Archives: May 2021

(What’s the story) Morning Glory Farms?

A Blackwater jerky biltong Godly foundations

The cows of Morning Glory Farms. // Photo by Kendra Dann Photography Tiffanie Weekley is a lot of things: a mother, a nurse, and a lactation consultant. But she’s also a cattle farmer at Morning Glory Farms and, as such, a beef jerky pioneer in Missouri. More specifically, a biltong pioneer. Biltong is a Dutch word that amounts to “meat…

The Blue Hell is back at full capacity

Sporting KC matches will be operating at full capacity this summer // Image courtesy of Children’s Mercy Park Sporting KC tickets are now live and soccer fans will be able to attend games at Children’s Mercy Park with 100% capacity. In conjunction with government regulations, masks will still be mandatory, fans must maintain social distancing, and only cashless payment can…

Technology helps Kansas City mother overcome blindness obstacles

Ashley Mizell using MyEye to read to her three children // Photo courtesy Ashley Mizell Ashley Mizell’s vision became impaired two years ago after developing Sarcoidosis, a rare and devastating autoimmune disease. She was forced to give up her career as a professional photographer because she was losing her vision day by day. Mizell, 30, says it all started when…

Missouri Senate approves bill seeking to nullify federal gun laws

Law enforcement officers would face fines if they infringe on Missourians’ Second Amendment rights

Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. // Photo by ©Walter Bibikow State and local law enforcement would be prohibited from enforcing certain federal gun laws under legislation approved Thursday night by the Missouri Senate. For more than six hours, Democratic Senators tried to add an amendment to the bill aimed at keeping people convicted of domestic abuse from buying and keeping firearms — but…

Mayor Lucas rescinds mask mandate after CDC guidance makes enforcement murky

Mayor Quinton Lucas. // Courtesy KC Government. The CDC’s new guidance dictates that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or physically distance. In response, Mayor Lucas rescinded Kansas City’s 14th Emergency COVID-19 Order effective noon May 14. This means that masks are not required indoors—for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.  The most recent version of Kansas…

Overland Park 7th grader crowned national penmanship queen

Anita Rayabarapu’s winning entry form. // Courtesy of Zaner-Bloser Overland Park Pleasant Ridge Middle School student, Anvita Rayabarapu, probably has better handwriting than you. This month, Rayabarapu was selected as the 7th grade Grand National Champion in the 2021 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest out of over 70,000 contest participants for her exemplary cursive handwriting. Zaner-Bloser is a handwriting, reading, and grammar curriculum…

Missouri Republicans pass bill to counter calls to ‘defund the police’

Outside City Hall, a St. Louis Metropolitan police officer orders protesters to disperse in November 2014. // Photo by Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent Missouri Republicans have pushed through a bill that would penalize cities that cut police budgets and bolster protections for officers under investigation for misconduct. The House took a final vote on Friday afternoon, sending the bill to the governor’s desk. The…

General Motors seeks new employees in Kansas City, continues new training program

General Motors is expanding employment at its Fairfax manufacturing facility amidst criticism over the company’s handling of American employment opportunities. // Image courtesy of General Motors General Motors is opening new employment opportunities up to Kansas Citians. The company’s Fairfax-based manufacturing facility has over 2,100 employees and is on the hunt for more. The Automotive Manufacturing Electrical College, which launched in…

Streetwise podcast has Ben Philippe talking relationships and Liz Cook smashing everything in sight

This week on the Streetwise podcast we discuss a destination wedding, enjoy a reading of Liz Cook’s smash house story, check out Passerine Dream’s track “On and On”, and chat with Ben Philippe about his new book Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend. Our episode is brought to you by Worlds of Fun. Streetwise is hosted by Brock Wilbur, editor in chief…

A local alternative R&B musician & designer is about to drop an EP and clothing line on the same day

Roosevelt Broome poses for the cover of his upcoming EP. // Photo by Steven G. Photography While most of us spent the early days of the pandemic watching Netflix or baking bread, local musician and clothing designer, Roosevelt Broome, spent his time writing song lyrics. Broome, who goes by Roosevelt in the music world, is a local artist that mixes…

After innumerable delays, last year’s biggest films finally arrive

Woman in the Window Summer is approaching, and things are, thankfully, starting to look pretty different from where we were a year ago. This time last year, theaters and studios were trying their damndest to keep moviegoers coming to theaters despite frequent statements from both moviegoers and the CDC that it wasn’t a safe proposition. Thanks to the miracle of…

Could COVID-19 change the way we talk about sexual health?

