Nick’s Picks | Streetcar, Shutdown, Voting and More …

Streetcar 802 sits idle on Main Street near Country Club Plaza where it was undergoing testing on the Main Street extension on Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Carlos Moreno | KCUR 89.3)

Big Streetcar Opening Ceremony After more than three years of pain and disruption, Kansas City’s new streetcar extension line finally opens this week, allowing passengers to ride all the way down to the Country Club Plaza and on to UMKC. A grand opening ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. on Friday at the new Plaza…

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Nick’s Picks | White, Shutdown, KCI and More …

People use the moving sidewalks at the new Kansas City International Airport terminal.

Frank White’s Replacement We may find out today who is replacing Frank White as Jackson County executive. Two weeks after voters ousted him from office, county lawmakers are scheduled to meet this afternoon to consider their pick for the job. Nearly a dozen candidates have applied for the interim leader post, which will last only…

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Two Documentaries In The Works About KC’s Historic Northeast

Holy Rosary Catholic Church, at 526 Campbell St., in Kansas City, Missouri, is a symbol of the longstanding Italian presence in the city's North End. It is part of a parish founded in 1891. (Chase Castor | Flatland)

Those seeking to find Kansas City’s Italian-American community can start at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Inside, at 526 Campbell St., stand statues of canonized historical figures — Frances Xavier Cabrini and Francis of Assisi among them — venerated by the immigrants who worshipped on this very spot upon their late-19th-century arrival. Inscribed on the walls…

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Missouri Food Assistance Applicants Hit ‘Bottleneck’

Officials at food banks like Kansas City-based Harvesters worry about administrative barriers facing families applying for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (Austin Wood | Flatland)

Imagine you have just been evicted, and that any documentation you had regarding income, health care expenses, utility costs, or other relevant paperwork got lost in the shuffle. That is a problem in and of itself. But the lack of information is a bigger barrier when it stands between you and gaining eligibility for the…

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Blue River Cleanup Targets Trash, Invasive Species

A restoration project is underway along the Blue River watershed, a collaborative effort by four nonprofit partners: The Heartland Conservation Alliance, Bridging The Gap, Deep Roots, and Mid-America Regional Council. The groups signed the contracts officially in May. “The day that we got our signed contract sent to us from the city kind of felt…

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