As schools and businesses consider reopening — at the same time local and state officials slowly lift restrictions on businesses — employers are figuring out how to best support a workforce that has quickly embraced the ability to work outside the standard office cubicle.
A year into the pandemic, Kansas City employers grapple with the future of remote work
Posted inHealth
Our Pandemic Year: Kansas City reflects on COVID-19
From stories of loss to stories of hope, Kansas City residents open up about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives.
Posted inEconomics
The Kansas city that pays remote workers to move there
For some midsize cities in the Midwest that have traditionally spent millions in tax incentives to attract businesses, the idea of directly paying remote workers to move there is emerging as a new economic development strategy.
Posted inHealth
How COVID-19 has affected pets in Kansas
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent data, more than 3,625 animals have been tested for COVID-19 across the U.S. — 131 positive. Household pets can catch COVID-19 from their owners, in turn potentially infecting other pets or humans.
Posted inEducation
College campuses in Kansas and Missouri are reopening, but many professors and staff can’t get a COVID-19 vaccine
The deaths of professors from COVID-19 highlight the delicate balance schools face in protecting staff while offering the fullest possible education to students.
Posted inCivic Engagement
At Kansas City budget hearing, residents call for increased funding for housing services and unhoused residents
A majority of comments focused on increased funding for housing services, with specific demands to fund the Office of Tenant Advocate, a city agency borne out of the Tenant Bill of Rights that was passed by the City Council in December 2019.
Posted inEconomics
Without live gigs, Kansas City jazz musicians get creative
Local jazz musicians have lost a large part of their income to the continued spread of COVID-19, which has pummeled the live music industry, leaving them to look to new ways of making money.
Posted inHealth
How Missouri and Kansas expanded rural access to health care in the pandemic
With the need to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, many medical providers have turned to virtual appointments, known as telehealth, as a solution.
Posted inEconomics
For older adults in Kansas City, getting the COVID-19 vaccine comes with digital obstacles
In the middle of a pandemic that has been deadlier for older adults, and without assistance from loved ones or a social services organization, conducting the vaccination sign-up online is a process that could shut out the very people who need the vaccine the most, experts say.
Posted inHealth
COVID-19 Help Desk: Your questions answered
The Beacon’s newest program — the COVID-19 Help Desk — will answer Kansas City’s COVID-19 questions. This project will speed up the distribution of facts through short explainers and guides that companion the solutions and investigative pieces we also run.