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
KCATA Board approves $2 transit fares starting in June
Commissioners outlined the rollout process for fare collection and discussed a CEO search, development efforts and a World Cup transit ambassador program.
Posted inHealth
After enhanced subsidies disappear, Affordable Care Act enrollment drops in Missouri and Kansas
The latest data show enrollment fell about 12% in Missouri and 3.5% in Kansas for 2026. But experts say that doesn’t tell the full story.
Posted inKansas
Kansas Republicans want citizenship status listed on driver’s licenses
Supporters say the proposal would reduce noncitizen voting, even though that is very rare. One study says it happens 0.0001% of the time.
Posted inHealth
‘Everyone is worried’: Battle brews over how Kansas City spends health levy dollars
The property tax that generates about $70 million annually is meant to benefit the city’s poorest patients. It’s about to come under closer scrutiny.
Posted inEducation
Missouri ‘school choice’ bills to watch in 2026
Some Missouri lawmakers want to expand charter schools to more areas of the state, make it easier to switch public schools and help families afford private schools. Others want to roll back or regulate those options.
Posted inBehind the Beacon
The Beacon joins inaugural Local News Day
The Beacon has announced its role as a Founding Newsroom for the first Local News Day, a national day of action scheduled for April 9, 2026.
Posted inEconomics
Proposed Wyandotte data centers require a lot of power: Will that increase your bill?
Data centers could triple Wyandotte County’s power demand. BPU says it can serve data centers without higher utility bills for other ratepayers, but that hasn’t been the case in other markets.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Turner school board reviews attendance progress, elects new leaders
Turner Elementary reports improved chronic absenteeism rates, but the school has not yet met its goal.
Posted inState Government
A course on sexual assault is helping catch predators across the country, but Kansas doesn’t require schools to teach it
Kansas is one of 12 states that haven’t passed Erin’s Law. Advocates want that to change.
Posted inMeeting Notes
City Plan Commission advances World Cup signage rules
The amendment allows temporary building signage for major events, up to 80,000 square feet. The commission also approved plans for a bond project at New Mark Middle School.