The Beacon heard from a senior fellow and co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the president of the Missouri Farm Bureau about USPS changes in Missouri.
Estrella Gonzalez
Estrella Gonzalez is The Beacon’s community engagement manager who works with the news organization’s community engagement representatives and directs its Community Journalism Lab. She directs The Beacon’s community listening sessions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast media from the University of North Texas and has lived in Kansas City for seven years.
Posted inBehind the Beacon
What The Beacon heard at the KCKPS Board Candidate Forum
The Beacon is charting a path that not only incorporates community voice and how that shapes our reporting but also holding people in power accountable and engaging with people that way through civics. When Edgar Palacios, president and CEO of The Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC) and Revolución Educativa (RevEd), shared that they were hosting a […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
What UMKC students told The Beacon about Kansas City’s public transit growth
The Beacon’s Community Journalism Lab representative, Robert Stone and our local government reporter, Josh Merchant, recently sat down with Urban Planning and Design Students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City to hear what future city planners think about some of Kansas City’s biggest challenges. Students shared their perspectives on housing, transit, development incentives and how […]
Posted inHealth
Activities, meals and resources: A guide to Kansas City-area senior centers
The average life expectancy in Missouri is 75.1 years and 17% of Kansas nursing home residents are classified as low-care. Here’s a guide to senior centers for disabled and elderly people in the Kansas City metro.
Posted inBehind the Beacon
A seat at the table: A recap of our July public safety listening session
Community members joined The Beacon’s Community Journalism Lab at the Kansas City Public Library’s North-East branch for a conversation about public safety July 16. The goal was to talk not just about property crime but about their feelings and experiences around personal safety, vulnerability and belonging in Kansas City. Public safety extending beyond property crime […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Closing reporting loops: How The Beacon’s dyslexia reporting resulted from community listening
When The Beacon first launched its newsroom and community journalism lab in Kansas City, we made a commitment to do more than just cover the news. We wanted to transform who shapes it, how it’s told and whom it serves. That commitment came into focus when a parent and advocate, Tricia McGhee, emailed The Beacon […]
Posted inLocal Government
Kansas City awards $400K to 26 neighborhoods. How far can the money go?
The Beacon spoke to a few neighborhood leaders to see what residents can expect.
Posted inEducation
Your guide to Kansas City-area summer reading programs
Here’s help in finding in-person and online summer reading programs.
Posted inKansas City
Hammering out hope: Kansas City women volunteer to fight housing disparities
Habitat KC’s Women Build initiative tackles the gender gap in homeownership through hands-on housing solutions.
Posted inCivic Engagement
FAQ: What you need to know about the new Real ID
Starting May 7, the Real ID Act will begin to take effect to fly and enter federal buildings.