News & Issues
How the USDA’s new ‘chicken rule’ could change what you eat, and how it’s inspected
In one of the most far reaching changes in U.S. meat inspection history, federal regulators this fall will allow poultry plant employees — instead of USDA inspectors — to help determine whether chicken is contaminated or safe to eat, a move critics fear could spread to beef and pork processing plants. Indeed, a severe shortage…
Kansas City Week in Review: Turmoil in Kansas U.S. Senate Race
News reviewers Steve Kraske of KCUR, Lynn Horsley and Dave Helling, both of the Kansas City Star and Scott Parks of KMBZ discuss the week’s top stories, including the latest election developments on both sides of the state line plus plans to put the “I” in KCI, who pays for the Missouri National Guard’s presence in Ferguson, tax breaks and streetcars.
Ottawa shooting renews focus on crisis intervention training
Out of the 8,000 full- and part-time law enforcement officers in Kansas, only 1 in 4 have been trained to handle crisis calls involving the mentally ill. Records show that 80 percent of the nearly 1,800 trained officers work in four high-population counties: Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte. The other 20 percent – about 360…
Reclaiming Cliff Drive
Cliff Drive, a state scenic byway, winds through Kessler Park in the northeast part of Kansas City, Missouri. Hidden in an under-visited area north of downtown, Kessler Park is the namesake park of George Kessler, considered to be the father of Kansas City’s parks and boulevards system. Cliff Drive runs the length of the park,…
Kansas City Public Schools revamps approach to early childhood education
The Kansas City Public Schools Head Start classes for three and four year olds begin next week, and while the first day of pre-K is a momental occasion for students and families, it’s also an important day for the district. Just two years ago, the district was on the verge of losing its federal Head…