People & Places

Tom Nichol at J. Rieger & Co. working on the new batch of gin.

Interview: Master Distiller Tom Nichol on His Drink of Choice

It’s a story that made headlines: Retired master distiller for Diageo, owner of Tanqueray gin and other spirits, gets back in the game for one more batch. The special distillery ? Kansas City’s history-rich J. Rieger & Co. The distiller? Tom Nichol. The liquor? Gin, of course.  But his gin, his way. Finally, the much-discussed gin has arrived, and Nichol…

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The 1908 painting, Water Lilies, by French Impressionist Claude Monet, will be auctioned by Sotheby's for the William I. Koch collection. (Credit: Sotheby's via AP)

Picasso, Monet from William Koch collection to be auctioned

NEW YORK (AP) — An erotic painting of a cabaret singer by Pablo Picasso with a second picture on the reverse side could bring over $60 million at auction. Picasso’s “The Night Club Singer” from his Blue Period was created in 1901. A bawdy picture of his dealer, Pere Manach, is on the back. Sotheby’s…

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The Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall

Celebrating, Bemoaning the passage of time

The Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall is celebrating its 75th anniversary tonight, and it’s a good thing that the celebration is happening during the evening: In the light of day, the museum is clearly in need of a facelift – possibly an estimated $36 million dollar facelift. Starting in 2005, the Kansas City Museum…

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Cremalab founder George Brooks

90 Seconds with Cremalab

Ed’s Note: Flatland and Startland News have partnered to highlight Kansas City’s innovators and entrepreneurs, all in 90 seconds. This is the third episode in the five-part series.  With a team of sharp, trendily dressed bohemians, Cremalab is where speed meets creative dynamism. The Kansas City firm, founded in 2009, transformed itself from a design shop to a…

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Woman ties bandana on man's head.

5 questions with ‘Stray Dog’

Ron “Stray Dog” Hall got his big screen debut as Thump in the Academy-Award nominated film “Winter’s Bone.” Director Debra Granik recruited Hall for the part of the ruthless crime boss after seeing him at a biker church in southern Missouri. But while Hall physically fits the part, a new documentary from Granik reveals that in real…

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