KC Community Shows Support for Muslim Neighbors
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver held a holiday party and interfaith rally at Union Station Sunday evening to show support for Kansas City’s Muslim community. Several hundred people of all faiths came to the event to mingle, eat and enjoy the holidays together. Since terrorist attacks in Paris left more than 100 dead in November, Cleaver says, Islamophobic rhetoric in America…
A New Approach To Behavioral Problems In School
One of the first graders in Lori Williams’ classroom is clearly restless during the students’ morning community circle. As the children discuss their weekly goals, how to be a good citizen and what integrity means, the young girl is distracted. She wriggles and shifts, pulls both arms through a shirt sleeve and eventually checks out,…
Detective Veterinarian Pursues Mysterious Globe-Trotting Virus
Editor’s Note: This is Part II of a two-part series from KCPT’s partner, Harvest Public Media, tracking the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea. To catch up on Part I, click here. Veterinarian and researcher Scott Dee doesn’t much look the part of a detective, in his jeans and company polo shirt. But when a virus never before seen…
Deadly pig virus remains a mystery – and a threat
Editor’s Note: This is Part I of a two-part series from KCPT’s partner, Harvest Public Media, tracking the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea. Look for Part II tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 20th, here on Flatland. A fast-spreading virus never before seen in the United States hit the pork industry more than two years ago, racking up roughly $1 billion…
Sounding Smarter
According to an extensive story at Foreign Policy, India is building a top secret facility to produce nuclear weapons. Which means, at the very least, India is going to need a new definition of the phrase “top secret”. In other apocalyptic weapons news, the U.S. is “considering a response” to an Iranian ballistic missile test. Apparently, we’re going…
Tracking a Virus
In the spring of 2013, hundreds of baby pigs were dying off and nobody knew what was making them so sick. As a deadly virus hopscotched across farms, researchers went to work as disease detectives, hoping to contain, identify and track the cause. The virus was identified as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, never before seen in…
Time to Make the Doughnuts
Doughnuts are no longer just a morning food. Doughnut Lounge – a new doughnut shop with a cocktail and espresso bar – opened Thursday in Westport. Beyond offering doughnuts late into the night, the lounge has a unique take on the fried rounds. Doughnut Lounge will launch with three tiers of doughnuts: classic, signature and noduts….
The Weekender
It’s the last weekend before Christmas. That means you’ll probably spend most of your weekend shopping or at holiday parties. This is also the week (in case you hadn’t heard) that the new Star Wars movie premiers, meaning that pretty much everyone in North America is going to spend at least some precious weekend time…
Watch Your Words
A recent investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into the watch and timepiece industry’s use of the marketing slogan “Made In USA” focused extensively on local Kansas City watch company Niall Luxury, and Founder and CEO Mike Wilson isn’t thrilled about it. The investigation by the FTC launched after Nicholas Manousos, vice president of…
“Chi-Raq” Makes the Rounds
Jayhawks of the land get a shout out from Spike Lee on PBS’s ‘Charlie Rose.’ For more on the film, written by KU professor Kevin Wilmott and directed by Lee, read Flatland’s “‘Chi-Raq’ Has Local Ties”.
Music | 7 Questions With…
Every Tuesday at 6pm on The Bridge, local music writer and Middle of the Map Fest organizer Chris Haghirian and The Bridge’s Sarah Bradshaw shine a light on the people, music, and events in the 816 area code during “Eight One Sixty“. One regular feature, 7 Questions, gets to the heart of a guest’s passions, past, and… purchase history. This week, 7 Questions goes deep with Bill Brownlee, local…
Spotlight on the Spoken Word | Ezhno Martin
We’re taking a moment to recognize Kansas City’s wordsmiths. Taken from KCPT’s “Arts Upload,” which has amassed an impressive collection of local poets reading their own works, “Spotlight” gives Flatland a chance to catch up with the artists. We find out what they’re up to and get their take on what to watch in the local and national art scene. This week:…
Take 5 for Your Health
Amid Financial Troubles, Company Closes Two Kansas Ethanol Plants Financial problems at one of the world’s leading biofuels companies are causing ripples in the Kansas economy. The Spanish company, Abengoa Bioenergy, opened a state-of-the-art ethanol plant in October 2014 near Hugoton. Gov. Sam Brownback greeted the grand opening as a shot in the arm for the…
Interfaith Group Seeks to Welcome, Not Shun, Syrian Refugees
Responding to calls for a halt to the settlement of Syrian refugees in the United States, an ad hoc group of Kansas City faith groups, organized under the name “People of Faith for Peace,” held a rally Sunday at the Liberty Memorial. About 100 people braved the afternoon’s rainy weather and answered the organizers’ call…
Does a New Apartment Project Mean New Life in Argentine?
Two historic buildings in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, are getting new life – and community members there are seeing the revitalization project as a symbol of a community comeback. “It’s a really big deal,” Graciela Duarte said, an Argentine resident who was serving as a tour guide recently for the Simmons Villas…