Just a few insights at the end of this father's day as we confront a contentious election and a great deal of rising social unrest in Kansas City and throughout the nation . . .
In no particular order:
In KCMO the leading mayoral contender's main selling point is that he didn't have a daddy growing up. However, this humble brag and the possibility of a bachelor mayor won't bring about a new paradigm at City Hall given that Mayor Kay Barnes was the most popular mayor of the modern era to take on the City Hal top job without a spouse.
Prez Trump as father figure??? It makes sense given that support & antipathy dude seems to come from a place that's much more personal than policy driven.
The "Our Father" Evolves. The Pope recently approved changes to the "Lord's Prayer" and now the phrase "lead us not into temptation" is "do not let us fall into temptation."
And for our favorite late night denizens, we share some clips which have shaped our view of fatherhood throughout the years . . .
A beloved dive suffers a bit of fire damage this evening. Word is: It's out, it was a kitchen blaze that did a decent amount of damage. Expect the restaurant to be closed for awhile. Take a look at the photo and the news update:
Just five years ago, the Royals and Tigers were battling for the Central Division title. The Tigers would edge the Royals by one game, but the Royals would get the last laugh by making the playoffs as a Wild Card, winning an epic game, and going on an amazing run that would lead to a pennant and a championship the following year.
Controversy, a surprising election trend and the VOTER REAL TALK from a TKC blog comment favorite . . .
Super Dave: My take and talk on upcoming election
I attended a social event in South Kansas City last night with a group of friends and of course it didn’t take long for the conversation to be all about the upcoming election for the Kansas City mayor.
Here's the tease and a bit of well timed promo . . .
"The widening gap between a prosperous downtown and struggling neighborhoods is an issue in the race for mayor of Kansas City, Mo. Jolie Justis, one of the candidates, touring an East Side neighborhood with a fellow city councillor, Jermaine Reed, left, and the head of the local neighborhood association, John James."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The resurgence of downtown Kansas City, Mo., radiates from the luxury apartment towers with floor-to-ceiling windows and a rooftop pool. It is visible in the art galleries and clothing boutiques flanking the new 2-mile streetcar line, and in the open-air bar and restaurant promenade that is packed with people when the weather is nice.
RAYTOWN, MO (KCTV) -- A house with people inside was hit by gunfire on Sunday morning. Police were called to the house in the 5200 block of Blue Ridge Blvd. at about 8 a.m. When police arrived, they found a home that had been hit by several gunshots.
Make sure to tune in: A new season of Feast TV kicks off on Mon., June 17. Feast TV, which haswon eight Mid-America Emmy Awards since its debut in 2013, is an inspired look at the food scene in the entire state of Missouri, eastern Kansas and southern Illinois.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Monday marks 86 years since mobsters gunned down and killed four law enforcement officers and a criminal fugitive at Union Station railroad depot. It was the morning of June 17, 1933. The killings of four peace officers and the prisoner has gone down in history as the "Kansas City Massacre."
Officials in a western Kansas city are sweating over a nearly century-old swimming pool that leaks about 200,000 gallons of water every day. The water loss at Big Pool is excessive, even for a pool that holds around 2 million gallons, said Garden City's water resource manager, Fred Jones.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A bill dubbed the “Jedi Disposal Act” could soon make Missouri the first state to allow outdoor cremations. The bill would allow licensed funeral directors to organize outdoor cremations at licensed crematoriums or private sites that have permits, The Kansas City Star reported .
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the next week, there will be a special ceremony held at the National WWI Museum and Memorial each night. The event will focus on honoring those who have served or currently serving, as well as those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
One of the most monumental artistic failures in Kansas City history recently earned accolades which attempt to obfuscate is horrible costs.
According to City Hall, Open Spaces Kansas City was among 50 public arts projects honored by Americans for the Arts through the Public Art Network Year in Review program, the only national program that specifically recognizes the most compelling public art.
Given that she was MIA during the critical part of OPEN SPACES, this might be considered a big win for Megan Crigger and her Office of Culture and Creative Services which might be the most frivolous City Hall endeavor of the past decade.
However, this top honor leaves out a few facts regarding the show . . .
KCMO taxpayers had to fund this effort by way of $500,000 from the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund. The City is responsible for a $375,000 loan to KC Creates, the nonprofit entity that produced Open Spaces. All total, KC powered the festival to the tune of around ONE MILLION DOLLARS -- Which kinda pricey for an art festival.
The punchline . . .
