Order Up I Hi Hat’s E-Crush

Order up is a regular series that takes a layered look at drinks and eats across Kansas City. Got a dish you think we should feature? Drop us a note below or on Twitter @FlatlandKC.

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attorney for medicaid "23"

Take 5 For Your Health

Regardless Of Sentence, ‘Medicaid 23’ Plan To Appeal An attorney for the so-called “Medicaid 23” says his clients will appeal their convictions on trespassing charges, even though they face no jail time. A Cole County, Missouri, jury on Wednesday acquitted 22 clergy members of obstructing government operations but found them guilty of trespassing when they…

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Portrait of mezzo-soprano, Samantha Gossard. photo by JIM BARCUS

Artist to Watch: Samantha Gossard

Mezzo-soprano Samantha Gossard’s first big role came during second grade in a musical called Steamboatin’. “I was ‘Mississippi Meg’ and I had a big monologue and a big solo, all requiring a thick southern accent — definitely a comedic role. I remember everyone laughing so much and thinking I was ‘adorable,’  and I remember my…

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A woman.

Task Force Addresses Growing Problem of Poverty in Johnson County

Armed with a master’s degree in English, Amy Jude Keaton was a successful university English instructor before moving back to Johnson County, where various ailments left her unemployed and periodically homeless. Keaton now clocks 52 hours a week at two jobs, but she can barely make ends meet, largely because her contribution to company-sponsored health…

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Church Without the Dogma

Fewer people believe in God these days, and now there is a local church for it. Just don’t call it church. Members of Kansas City Oasis, which serves atheists, agnostics, and “everything in betweens,” gather every Sunday at the Tony Aguirre Community Center on Kansas City’s West Side. The group has about 200 participants, and…

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A man stands next to a slideshow.

When Water Is More Valuable Than Crops, Farms Struggle To Compete With Thirsty Cities

Few things are more valuable to a farmer in the arid West than irrigation water. Without it, the land turns back into its natural state: dry, dusty plains. If a fast-growing city is your neighbor, then your water holds even more value. Farm families in Western states like California and Colorado are increasingly under pressure…

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Shrimp Grown In Tanks Make A Splash, Coming To A Market Near You

Americans love shrimp. We import about $5 billion worth of it from all over the globe, including from India, Thailand and Indonesia. But over the past year, we’ve learned more about the downsides of global shrimp production. The AP uncovered slave labor in Southeast Asia, and there’s also documentation of environmental degradation from destruction of…

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A taco

Ethnic Enrichment Festival & Other Weekend Possibilities

See the world. Eat the world. All in one weekend. The Ethnic Enrichment Festival returns to Swope Park tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. and hangs around for Saturday (12 to 10 p.m.) and Sunday (12 to 6 p.m.). The festival, now in its 37th year, is an amazing collection of traditional dancing, music, and foods…

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Michelle T. Johnson cover image for commentary reading "parallel lives"

Commentary | Standing in the Universe of our Police Chief

There is a new show on Netflix that I rapidly consumed called “Stranger Things.” I found it a compelling mishmash — “Poltergeist” meets “Stand By Me” with a little “Twin Peaks” thrown in for good measure. In it, for lack of a better way of putting it, there is a parallel universe called the “Upside…

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Justice Department Will Phase Out Its Use Of Private Prisons

Federal officials said the contract facilities don’t offer substantial cost-savings or provide the same level of security as those run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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