KCMO mayor talks race and crime with Flatland
Kansas City’s mayor has a lot to say when it comes to the relationship between crime reduction and race in KC. While KCMO ended 2014 with the lowest number of homicides since 1972, James said these 78 murders were still too many. The real path to crime reduction, he said, is honest communication. Flatland spoke…
A Kansas chef with an unlikely specialty: cheesecake
Cowtown Cheesecake Co., in Bonner Springs, Kansas, brings innovative ingredients and an eclectic food sense to a classic dessert.
Big jumps in healthcare.gov sign-up for Kansas and Missouri
Obamacare enrollment grew by nearly 70 percent in both Kansas and Missouri during the most recent sign-up period, according to preliminary figures released Wednesday by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A different take on cannabis oil
Rep. Kevin Jones interrupted Tuesday’s hearing on House Bill 2282 to question a woman sitting in the front row of the gallery holding her young son. “I hope it’s not too personal,” Jones said. “But did he just have a seizure?” Kiley Klug, a resident of the small central Kansas town of Odin, nodded. Jones,…
KC exhibit celebrates black inventors and innovators
What do a refrigerated truck, a Super Soaker and a golf tee have in common? All were invented by African-Americans, and all were featured in a travelling exhibit at the American Jazz and Negro League Baseball Museum this week. About 15 years ago, Carroll and Sandra Lamb attended a traveling black culture museum, but they…
UMKC’s V-Men: An all-male group explores the issue of violence against women
Last week, college campuses across the nation celebrated Valentine’s Day with performances of Eve Ensler’s play “The Vagina Monologues.” The play, which has been performed every year since 1994, celebrates womanhood and discusses the impact of violence against women. UMKC was one of the campuses that participated, and tonight they continue that celebration with V-Men…
Braving a line of hundreds, in freezing temps, for free dental care
Imagine waiting in line for a day and a half just to get a tooth pulled or a cavity filled. Lots of people did just that over the weekend in Salina, where about 400 dental professionals and hundreds of other volunteers donated their time Friday and Saturday to provide free dental care to 1,400 people at the 14th Kansas Mission of Mercy.
First track debuts from Danielle Nicole Band
Fans of Kansas City music have heard the voice of Danielle Nicole before, as the singer/bassist/songwriter has been performing for the past 12 years in front of audiences — both in the Midwest and abroad — as a part of Trampled Under Foot. Now, she’s branching out. Listeners of our partners at 90.9 The Bridge…
What the FAA’s new drone rules mean for farmers
A highly anticipated batch of federal laws governing the use of drones could change the regulatory landscape and lead to an explosion in drone use by farmers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently proposed rules for commercial drone use, including use in agriculture. The rules, however, still must undergo public comment and revision, a process expected to take months.
Brownback re-election is a ‘low point,’ says Sebelius
Former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius didn’t mince words when asked about the direction of Kansas politics during an event Thursday night at the Dole Institute of Politics. Making one of her first Kansas public appearances since stepping down in June as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Sebelius called the re-election of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback “a low point” in the state’s political history.
Kansas veterans praise passage of mental health bill
Two Kansas soldiers treated for post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan say a bill signed this week by President Barack Obama is a good start in preventing veterans’ suicides.
Kansans react to Brownback’s LGBT decision
In the several days since Gov. Sam Brownback rescinded protected-class status for Kansas state workers who identify as LGBT, the mostly negative reactions of other politicians, journalists and Kansas citizens have crowded news sites and social media. On Tuesday, Brownback rescinded an executive order — issued by former governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2007 — that…
Shimmy and shake
Kansas City is no stranger to the art of the tease. Beginning in the ’40s, KC had a vibrant burlesque scene, and some of that legacy lives on with a number of local artists. Sophie Sassafras teaches the craft to a new crop of aspiring performers at studios around the metro. She calls it Burlesque…
King cake and ‘bayou bites’ – bringing New Orleans tastes to KC
It’s the Wednesday before Fat Tuesday and the prep area for Lanmou Chocolates is rapidly filling with sweets. The new company, co-owned by Goellner (who also owns Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott) and Megan Piel, is getting ready to celebrate its first Mardi Gras in KC.
Conversation: HHS Secretary Burwell
Sylvia Matthews Burwell succeeded former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in June 2014. Before that she was Director of the Office of Management and Budget. She has also served as president of the Walmart Foundation and of the Global Development Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.