Nick’s Picks | Phil, ICE, KCPD and More …

Today is my favorite holiday of the year…Happy Groundhog Day!

Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow earlier this morning, predicting six more weeks of winter. But around here it’s going to feel almost tropical.

After weeks of teeth-chattering cold and snow, the deep freeze is backing off. No single-digit temps on the horizon — and we’re warming up to a spring-teasing 54 degrees by Thursday.

Your quick cheat sheet to the week’s biggest stories…

Last Week, Reviewed

Opening Ceremony for Winter Olympics

Let the games begin…

The 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived — cue the cowbells, triple lutzes and dramatic slow-motion snow shots.

Competition at the Milan-Cortina Games gets underway Wednesday, with the official Olympic kickoff Friday night. That’s when the Parade of Nations marches in and the cauldron is lit at San Siro Stadium — better known as the home of Italian soccer giant AC Milan.

Here are some other fast facts to impress your friends:

• Nearly 3,000 athletes are competing, making this the largest Winter Games ever — and the most spread out, with venues more than 200 miles apart.
• For the first time since 2014, NHL players are back on Olympic ice. Team USA will be stocked with pros instead of amateur, collegiate, and minor-league players.
• And keep an eye out for a local name: 24-year-old Caleb Furnell of Lee’s Summit. The 2019 Lee’s Summit West grad has earned a coveted spot on the U.S. bobsled team.

Super Bowl LX

Are you Team Seahawks or Team Patriots?

 Or are you “Team Don’t Care,” now that the Chiefs are watching from the couch?

Seattle and New England face off Sunday in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

If your favorite team didn’t make it in, maybe check out the entertainment. Bad Bunny will headline the Halftime Show, while Green Day kicks things off with a ceremony marking 60 years of Super Bowls.

Gametime | Sunday, 5:30 p.m.

First Public Hearing on New Chiefs Stadium

This week marks the first public hearings since the Chiefs announced their move to Kansas — giving fans, taxpayers, and armchair stadium experts a chance to weigh in.

Two hearings are on the calendar. One happens in Wyandotte County, where the Chiefs want to build a domed stadium. The other is in Olathe, where the team hopes to put its headquarters and practice facility.

The big question for both cities: should local sales tax dollars help pay for it?

Tuesday night’s Wyandotte County meeting comes with a little extra drama. Unified Government leaders are expected to reveal the stadium’s exact location — something that, until now, has been loosely described as “somewhere near The Legends.”

Want to have your say?

• Wyandotte County: Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Unified Government building, 701 N. 7th St. in downtown KCK.
• Olathe: Tuesday, Olathe City Hall, 100 E. Santa Fe. The public hearing follows the City Council meeting that starts at 7 p.m.

Love it, hate it, or just want to ask how much this is really going to cost — this is your moment.

Votes Loom on ICE Policies

Every other headline right now seems to be about ICE and immigration – and this week is shaping up to deliver a few more. Here are three local developments to keep an eye on:

• Jackson County lawmakers are set to vote today on a moratorium banning ICE detention centers. It follows a similar move approved by Kansas City just two weeks ago.
• Also up for a vote today: a proposal requiring law enforcement officers — including ICE agents — to keep their faces uncovered and badge numbers visible while working in Jackson County. Legal experts warn both measures could be symbolic, arguing federal law may override local rules.
• Meanwhile, the effort to reopen the CoreCivic private prison in Leavenworth as a large-scale immigrant detention center is back before city leaders today. The facility, which closed in 2021, is located 16 miles west of KCI airport.

KCPD Out of Cash?

The Kansas City mayor and City Council are just learning of a new memo from the KCPD police chief warning it’s out of cash. Chief Stacey Graves is cancelling overtime, putting a freeze on hiring and placing a hold on equipment purchases.

Mayor Quinton Lucas says the news caught him off guard, especially given what he calls a significant funding boost for KCPD in the most recent city budget.

Graves is expected to detail the department’s financial troubles today and explain how they could affect police services.

The mayor, meanwhile, has repeatedly pointed to a familiar culprit: a growing stack of unbudgeted legal settlements that he says have blown a hole in the police budget.

KC Eyes Ban on Mini Liquor Bottles & Single Beer Cans

Just as Kansas City is loosening its drinking laws for the World Cup, City Hall wants to ban the sale of miniature liquor bottles and single beer cans.

The ban would not apply citywide, but in high crime areas, including Prospect and Independence avenues and parts of Midtown.

Lucas will introduce the ordinance at Thursday’s council meeting. The mayor’s office says it has been studying similar bans in Washington and California and claim it reduces incidences of violence and public disorder.

But critics say banning sales in only some parts of town has a discrimination lawsuit written all over it.

Election Day in Independence

Voters in Independence head to the polls this week to pick a new mayor.

Rory Rowland is stepping aside after one term, leaving Missouri’s fifth-largest city wide open for new leadership.

Four candidates are angling for the top job: former Councilman Mike Huff, union leader Kevin King, and current council members Bridget McCandless and Brice Stewart.

On Tuesday, voters will cut that list in half. The top two finishers will move on to the April 7 general election.

Missouri Cranks Up Plan to Ax the Income Tax

Missouri’s long-running effort to wipe out the state income tax is picking up speed this week.

The House Commerce Committee is set to vote Wednesday, potentially sending the plan to the full House for a final green light. If lawmakers in both chambers sign off, the question would land on the August ballot — where voters would get the last word.

It’s a big swing. Income taxes make up about 60% of the state budget and eliminating them would blow a sizable hole in state finances. Lawmakers say an expanded sales tax would fill that gap.

Critics worry the plan would shift the tax burden to lower-income residents. Proponents argue cutting income taxes would supercharge the state economy and create jobs.

Black History Month Turns 50

February is here — and so is Black History Month, now marking its 50th year. The observance officially began in 1976, when U.S. President Gerald Ford officially recognized it during the nation’s bicentennial.

Locally, there’s a big reason to celebrate.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is free all month long, with the Kansas City Royals picking up the tab. Even better, the museum is opening on Mondays, normally its off day, to welcome more visitors.

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful, confusing and downright head- scratching local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.