NEARLY ONE YEAR AFTER THE KCMO ARTSY PARTY, VENDORS COMPLAIN THAT THEY HAVEN'T YET BEEN PAID!!!
And so the bad news continues to mount despite an attempt to rewrite history and ignore the legacy of local art FAIL.
Other than the bills, all we'll have to remember this artsy embarrassment by are the branches of the dead pink tree featured by "OPEN SPACES" and now auctioned as "art" or really creative mulch.
Meanwhile, as the economy braces for recession the local creative class and lame duck politicos continue their spin for pricey projects that didn't perform up to expectations and have literally left locals holding nothing but the check.
Kansas City, MO (KCTV) - Police are investigating after one person was shot and critically injured. Just after 11 p.m. on Saturday night, police were called to the 3400 block of Askew on a shooting. When they arrived, they found one person laying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds.
Laurel Austin documented her son Jeremy's first dosing of chlorine dioxide on YouTube. In the 30-second video, broadcast to 4,465 subscribers, Jeremy, 27, sits at a kitchen table as his mother narrates his mood. Then his arms seem to involuntarily twist around one another and he screams into his forearm before taking a bite of a banana.
Summer is special in Kansas City. We want to help you make the most of it. So we've compiled the ultimate calendar of events and activities with something to do every single day this summer, beginning on June 1 and stretching all the way through Labor Day.
Gov. Mike Parson and a bipartisan group of local lawmakers celebrated the signing of the "Border War Bill" that will end tax breaks for companies moving from Missouri to Kansas, and vice versa, if both states enact the rules. .
Leaders of Symphony in the Flint Hills, an organization whose main event is an annual outdoor concert by the Kansas City Symphony that draws as many as 7,000 people, canceled the event this weekend after storms damaged the site of the performance.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - City Hall will look a lot different after Tuesday's election, which will turn over multiple city council seats and choose Mayor Sly James' successor. With the finish line in sight, 41 Action News followed both candidates for mayor, Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas, on Saturday as they made a final push for your vote.
Kansas City artist Ryan Wilks' new exhibition at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center attracted a group of women who formed a circle and prayed. It's not uncommon, Wilks says, for Christians to offer help with eternal salvation. Wilks used to be offended by the behavior, but in this case it only provoked a shrug.
In case the details have become a bit fuzzy over time, here's why Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt is no longer a member of the Kansas City Chiefs: Video of Hunt kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel surfaced via TMZ in late November 2018.
Hide Transcript Show Transcript IN TERMS OF OUR WEATHER TODAY, WHAT IS IN STORE FOR DADS? PETE: IN STORE FOR DADS? GREAT FOOD MAYBE. KELEIGH: CAN THEY BARBECUE? PETE: I THINK WE'RE OK. ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE AFTERNOON TOWARDS THE METRO AREA NORTHWARD. ACTIVITY. WE HAVE HAD SOME THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
The newspaper mostly loves new taxes and this election is no different.
Accordingly, a group of upstart residents have pushed a ballot effort to cap incentives.
However, as usual, the newspaper is taking the side of developers and the biz community over low tax advocates.
What is Question 1???
A yes vote hopes to limit the use of property tax incentives such as abatements and redirections to 50% of the increased revenue from a project, down from the existing cap of 75%.
Money line beyond all of the equivocating and posturing:
"If Question 1 passes, public momentum for additional improvements to incentive guidelines will stall. Kansas City would be left with an inflexible policy that could actually hurt poor communities, the very neighborhoods incentives are supposed to benefit."
It's typical corporate circular logic that attempts to confuse activists, delay any real change and punt the issue to the new mayor & council -- Essentially a no vote gives the status quo a monumental endorsement.
Even better . . .
THE TKC PUNCHLINE: LIKE MOST LAWS, THIS LEGISLATION ISN'T WORTH THE TOILET PAPER IT'S WRITTEN UPON!!!
Here's a fact of life that makes most American uncomfortable because it challenges their naive conceptions of fairness . . .
The super wealthy don't have to obey laws or elections and there are dozens of loopholes and exceptions available to bypass the will of voters.
And so this futile exercise in Democracy is mostly a bad joke like most of what's on the ballot.
The promise of a vibrant tech community creating thousands of jobs and new biz never really materialized. Turns out this isn't "silicon prairie" after all. Nevertheless, somebody forgot to tell these denizens of the creative class who share a wish list for the new boss. Take a look:
Months of candidate forums are complete. The door bells have been rung. Selfies taken. As the Kansas City mayor's race heads to the polls Tuesday, the candidates are all business when it comes to courting the startup community's vote.
