KCUR Delves Into Messy Divorce Of Jackson County Legislator

Here's what I love about being a Kansas City Latino i.e. a snarky Westside Chicano . . . It brings out the worst in people. 

There are plenty of examples TKC could site but, in general, we're blessed to get A MORE GENUINE REACTION from colleagues, critics, friends and neighbors rather than politicized social niceties propagated by mainstream & social media.  

Similarly . . . And more relevant to our discussion of local news . . . 

PROGRESSIVE KANSAS CITY MEDIA PLAYS ROUGH WITH JACKSON COUNTY LEGISLATOR MANNY ABARCA & DELVES INTO HIS MESSY DIVORCE!!!

Now . . .

There have been plenty of other politicos with very public probs but this INVESTIGATIVE venture by progressive journalist Sam Zeff offers an up close & personal account of Manny's divorce so far. 

Punchline . . . There's one fun fact but most of his has been covered by the TV news already.

Double punchline . . . 

MOST NEWSIES & POLITICOS UNDERSTAND THAT SERIOUS JOURNALISTIC WORK DOESN'T MATTER IN LOW TURNOUT & LOW INFO LOCAL ELECTIONS!!!

At least that's what we've discovered at TKC over the years . . . The inside baseball doesn't have much impact and is mostly written for the benefit of a smallish, local municipal clique that overestimates their influence and imagines that ANYBODY cares about discussion at Hyde Park dinner parties. 

More political context . . . Mr. Abarca seems to be doing his very best to align with local progressives by way of constant ICE opposition and joining allies against MAGA but that hasn't convinced some of the more "strident" leaders of local Democratic Party sewing circles.

Credit where it's earned . . .  

Mr. Zeff also expounds on info that TKC blogged LAST YEAR regarding the other side of this divorce . . . . He just waits until the 15th paragraph to do it . . . 

He notes that Manny's estranged spouse has also been criminally charged in Missouri and Kansas.

In January, she was charged in Kansas City with one misdemeanor count of domestic assault. In October 2025, she was charged in Kansas City, Kansas, with a misdemeanor count of battery.

Translation and barrio gossip . . .  

The court case dox were unclear: Did she try to put a shoe on the guy's mom???

Either way . . . Here's the point . . . 

Progressive media doesn't typically blog local divorce gossip but former Jackson County Legislator Crystal Williams and her coven of acolytes seem to imagine that they're rescuing some poor Latina from the clutches of despair by way of social media gossip . . . 

And so we have this report to share for those who haven't seen it already . . . 

"Manny Abarca, now running for Jackson County executive, was banned from Paseo Academy for one academic year for violating a Kansas City Public Schools policy that requires “appropriate behavior” by guests.

"For the entire 2024-25 academic year, Jackson County legislative Chairman Manny Abarca, now a candidate for county executive, was banned from Paseo Academy for what school officials deemed “unsafe” behavior in the building.

" 'Your ban from Paseo Academy is a drastic remedy that has been effectuated due to your recent behavior at the school,” a letter from the school to Abarca said without specifying the nature of the alleged infraction.' "

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Why a Kansas City school banned Jackson County legislative chair Manny Abarca