News & Issues
Something Funny Happening Downtown at The Box Gallery
By Kevin Collison A “funny” and memorable show has opened at The Box Gallery downtown, a colorful look at Andrews McMeel Universal and its influence on our national popular culture since its founding here in 1970. “The Art of the Comics” displays how Andrews McMeel, a national syndication, publishing and entertainment firm based at 1130…
UMKC Streetcar Extension Report Suggests Stops and Alignment
By Kevin Collison The future layout of the planned streetcar extension from downtown to UMKC is on the map with its proposed stops and alignment on Main Street reviewed at a recent public hearing. For the most part, the eight suggested streetcar stops mirror those in place for the MAX rapid-transit bus route now serving…
Comparing Apples to Ohio
Why Columbus? Why would Kansas City PBS use Ohio’s capital city as a school-choice benchmark for our community? It all came down to research. More specifically, it was two reports: the “Education Choice and Competition Index,” published a year ago by the Center on Children and Families at the Brookings Institution, and “America’s Best (And…
Chasing the Tortoise and the Hare
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Before dawn, dozens of youngsters rush through winter rain toward the entryway of their school. The elementary school students are heading from buses into Columbus Bilingual Academy, which caters to Hispanic families that speak little or no English. The academy is a haven for students who might have been bullied, isolated or simply bewildered…
Rightfully Sewn Finds New Home to ‘Move the Needle’ in Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Rightfully Sewn, a nonprofit started in 2015 to teach women how to succeed as seamstresses in the fashion industry, has found a permanent home in appropriately, the Crossroads Arts District. “Our goal is to create jobs and opportunities in Kansas City through the business of fashion,” said Jennifer Lapka, founder of Rightfully…