Big projects include remediating vacant lots in KCK’s Douglas/Sumner neighborhood and the redevelopment of Parade Park Homes in Kansas City’s historic jazz district.
Environment
Posted inMeeting Notes
MARC welcomes new executive director, departs longtime home
The new ED is North Carolinian Geraldine Ide Gardner, and MARC is moving offices after four decades at its current location in downtown Kansas City.
Posted inMeeting Notes
Port KC considering plan for ‘AI factory and research facility’
Details are skimpy for project that agency CEO says is “much different” than traditional data centers.
Posted inHealth
Public hearings come to Kansas City as US ramps up plutonium production for nuclear weapons
The federal government will hold the second of five public hearings scheduled across the country in Kansas City May 7. Activists want to know what’s at risk here as the nation pursues increased plutonium production.
Posted inKansas City
One tree at a time: A plan for reviving Kansas City’s urban forest
Karen Uhlenhuth always has a few gallons of water in the back of her Prius and an eye toward the side of the road. When she sees one of the 80 or so saplings she recently planted looking thirsty, she’ll pull over and give it a drink. “The real test is the first summer,” she […]
Posted inEnvironment
When it’s time to decide what tree to plant in Kansas City, consider these factors
Before you decide what tree to plant, go outside and look around. You need to know your space, said Taylor Neff, a community forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Look at the size of the plot of land you’re working with, and think about the size and habitat of the tree you are considering. […]
Posted inEnvironment, State Government
South KC landfill opponents prepare for a potential Senate battle, after a win in the Missouri House
Takeaways: When Rick Meyers started knocking on neighbors’ doors to talk about a proposed landfill about a mile from his home, he didn’t appreciate the scale his campaign would take on. The door-knocking turned into an email list. That begat a Facebook group with nearly 5,000 members. Then a political action committee came online to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government, State Government
Suburbs braced to use the legislature to block a south Kansas City landfill
Takeaways: Subdivisions, restaurants and retail shops pop up around Lee’s Summit and Raymore amid rising property values as single-family homes spread across what was farmland just a few years ago. But residents say a proposed 430-acre landfill could threaten that growth. And they’ve rallied together to block it — raising money and deploying lobbyists to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Kansas State Government, Watchdog
‘I’m just so angry’: Wichitans feel state neglected to warn them of danger
In November, KMUW and The Wichita Beacon requested records detailing what the state did to inform the public of the contamination. The state produced limited evidence that it followed through on key aspects of its own communications plan between 2003 and 2022.
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government
Has your family experienced unexplained illness? A Black neighborhood group will survey its members on MLK Day
A federal holiday since 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed in Wichita on Monday, Jan. 16. Local celebrations are planned featuring opportunities for prayer, volunteerism and community fellowship. One neighborhood activist hopes to use the opportunity to survey Black community members about any unexplained health problems.