Mike Sherry
Contributor and Former Senior Reporter
Stories by Mike Sherry
Lucas Beats Justus In KC Mayor’s Race
Kansas City has a new mayor, and his name is Quinton Lucas. According to unofficial results, Lucas captured 59 percent of the vote in the race against fellow Kansas City Council member Jolie Justus. So, what’s next? Lucas takes office on Aug. 1. Including the primary, the campaign was a long one. So, let’s give…
A Decades-Old Tax Question Resurfaces About Kansas City Schools
Earl Fleer is nearly 80 years old now, and he lives about a dozen miles south of his hometown of Hermann, Missouri. But some months back, when he came across an online prompt for our curiousKC reporting initiative, his mind drifted back to his days as a public information officer in the mid-1970s for the…
What’s The Story Behind That Shiny Spire In Independence, Missouri?
Like many Metropolitan-area residents, Valorie Wells Fenton has driven by the silver spire that corkscrews skyward in Independence, Missouri. She heard it’s the place Mormons expect Jesus to return and wondered if the site may be to Mormons like the Vatican is to Catholics. After talking with family and friends about the church, she realized…
Money Issues Hamper Progress In Some School Districts
What’s the best way to ensure that future generations get the best education possible? For many people, the answer is simple: money. More specifically, these proponents argue that additional funding must go toward attracting and retaining quality teachers — arguably the most important component of the education system. The problem, however, is that school funding…
Neighborhood Cleanup Removes Tons of Trash From Kansas City’s East Side
Just imagine what $1.5 billion would do for blight on Kansas City’s East Side. Well, if Bill Drummond had his way, the city would make sprucing up neighborhoods as big a financial priority as the billion-dollar-plus project to replace Kansas City International Airport. Drummond, a volunteer from the Manheim Park, an urban core neighborhood, spoke…
Finding Friends When You Are Over 60
Sheryl Raineri grew up in the Chicago suburbs, relocated to the warmer climes of San Antonio for almost two decades, and then found herself in Kansas City, North, of all places, nearly seven years ago. She came here for family support when her husband was dying from lung disease. A career move had brought her…
KC Mayoral Debate: 5 Key Takeaways
If you were home Wednesday evening enjoying some of your favorite Kansas City PBS programming (we hope!), you are excused for not attending the Kansas City mayoral debate moderated by KCPT’s own Nick Haines. We also understand if you were otherwise indisposed. Polls indicate a large chunk of the electorate remains undecided going into the…
There Is A Way To Boost Achievement of Low-Income Students
The economic divide is a big driver of educational inequality around the country and here in the Kansas City area. But does that have to be a given? The hope is that the school of the future can narrow the opportunity gap between wealthy and low-income school districts. To a large extent, this means adding…
Curbing Violence Is Key Topic In Forum for East Side KC Council Seat
The shadow of a slain 15-year-old loomed over a Thursday evening forum for candidates seeking a 3rd District seat on the Kansas City Council. The Feb. 12 shooting death of An’Janique Wright was part of a conversation about what these candidates would do, if elected, to stem the violence in the district. Wright was shot…
Blue Valley Looks To Forge New Path
In the United States of the late 19th century, iron works personified the strength and grit of an emerging industrial power. Pittsburgh became the Steel City, but far to the west, another corner of the industry was growing along the banks of the Blue River — on the eastern outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri. From…