Brett Baker
Stories by Brett Baker
New FDA Ruling on E-Cigs has Business Owners Worried
Standing behind the counter of a Midtown Kansas City vape shop, Billy Angus pondered the gravity of a new directive from Washington, D.C., aimed at an increasingly popular alternative to cigarettes: “It’s going to cause most of the industry to go out of business,” said Angus, manager of 816 Vapor, which sits along 39th Street….
Common Grounds | Brooksiders Dissect Campaign Advertisements
What happens when a regular coffee group gathers at a Brookside restaurant? Check out the latest episode of “Common Grounds” to find out. The hangout of choice for our coffee conversationalists is Bella Napoli Italian Restaurant, Deli, and Coffee Bar at 6229 Brookside Blvd. Sharon Grosshart, Fred Newman, Bob Miller, Nelson Maurice, and Jackie Allen…
Common Grounds | Troost Avenue Group Contemplates Racial Issues
Reconciliation Services hosted the “Common Grounds” team this week, where the conversation included discussions about race and the violence gripping the nation. The Rev. Justin Mathews, Turbo Qualls, Tonya Adams, and Rodney Hendrix met in the internet cafe at the organization’s offices, 3101 Troost Ave. Matthews is the executive director of Reconciliation Services, and Qualls…
Common Grounds | Elections in a 24-Hour News Cycle
This week the “Common Grounds” team heads southeast to the Cass County town of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, to sit down with four locals at the New Town Bicycle and Coffee Shop. Dwight and Anita Widaman, Dave Moore, and Bob White met in the narrow, brick building at 115 Wyoming St. in the historic downtown. The bike…
Jehovah’s Witness Gatherings Highlight Faith’s Beliefs
Antonio Rosas is nearly blind from glaucoma, and his daughter, Gina, uses a wheelchair due to a rare neuroimmune disorder. So it’s hard for them to get out and worship with their fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas. Yet their deep faith is pulling them through a weekslong summer trek to regional…
Common Grounds | Discussing Life After Orlando
This week’s episode of “Common Grounds” comes to you from our down-the-street neighbor, the Good Samaritan Project, where we visited with six members of Kansas City’s LGBT community. Ash R. Allee, Gina Vidal, Greg Razer, Hugo Ximello-Salido, Matt Parker Green, and Stuart Hinds were the diverse coffee conversationalists who gathered at the project’s offices,…
Common Grounds | Kansans Discuss Election and Education Crisis
Located a stone’s throw away from the seat of government in Wyandotte County is a small coffee shop. A Cup on the Hill, 730 Minnesota Ave., opened two years ago with the help of Community Housing of Wyandotte County and remains one of the few coffee shops in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. Its rarity and…
KC Hearing Examines Payday Lending
Federal regulators looking to crack down on abuses in the payday lending industry heard from both sides of the issue at a hearing Thursday in Kansas City. “If a lender can succeed when borrowers are setup to fail, it is a telltale sign of a malfunctioning market,” said Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial…
Does a New Apartment Project Mean New Life in Argentine?
Two historic buildings in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, are getting new life – and community members there are seeing the revitalization project as a symbol of a community comeback. “It’s a really big deal,” Graciela Duarte said, an Argentine resident who was serving as a tour guide recently for the Simmons Villas…
UG says no to police body cameras in KCK, for now
Citing high costs and legal unknowns, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County has rejected a federal grant for body cameras for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. In the wake of the Ferguson crisis in Missouri, police body cameras have received national attention, and KCMO Mayor Sly James has expressed a desire to bring the…