As civic, commercial and residential life has blossomed in Kansas City’s Downtown in recent years, religious life has grown there, too. But that doesn’t mean it’s been easy for newly planted Downtown faith communities to flourish. “It’s been tougher in one sense than we thought it would be,” says the Rev. Troy Campbell, pastor of…
Kansas City shifts into festive high gear this week with the granddaddy of all local holiday traditions, the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. Members of the Kansas City Current, including Laurel Ivory and Kayla Sharples, will flip the switch on the Country Club Plaza’s more than 250,000 bulbs on Thanksgiving night. While the music and speeches start…
‘I Absolutely Refuse to Fail’: Blue Springs Woman Battles For National Spot in Frozen Dessert Aisles
Denisha Jones is poised to turn America’s devotion to apple pie on its peach cobbler head. The Blue Springs mother of four is founder of Sweet Peaches Cobblers. Since 2021, she has stood out among her Kansas City area frozen dessert makers by selling 40,000 frozen cobblers in 660 supermarkets throughout the Midwest, including Sun…
From Shutdown to Epstein Now that the federal government shutdown is over, our major news outlets need another big drama to focus on. They seem to have found it in the Epstein files. The House is expected to vote Tuesday on releasing the final documents relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The…
It was 10 p.m. on Veterans Day when the returning service members stepped onto the terrazzo floor between Baggage Carousels 5 and 6. The veterans, many from the Vietnam War era, were returning to Kansas City International on the return leg of their trip through Honor Flight, the nonprofit that takes veterans on free, day-long…
Shutdown Deal on the Way Is America’s longest government shutdown about to end? It could be over by the end of the week, after a group of eight Democrats agree to join Senate Republicans in a vote to reopen the government, at least through January. The deal comes without a guaranteed extension of health care…
Tuesday is Election Day It may not be a pivotal national election year, but on Tuesday, Americans head to the ballot box to decide thousands of local races and issue questions. America’s Longest Government Shutdown? If no deal is struck in Washington by Tuesday night, we’ll be living through the longest government shutdown in American…
Kansas soil, cleared of vegetation to reveal a rich brownish mauve, forms the indigenous woman’s skin. Sand, mulch, woodchips, and compost are layered and sculpted to form the rest of the portrait titled “Young Woman of Mexico.” Stan Herd has sculpted similar images for more than 30 years in places like Brazil, China, and Cuba.…
Shutdown Gets Serious We’re about to start week five of the federal government shutdown. With no clear end in sight, the impact is about to get even more serious. Stadium Decision? Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has scheduled meetings this week with leaders from the Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs. Is a deal finally at…
It didn’t take long for the new Greater Kansas City Pastors Association to spring into action. As The Kansas City Star reported in early September, just one “day after thousands of people descended on the Missouri Capitol to demonstrate their outrage over congressional maps aimed at minimizing Kansas City’s voting power,” the new pastors’ group…
Big Streetcar Opening Ceremony After more than three years of pain and disruption, Kansas City’s new streetcar extension line finally opens this week, allowing passengers to ride all the way down to the Country Club Plaza and on to UMKC. A grand opening ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. on Friday at the new Plaza…
Frank White’s Replacement We may find out today who is replacing Frank White as Jackson County executive. Two weeks after voters ousted him from office, county lawmakers are scheduled to meet this afternoon to consider their pick for the job. Nearly a dozen candidates have applied for the interim leader post, which will last only…
Those seeking to find Kansas City’s Italian-American community can start at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Inside, at 526 Campbell St., stand statues of canonized historical figures — Frances Xavier Cabrini and Francis of Assisi among them — venerated by the immigrants who worshipped on this very spot upon their late-19th-century arrival. Inscribed on the walls…
Imagine you have just been evicted, and that any documentation you had regarding income, health care expenses, utility costs, or other relevant paperwork got lost in the shuffle. That is a problem in and of itself. But the lack of information is a bigger barrier when it stands between you and gaining eligibility for the…
A restoration project is underway along the Blue River watershed, a collaborative effort by four nonprofit partners: The Heartland Conservation Alliance, Bridging The Gap, Deep Roots, and Mid-America Regional Council. The groups signed the contracts officially in May. “The day that we got our signed contract sent to us from the city kind of felt…