Photo by Deon Black via Free Erotic Photo Gallery When’s the last time you were tested? The answer might be “a month ago,” “last week,” or even, for students on some college campuses, “I get tested every two days.” Either way, the odds are good that you know, and that you wouldn’t think twice about sharing the answer. Over the last…

Pabst Blue Ribbon and Entenmann’s ‘Hard Coffee & Donuts’ package creates new take on waking up

// Image courtesy of Entenmann’s Pabst Blue Ribbon began brewing 175 years ago and Entenmann’s got to work baking donuts 125 years ago. The two companies are celebrating their combined 300 years of history with a tasty merger. They’re launching a new pairing of hard coffee & donuts. The pairing is already available in retailers across the country. With its…

KCPL to help enroll participants for Emergency Broadband Benefits

Courtesy of Kansas City Public Library Beginning May 13, people can sign up for the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program. The $3.2 billion program provides monthly and one-time price breaks for both service and equipment from various internet providers as well as PCs. Those providers include AT&T, Charter/Spectrum, Cricket Wireless, Comcast, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The EBB program is locally facilitated…

Mark your calendars: The 90th Annual Plaza Art Fair is returning in September 24-26

Photo courtesy of the Country Club Plaza. Just like so many other Kansas City staple events, the Plaza Art Fair was drastically different last year due to the pandemic. The weekend long event generally packs the Country Club Plaza with thousands of art and culture enthusiasts, and hosts nine blocks of art booths, food, and live music. Last year, music performances…

Missouri Gov. Parson abandons plans to implement voter-approved Medicaid expansion

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delivered his State of the State address on Jan. 27, 2021. // Photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office Missouri will not expand Medicaid coverage to working-age adults on July 1 because lawmakers refused to include funding for the health care program in the state budget, Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday. In a news release, Parson said the state…

Dramatis Personae

Illustration by Jack Raybuck Dear Dan: I’m someone who does gay porn for a living. How do people who do gay porn meet someone who doesn’t just sexualize or fetishize them? I can’t eat, sleep, and breathe my work constantly but the guys I meet want me to live out the “porn persona” version of myself all the time. How…

Spiral is the Saw sequel where Jigsaw forwards a #DismantleThePolice agenda

The Chris Rock spin-off could have been anything it wanted. It's just another Saw, but with a few more (mostly) intentional laughs.

Chris Rock in Spiral. // Courtesy Lionsgate I feel like I start a solid third of my film reviews with some variation on “Horror-Comedy is a difficult balance to strike and here’s another misfire.” And yes. That’s how this one starts too. But for very odd and very individual reasons. Today, we’ve gathered to discuss Spiral, a sequel/side-story to the Saw franchise, starring…

KCAI’s ArtPop exhibition to feature online art sales

Courtesy Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City Art Institute’s Virtual End of Summer Exhibition, ArtPop, will now feature online shopping. ArtPop is KCAI’s annual fundraising event to benefit student scholarships. The virtual gallery and ability to buy the art online will open starting May 13 at 6 p.m.  Donors to the event are able to see and purchase artwork online…

Mayor Lucas joined Nancy Pelosi in D.C. to speak on U.S. infrastructure plans

Mayor Lucas had the opportunity to speak about infrastructure on a national platform // Screengrab from CSPAN Mayor Lucas joined other U.S Mayors, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senior Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to speak on the future of U.S. infrastructure. Kansas City was recognized as a city that was taking initiative to solve problems that are…