Morning lady pedestrian mowed down by motorist and a reminder that this town has a reputation as one of the LEAST walkable cities in the Midwest. Read more:
As always, the point of this post is to present relevant information regarding a somewhat interesting Kansas City news tidbit to our blog community, offer our perspective and provide a forum for discussion. Right now we want to present the facts dispassionately with an effort to educate as well as entertain readers.
Accordingly . . .
ON HIS NEGLECTED BLOG, SOCIALITE AND LONG AGO COLUMNIST FOR THE KANSAS CITY STAR HEARNE CHRISTOPHER CLAIMS QUINTON LUCAS IS GAY & CLOSETED!!!
The proof is scant and comes from anonymous sources with no documentation and not even any decent jokes to back it up.
Moreover, the "closet" remark from the scribe is dated now that gay marriage is the law of the land and the implied pejorative reference reflects the values of a bygone era.
TKC perspective: The post is nothing more or less than a desperate attention grab at the end of the silly season when GOTV weekend has local political denizens in a tizzy.
Because Mr. Christopher's blog is mostly neglected, we don't feel the need to link it but instead offer a screen capture. Notice that the socialite is still touting the writing of KC comedy club owner Craig Glazer who has been dead since August 2018 and served as the only real attraction to the unrealized blogging effort.
Moreover, since the decline of the newspaper industry and the rise of the social media era, it's also unfortunate that Mr. Christopher has not been able to procure gainful employment as a full-time journalist for more than a decade. He has recently informed his smattering of readers that he's selling cars at a local "luxury" outlet.
Full disclosure: TKC penned some posts Mr. Christopher's blog years ago but the pay was horrible and was supplemented only by free beer at an also formerly great Kansas City jazz club. TKC left the publication on reasonably good terms when it was clear that there wasn't much forward progress.
Nevertheless . . .
The TKC Saturday night takeaway . . .
More than anything this post from Hearne Christopher inspired just a bit of melancholy.
His father was one of the most legendary businessmen in Kansas City who amassed an EPIC fortune and held nearly as much influence as people like The Kemper & Hall families. The life journey of Hearne Christopher, Jr. has been much more difficult with repeated divorces, relocations and some bad luck in business ventures. The former newsman turned blogger claims he's doing "quite well" selling cars and we certainly hope that's the case because his online efforts haven't gained traction or a significant audience after more than a decade of trying.
And so, this last stab at Kansas City Mayoral front runner Quinton Lucas might be the swan song for a local print-media legend . . .
We remember that he often declared himself at the same level of writers like Jason Whitlock and Joe Posnanski who have amassed a far greater online following and achieved national media acclaim following their departure from the Kansas City Star. Meanwhile, Mr. Christopher struggles to keep his writing fresh in the minds of local readers who might not recall his formerly impressive roots and connection to Kansas City history.
I was gonna throw a bit of salt on this list and share some divisive quip about how hipsters don't know their stuff BUT this one deserves credit:
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMPLETE COLLECTION OF WORTHWHILE MEXICAN RESTAURANTS IN KANSAS CITY!!!
The research is solid and I can only thank Heaven that these detail-orientated have not yet located "Captain Taco" my favorite Chino/Latino dive located at the nexus of Meth Town & Northeast.
Seriously, for those looking to up their triglyceride count, this is the definitive guide:
In a metropolitan area filled with Mexican restaurants, one street - Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas - boasts 18 of them, making it a metro destination for all kinds of Mexican food. And Kansas City itself is becoming a destination, says Edgar Galicia of the Central Avenue Betterment Association.
MORGAN COUNTY, MO (KCTV) - Five people were injured when there was a boat explosion at the Lake of the Ozarks. According to MSHP records, the incident happened at 2:18 p.m. on Saturday at the Millstone Marina's gas dock. The 1993 Chris Craft had just been filled with fuel when the driver started its engine.
WINSTON, MO (KCTV) -- For some, the shooting of Trenton Officer Jasmine Diab by a prisoner on Friday brings back memories of when two Wyandotte County deputies were killed transporting two inmates to court. The two deputies were killed exactly one year ago today. Deputy Theresa King was a 13-year veteran of the department.
Quick election tidbit as we get down to the wire on this GOTV weekend.
Here's the scoop and good times . . .
