Nick’s Picks | Stadium Redux, KCK Mayor, Pride and more …
Special Session on Stadiums Starts Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has told state lawmakers to cancel family vacations and head back to Jefferson City today for a last-ditch effort to save the Chiefs and Royals. The special session begins at noon. It comes just days after the Royals acknowledged buying the mortgage on the old Sprint…
Volunteer ‘Gravers’ Search For Plots After Online Inquiries
Six years ago, Robert Franke’s heart doctor suggested he get more exercise. Some would have received that news and headed to the golf course or pickleball court. Franke headed for the closest cemetery. There he pursued his new calling as a Find a Grave volunteer — or “graver,” as some of them refer to themselves…
World War II Left Lasting Economic Imprint in the Region
Harry S. Truman would scarcely recognize today’s technological wizardry and business advancements, 80 years after his instrumental role in the Allies’ victory in World War II. But the former U.S. senator and president from Independence, Missouri, helped lay the groundwork for some of the pillars still fueling the Kansas City-area economy, including components of a…
One elder abuse investigator has 70 cases. Kansas doesn’t say how swamped other caseworkers are
Stacy Crow made sure to check the outdoor cameras at Shirley Crow’s house in Wichita every now and again. Stacy lived five hours away from her 85-year-old mother-in-law, and the video check-ins were necessary because Shirley had Alzheimer’s disease and needed regular medication. “We did like to just see her out on her porch drinking…
Retreat Centers Serve as Oases from Stressful Times
Stress — including that caused by our nation’s current political turmoil — is such a common experience that people have devised many ways to describe it, including the simple exclamation “I’m stressed out.” There’s also the phrase you’re likely to hear only in parts of New England: “I’m right out straight.” Sometimes people under age…
Nick’s Picks | Fireworks, Funeral, FIFA and More …
Celebration at the Station There’s a lot to like about this week. We’ve got a three-day holiday weekend to look forward to. Memorial Day is Monday. Here at the TV station, we’re prepping for our biggest show of the year, Celebration at the Station. It’s all hands on deck for our production crews as we…
Winning the War: Recalling the ‘Instrument of Deliverance,’ Pondering the Future of Democracy
Second of two installments About 16.4 million Americans served during World War II, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Just 66,000 — fewer than one out of every 250 who served – were still alive in 2024. Among those, 1,321 lived in Missouri in 2024, while 352 lived in Kansas….
Winning the War: Truman, Eisenhower and the Fight for Democracy
First of two installments Consider it an example of just how small two towering global figures could be. The year: 1961. The event: a high-stakes summit that called for discretion and diplomacy, given that two titans on the world stage — Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower — for years had maintained an often-frosty distance from…
Nick’s Picks | Lawmaking, Homicide, Drones and More …
Now that there’s a new pope and Kansas City has picked a new city manager, what’s left to report on this week? Here are some newsworthy stories to watch… Missouri Legislative Session Ends Missouri lawmakers are on a sprint to the finish line this week. The legislative session officially ends on Friday. And lawmakers still…
KC Area Museums Reviewing Extensive Indigenous Holdings
Arrowheads, skinning knives, spearheads pulled from Kansas City fields, and prehistoric woven fibers teased from centuries-cold fire pits sit on the floor of a closed wing of the Wyandotte County Historical Museum. They are now under a year-long review to comply with strict federal guidelines designed to give Native American tribes greater control of the…
Nick’s Picks | Holidays, Decisions, Deadlines and More Big Trifectas …
3 Big Holidays We’re marking three big holidays this week, none of which qualify you for a day off. Today is Cinco de Mayo. Sunday is Mother’s Day. And Friday is Victory Day, a new holiday declared by President Donald Trump to mark the end of World War II, though the power to create public…
Long waiting lists and kidneys wasted: The state of organ transplants and how it affects Missouri and Kansas
When Carthesa Hutson’s son, Chris, finally got around to getting his driver’s license he was almost 19. She remembers being at the DMV with him when he paused on the application question about becoming an organ donor and looked to her. She told him to follow his heart. “He said, ‘Well, if I’m not here,…
Nick’s Picks | Storm Threat, City Manager, WWE Rumble, and More …
Brace for Severe Weather Be prepared for some bumpy weather today. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center says damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes are possible. The most severe storm activity is expected north of metro KC, but our local TV meteorologists say the volatile storm path could change quickly. Picking a New Pope…
Ministering to Children With Disabilities
When Michael Palacio was born 18 years ago this month, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, tuberous sclerosis, which causes epilepsy and autism. And Michael now has both. As his parents began to respond to Michael’s needs — and continue to parent Michael’s two older siblings — one issue that arose quickly was…
Nick’s Picks | The Pope, Fountains, Trees, and More …
Remembering Pope Francis It’s going to be a week of mourning as Catholics around the world mark today’s passing of Pope Francis. The Argentinian-born pontiff was 88 years old. Francis’s death triggers a series of rituals and procedures. His papal ring will be destroyed, and his rooms will be sealed. He will lie in state…