Nick’s Picks | Super Bowl, Aviation Disaster, Black History, and More …

By | February 3, 2025

Super Bowl Week If you haven’t heard by now, the Kansas City Chiefs are just days away from making history. Could the Chiefs be the first team to win three back-to-back Super Bowls? The NFL’s biggest game is Sunday at 5:30 p.m. in New Orleans. I just did an online search for tickets, and you…

Trump Views Raise Questions for De Soto Panasonic Plant

By | January 31, 2025

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…

‘The Fish are Very Dumb and They’re Very Hungry’

By | January 29, 2025

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…

Nick’s Picks | KC Streetcar, Kansas Troops, Missouri Governor, and More …

By | January 27, 2025

The Chiefs are officially heading to the Super Bowl. Will that be the only story Kansas Citians now care about? Here are some other trends and news developments you may want to be aware of in a week dominated by Chiefs talk… The Big Streetcar Shutdown It’s the week of the big Kansas City Streetcar…

Aging KCK Congregation Bequeaths Building to Serve Youth

By | January 26, 2025

Across much of the nation in recent decades, shrinking churches have confronted the painful question of whether they can afford to maintain a building for worship and other activities. Time and again the answer has been no. Sometimes that means finding other places in which to continue offering worship. But often it means either abandoning…

Bodhi Home Reopens to Homeless Clients After Renovation

By | January 22, 2025

It has been nearly two decades since Kar Woo, a sculptor and gallery owner, established Artists Helping the Homeless (AHH) in Kansas City, Missouri. And Woo recently returned to his roots by renovating the first home opened by the nonprofit. AHH refreshed the Midtown home with about $60,000 in new paint, fixtures, appliances, and furniture.…

Nick’s Picks | Trash Service, Political Action, Comedy Star Power … and More

By | January 13, 2025

This week, many Kansas Citians will finally be able to unload their New Year’s Eve party trash. Last week, several cities including Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, canceled garbage pickup after one of the heaviest snowstorms in decades. Also, this week, our kids are going to have to do something they haven’t done…

Renters: How to Weatherize Your Home to Reduce Energy Costs

By | January 10, 2025

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…

Watch: Mapping and Managing Energy Burden in Kansas City

By | January 9, 2025

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. We caught up with experts to learn more about how energy burden impacts residents and potential solutions for mitigating the problem.

Nick’s Picks | KC Blizzard, Carter Funeral, New Laws, and More …

By | January 6, 2025

Snow-Mageddon We’re tracking the fallout from this weekend’s snow-mageddon. As we start our week, schools and libraries are closed, so are some of our biggest attractions, including the Truman Library and Museum.  More than a dozen local cities have shut down their municipal offices and, depending on where you live, trash pickup is either postponed…

Truth, Religion and the Demise of Local Newspapers

By | December 29, 2024

When I started reporting at The Kansas City Star in late 1970, it was a regional newspaper that served not just the metro area but also east to mid-Missouri, west to central Kansas, and beyond. I was part of a staff of hundreds, and the paper’s circulation — all print then, of course — was…

KC Library Exec Focuses On Native Americans in National Role

By | December 19, 2024

As the Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) celebrated its 150th anniversary this year, a member of its leadership team made her mark in a national organization with a distinguished history of its own. As the library’s director of policy analysis and operational support, Cindy Hohl is the first KCPL representative to serve as president of…

Nick’s Picks | Winter Arrives, Congress Leaves, Decisions Loom, and More …

By | December 16, 2024

Office holiday parties are in full swing, and with Christmas and Hannukah just over a week away, you’re probably feeling time-pinched this morning. So here are 10 ultra-quick headlines to watch out for this week: Winter is Coming This Saturday marks the official start of winter. And we’ll welcome the new season with a big…

This Group is Saving the Kansas River from Tons of Trash

By | December 11, 2024

Bill Hughes has his eyes on a hot tub. The Valley Falls resident isn’t planning a bathroom remodel, though. He’s part of a volunteer group that helps clean up the Kansas River. The hot tub is lodged in the river bottom and it’s too large to lug away. It pops into view during dry spells, when…

Nick’s Picks | Abortion Ban, Death Penalty, Solar Energy, and More …

By | December 2, 2024

New Missouri Abortion Amendment Takes Effect Missouri’s near-total ban on abortion officially comes to an end this week. It follows last month’s voter approval of Amendment 3, which enshrines the right to an abortion in the state Constitution. Its provisions take effect on Thursday. That’s when Planned Parenthood says it will open three temporary abortion…