News & Issues
Regional group to look into the issue of police pursuits
A regional planning group says it will wade into the issue of conflicting police pursuit policies in the Kansas City area.
Mastering the uphill climb to college
Donte Walters thought he had cruise control set for his senior year at Wyandotte High School. He had earned A’s throughout high school, ranked in the top three of his class, participated in sports, and was accepted into the University of Kansas. But in spite of all this, his principal says she panicked during last year’s…
Five years after the Indoor Clean Air Act
When it took effect five years ago, the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act had some restaurant and business owners concerned. But their worries about the state law prohibiting smoking in most public places — including workplaces, public buildings, bars, and restaurants — have largely gone unrealized. The law had its start in cities such as…
A program that aims to get KC kids on their bikes
On a warm afternoon at Garfield Elementary school in northeast Kansas City, a class of grade schoolers charges out into the schoolyard to spend an hour riding bikes. They’re getting training from members of the nonprofit group BikeWalkKC. The program was created three years ago to teach bicycle safety skills. But BikeWalkKC’s education program manager, Maggie Priesmeyer, says she and her fellow instructors found they would often be teaching children to ride for the first time.
Debate Over The Minimum Wage Draws National And Local Leaders
According to an MIT Living Wage Calculator, an individual in Kansas City would require more than a $9 dollar an hour wage in order to sustain an above-poverty lifestyle. For years, efforts to raise the minimum wage at the federal and state levels have faltered. Now, some of the biggest cities in America are taking matters into…