The Mobile Device Labs.// Courtesy of Kansas City Public Library Thanks to funding from the Missouri State Library LSTA and CARES Act grant, the Kansas City Public Library is bringing new Mobile Device Labs to the city. COVID-19, virtual schooling, and working from home have made inequality in access to devices much more evident. To target that, KCPL will bring…
A full view of the MMH. // Courtesy of Annie Kampfe and Cliff Donnelly Many of us spent early 2020 baking sourdough or dissociating in front of our computers and TVs. For Annie Kampfe and Cliff Donnelly, the past year was spent building a tiny home. No, not some 300 square foot minimalist house—the couple painstakingly built an astounding miniature…
Chocolate floral cupcakes, decorated with almond and rose “petals” and matcha “leaves.” // Photo courtesy PETA The Littlest Bake Shop was recognized by PETA for its 100% vegan, all-natural, and gluten-free sweet treats. The shop has anything from chocolate rose glazed mini cakes to cherry vanilla cupcakes. PETA searched the country for the best vegan Valentine’s day desserts and The…
U.K. artist Sophie Xeon. // Courtesy of Transgressive Records. In an unexpected accident in the early hours of Jan, 30, 34-year-old Scottish music producer Sophie Xeon fell to her death. “Tragically, our beautiful Sophie passed away this morning after a terrible accident. True to her spirituality, she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell.”…
‘Descendants’, a featured piece in artist Jason Pollen’s Witness Retrospective exhibition. // Image courtesy of Jason Pollen Local artist and former Kansas City Art Institute department chair Jason Pollen is using his exhibition, Witness Retrospective, to document 50 years of his life. The exhibition, which is featured in the main gallery of the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center until March 6., is…
Courtesy KC Daiquiri Shop Check it out: Celebrate Black History Month with the Black History Month Brunch (Carryout) Series Throughout the month of February, diners can celebrate Black History month with five unique, customizable Creole brunch menus, all crafted by local black chefs. Organized by KC Daiquiri Shop (1116 Grand Boulevard) and This KC Brown Girl, the Creole Carryout Brunch…
COVID-19 case rates may be higher in Missouri than we think. // Photo by Mufid Majnun COVID-19 case rates may be higher in Missouri than we may have thought. The state added antigen testing data to its COVID-19 dashboard after reporting from several news outlets questioned the dashboard’s accuracy. Antigen tests now make up approximately a third of all COVID-19…
Volunteer Grant Campbell, an employee at Henderson Engineers, reads with a student. // Photo by Martha Weber Conradt Children who cannot read by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Currently, in Kansas City, only 45 percent of third-graders are reading on grade level. Studies are predicting significant learning loss due to COVID-19 school…
Photos by Cameron Wiley. Collection designs by TheBabeGabe. Humble Pleasures was launched in late 2019 by former Missouri State classmates Kennedy Girard and Brendan Wright. Their aim was to create a clothing brand that captured the Midwest’s honest values and the often overlooked beauty of its natural terrain. Not long after beginning, Kennedy’s cousin, Kansas City musician and French Exit…
Splash of Life KC // Bek Shackelford Update: 2/12/2021 6:40 p.m.: Comments from the Public Information Officer for the city’s Neighborhoods and Housing Services Department, John Baccala have been added to the bottom of this article. Anyone who has traveled down Troost knows it: the Pepto-Bismol-pink building that sits on the corner of Troost & East 44th Street. The building, owned…
Add spending his own campaign funds on food to the growing list of Sen. Josh Hawley’s ethics violations. // Courtesy of Josh Hawley campaign After infamously inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Josh Hawley has found yet another way to violate ethics. Hawley is currently under fire for improperly using his campaign funds toward personal expenses. He reportedly spent…
Greg Kolterman is filing a death claim against his wife’s place of work after her death resulting from workplace COVID-19 exposure. // Image courtesy of the Welder Firm Tracy Kolterman, a Kansas City nurse, was weeks away from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine when she contracted the virus. Now her widower, Greg Kolterman, is filing a death claim against her place…
Photo by Ilya Pavlov On Monday, Gov. Parson announced the launch of a new tool for Missouri residents wishing to register for a COVID-19 vaccination. The Missouri Vaccine Navigator provides users with information on when and where to register for the vaccine and also prompts them to register for their second round of the vaccine. That is, depending on your…
Sator. // Courtesy Exile PR “They should have sent a poet,” is a phrase with historic context. In modern times, it can just mean that the person assigned the gig was not the right person for the gig. Happens in journalism all of the time. This is not one of those cases, but it equally truly is; in that anyone…
We’ve teamed up with KC Pet Project to host a weekly “creature feature” on a lovable and adoptable animal here in the KC Metro. This week’s local Adopt an Animal features Prince. He resides at the KC Campus for Animal Care at 7077 Elmwood Avenue in Kansas City, MO., where you can adopt him. Here’s his story: Now, this is…
Photo by Renate Vanaga With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we want to give you some hope in dating. Missouri is this year’s 10th best state for single people according to the personal-finance website WalletHub. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in virtual dating. The thing is, Dan Savage has pointed out a decrease in libido. This may…
Shoes painted by Judah Schwepler // Photo courtesy @effectkicks Instagram Judah Schwepler, 18, has used creativity as wellness to thrive during the pandemic through painting sneakers and photography. The high school senior is wanting to inspire people to strive for a better tomorrow through his art. Schwepler was noticed for his photography on VSCO. VSCO is a photography software app…
I’m very tall. I get to concerts very early. My whole life has meant accidentally being a nightmare for the people that show up after I do, and sometimes they take offense to that. It’s odd to try to apologize for who you are and how you are shaped, as someone throws a beer can at your head for being…
Photo by Sigmund Good luck finding somewhere to recycle or discard bulky items this week if you live in Kansas City, MO. According to KSHB Kansas City, a spokesperson for the city said it is canceled Tuesday through Friday. Trash pickup will continue as scheduled. However, drivers from waste services are moved to snow removal during inclement weather under the…
Photo by Malek Dridi It can be life-threatening to leave a cat or dog outside, even with a heavy coat. Like people, pets are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia. The Great Plains SPCA (GPSPCA), a no-kill animal shelter in the Kansas City area serving 6,000 pets annually. Animal Services (KCKAS), and the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City (HSGKS) encourage pet owners…
Jackie Becker (far right) and crew with Murder By Death at the Stanley Hotel // photo courtesy Jacki Becker. In April of last year, I spoke with longtime concert promoter Jacki Becker of Up to Eleven and Mammoth Productions about The National Independent Venue Association and how the Covid-19 shutdown affected the live music industry. While things are looking up,…
A promotional photo for the selfie challenge. // Courtesy of Kinzie Ferguson Kinzie Ferguson is on a mission to make womxn love their bodies. The local boudoir photographer is running her fifth #SelfieToSelfLove 5-day empowerment challenge for womxn and non-binary people comfortable in femme-centered spaces. The challenge, run through Ferguson’s group The Empowerment Studio, aims to help people become more…
Creative Commons photo. // Courtesy of pixy.org The Missouri Gaming Commission is citing attorney-client privilege for refusing to release a report on how it conducts licensing investigations. The report, prepared by a Kansas City law firm at a cost of almost $400,000, was received by the five-member commission during a closed session Jan. 27. When The Independent filed a Sunshine Law…
Photo courtesy of Jewish Family Services Facebook page Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City says the organization is here to help anyone regardless of age, culture, and lifestyle. JFS is offering ways to help the community in February as well as other programming opportunities. Help JFS Food Pantry through Cosentino’s Cosentino’s Price Choppers and JFS are working together to…
