Ferment Nation | Wine is Mystery
Like science? Like wine? Join master of wine and master sommelier Doug Frost — only one of four people in the world to hold both distinctions simultaneously — in “Ferment Nation” as he breaks down the science of fermentation, explores the culture of Midwest wine, and cuts out the pretension in this six-part series. In this episode,…
This Midwest Lab Breeds Pest-Killing Bugs
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is killing pests dead, without the aid of chemicals. Halfway down a dead-end road in the small farming town of Palisade, Colorado, is the research facility known as “The Insectary.” Scientists at the lab develop “biocontrol insects,” insects adapted to attacking bugs and plants harmful to agriculture. Colorado’s Insectary is…
1984: The Year We Unwittingly Stopped Watching Movies And Started Watching Franchises
Even if you are a serious person with adult responsibilities, you are likely aware that a new incarnation of Ghostbusters arrives in theaters this week. It stars four funny women and was co-written by a fifth, and at least some proportion of its intended audience has found these staffing decisions alarming. While I haven’t seen…
In the Crossfire
Just this week, the New York Times detailed a study finding that police are more likely to rough up blacks than whites, meaning tactics like cuffs, pepper spray, and forcing the suspect against a wall. However, it also found no racial bias in lethal force, the deadly shootings we’ve come to rally around. The graphic below doesn’t…
Common Grounds | Troost Avenue Group Contemplates Racial Issues
Reconciliation Services hosted the “Common Grounds” team this week, where the conversation included discussions about race and the violence gripping the nation. The Rev. Justin Mathews, Turbo Qualls, Tonya Adams, and Rodney Hendrix met in the internet cafe at the organization’s offices, 3101 Troost Ave. Matthews is the executive director of Reconciliation Services, and Qualls…
Platte County Fair & Other Weekend Possibilities
It’s fair season. Now, let’s go ahead and see how much fried food we can eat. The Platte County Fair (15730 Fairgrounds Road, Tracy, Missouri) is open through Saturday. You can try your hand at milking a wooden cow, watch a tractor pull or visit the Overflow Saloon — opt for the Tallgrass Pub Ale. Tickets…
New Law Provides Funds For Missouri Localities To Set Up Drug Monitoring Systems
New federal legislation aimed at combating the nation’s opioid addiction crisis has a provision tailored specifically for Missouri, which is the only state without a database designed to prevent pill shopping among multiple dispensers. The language, inserted by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, makes counties and municipalities eligible for federal funds that help…
Add It to the List: Missouri Schools Now Require New Vaccine for 8th- and 12th-Graders
Summer vacation is almost over, and Missouri parents will want to put those back-to-school vaccinations on the radar, especially with a new requirement for thousands of students around the state. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is now requiring incoming eighth- and 12th-graders to be protected against four strains of meningococcal disease, which…
Half-Staff Confusion
Tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy seems to have overwhelmed the men and women who raise and lower Old Glory in all the places she flies across Kansas City. Indeed, the killings have been coming so fast and furious, coordination has become a problem. Yesterday, for example, the U.S. flag was at half-staff at the Federal…
Commentary | The Sky is Not Falling
The sky is not falling. It just seems that it is because we have an image and a video of a falling sky that shows up on our mobile devices. And on our favorite cable stations. Maybe our friends and family are even texting us, warning about the falling sky. Then there’s an abundance of…