Early Voting Begins and Hundred-Year-Old Time Capsule is Opened

A Holiday Heads Up

If you’re waiting on that birthday check from grandma, you should be aware there’s no mail delivery today.

Government buildings, banks and post offices are all closed in recognition of Columbus Day, now more frequently referred to as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

We can also declare this the official first day of fall in Kansas City.

After near record highs, it will finally feel like October. Temperatures will fall into the 30’s by Wednesday morning, with some areas dipping below freezing.

Reigniting New Ballpark Debate

Now that the Royals Playoff Party is over, can we expect John Sherman to make some form of announcement about a new ballpark this week?

The Royals owner has rarely spoken about the idea since voters overwhelmingly rejected a stadium tax in April that would have helped fund the project.

But that hasn’t stopped plenty of speculation about what happens next.

The Business Journal is reporting that the momentum is building for a site near Crown Center.

According to the newspaper, Kansas City can gift Washington Square Park to the Royals so the project can move forward without a public vote.

The report claims the Parks Board has the authority to just lease the ground to the Royals for free.

At least one Parks Commissioner says he would vote against the plan.

Early Voting Gets Underway

The Presidential Election may still be 21 days away, but this week early in-person voting begins in Kansas.

You can vote early at multiple locations in Johnson and Wyandotte counties, starting on Saturday.

Early in-person voting begins in Missouri on Monday, October 22.

And here’s an important deadline reminder:

While it’s too late to register to vote in Missouri, you have a little more time if you’re in Kansas.

The deadline to register to vote in Kansas is this Tuesday.

You can register online here: https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg

Confused About the Ballot Measures?

Join us on Kansas City PBS this week as we debate the Missouri minimum wage hike, “truth check” the campaign ads for and against sports betting and dissect the pros and cons of the nearly dozen local and statewide issues on the November ballot.

Watch “On the Ballot,” a Week in Review Election Special this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.

​Flipping Out

Olympic gymnastics phenom, Simone Biles will be in town this week.

The 7-time gold medalist vaults into T-Mobile Center on Wednesday night as part of U.S. Olympic gymnastics, “Gold over America Tour.”

Marathon Traffic Headaches

A heads up for drivers; prepare for lots of traffic headaches, from Ward Parkway to Downtown, this weekend.

The Garmin Kansas City Marathon is this Saturday.

Most intersections along the 26-mile race route will be closed to traffic, starting early on Saturday morning.

In Sports News

The Chiefs are back in action after a bye-week.

The team fly to California this weekend to take on the San Francisco 49ers.

Kickoff is this Sunday at 3:25 p.m.

The MLB playoffs continue. Are you still interested now that the Royals have been eliminated?

It’s now down to the final four: The Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Guardians.

The first World Series game starts next Friday.

Last Week, Reviewed

100-Year-Old Time Capsule to be Opened

A hundred years ago this week, construction was well underway on one of Kansas City’s best-known landmarks, the Liberty Memorial.

When the work began, Kansas City leaders placed a time capsule at the base of the monument. Now, a century later, its ready to be opened.

You can have a front row seat this week for the big reveal.

The time capsule will be cracked open during a special online event, this Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

You can register for free HERE.

Kelce Hosts America’s Newest Game Show

America’s newest game show drops Wednesday with a familiar Kansas City name in the host chair.

Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce will lead contestants on “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity,” a reboot of another well-known show, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader.”

The program will premiere on Amazon Prime as part of a series of new game shows coming to the streaming service in the next few weeks.

If you’re worried that all these acting and hosting gigs are hurting Kelce’s performance on the field, the Chiefs star says all the episodes were recorded before the start of the NFL season.

KC Symphony Goes Psycho

I bet that’s not a headline you ever expected to read. But it’s true.

The Kansas City Symphony plays the soundtrack to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror flick, including the infamous shower scene, as part of its movie concert series.

“Psycho in Concert” is this Tuesday and Wednesday night at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Some Other Happenings Around Town This Week…

• Rapper Lil Jon pumps up Jayhawk fans at KU’s annual Late Night in the Phog event at Allen Fieldhouse on Friday.

• Film actress Kristin Chenoweth joins the Kansas City Symphony for four shows, starting Thursday night.

• Thousands of anime fans converge on downtown for the Planet Anime Convention at the Kansas City Convention Center this weekend.

• The Cornucopia Fall Festival takes over the Power & Light District starting Friday. It’s a free family event featuring carnival rides, music performances, a street market, outdoor games and a petting zoo.

• If stores can have Christmas decorations up in October, it surely must be fine for Kansas City to be celebrating Dia de los Muertos a couple of weeks early. The Kansas City Museum is marking Mexico’s “Day of the Dead” with a family fiesta on Saturday, with traditional foods, games, music and performances.