating on a set of distressed wood shelves only a few feet from the front door at Post Coffee Co. Behind him is the 5-kilogram drum roaster that he’s running on a Wednesday after a busy holiday weekend –…
BetaBlox Demo Day pitch: James Gardner & The Hummus Co.
Entrepreneur James Gardner pitches his startup The Hummus Co. at this year’s BetaBlox Demo Day event. Watch the BetaBlox Demo Day videos each Wednesday online at FlatlandKC.org and on KCPT Thursdays at 7:25 p.m., following Ruckus.
Taking your lunch hour to share a love of reading
Every Tuesday during her lunch hour Lynn Carlton has a standing appointment with a first grader at Wendell Phillips Elementary. In addition to her job as an urban planner at HOK in Kansas City, Missouri, Carlton is a volunteer with Lead to Read, and spends 30 minutes every week with her reading buddy Shamarian. Jean…
Without stable policy, low-carbon fuels struggle to find footing
The federal government’s complex set of rules meant to spur a renewable fuels industry has fallen behind one of its main goals: cut greenhouse emissions from gasoline. Nearly a decade after the rules were drafted, low-carbon fuels have yet to arrive. The Environmental Protection Agency says it will propose tweaks to the nation’s ethanol policy…
Kansas Insurance Department Predicts Jump In 2016 Premiums
The Kansas Insurance Department on Tuesday said that premiums for some individual and small-group health plans are likely to increase by as much as 38 percent for 2016.
Extensive Missouri Bike Trail Plan Creates Both Hope and Lawsuits
Just outside St. Louis, Missouri, on a high, windy bluff overlooking the Missouri River, a trio of grey-haired cyclists pump up tires and make adjustments to their bikes while their friend Henry Lazarski paces the parking lot, eager to get rolling.
Is a $300 million downtown convention hotel worth it?
In 2018, Kansas City will formally open an 800-room, $300 million convention center hotel downtown. However, this project does not fall solely upon the private sector, such as the Hyatt corporation which will run the hotel. Kansas City has given the project tax breaks and other potential benefits including exclusive catering rights. Civic leaders such as Mike…
BetaBlox Demo Day pitch: Caleb Schraeder & Bespoke Woodworks
Caleb Schraeder pitched his startup Bespoke Woodworks, which produces museum quality conceptual furniture, at this year’s BetaBlox Demo Day event. Watch the BetaBlox Demo Day videos each Wednesday online at FlatlandKC.org and on KCPT Thursdays at 7:25 p.m., following Ruckus. “The Philosopher Woodworker | Caleb Schraeder” Video & (8) Stills Attribution Registered Copyright…
From the NewsHour: The Legacy of Head Start
Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson announced the creation of Head Start, the government program designed to support low-income children and families. In its latest American Graduate report, the NewsHour’s April Brown produced this story abut how the program has impacted the lives of millions of children.
Why ‘Going Local’ is a challenge for chefs and farmers
It’s no longer enough for a restaurant to offer roasted chicken or braised beef shank on their menu. They need to be able to tell customers exactly where that chicken came from and how the cow was raised. If they can remember the pedigree of the produce? All the better. But serving locally-sourced food is a challenge for chefs, and the farmer-foodie connections aren’t always easy to come by.
Fighting Junk-Food Marketing, in KCK
For customers stepping inside Abarrotes Delicias, the noise, traffic and heat of the surrounding Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood seem to disappear. The small store offers everything from tacos to snacks to money transfers – or just an air-conditioned place to hang out and watch TV on a lazy afternoon. Owner Graciela Martinez says she tries to provide a welcoming personal touch when serving her customers, who comprise a diverse sample of nearby residents.
Kansas Legislature Makes No Move To Shield ACA Subsidies
Some state legislatures are moving to shield residents’ federal health insurance subsidies in advance of a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the Affordable Care Act. The Kansas Legislature is not among them. As Kansas lawmakers work toward a tax plan to end the 2015 session, they have not had any briefings on the King v….