News
Mission Gateway sits empty 20 years later. What is the Mission mayor's plan for it?
1+ hour, 26+ min ago (306+ words) Driving toward the intersection of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Johnson Drive in Mission, Kansas, the view of the "Mission Gateway" site features a half-finished parking garage, concrete beams and a weed-infested empty lot where the Mission Mall once stood. The…...
'Route 66 is about people.' Kansas and Missouri towns keep historic highway alive, 100 years later
1+ hour, 26+ min ago (977+ words) Route 66 was established 100 years ago last week. While the historic 2, 448 mile highway stretched from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, its origins lay in Springfield, Missouri. In 1926, Cyrus Avery " or the "father of Route 66" "- sent a telegram from the Colonial…...
A new sculpture in downtown Springfield honors the 'ghost' of Route 66's origins | KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR
3+ day, 20+ hour ago (62+ words) "The Ghost of the Colonial Hotel" was unveiled this week at the exact moment a telegraph was sent officially naming Route 66, 100 years ago....
Missouri gives governor power to appoint board that oversees high school sports and activities
5+ day, 1+ hour ago (347+ words) A commission appointed by the governor will soon oversee the Missouri State High School Activities Association. The House voted 92-39 Thursday to send legislation to Gov. Mike Kehoe's desk that establishes a commission to consider appeals from students, parents or coaches…...
Kansas scientists put AI to work in the fight to save the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie
8+ mon, 2+ week ago (921+ words) Kansas State University scientists are enlisting the help of artificial intelligence in the effort to conserve what's left of North America's shrinking grasslands. Zak Ratajczak, an assistant professor and grassland biologist, says K-State scientists have trained a computer model to…...
Kansas City saw traffic deaths drop by 30% in 2025. Its effort to make roads safer is working
3+ mon, 4+ week ago (1567+ words) Asia Dunmore had just begun to reestablish a relationship with her mom, Michelle, after more than a decade of estrangement. Michelle was connecting with her granddaughter and was excited to help Asia welcome her next child. Then, on Oct. 14, 2023, Michelle…...
Missouri is building a 300-mile butterfly trail to attract monarchs and tourists alike
10+ mon, 4+ week ago (1215+ words) An initiative focused on pollinator conservation and education hopes to help local economies in western Missouri by creating pollinator-friendly plantings and tourist attractions. The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail will feature a 26-mile-wide, 292-mile-long corridor along Highway 13, according to a project summary…...
Missouri towns try to confront cross-border 'drop-offs' of homeless people
4+ mon, 3+ week ago (1600+ words) For years, stories circulated around Joplin, Missouri, about the city's homeless population and how they arrived in the city. Calls would come in to city officials following a recurring theme. "People were coming to the City Council meetings and saying,…...
Trump's foreign farm worker policy criticized by both unions and 'America First' groups
3+ week, 1+ day ago (964+ words) Farming's a tough business. Most of the people doing it now, at scale, are driven survivors with a knack for innovation, like Thayne Larson. Larson's operation in north central Kansas narrowly survived the 1980s farm crisis. He grew hay for local…...
Surfing in America's heartland? You can catch waves even if you're far from the ocean
8+ mon, 2+ week ago (1518+ words) The walls of EOS Surf & Outdoor Lifestyle Shop are lined with T-shirts depicting waves and surfing and boxes of skate shoes and sandals. The back of the shop displays surfboards and skateboards. And a TV behind the checkout counter plays…...