Nick’s Picks | Buses, Schools, Eats and More …

Bus Service Shutdown?

Money to run the bus service in Kansas City officially runs out on Friday, leaving thousands of riders worried about how they’ll get to work.

The metro’s largest bus agency, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) has been struggling to keep the service afloat after federal pandemic money dried up and the city opted to eliminate passenger fares.

Back in April, the Kansas City Council voted to provide $46 million in emergency cash to keep the bus service temporarily running, but that money has now gone.

The KCATA says without a plan for sustainable funding by Friday, drivers will be laid off, service times will be cut, and more than a dozen routes could be eliminated.

Funeral for Slain Sheriff’s Deputy

The public had the opportunity to pay their final respects today for fallen Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Deputy Elijah Ming, who was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call in KCK.

Ming’s funeral was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at Children’s Mercy Park.

KC Hits Grim Milestone

She may not be getting as much attention, but 16-year-old Traelynn Sibley will also be buried this week. And her passing is just as tragic.

Sibley was shot to death by outside gunfire while in her Kansas City home over the weekend.

She is Kansas City’s 100th homicide victim.

Expect to hear more about that grim milestone this week as city leaders try to figure out how to stem the violence.

Kansas City is becoming an outlier across the country as many large cities report sharp drops in homicides.

In Chicago, murders are down 33% this year. And St. Louis is reporting its lowest number of homicides in a decade.

Redistricting Showdown

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has a big decision to make this week. Will he call back state lawmakers for a special session to redraw Missouri’s congressional map?

President Donald Trump reportedly wants Missouri to change its political boundaries to squeeze out Kansas City Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. It’s part of a newly outlined strategy to keep control of Congress in 2026.

In Texas, more than 50 Democratic lawmakers recently fled the state to avoid a similar redistricting vote. The state’s governor has threatened to arrest them.

In National News You Can Use …

Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. It will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2018.

Back to School Week

Summer is cut short this week for thousands of area kids.

It’s Back to School Week, at least on the Kansas side of our state line.

Missouri school kids head back to class next week.

Chiefs: Everywhere All at Once

The Kansas City Chiefs are back on the road this week for their second preseason game. The team is in Seattle on Friday to take on the Seahawks.  The game kicks off at 9 p.m.

This week also sees the launch of a brand-new TV series about the Chiefs.

ESPN’s ‘The Kingdom’ explores the entire history of the franchise, from its euphoric highs to devastating lows.

You can watch all six episodes starting Thursday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN and Disney+.

Getting Out and About: 3 Things to Try

• Craving a foot-long corn dog or a funnel cake the size of a hubcap? The Missouri State Fair is underway in Sedalia through Sunday.
• Closer to home, you can eat your way through the food of more than 60 countries at The Ethnic Enrichment Festival. The three-day cultural event starts on Friday in Swope Park.
• And this Saturday is 816 Day, Kansas City’s totally made-up holiday, based on the city’s area code. Free entertainment and block parties are planned at KC Live in the Power & Light District, the City Market, and Zona Rosa.  A number of area restaurants are offering special $8.16 meal deals to mark the occasion.

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 pm on Kansas City PBS.