News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
High water changes Platte River landscape
Wet spring and summer rains soaked much of the High Plains this year. The Platte River, which runs through Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska before emptying into the Missouri River, saw historic flooding. Standing on the bank of the Platte River at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon, Neb., conservation director Andrew Pierson points upstream to where…
Awaiting an oasis, in KCK’s food dessert
It’s a challenge for Shawn Owens to find fresh food in his neighborhood. He walks or uses the bus for transportation, and quality fresh produce and meats are scarce within a reasonable distance from his home. The life-long Wyandotte County resident does most of his grocery shopping at convenience stores and Aldi, but those places…
Ch-ch-ch-changes, for KCK shopping plaza
A landmark business plaza in Kansas City, Kan., that has been under extensive renovations in the past year is set to see further changes. The Board of Commissioners of the Wyandotte County Unified Government voted unanimously last week to approve the sale of the Advanced Auto Parts property in the Wyandotte Business Plaza. Legacy Development,…
Sounding Smart
INTERNATIONAL Russia moved forcefully into Syria. Many of the targets seem to be non-IS opponents of Russia’s ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. So that’s not terribly helpful. India announced a new plan to lower its rate of greenhouse gas emissions. The plan includes an aggressive adoption of renewable energies, such as wind and solar, but the nation nevertheless remains highly…
Day in the life: A Kansas City public defender
Attorney Ruthie Russell, 32, received her law degree from St. Louis University and has been Missouri State public defender for the past six years. On Monday, September 28th, the Hale Center spent the day with Russell to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing a public defender in Kansas City. The following is an account…