This article was produced with ProPublica as part of its Local Reporting Network initiative. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. This story is available in plain language. One weekday morning in July, Kerstie Bramlet was at her workstation inside the Warren County Sheltered Workshop near […]
Missouri Allows Some Disabled Workers to Earn Less Than $1 an Hour. The State Says It’s Fine If That Never Changes.
Posted inEducation
Election results: Voters choose school board members and approve bonds
Preliminary results from the April 7, 2026, election show which board candidates were victorious in seven local school districts.
Posted inState Government
Kansas bill aims to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen in prescription drug pricing
The bill regulates pharmacy benefit managers, which are the middlemen in prescription drug pricing. Pharmacists say shady drug pricing has inflated costs.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Plans for grocery store in downtown KCK advance
The agenda for the United Government committee also included discussions of affordable housing and property tax relief.
Posted inLocal Government
‘There is no way I’m going to run.’ But fast forward six months, and Phil LeVota’s in the race for county executive
When the Jackson County Legislature appointed Phil LeVota as interim county executive, they made him swear that he did not intend to run for election. So why did he file paperwork to appear on the ballot?
Posted inHealth
Sticker shock: Missourians gamble on higher out-of-pocket costs for their Affordable Care Act plans in 2026
Bronze plan selections surge in Missouri’s Affordable Care Act marketplace for 2026, new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Controversial Kansas City alcohol ban headed to City Council
Some council members, convenience store owners oppose plan aimed at limiting public drunkenness, loitering, litter and other problems.
Posted inState Government
Missouri seeks stable funding for 988 mental-health helpline
Bills have been introduced to add a 65-cent monthly charge on phone bills to create a permanent source of state funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Kansas City committee considers World Cup signage, federal health care grant
Kansas City Council Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee recommended approving temporary signage regulations for World Cup 2026.
Posted inState Government
Kansas bill gives foster care agencies more protections from lawsuits — the same level as law enforcement
Social workers could be rolled into the Kansas Tort Claims Act if Gov. Laura Kelly signs a bill passed by state lawmakers.
Posted inHealth
New federal student loan caps are likely to make region’s doctor shortages worse
Starting this summer, the federal government will cap the amount students can borrow through federal loan programs. For many would-be doctors it won’t be enough to cover the cost of school.