Several years ago, Josie Garcia of Kansas City, Kansas, saw her water bills from the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities soar as high as $700 a month. Garcia had her insurance company check to make sure nothing was leaking, she said. She called the BPU. A technician came to her house and said the […]
Jerry LaMartina
Jerry LaMartina is a freelance reporter for The Beacon. He's worked as a reporter, electronic-media copywriter, editor and website editor for more than 25 years.
Posted inEconomics
How Kansas Citians are dealing with high gas prices: Filling up less, carpooling more
John Davis of Prairie Village doesn’t fill up his gas tank these days like he did before prices started soaring. Instead, he spends $20 or $30 on each trip to the pump. And he’s been driving less and cutting his spending for other things. “If you just spent $50 on gas out of your paycheck, […]
Posted inEducation
For KC school leaders, security isn’t just about safety – it’s about processing trauma
Three school systems – Kansas City Public Schools, North Kansas City Schools and DeLaSalle Education Center – share their security plans when it comes to visitors, school resource officers and more.
Posted inEconomics
This South KC neighborhood takes on blight and generational wealth — one house at a time
A freshly remodeled house just went up for sale in south Kansas City’s Marlborough neighborhood. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a wraparound porch sits on nearly half an acre and has a new heating and cooling system and new electrical, plumbing, appliances and fixtures, including granite kitchen countertops. Priced at $225,000, with its property taxes […]
Posted inEconomics
Another milestone underway in the Lykins neighborhood’s battle against blight
The Lykins Neighborhood Association in Kansas City is seeking proposals to build at least 15 new homes on more than 2.5 acres of vacant lots