Nick Haines
Stories by Nick Haines
Nick’s Picks | Roads, Bathrooms, Costco and More …
New Toll Road Opens Kansas City’s first toll road opens this week. Starting Saturday, you’ll pay up to $3.50 to travel the new express lanes on U.S. Highway 69 from 103rd to 151st streets in Overland Park. There are no toll booths — cameras scan your license plate, and a bill arrives by mail. KTAG…
Nick’s Picks | Baseball, Drones, Romance and More …
Royals Reveal Next week, the Kansas City Royals head to Arizona for Spring Training. And that’s the mayor’s self-imposed deadline to lock in a stadium deal. So, is this finally the week owner John Sherman steps to the plate and unveils where the Royals will build their next home? At last week’s council meeting, Mayor…
Nick’s Picks | Phil, ICE, KCPD and More …
Today is my favorite holiday of the year…Happy Groundhog Day! Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow earlier this morning, predicting six more weeks of winter. But around here it’s going to feel almost tropical. After weeks of teeth-chattering cold and snow, the deep freeze is backing off. No single-digit temps on the horizon — and…
Nick’s Picks | Stadium (Again), Fire, ICE and More …
Big questions loom as the week begins — from stadium drama to detention centers to a familiar cliffhanger: Are we heading for another government shutdown? Signs of a New Royals Stadium Deal? Could last week’s closed-door meeting between the governor, mayor, and county executive signal that a deal is finally ready to be made on…
Nick’s Picks | Flu, Speeches, Protests and More …
Flu Surge Halts Surgeries Kansas City hospitals are cancelling hundreds of elective surgeries this week as they struggle to keep up with a surge of respiratory illnesses brought on by what the CDC is now calling the most brutal flu season in 25 years. The flood of hospitalizations is tied to a new influenza strain,…
Nick’s Picks | A 2026 Top 10 List
The first day back after a big holiday is never easy. Your inbox is overflowing, your brain hasn’t caught up yet, and coffee is doing all the heavy lifting. We’ve got you. To ease you back into reality, here’s a handy (and mildly entertaining) guide to the 10 biggest projects and cultural moments headed your…
Nick’s Picks | WyCo, High-Rises, Buses and More …
Kelce Retirement Announcement? What’s your big new distraction now that the Chiefs are out of the playoffs? It’s going to be a long winter for Chiefs fans after the team fails to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Now get ready for the questions: Will Travis Kelce announce his retirement this week?…
Nick’s Picks | Soccer, Signatures, Supplements and More …
Reworking World Cup Plans Now that we know which World Cup teams will be coming to Kansas City, are local officials about to redraw the game plan? While a formal announcement could come later this week, the Kansas City World Cup Host Committee is dialing up its fan projections after drawing the reigning World Cup champions, Argentina and European soccer powerhouse,…
Nick’s Picks | Thanksgiving, Plaza, Betting
Kansas City shifts into festive high gear this week with the granddaddy of all local holiday traditions, the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. Members of the Kansas City Current, including Laurel Ivory and Kayla Sharples, will flip the switch on the Country Club Plaza’s more than 250,000 bulbs on Thanksgiving night. While the music and speeches start…
Nick’s Picks | Andretti, FIFA, Petition and More …
From Shutdown to Epstein Now that the federal government shutdown is over, our major news outlets need another big drama to focus on. They seem to have found it in the Epstein files. The House is expected to vote Tuesday on releasing the final documents relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The…