According to Insiders:
NOTICE THAT MAYOR SLY HAS BEEN QUIET FOR THE PAST WEEK?!?!? TURNS OUT HE WAS DRAGGING JOLIE JUSTUS DOWN BY PICKING A PERSONAL FIGHT WITH QUINTON LUCAS AND HER TEAM POLITELY ASKED HIM TO STIFLE!!!
And so we don't expect to hear much more out of Mayor Sly given that his popularity is now in the toilet and his lame duck angst isn't helpful to anyone.
And so, at the outset of Summer it's clear that the so-called "street vacation" isn't really that effective at preventing violence but is mostly just a PR move.
Here's proof after another scary gunfire incident in this embattled party district. Here's the roundup . . .
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City police are looking for a man charged with murder in a fatal shooting earlier this week. Police say Germon Deangelo Stevens, 44, should be considered armed and dangerous. Stevens is charged with first-degree murder, domestic assault and armed criminal action in the Tuesday killing of Michael Lorthridge in south Kansas City.
RAYTOWN, Mo. - A woman was shot and killed in the Sarah Colman-Livengood Park overnight, and at least three houses and a park building were hit by gunfire. Officers were called to the scene at 5901 Lane just before 12:30 Saturday morning, regarding a house that was hit by gunfire.
Crime Stoppers Most Wanted A publication of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission.Download PDF version of the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Most Wanted for April. A publication of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission. Download PDF version of the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Most Wanted for April.
Here's a tradition among local politicos as the cast of City Hall characters changes but the broken promises remain the same. This morning we take a brief pause for a glimpse at a forum replete with posturing activists and neighborhood leaders expressing solemn regret and then a willfully ignorant hope for a solution on this tour of the broke-ass urban core.
The premise . . .
"Focusing attention on some of the city' most distressed neighborhoods during the 2019 municipal elections. Neighborhoods like Blue Valley offer a close-up view of the issues facing large swaths of our city — and provide insights to solutions."
Ellen Boyd, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri's, Historic Northeast area, isn't surrounded by vacant homes. But she has counted nearly two dozen of them in a nine-block stretch along the route to 27th Street and Indiana Avenue, where her son's father lives.
Hide Transcript Show Transcript THE JOLIE JUSTUS CAMPAIGN. LARA: WHAT'S HER APPROACH IN THESE FINAL DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN. HALEY: IT'S BEEN A QUIET WEEK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR THE COUNCILWOMAN AND FORMER STATE SENATOR. SHE'S TAKING A SORT OF SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE APPROACH TO GETTING VOTES.
Editor's note: Startland News invited Kansas City mayoral candidates Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas to compose open letters to address their potential constituents in KC's entrepreneur community of startups, makers, creatives and risk-takers. Justus' response is below. Lucas did not participate. The vote is set for Tuesday, June 18.]
Kansas City mayoral candidate Quinton Lucas joins Matt and Matt to talk about his ideas for promoting local businesses and bringing more jobs to Kansas City. Listen in as they discuss the significance of startups and local businesses and their effect on Kansas City.
Space is at a premium and that means EVEN MORE VIOLENT OFFENDERS will be set free. Here's a look at the debate and a situation that has elicited outcry from the board of police commissioners and ohers. . . .
Hide Transcript Show Transcript CENTER. WILLIA THERE'S A SHORT TERM SOLUTION, BUT THE CITY WILL STILL HAVE FEWER BEDS THAN THEY HAVE AT THE DETENTION CENTER. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE HAPPY WITH IT SO THE FOCUS IS ON GETTING A PERMANENT FIX SOON >> THIS IS KIND OF A BIG ISSUE.
An issue that's bigger than election chatter, the affordable housing fight is really about changing the way that people think about living space and arguing for local governments to secure it as a basic human right. Read more:
Local leaders cannot rely solely on facts and figures to energize the community around solving the affordable housing problem, a national community-building expert told a Johnson County audience this week. "Data's important, but it doesn't win the day," said Tiffany Manuel, president and CEO of TheCaseMade.
Once again our blog community has all the angles covered and offers insight that no other publication can match when it comes to the Jackson County Property Tax CRISIS underway.
To with . . .
SPECIAL THANKS TO THIS TKC READER FOR AN IMPORTANT REMINDER AND THE P&L DISTRICT HOPEFULLY PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE!!!
Here's the word . . .
