Nick’s Picks | Phil, ICE, KCPD and More …

By | February 2, 2026
The famed weather predictor Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, which means we could see six more weeks of winter, at least according to Groundhog Day lore. This was the fifth time in the last six years that Phil has seen his shadow, according to The Weather Channel, and the 20th time since 2000. Thankfully, in our neck of the woods, temperatures are going make it feel like spring. (Facebook)

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…

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Many ‘Moving Parts’ Complicate Work of KC Reparations Panel

By | August 31, 2025
When the Bruce R. Watkins Drive (the view here looks south from Linwood Avenue) was constructed, it cut in two the historic, predominantly Black Ivanhoe neighborhood, which runs from 31st to 47th streets and from Prospect Avenue to Paseo Boulevard. The freeway’s history is an example of how government decisions led to injustice for Black residents. (Bill Tammeus | Flatland

Kansas City’s history of racial division and injustice is painful and often appalling. But the city now has an opportunity through the Mayor’s Commission on Reparations to show other cities — and maybe the nation itself — how to begin repairing the vast damage inflicted on Black citizens by discriminatory, foolish, destructive, and indefensible past…

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Kansas City Bears Racial Scars of Interstate System

By | February 21, 2025
Bruce R. Watkins Drive runs behind Paseo Baptist Church, 2501 Paseo Blvd. The church's founding pastor, Rev. D. A. Holmes, was a leading opponent of the Watkins Drive project, which severed Black neighborhoods.

Political power, civic influence, and blatant racism shaped the construction of the federal highway system crisscrossing the U.S. today. Kansas City was an extraordinarily adept player in the post-WW II effort. As a result, interstates slice and encircle the metropolitan area, U.S. 71 Highway runs along the east side of town, and many other connecting…

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Cultivating History Pt. 3: Business Success Breeds Resentment

By | February 20, 2025
After the deaths of Junius Groves in 1925 and his wife Matilda in 1930, the Groves family struggled financially, leading to receiving an eviction notice in 1933. (newspapers.com)

Junius Groves had built a potato empire by 1907, when educator Booker T. Washington showcased his success in his book, “The Negro in Business.” Groves then was shipping potatoes across North America while also importing what Washington called “fancy seed potatoes” from distant states. “He would get seed potatoes from Idaho and other places, and…

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