Sustainability
Rural communities rely on this USDA agency. Trump’s cuts threaten that
USDA Rural Development is Washington’s chief tool to promote economic growth in rural counties — providing funding for everything from renovating old hospitals to providing faster internet service. Sometimes the agency sweeps in to clean up an urgent mess. For instance, last year in Dunklin County, in Missouri’s Bootheel, a sewer system failure sent raw…
Read MoreThe Blue River is Kansas City’s River — Can Kansas Citians Access it?
The Blue River is Kansas City’s river — but does everyone have equal access to it? There’s only one boat ramp on the entire 40-mile Blue River, and some community members say there could be more done to better connect them with the water flowing through their backyards. Flatland talked with the Heartland Conservation Alliance…
Read MoreTrump Views Raise Questions for De Soto Panasonic Plant
The mammoth $4 billion Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant nearing completion on the western edge of Kansas City is the biggest investment ever in the state of Kansas. Now it looms as possibly the biggest paradox and largest question mark hanging over the state and its future fortunes. The paradox is that one of the…
Read More‘The Fish are Very Dumb and They’re Very Hungry’
So, you think it has been unbearably cold lately? Try skimming across the frigid water of an area reservoir in a fishing boat at this time of the year. Then you will know what wind chill is all about. Take it from Brian Ondrejka, a guide on Clinton Lake near Lawrence, Kansas, who is accustomed…
Read MoreRenters: How to Weatherize Your Home to Reduce Energy Costs
Energy burden is defined as the percentage of gross household income that is spent on energy costs. In some areas of the Kansas City Metropolitan area, residents experience an elevated energy burden. However, some energy costs can be reduced through weatherization. While it may be challenging to tackle as a renter, there are options to…
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