Beginning in June, all tenants threatened with eviction will be guaranteed access to a lawyer if they want one, thanks to an ordinance the City Council approved last week.
What renters need to know about Kansas City’s new right-to-counsel law
Posted inLocal Government
What eliminating the food tax could mean for Wichitans
In early November, Gov. Laura Kelly announced a major initiative: “Axe the Food Tax.” The plan would eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. Efforts to squash or reduce this 6.5% tax on food items have been ongoing since at least 2015. But with the opposing parties both signaling their support for removing the tax, […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Local Government
KCMO councilmember provides free transportation to City Hall Thursday for opponents to proposed Northland redistricting
Northland residents upset about the proposed redistricting map have been offered a free ride to a meeting of the Kansas City Council on Thursday. Kevin O’Neill, a council member for the 1st District, announced he would provide a bus to pick up people at the offices of Northland Neighborhoods Inc. and deliver them to City […]
Posted inLocal Government
Why has Wichita removed 189 bus stops in 2021?
When Cindy Coss picked Dodge Literacy Magnet Elementary for her son, a huge draw was the bus stop three blocks away from the school. “‘It was like, ‘Yay,’” Coss said, when they learned of the bus stop at Maple and Bebe streets. Coss can’t drive due to epilepsy. She relies on the city bus system […]
Posted inHealth
KCMO COVID-19 metrics are trending up. These indicators might signal future Kansas City mask mandates.
In general, many of the local COVID-19 metrics are as bad today as they were when the last mask mandate was enacted and are significantly worse off than when it expired last month.
Posted inEducation
Scholarships, guns, teaching about racism: Higher education bills to watch
When considering the sheer number of bills, how students pay for college in Missouri is one of the most popular higher education topics.
Posted inCivic Engagement
‘No replacement for live performing arts’: Kansas City arts nonprofits look ahead despite pandemic challenges
The pandemic was especially hard on Kansas City’s creative community, which operates on lean resources even in the best of times. When performances were canceled and exhibits shut down, many artists turned to arts nonprofits for guidance and even survival. Meanwhile, those nonprofits worried about their own sustainability. One such nonprofit is the Charlotte Street […]
Posted inEducation
How you can snag a spot for your student at one of Wichita’s magnet schools
Students are wrapping up the fall semester at Wichita USD 259, but enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is already starting for the district’s 24 magnet schools. The district’s magnet program offers schools that focus on subjects like science, leadership and performing arts, with some specializing even further into fields like aerospace engineering and health […]
Posted inLocal Government
KCMO auditor looking into city board and commission conflicts of interest
Are all of Kansas City’s board and commission members filling out required conflict of interest forms? Do those forms include the necessary questions to determine whether a conflict exists? The Kansas City, Missouri, auditor’s office is now examining those questions in a new audit that’s a follow-up to a 2019 inquiry that found multiple VisitKC […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘It hasn’t gotten the focus and attention it should’: How Sedgwick County redistricting will impact Hispanic residents
Araceli Amador is concerned about Sedgwick County’s redistricting process. She’s worried that her community, largely made up of Spanish speakers in southwest Wichita, has not been sufficiently included in the county’s redistricting efforts. The process began in the fall and concludes with a vote on the final maps Wednesday. The result will be new boundaries […]