Kansas City, 1968: Photos of MLK assassination protest found
During a routine inspection of donated filing cabinets, a warehouse worker at Kansas City’s Surplus Exchange made a surprisingly timely discovery: around 24 photos of the April 9, 1968, protest at KCMO’s City Hall following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. According to an article on the Kansas City Public Library’s website, this largely…
Intersection of race, justice discussed at Village Square
Since the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year, news outlets have been full of stories of racial injustice in the criminal justice system. In the last week, Baltimore has been in turmoil as protesters wait for answers about what killed a young black man, Freddie Gray, while he was in police custody….
BetaBlox Demo Day: Wes Bergmann
In Kansas City, there are lots of resources for people looking to start a business. From coworking spaces to incubators to angel investment networks, enterprising entrepreneurs have many places to turn. Accelerators are educational programs that entrepreneurs participate in over a somewhat short period. They usually end in a “demo day” event, where participants pitch…
A tale of two counties, with two different health outcomes
When it comes to standard measures of health, Kansas is a laggard. Whether we’re talking about obesity rates, incidence of diabetes, acute or chronic diseases, or childhood mortality, the Sunflower State typically ranks in the bottom half of state health rankings – and in recent years it’s been sinking even lower.
KC Checkup: Four Questions for Danette Wilson
Danette K. Wilson took over as president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City in January, taking the reins from David Gentile, who stepped down for health reasons.
The power of creative pairs
From James Watson and Francis Crick to Paul McCartney and John Lennon to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, history has shown that there is creative power in pairs. In “Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs,” author Joshua Wolf Shenk explains why understanding partnerships is key to understanding creativity and innovation….
A new plan for climate change, from the USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new plan that offers incentives to farmers who volunteer to take steps that would help cut agriculture’s contribution to climate change. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, speaking to an audience at Michigan State University, said the proposal will give farmers, ranchers, and foresters the technical support and financial incentive to implement more conservation measures on their land and in their operations.
Lamb producers are pinning hopes on growing Muslim and Latino markets
Once a regular dining option, a mix of cultural and economic factors pushed lamb off the American dinner table. To put the meat back on the menu, ranchers and retailers are being encouraged to reach out to a more diverse set of consumers, specifically American Muslims and Latinos.
Why Kansas rural hospitals struggle to survive
There are a lot of small, rural hospitals in Kansas. Without them, many Kansans would have to travel long distances for care. What’s more, in many small towns, the hospital is one of the largest employers — making it vital to the local economy.
Can fast food workers unionize?
Across the country and the KC area, fast food workers and other low-wage employees have been protesting for “15 and a union,” or at least $15 an hour and the right to unionize. Mike Shanin of KCPT’s “Ruckus” interviewed LaToya Caldwell of Stand Up KC for last week’s show. She has worked at Wendy’s for…
Little has changed at Elohim City, including the beliefs of the residents
Since it became notorious 20 years ago with suspicions about links to the Oklahoma City bombing, this village seems frozen in time. True, some signs of modernization have crept in. The old, dimly lit chapel has been replaced with a 7,200-square-foot worship area, residents are now equipped with cellphones and Wi-Fi — although the service…
Middle of the Map 2015, local bands cover the headliners
Fans from around the region are flocking to Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood for Ink’s fifth annual Middle of the Map Music Fest, with 120-plus bands playing on several stages. The Bridge, 90.9 FM in Kansas City, has created a Storify featuring highlights from the festival, also featuring four exclusive covers done by local bands of this year’s festival…
Protest, disparity focus of annual KC civil rights summit
Since the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last August, race relations in America have been a constant topic of conversation — on front porches, at bus stops, in bars and on cable news. And it was a big part of the agenda today at the 7th Annual Civil Rights and Fair Housing Summit,…
A compass for cancer: how one patient navigator makes a difference
When Consuelo Ross was diagnosed with breast cancer, she hid in a dark room for three days. She had lost her husband to a motorcycle accident two years before, and she was the mother of two young children. A breast cancer diagnosis — the same disease that had killed her mother years before — felt…
Week in Review: Marking the first anniversary of the JCC shootings
This week marks the one year anniversary of the shooting deaths at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom. And, low wage protests expand in Kansas City, but are they having an impact?