KC groups call on city hall to take action on minimum wage
At a rally on the steps of KCMO’s City Hall Monday, several advocates called on Kansas City’s city council to pass a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour. The rally was hosted by two local organizations, Stand UP KC and Missouri Jobs With Justice, in anticipation of an upcoming vote on the issue by Kansas City councilmembers.
Sarah Lugg Regan brings ‘Toytisserie’ to life
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures closed their doors to the public 18 months ago to renovate and redesign the exhibit space. When the museum reopens in August, a spinning metal ribbon covered with more than one thousand toys of all shapes and sizes will be the focal point of the new lobby space….
National And Local Leaders Join Discussion on Destructive Politics
The suicide of Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich earlier this year has sparked a debate about fairness and morality in politics. The local chapter of The Village Square joined that discussion Thursday night with a panel event titled “The Politics of Personal Destruction.” KCPT was also a sponsor of that event. The panel featured Mr. Terry Nelson, founding partner of…
Food pantries help patrons grow their own produce
In the U.S., one in six people struggle with hunger. Food pantries across the country pass out food to help these people put meals on the table. But what if they could help teach the pantry visitors how to grow their own food, too? Grow Well Missouri, a program that travels to food pantries around…
12 QUESTIONS – and answers – about a minimum wage increase in KC
In the past few months, protests, rallies and labor strikes in favor of raising the minimum wage to $15 in Kansas CIty have gained local and national attention. Here are 12 questions we answer regarding the minimum wage increase.
The Field of Dreams and Wine
The Berggren family just wanted a new home for their pumpkin patch. Logistics Park Kansas City and the BSNF intermodal were set to come online in Edgerton, Kansas, two years ago and the KC Pumpkin Patch was going to lose its lease in neighboring Gardner. “My folks have always wanted to run the pumpkin patch,”…
The $50 Million Budget Cuts in Kansas
Gov. Sam Brownback’s office will work to identify $50 million in budget cuts mandated by the Legislature for the upcoming fiscal year, although future restoration of those reductions could be constrained by automatic income tax cuts. Brownback addressed reporters Tuesday in a news conference recapping the historically long session that ended Friday. The governor acknowledged…
Voters may be able to weigh in on the convention center hotel
During the Wednesday morning taping of KCPT’s Ruckus, Dan Coffey, founder of Citizens for Responsible Government, announced plans to begin a petition initiative to allow voters to weigh in on the proposed plan for a new 800-room downtown convention hotel. The Kansas City charter grants the right to file an initiative petition provided it is…
Affordable Care Act may become unaffordable
It’s shaping up as a make-or-break moment for the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Supreme Court will rule in a week or two on a challenge to Obamacare subsidies that could affect 6.4 million Americans. That’s roughly how many people obtained tax credits through health insurance exchanges operated by the federal government. Thirty-four states chose…
“Telling Project” enlists local veterans to bring their experiences center stage
Jonathan Wei can pinpoint the exact moment when he realized that everything he thought he knew about those who served in the military was wrong. In 2006, Wei was teaching at the University of Oregon and was an advisor to a student veterans group there. One morning while talking with one of his students, who…
Raucous Caucus attempts to engage absent millennial voters
Candidates in the upcoming election converged on Barney Allis Plaza for the Raucous Caucus, an event aimed at getting young people to vote. The event was hosted by a collection of local organizations that work to engage young people in Kansas City, including KCPT. In May of 2015 the Kansas City Star reported that three times more people over…
A KC incubator for food and flavor
After two decades in the tile and flooring business, Shannon Kimball made the decision to pursue his barbecue business, Firebug, full-time. But when he headquartered at a 6,000 square foot building on Troost, he knew that it was likely too large for just one business. That’s how Flavor Trade, an incubator for KC food entrepreneurs, was born.
Local KC group kickstarts payday-loan reform campaign
The Kansas City nonprofit Communities Creating Opportunity (CCO) has launched a new payday-loan reform campaign to educate the public about the dangers of payday loans and rally support for legislative reform.
BetaBlox Demo Day pitch: Tracy Ford & Virtutecture
Tracy Ford pitched Kansas City his startup Virtutecture, which creates virtual reality simulations for architecture, real estate and engineering firms, at this year’s BetaBlox Demo Day event.
Action urged to reduce poverty in Johnson County
Johnson County social service providers should target more services to residents who don’t have children, including low-income couples and at-risk young adults, according to a nonprofit that supports social service agencies in the county.