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Some Park Elementary neighbors oppose Wichita homeless shelter plan
Bobby Harlan gazed over the shuttered grounds of Park Elementary School, which he attended 32 years ago, and shared his disappointment about its future. “How can it be a homeless shelter?” he said. “This neighborhood needs a school.”. First came the news in March that Wichita schools would...
Missouri counties say they lose money housing people headed to state prison
The cost of holding someone in a Missouri county jail for those days and months before and after a conviction ultimately falls to the state. In 2024, the state spent about $50 million to reimburse counties for the cost. But it’s had trouble keeping up with that tab. That’s left counties stuck with most of […] The post Missouri counties say they lose money housing people headed to state prison appeared first on The Beacon.
World Cups displace homeless people. What’s Kansas City’s plan for the event in 2026?
The 2026 World Cup will squeeze Kansas City’s already tight housing market in ways that could make shelter particularly scarce for homeless people. Many thousands of soccer fans flocking to the region will need places to stay. But some housing experts say that the World Cup’s short-term impact on the housing market could prod the […] The post World Cups displace homeless people. What’s Kansas City’s plan for the event in 2026? appeared first on The Beacon.
A Missouri woman could go free after 43 years. But wrongful imprisonment payments in the state are low
After serving 43 years in prison for a murder case hinged on things she said as a psychiatric patient, Sandra Hemme could be cleared of the killing and freed in less than three weeks, by July 14. For that, Missouri state law promises $100 a day for each day of...
Plasma you sell in east Kansas City could end up in medicine an ocean away
Michael Mullen donates blood plasma every Tuesday and Thursday. He has for 12 years. The money it brings in — a little over $100 a week — augments what he makes as a chef. He’s come to rely on it. “It helps supplement bill paying,” he said recently, smoking a cigarette outside the Biomat USA […] The post Plasma you sell in east Kansas City could end up in medicine an ocean away appeared first on The Beacon.
How The Beacon helped bring attention to Wichita USD 259’s school district voting process
Beacon reporter Trace Salzbrenner published a series of articles in the summer and fall of 2022 that explored how Wichita elected school board members — and the ways that tended to stifle the votes of minority neighborhoods. His reporting showed that a citywide voting system essentially diminished the political influence of Wichita’s Black residents.. “I […] The post How The Beacon helped bring attention to Wichita USD 259’s school district voting process appeared first on The Beacon.
No zeros: How a new KCPS grading policy is meant to improve equity
Tricia McGhee, a KCPS parent, backs the 40% grade minimum. But she said the late work policy has been unclear and inconsistent in her daughters’ middle school. The post No zeros: How a new KCPS grading policy is meant to improve equity appeared first on The Beacon.
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu supports nondiscrimination ordinance, but faces skepticism
Chris Pumpelly, founder of Proud of Wichita, said the LGBTQ+ community needs convincing that the mayor elected less than a year ago has their back. The post Wichita Mayor Lily Wu supports nondiscrimination ordinance, but faces skepticism appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas might use STAR bonds to lure Chiefs and Royals. Here’s how they worked on other projects
Kansas lawmakers have returned to Topeka for a special tax-cutting session and are expected to vote on a STAR bond proposal to finance a new stadium. The post Kansas might use STAR bonds to lure Chiefs and Royals. Here’s how they worked on other projects appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas prisons will give doses of opioid antidote to some inmates when they’re released
Some inmates leaving Kansas prisons are returning to civilian life with a potentially lifesaving tool in hand. The Kansas Department of Corrections recently launched a program that provides the outgoing inmates with naloxone, the opioid antidote that can quickly reverse the effects of an overdose. The medication, which is also...
Two years after Roe v. Wade fell, what’s changed around abortion in Kansas?
It’s been two years since the U.S. The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and remade the national landscape of abortion law. That ruling cleared the way for many states to ban abortion or enact restrictions on the procedure. Kansas voters, meantime, voted convincingly less than two months later to protect abortion rights, and the state soon became a regional destination for women barred from abortions in their home states.
A ‘temporary pause’ at Trust Women, Wichita’s biggest abortion provider, adds to the load of other clinics
In the three weeks since internal conflicts abruptly paused services at Wichita’s largest abortion provider, the two other places in the city providing abortion have scrambled to pick up the slack. One of them, Aria Medical Clinic, a medication-only provider, has seen appointments double since Trust Women idled. So on the day the U.S. Supreme […] The post A ‘temporary pause’ at Trust Women, Wichita’s biggest abortion provider, adds to the load of other clinics appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas legislative leadership agreed to tax cuts. Here is how every tax plan compares
Kansas lawmakers have agreed to a tax cut plan just days before lawmakers returned to Topeka for a special session. Passing a tax cut has been a daunting task in 2024. Some plans pit Democrats and Republicans against each other. Other plans pit the House and Senate chambers against one another. The compromise plan is […] The post Kansas legislative leadership agreed to tax cuts. Here is how every tax plan compares appeared first on The Beacon.
Residents want input, concessions before backing a low-barrier homeless shelter in Northeast Kansas City
People gather near the Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Campus all day long. Some carry backpacks sagging with belongings. Others come empty-handed. Many have no interest in going inside. Instead, they hang out to chat, organize their belongings, or simply stare into space. In the blocks surrounding Hope Faith at 705...
Teachers’ union appears on board with Wichita district’s plan to spend big, close schools
The union for 4,000 district teachers and other workers looks inclined to favor Wichita Public Schools’ $2.1 billion plan to remake several schools and buildings. Voters will likely decide this fall if Wichita Public Schools can borrow $450 million to fix up old schools, build some new ones and close 11 buildings. The school board […] The post Teachers’ union appears on board with Wichita district’s plan to spend big, close schools appeared first on The Beacon.
Bird flu has hit cows in Kansas and sparked precautions in Missouri. Here’s what that means for you
Don’t drink raw milk. It’s one piece of public health advice almost every doctor, scientist and public health official can get behind. Especially as bird flu jumps from chickens to cows to a handful of farmworkers. Yet on the north side of Excelsior Springs, Be Whole Again Farm hasn’t noticed the public health guidance having […] The post Bird flu has hit cows in Kansas and sparked precautions in Missouri. Here’s what that means for you appeared first on The Beacon.
Independence’s four-day school week draws attention of the state’s auditor
The auditor’s office has held expanded power to audit school districts for more than a decade, but has rarely used it. The post Independence’s four-day school week draws attention of the state’s auditor appeared first on The Beacon.
Neighborhood blocks a low-barrier shelter some see as key to solving homelessness in Kansas City
Takeaways: Ken Simard mainly slept under the Blue Parkway bridge near the railroad tracks along the Blue River for the seven years he was homeless, numbing himself with meth and weed. “If it were not for the drugs that I did, I would have been suicidal,” he said. “I would do anything to take my […] The post Neighborhood blocks a low-barrier shelter some see as key to solving homelessness in Kansas City appeared first on The Beacon.
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The Kansas City Beacon is an online news outlet focused on in-depth journalism in the public interest. It launched in 2020 and is part of The Beacon, a regional nonprofit news network serving Kansas and Missouri. Our reporting centers issues in local government, health care, education, economics, environment and civic engagement.
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