Nick’s Picks | White, Shutdown, KCI and More …

People use the moving sidewalks at the new Kansas City International Airport terminal.

Frank White’s Replacement We may find out today who is replacing Frank White as Jackson County executive. Two weeks after voters ousted him from office, county lawmakers are scheduled to meet this afternoon to consider their pick for the job. Nearly a dozen candidates have applied for the interim leader post, which will last only…

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Blue River Cleanup Targets Trash, Invasive Species

A restoration project is underway along the Blue River watershed, a collaborative effort by four nonprofit partners: The Heartland Conservation Alliance, Bridging The Gap, Deep Roots, and Mid-America Regional Council. The groups signed the contracts officially in May. “The day that we got our signed contract sent to us from the city kind of felt…

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Nick’s Picks | Barnes, Redistricting, Shutdown and More …

Former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes celebrates in July 2018 when the city names the Grand Ballroom in the convention center in her honor. (File photo)

Kay Barnes Replaces White This week, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes will officially roll up her sleeves to temporarily lead Jackson County government. She will take over from Frank White, who was ousted by voters in a special recall election last week. But the official handover won’t take place until the results of that…

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Nick’s Picks | Batteries, Recall, Butterflies and More …

Monarch butterflies rest on branches.

Panasonic Plant Grand Opening Panasonic’s $4 billion Kansas battery plant finally begins operations this week. The company is hosting a grand opening ceremony today in De Soto with state and local leaders. The project is jam-packed with superlatives: At full capacity, the plant can churn out 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. But it’s unclear if…

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