KCPT

Stories by KCPT

The Groves family lived in this large home; “The Country Gentleman,” a national agricultural publication, described it as a “22-room palace.” (Contributed)

Cultivating History Pt. 1: ‘Potato King’ Earning New Renown

Junius G. Groves is having a moment. Community knowledge of the African American potato farmer, who died 100 years ago this August, is growing after largely having vanished from the collective memory of Kansas, where he arrived carrying 90 cents in 1879. A new documentary, “The Potato King,” directed by filmmaker Jacob Handy, premiers Thursday…

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) is congratulated after scoring a run against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 7, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nick’s Picks | Spring Training, Abortions, Casinos, and More …

Winter Forever? Say it isn’t so… Another major snowstorm is on the way that could cause a big disruption to your commute and force school closures again. And brace yourself for Arctic-like temperatures. The National Weather Service says wind chills will be below zero from Monday night through Thursday morning. As for the snow…our TV…

People walk outside the Wyandotte County Public Health Department in Kansas City, Kansas. (Zane Irwin | Kansas News Service

After Tuberculosis Outbreak, Wyandotte County Parts Ways with Health Director

The director of the Wyandotte County Public Health Department is no longer with the agency, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. It comes after turmoil during the handling of the major tuberculosis outbreak, shown by emails obtained by the Kansas News Service. Elisha Caldwell had been head of the local health department while an outbreak of TB grew…

Members of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Border Enforcement Security Task Force in Kansas City confer. (Ron Rogers | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Nick’s Picks | Super Letdown, ICE Raids, Trump Effects and More …

Super Sick Monday So, there’ll be no victory parade after all. No “Three-Peat” after the Chiefs fall to the Eagles on football’s biggest stage. That was tough to watch, wasn’t it? And the questions have already begun: Was that Kelce’s final game for the Chiefs? You might be experiencing a record level of absences at…

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor answered a series of questions posed by The Coterie Theatre's Managing Director Jonathan Thomas. Sotomayor had just watched the world premiere of a play based on her children's book "Just Ask!" (Paul Andrews)

SCOTUS Justice Applauds KC Stage Adaption of Her Book

As the first Latina, and the third woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor is noted for reasoned questioning and, at times, searing dissents. But legal opinions, despite obvious historical weight, aren’t the writings that Sotomayor referred to as her life’s work during her recent visit to Kansas City. The messaging within her…

Patrick Mahomes takes part in the Kansas City Chiefs' victory celebration and parade in Kansas City, Missouri, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, following the Chiefs' win over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game.

Nick’s Picks | Super Bowl, Aviation Disaster, Black History, and More …

Super Bowl Week If you haven’t heard by now, the Kansas City Chiefs are just days away from making history. Could the Chiefs be the first team to win three back-to-back Super Bowls? The NFL’s biggest game is Sunday at 5:30 p.m. in New Orleans. I just did an online search for tickets, and you…

Morning sun peeks over the roof of the Panasonic EV Battery Facility in DeSoto, Kansas, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Chase Castor | Flatland)

Trump Views Raise Questions for De Soto Panasonic Plant

The mammoth $4 billion Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant nearing completion on the western edge of Kansas City is the biggest investment ever in the state of Kansas. Now it looms as possibly the biggest paradox and largest question mark hanging over the state and its future fortunes. The paradox is that one of the…

Guide Brian Ondrejka (left) and client John Francis know that the cold of winter can produce hot fishing for crappie. (Courtesy of Brian Ondrejka)

‘The Fish are Very Dumb and They’re Very Hungry’

So, you think it has been unbearably cold lately? Try skimming across the frigid water of an area reservoir in a fishing boat at this time of the year. Then you will know what wind chill is all about. Take it from Brian Ondrejka, a guide on Clinton Lake near Lawrence, Kansas, who is accustomed…

A view of work on a streetcar extension looking south from about 43rd and Main streets.

Nick’s Picks | KC Streetcar, Kansas Troops, Missouri Governor, and More …

The Chiefs are officially heading to the Super Bowl. Will that be the only story Kansas Citians now care about? Here are some other trends and news developments you may want to be aware of in a week dominated by Chiefs talk… The Big Streetcar Shutdown It’s the week of the big Kansas City Streetcar…

The Argentine Mennonite Church has focused for decades on serving the needs of youth. By giving its building to the Youthfront agency, that mission is continuing. (Bill Tammeus | Flatland)

Aging KCK Congregation Bequeaths Building to Serve Youth

Across much of the nation in recent decades, shrinking churches have confronted the painful question of whether they can afford to maintain a building for worship and other activities. Time and again the answer has been no. Sometimes that means finding other places in which to continue offering worship. But often it means either abandoning…