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Vacant lots, absentee owners, little accountability. What’s going on with the Kansas City Land Bank?
Get our free newsletter every Tuesday and Thursday morning. We share our in-depth reporting and the best local stories to help you understand what’s going on in Kansas City.
‘Trash doesn’t care what district you’re in’: Searching for a regional solution to illegal dumping
Every week, Gabrielle Stanley and a group of volunteers with the KC Parks Ambassadors program gather with a single goal in mind: Cleaning up illegal dumping at Indian Mound on Gladstone Boulevard & Belmont Boulevard. But every week, they’re greeted by a new pile of trash and litter. Indian Mound is one of hundreds of…
A DOJ partnership is hoping to change how Kansas City handles violence prevention. It will be an uphill battle.
Several years after the embattled violence-reduction program known as KC No Violence Alliance faded from public view, Mayor Quinton Lucas’ administration is working with federal authorities and community partners to revive and broaden the strategies that for a time seemed to be making a difference in Kansas City, Missouri. The new program, dubbed the Community…
KCPD pulled resources from Sly James’ anti-violence plan. Four years later, KC NoVA won’t quit
If you’re on parole in Jackson County, you might run into Heidi Jones. She isn’t there to make sure you’re following the terms of your release — she wants to help you make the most of your life post incarceration. Jones is a client advocate in Kansas City. The role is simultaneously very specific and…
Shutdown averted — for now. But KC federal workers are still vulnerable to political whims
Signals from Washington that a threatened federal shutdown will be averted, for now, came as good news after partisan disagreements threatened to send an already fragile economy into a tailspin. In the Kansas City metro area, where more than 28,000 federal employees live and work, a shutdown would’ve meant thousands of furloughs and missed paychecks. …
Who is Taking KC Back? Behind the PAC hoping to oust multiple council members
Clarification: Rita Olson-Stawicki is the president of Taking Back KC. She assumed the position after the resignation of former president Jami Bailey in July 2021. A new political action committee in Kansas City, Missouri, is quietly raising its influence and aims to have a say in how City Hall conducts business — and who is…
A Chick-fil-A at the new airport? LGBTQ advocates say that won’t fly
UPDATE: Chick-fil-A has been removed from the list of potential restaurants in the new KCI airport terminal after pushback at a Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee meeting. A plan unveiled last week to include Chick-fil-A alongside a mix of local and national restaurants inside the new Kansas City International (KCI) airport terminal is causing concern…
Wildflowers or weeds? Under Kansas City code, it’s a matter of management
Plants taller than 10 inches can be classified as a “nuisance violation” in Kansas City, Missouri’s code of ordinances. So planting native and pollinator foods like milkweed could put a property owner at risk of a court date — and maybe a hefty fine.
Yes, a recall election could happen in Kansas City. Here’s how it works.
In 2020, there was a push to recall Mayor Quinton Lucas, but it failed to garner enough signatures to be put on the ballot. Now, there’s an ongoing campaign to recall Councilman Eric Bunch, who represents the 4th District.
Showing up and speaking out: How to participate in KC’s government process
Want to participate in Kansas City, Missouri’s legislative process, but not sure where to start? The Kansas City Beacon has created this guide to watching, attending and testifying at city government meetings. Where to find government meeting times and locations Past and upcoming meeting dates are published on the city clerk’s calendar. Users can sort…
KCPD ignores requests for progress report on five-year-old audit
Update: The Kansas City Beacon received confirmation that the audit was discussed by the Board of Police Commissioners and then-chief Darryl Forté, who decided to take no action at the time. An ARTS report conveying that fact was never filed with the city auditor. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department should monitor how often employees…
Jazz in jeopardy: City-owned dangerous buildings at 18th and Vine sit in limbo
Roofs are missing. Cracks and small holes riddle the windows. Debris clutters the exposed interiors. One glass panel facing 18th Street has a painted sign: Paseo Bootery, Shoes and Repairing.
How RideKC is trying to build a better bus stop with community partners
Waiting for his RideKC bus Monday afternoon, Norman Tate noticed a new addition outside the East Village Transit Center — a table covered with books, flyers, tote bags, masks and informational flyers. He watched and waited for several minutes, then approached. By the time Tate finished chatting with the two Kansas City Public Library staffers…
‘Silver tsunami’ rolls through KCMO government
Eighty-five years of experience have walked out of the Kansas City Auditor’s Office in the past year and a half. Two out of three audit managers retired, taking a combined lifetime of experience and institutional knowledge with them. The office is hiring, but new employees will take upwards of a year to start their full…
Despite public outcry, KCPD officers will still be given 48 hours to make a statement after a shooting
Forty-eight hours. That’s the window of time a police officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department has to give a formal statement following a police killing or other violent incident, according to the department’s latest union contract. The Kansas City Beacon obtained a copy of the bargaining agreement through a public records request. The 48-hour…
Which city departments are falling behind in getting vaccinated? Kansas City won’t say.
Two-thirds of Kansas City, Missouri’s 4,233 city employees were vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of July. But the city refuses to release vaccination percentages for individual departments, making it impossible to tell whether some departments are lagging behind.
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