Money drives politics, fueling the same question every election: Who’s trying to buy influence with their donations? But finding out who funds city or county races can be a challenge if you don’t know where or what to look for. Mark Skoglund, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said voters should look for […]
How to track political contributions in Sedgwick County
Posted inKansas City
Kansas City is backing a low-barrier shelter — after objections stalled a similar plan
The Kansas City Council on Thursday unanimously approved funding for a low-barrier, year-round overnight homeless shelter in the northeast — the first of its kind in the city — after shelving a similar plan earlier this year. A low-barrier shelter accepts any person regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, condition or religious affiliation. Officials […]
Posted inLocal Government
What the closing of this Overland Park pool says about where we go to swim
On a warm summer day, bikes pile up on the sidewalk outside Bluejacket Pool, the centerpiece of a cozy neighborhood on the western corner of Overland Park.
Jennie Punswick has been taking her six kids to this small outdoor pool for 18 years. Her son used money from his first communion to buy popsicles at the concession stand. Now, she sees former neighborhood kids bringing their children to Bluejacket.
“I remember all of the swim lessons that our kids took here and sitting with women that are now my best friends,” she said.
But she and more than 800 of her neighbors said goodbye to Bluejacket Pool this month. The 51-year-old pool — leaking 1,500 gallons of water every hour — has closed.
Posted inEducation
KCPS’ $424 million bond proposal would close, open and move schools — and increase your taxes
The lack of a bond has left the district behind on repairs and upgrades.
Posted inHealth
Health officials: COVID surges across Kansas and Missouri as free shots go away
Last year, when COVID vaccines were still free, barely one in five Americans rolled up their sleeves for the latest dose. Now that some people will have to pay $100-plus for the shot, health officials expect even weaker demand when the next version of the vaccine comes out this fall. Meanwhile, a surprisingly strong summer […]
Posted inState Government
Missouri Democrats, tired of seeing uncontested Republicans, recruit more legislative candidates
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect the part of the state Melissa Viloria worked in as a volunteer and the first year House candidates ran in new districts after redistricting. When Melissa Viloria was growing up in northeast Missouri, few people in power that looked like her. Viloria was born in Hawaii to […]
Posted inEducation
Johnson County schools expected a flood of open enrollment students. It didn’t arrive
Three large districts are seeing low numbers of open enrollment applications.
Posted inState Government
Around 120 Kansas kids are abandoned by their families because their mental health needs are too high
An adoptive mother knew that caring for three children from the Kansas foster system meant nurturing those kids through some truly serious problems. Yet the mother dramatically underestimated what she was taking on. Particularly the danger. Two of the adopted children made shanks out of broken glass and damaged toys. They busted up the bedrooms […]
Posted inEducation
Wichita students, universities are still figuring out financial aid as delays continue
Seven months of federal paperwork headaches have left Amy Stoltzfus frustrated. She’s an associate financial aid director at Friends University who helps students navigate the maze of forms and figure out how they will pay for college. An update meant to make it easier for college students to apply for financial aid ended up doing […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas teen got handed over to the state to get him sober. Now he’s in foster care and missed months of school
A high school junior based in Salina regularly came home at night drunk. Sometimes he passed out in the front yard of his mother’s home. Other times, he’d sleep off a night of heavy drinking in the passenger’s seat of a car. The teen’s mother didn’t know what to do. She’d lost the boy’s father, […]