Bridgit Bowden

Stories by Bridgit Bowden

J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain

Kansas City is flowing blue… again

Editor’s Note: This story, which originally published October 3rd, 2014, has been updated. Daniel Boothe contributed to the story. Six of Kansas City, Missouri’s, fountains, as well as several privately-owned fountains and fountains owned by surrounding cities are dyed bright blue to celebrate the Royals making it to the playoffs for the second consecutive year. It…

Nitrate Runoff, Explained

Midwest farmers need fertilizer to help their crops grow. The problem is, nitrogen spread on farm fields in addition to existing ground nitrogen can turn into nitrates that leach off fields and into local waterways. Here’s why you should care: 1. It’s gathering in the Gulf of Mexico, creating a “dead zone” Nitrates in the…

group of people on a stage

KC is becoming a ‘Smart City’: Any questions?

Thursday at Techweek, the Union Station Extreme Screen theatre was packed to the brim with people wanting to hear about “Emerging Kansas City: Building the City of the Future.” The topic of conversation: Kansas City’s Smart City initiative. In case you haven’t heard of the Smart City, here’s what it is in brief: In June…

people signing tour bus

'Nuns On the Bus' roll in to KC

It’s rare to see a crowd of people cheering for a group of nuns. But that’s exactly what happened when the “Nuns on the Bus” held a town hall meeting Friday, Sept. 11, at Community Christian Church near the Plaza in Kansas City. “Nuns on the Bus” is a project of NETWORK, a national Catholic…

illustration

Many Americans are staying away from banks

LaJua Manning works 40 hours a week, and sometimes more than that. She’s a certified nursing assistant, working nights to take care of bedridden patients. Still, she struggles to make ends meet for her and for her two-year-old daughter. When the paychecks do come in, Manning doesn’t deposit them in a bank. In fact, she…

Immigration, the gender wage gap, and Donald Trump emerge as themes for Democratic candidates in KC

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley addressed the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) on Monday at the Kansas City Convention Center. No Republican candidates spoke at the conference. NCLR is an national organization that advocates for the rights of the Hispanic and Latino population. Its conference in Kansas City runs…

Regional group to look into the issue of police pursuits

A regional planning group says it will wade into the issue of conflicting police pursuit policies in the Kansas City area.

smashed cars

Crashes continue as police pursuit policies clash

Seconds before impact, Emma Rothbrust cheered on the Grandview police officer — in hot pursuit far from his home turf — as he blew through a red light in Leawood. “Go get him,” said Rothbrust, 16, as she and a friend waited for him to clear the intersection. As soon as they pulled out, a…

Lady drumming

Making exercise fun through drumming

For senior citizens, a good way to get some exercise is through group fitness classes like Drums Alive at the Matt Ross Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Debbie Shearer teaches the class. She said introducing exercise into senior citizens’ routines is “part of staying alive.” “If you don’t use it, you are going to…

Dr. Jennifer Laurence

Cancer in KC: Dr. Jennifer Laurence

This story is a part of KCPT’s Cancer in KC series, produced in conjunction with the PBS documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, a three-part, six­-hour major television event from filmmaker Ken Burns, airing March 30-April 1. The series examines cancer’s impact in the metro with medical experts, cancer researchers and survivors. We want to learn more about how cancer…