"With all these issues on reassessment the real question is how much did the Power & Light District assessment increase? Because the Cordish Company had the assessment reduced substantially during the great recession and according to all the downtown cheerleaders, downtown is booming. So the assessment should have recovered and (moved) above the original $60 million. The increase in property taxes paid should reduce some of the $15 million (annually paid) from the general fund of Kansas City."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) offers the junket for new members of Congress in order to provide "a first-hand, educational experience about the realities in Israel from both Israeli and Palestinian leaders." However the experience has been protested by hardline left-wingers.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is having a moment. Last month, Hawley tore into a Trump judicial nominee. The nominee's sin? Michael Bogren had the audacity to represent a Michigan city that wanted to enforce a civil rights ordinance against Catholic business owners who believe they have a constitutional right to discriminate.
Your pet easily becomes part of the family, but what happens when they pass on? It's a longtime religious debate. The age old question, "Do all dogs go to heaven?" is what Topeka author Gary Kurz decided to answer. After moving to Topeka and then losing his beloved pet dog Samantha, Kurz went to church.
Kmbc 9 is learning more about how Kansas City was able to win the bid for two USDA headquarters. We spoke with some of the people responsible for promoting KC, who helped the city beat out 136 submissions from 35 states.As an agricultural hub in the heart of America, Kansas City wasn't a tough sell to USDA officials.
Kansas City decision makers are welcoming advocates of a rainbow crosswalk to walk the line and make their passions known - so long as they're willing to get creative.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Following weeks of high water and flooding along the Missouri River, parts of the Waterwell Athletic Complex remained under water on Thursday as players and teams were forced to play at other fields. So far this season, around 400 games have been rained out at the site near Briarcliff.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Neighbors may soon be able to clean up blighted properties without having to worry about legal consequences. Neighborhood groups are eager to take action. In many Kansas City neighborhoods there are properties that are a constant source of complaints, and there are neighbors willing to take it upon themselves to do something about it.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Kansas City, Kansas, police officers teamed up with a local HVAC company to do something special for a veteran, demonstrating what community policing is all about. Harold Tjaden, a 90-year-old U.S. Navy vet, lost his wife of 66 years about eight months ago.
Kansas City mayoral candidates Quinton Lucas and Jolie Justus tour through the Chaumiere neighborhood in the Northland to see first-hand the issues residents care about and share what they plan to do. This year's municipal elections in Kansas City, Missouri, promise sweeping political changes in the metropolitan area's largest city.
Officials with KC Pet Project said the shelter just can't catch a break -- they've seen a large influx of animals with no end in sight.The shelter is offering a Father's Day adoption special to help clear its overcrowded adoption centers.Tori Fugate, with KC Pet Project, said 16 new dogs were brought in from Animal Control overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
Actually, here's a benefit for Kansas City's painful journey from first to worst -- Fans can no longer pretend that the people in charge are geniuses and that "Midwestern values" are responsible for a win streak. Turns out it was all probably just moneyball good luck. Check another fun & depressing fact after the latest loss:
Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send 30 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Royals fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse . Frustrations are setting in for the Royals who have been much worse than their own expectations for the second year in a row.
Maybe not subject for debate but something worth a click and a sign of the The Dotte making progress in its journey toward becoming a lower cost hipster enclave. Checkit:
Following a few weeks of equipment-related delays, Sarah Breitenstein has at last opened her comfort food diner, Sarah's On The Hill, in the heart of Strawberry Hill. Currently the restaurant is open for lunch, and serves classic sandwiches, salads, pizza and a handful of baked dishes, including stuffed peppers and baked pastas.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she plans to issue an executive order to end a longstanding economic border war between her state and Missouri in the Kansas City area. Kelly told reporters Friday that her executive order will mirror a new Missouri law that prevents incentives from being used to lure businesses across the border in the metropolitan area.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- He's dressed in white from head to toe, apparently covering his face so no one recognizes him. That's what people in several south Overland Park neighborhoods found on their home surveillance videos this week. Folks in the Summerwood Estates, Polo Fields and Mills Farm neighborhoods aren't used to a lot of criminal activity.
"I wholly condemn this piece and just saw it today. I don’t know anything about the group but I fully reject it and think this is just the sort of thing we don’t need more of in this race. I’ll return contributions of any group or donor I find out is affiliated with this outfit."
Candidates are desperate for attention and beating down doors across Kansas City proper.
Kinda like Halloween but there are only tricks and no treats.
The job of voters is to press candidates on property taxes, crime and infrastructure maintenance because politicos have crafted talk about social justice, hobbies and popularity contests to avoid these concerns.
