When I first joined The Beacon, I listened to story after story of moments when people lost faith in news media — moments that were deeply personal and revealing. These conversations highlighted a deep erosion of trust and the critical importance of our roles as journalists in restoring it. At The Beacon, we understand that […]
Eight steps The Beacon is taking to earn your trust
Posted inHealth
New COVID vaccines are on their way. What you need to know
A summer COVID wave fueled by a highly contagious variant, increased travel and hot days that crowded people indoors may be starting to ebb in the Kansas City area. Health officials said they hope that surge prompts far more people to sign up for the new COVID vaccine, which could reach area pharmacies next week. […]
Posted inMissouri
Rural Missouri has high smoking rates, and the health problems that follow. That’s changing in some communities
Families flock to McDonald County in southwest Missouri each summer to float down the Elk River, visit the caves where Jesse James took refuge and stay in a rustic cabin. The county is a vestige of old, wild Missouri charm — and a place where restaurants and bars still ask, “Smoking or non?” People in […]
Posted inState Government
Evergy is hoping its regulators OK higher electric bills for its Missouri West customers
Evergy confused and angered its Missouri customers in 2023 when it rolled out time-of-use rates that meant prices would run highest when people use the most electricity. Missourians, especially those on fixed incomes, complained of high costs and having to choose between things like groceries and their medications or powering their homes during peak hours. […]
Posted inState Government
How to make your voice heard on the proposed 2025 Evergy West rate hikes
Evergy Missouri West is proposing a 13.99% increase in its rates starting in January, amounting to over $104 million for the utility provider. While the rate increase will need to be approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the state’s utility regulator, the public can let the commission know how it feels about the rate […]
Posted inLocal Government
Judge approves sweeping changes to Wichita Police’s gang database
Playing basketball with the wrong set of people or frequenting the wrong gas station could land you on a Wichita Police Department list of gang members. Community activists say police make snap judgements that label people as gangsters without any criminal record. That’s about to change. Judge Eric Melgren, chief judge of the U.S. District […]
Posted inState Government
State Rep. Marvin Robinson II, a Kansas Democrat known for siding with Republicans, has died
State Rep. Marvin Robinson II, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat, died of pancreatic cancer. He was 67. The U.S. Navy veteran served one term in the Kansas House and just lost reelection in a crowded Democratic primary. He was controversial in his party for siding with Republicans on some high-profile issues. He was one of […]
Posted inHousing
How green technology is reshaping what buyers expect from Kansas City’s housing market
Twenty years ago, only the most environmentally minded of homebuyers worried much about solar panels, insulation ratings or the value of a heat pump. Today, all those factors matter in a market where energy bills take on growing importance in homebuyers’ calculations. Green home technologies have become more ordinary, even expected (and sometimes mandated by […]
Posted inEducation
How a Wichita State program could help solve Kansas’ teacher shortage
Raising five children and working as a teacher’s aide in Newton left Emily Crawford with too little time to take college classes to become a teacher. So she became an apprentice — earning a teacher’s salary ahead of schedule. All those hours tied up in the classroom helped pave her path to a college degree, […]
Posted inState Government
Johnson County opens a facility for kids in mental health crises
Pulling children out of a mental health crisis is tricky. Some have just run away from home while others are coming off a violent attack on a sibling or parent. They’re thinking impulsively, acting desperately and sometimes doing irrational things to change their situations. That can land them at the Johnson County Juvenile Intake and […]