Read the latest reporting from Beacon reporters and Documenters covering topics that matter to you like education, health, housing, work and local and state government.
Kansas City Public Schools hitting mark on staff retention, but teacher absences have spiked
Kansas City Public Schools: Board Business Meeting (Sept. 23, 2026) By Masha Mackey, Kansas City Documenter See more about this meeting at Documenters.org Summary Notes Human Resources Update Office of Education Collaboration Update Board Governance Motions Government Relations Committee Regular Business Observations & Follow-Up Questions Observations Follow-Up Questions If you believe anything in these notes…
Voter guide: Should property taxes help repair Independence’s Vaile Mansion and historic buildings?
How is this different from last year’s historic buildings bond question? What happens if it fails? Do Independence taxpayers get any benefit?
To keep rural healthcare workers, Missouri is helping cover their childcare costs
Abe Funk, the owner of John’s Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, wasn’t looking to get into the childcare business. But he was looking to keep his pharmacies staffed. He kept running into the same problem: Workers were struggling to find childcare they could afford, and that stayed open through their shifts. After an employee approached…
MARC allocates nearly $4 million for energy efficiency, community planning projects
Mid-America Regional Council: Budget & Personnel Committee/Community Services Corporation Committee/Board Meetings (Sept. 22, 2026) By Connye Griffin, Kansas City Documenter See more about this meeting at Documenters.org Summary Notes Budget & Personnel Committee Meeting Board of Directors Meeting Observations & Follow-Up Questions If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at…
Missouri Supreme Court and lots of other judges are on the ballot. What it means to ‘retain’ them
Missouri voters will see a list of anywhere from four to nearly a dozen judges on the ballot. How do you know whether they should stay on the bench?
KC’s temporary ‘World Cup’ jail to become permanent solution as city scraps plans for new building
Kansas City’s latest changeup in a yearslong effort to build a permanent municipal jail involves a $120 million retrofit of its new, temporary modular one: the so-called World Cup jail that didn’t open for the World Cup, and still hasn’t opened. This latest pivot on the city’s part, from an all-new $201 million permanent jail…
Kansans voted to not elect Supreme Court justices. So why are they and other judges on the ballot?
Whether you live in Wyandotte or Johnson County, you will see more than a dozen questions about judges on your ballot. Here’s what to know.
27,000 Kansans are getting medical debt forgiven. Some worry it’s not a real fix
This week thousands of Kansans will get a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes-style surprise. But instead of a knock on the door and a giant check, they’ll find a letter in the mail informing them that some past hospital or doctor bill has been paid off. Somos Votantes Education Fund, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization focused…
Homicides and non-fatal shootings are down in Kansas City from last year
Kansas City: Board of Police Commissioners (Sept. 22, 2026) By Shaunika Cotton, Kansas City Documenter See more about this meeting at Documenters.org These notes were produced through Kansas City Documenters, which trains and pays community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings, strengthening transparency and accountability in local government. Summary Notes: Recognition Guest presentations General…
Should Jackson County renew COMBAT anti-crime sales tax? What to know before you vote
Voters in Jackson County will decide Nov. 3 whether to keep paying a quarter of a cent anti-crime sales tax for the next 10 years. COMBAT — short for community-backed anti-crime tax — appears on the ballot as Jackson County Question 1. A “yes” vote extends the sales tax for 10 years, while a “no”…
KCK voters to decide if fixes to roads, sidewalks, parks and pools are worth an extra sales tax
Most cities aim for their roads to score 70 or 80 out of 100. Roads in KCK are rated at just 48. Leaders say new tax would fund long-overdue repairs.
Needed dental care is within reach for more people around KC, but Medicaid cuts loom
When a dental surgery center in Independence opens next month, it will be the first in the state exclusively for Medicaid patients. The center, which will provide dental care requiring anesthesia to children and adults, wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago, before Missouri began an overhaul of the dental care offered through its…
‘Kansas is behind’: Advocates say state needs stronger laws to prevent abuse in schools
The legislature has yet to pass Erin’s Law, mandating child abuse prevention education, and other laws advocates say could strengthen protections for children.
Hundreds of police, government & home cameras feed footage to KCKPD investigations
Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas: Public Works & Safety (Sept. 14, 2026) By Laura Mangan, Kansas City Documenter These notes were produced through Kansas City Documenters, which trains and pays community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings, strengthening transparency and accountability in local government. Summary Notes Minutes Agenda Observations &…
Abortion, redistricting & more: What yes, no votes mean for Missouri ballot questions
Missouri voters are beginning to head to the polls to weigh in on the 2026 midterm elections. Voters are casting ballots to elect representatives to the U.S. House, state General Assembly and five statewide ballot measures. To help you understand your ballot, The Beacon has compiled a guide to November’s ballot measures and what a…
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