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 inMeeting Notes
Residents weigh in on transit and World Cup spending at Kansas City’s second budget hearing
Comments focused on public transportation, violence prevention and proposed cuts to nonprofit programs in the city’s proposed $2.5 billion budget, with some also questioning World Cup-related transit and infrastructure priorities.
Posted inEducation
Voter guide: Meet the Blue Springs school board candidates on the April 7 ballot
Five candidates are competing for three seats on the board in spring 2026.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Contaminated land, housing funds and parks upgrades discussed in Wyandotte County
About 400 Douglass-Sumner properties in northeast KCK are being evaluated for possible contamination. Land Bank lots with lead, petroleum or radon concerns will be held until they are remediated.
Posted inHealth
Sports betting protections in Missouri and Kansas get failing grades
A new report finds that states with legalized sports betting aren’t doing enough to protect people from gambling trouble.
Posted inElections
On the April 7 ballot: Should Kansas City keep its earnings tax?
If the measure passes, Kansas City will continue collecting a 63-year-old tax on Kansas City wages, salaries and profits. If it fails, the city will be forced to find hundreds of millions of dollars — or else make dramatic cuts.
Posted inState Government
Kansas lawmakers want to require age verification on all phone application downloads
The legislation passed the Senate 34-6. It would require adults and children alike to confirm their ages before downloading apps from platforms such as Google or Apple.
Posted inEconomics
‘People are already behind on their bills’: Missouri utility rates will keep rising as legislation takes effect, experts warn
Missouri utility companies are requesting rate increases using tools approved by lawmakers last year.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Hickman Mills renames schools amid district consolidation
Three schools will take on new names under the district’s consolidation plan aimed at addressing a projected $14 million deficit.
Posted inState Government
After months of fighting, Gov. Laura Kelly hands over personal data for SNAP recipients to Trump administration
The governor said she received additional privacy guarantees from the federal government. Republicans say she folded under pressure.
Posted inMeeting Notes
KCK school board discusses new roadmap for student success
After two years of engagement with students, educators and community members, the district’s “Portrait of a Graduate” framework defines the key skills students should leave school with.