Archives: March 2023

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Politics

Kansas state representative calls rainbow drawings proof of indoctrination at Leavenworth school

Proctor claims students have been coached into drawing flags.
Rachel Mipro,

Courtney Ricard said she was angry at the politicization of her daughter’s drawing by state Rep. Pat Proctor. (Courtney Ricard) LEAVENWORTH — A local parent was outraged when she opened up her representative’s February newsletter and found her daughter’s rainbow drawing published as an example of indoctrination in the school system. Courtney Ricard said her fourth-grader drew the picture to…

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Food & Drink

Cheap Eats: Jim’s Alley Bar

Ivy Anderegg, Zach Bauman,

Jim’s Alley Bar. // Photo by Zach Bauman Are you a glutton for tonguishment? Food is one of the simplest pleasures of life. We turn to food for comfort, community, and basic nourishment. Sometimes, though, you just want to shove something greasy and delicious down your gullet without regard to its nutritional value. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: The…

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Movies

The best festival films we saw at True/False 2023 in Columbia

Abby Olcese,

Courtesy True/False Film Festival Columbia’s True/False Film Festival has long been known as a low-key gem of Missouri, a place where curious viewers can come to see crowd-pleasing documentaries programmed alongside work from exciting emerging filmmakers and boundary-pushing experimentation. This year—the festival’s 20th anniversary—was no different, with extra emphasis put on films that explored important issues, the joy of community,…
Politics

Outrage over proposed Kansas City landfill sets up showdown in Missouri Capitol

Developers hoping to build the landfill have hired 18 lobbyists in the hopes of stopping legislation that could kill the project.
Allison Kite,

Rep. Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, speaks during the 2022 legislative session. Haffner is sponsoring legislation that would block a proposed landfill on the boundary between Kansas City and Raymore (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications). The prospect of a landfill on the edge of Kansas City and a stone’s throw from a golf course community has pitted half a dozen Missouri mayors…

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Food & Drink

Tianguis, a retail line from Tacos Valentina, wants to kick up your home cooking

Jordan Baranowski,

Courtesy Tacos Valentina/Tianguis Kansas City’s culinary pop-up scene is thriving, bringing tasty, esoteric eats to a number of locations that otherwise don’t have food options. If you’ve hit up the Crossroads Arts District or Southwest Boulevard for some drinks, you’ve probably run into Tacos Valentina. They have weekly gigs at popular drink spots, like Big Mood Natural Wines, Alma Mader…

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Culture

Four Inane Questions with restaurateur Jasmine Thompson

Michael Mackie,

Courtesy photo It’s been over twenty years since Jasmine Thompson moved to Kansas City from her hometown of Taipei, Taiwan. It didn’t take her long to get well connected in KC’s ever-burgeoning Asian community. These days, Thompson is not only active in the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City but also helms two different restaurant concepts—Café Sofrito in…

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Food & Drink

Mise en Place: Tacos Valentina’s Roger Avila on espiritu colaborativo

Kate Frick,

Pablo Muñoz, Kendra Valentine-Avila, and Roger Avila of Tacos Valentina. // Courtesy photo Tacos Valentina co-founder Roger Avila recently let us in on the cult pop-up’s collaborative efforts, late-night cravings, and how their modular molino/taqueria is changing the local culinary landscape and raising the standard for tacos in KC. The Pitch: How did you form Tacos Valentina? Roger Avila: Dina…

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Movies

DieDieBooks releases nuclear horror Threads essay, with plenty of nods to Lawrence’s The Day After

Sarah Moore,

Threads by Bob Mielke is the newest addition to DieDieBooks’ series on horror films. // Courtesy of DieDieBooks DieDieBooks, created by Rachel Kempf and Nick Toti in Kirksville, MO, is a publisher releasing a series of film criticism in anthology style—each release is a stand-alone book about a different horror film, each written by a different author. As part of…

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Food & Drink

Cheap Eats: Tay’s Burger Shack

Grace Wilmot, Zach Bauman,

Tay’s Burger Shack. // Photo by Zach Bauman Are you a glutton for tonguishment? Food is one of the simplest pleasures of life. We turn to food for comfort, community, and basic nourishment. Sometimes, though, you just want to shove something greasy and delicious down your gullet without regard to its nutritional value. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: The…

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Culture

Keep Them Coming: Still got it

Kristen Thomas,

Keep Them Coming with Kristen Thomas. // Photo by Nicole Bissey Aging doesn’t have to mean slowing down in the bedroom. If you’ve seen the beginning of Disney’s Up, you likely cried tears of longing or hope that you, too, will be so loved until your dying day. You might have had grandparents that not only celebrated many years together…

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Culture

Travis Kelce hosts the most unhinged Saturday Night Live episode in recent memory

Congrats first and foremost to Heidi Gardner for making this happen.
Brock Wilbur,

Travis Kelce at SNL. // Courtesy NBC Universal Saturday Night Live was blessed this week by the guest hosting and comedic stylings of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Announced shortly after the Super Bowl victory, Kelce’s presence marks the one episode per year where SNL risks it all on a beloved sports star—a gambit that has traditionally yielded either full…

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Politics

Loud Light Kansas Politics Recap: medical marijuana, swatting sprees, the gut-n-go, and more

Davis Hammet,

The Pitch has partnered with a local political awareness organization called Loud Light. Their goal is to engage and empower individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power. And impact decision-makers. Each week of the year that the Kansas statehouse is in session, they release a short video recapping what the legislature is up to. Knowing the nitty-gritty of what’s happening with your…
Politics

Missouri House debates legislation targeting catalytic converter thefts

Emmet Jamieson,

Courtesy Adobe A House committee considered three bills Wednesday that seek to tamp down on catalytic converter thefts. Rep. Don Mayhew, R-Crocker, is sponsoring legislation that would make it a felony to possess a catalytic converter with the intent to sell it. Catalytic converters filter out harmful pollutants from vehicle emissions, and thieves target them because they are easy to remove…

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Food & Drink

Cheap Eats: Mediterranean Market

Ivy Anderegg, Zach Bauman,

Mediterranean Market. // Photo by Zach Bauman Are you a glutton for tonguishment? Food is one of the simplest pleasures of life. We turn to food for comfort, community, and basic nourishment. Sometimes, though, you just want to shove something greasy and delicious down your gullet without regard to its nutritional value. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: The Pitch…
Politics

Postpartum Medicaid extension clears Missouri Senate with anti-abortion amendment

Camden Doherty,

A view of the Missouri Senate chamber from the visitors gallery (photo courtesy of the Missouri Senate) The Missouri Senate passed its version of postpartum Medicaid extension Thursday, but new language in the bill threatens its implementation. Sponsored by Sen. Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, the legislation would extend coverage for women receiving Medicaid benefits through pregnancy and for a year…

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Food & Drink

Voo Lounge is downtown KC’s newest piano bar

Sarah Sipple,

Photo by Anna Petrow Voo, a “new” piano bar and lounge, has opened in the historic Hotel Muehlebach building at 12th and Baltimore in downtown Kansas City. Thursdays through Sundays, Voo serves creative cocktails and food alongside resident pianist Will O’Keys.  The lounge originally opened as part of the Hotel Muehlebach in 1915 by George Muehlebach of the Muehlebach Beer…

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News

Heidi Gardner inducted as newest co-host for the Big Slick 2023 Celebrity Weekend

Sarah Moore,

Heidi Gardner added as co-host alongside Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, David Koechner and Eric Stonestreet. // Courtesy of Big Slick Heidi Gardner, Saturday Night Live star and Kansas City, MO native, has been added to the line-up of co-hosts for the Big Slick 2023 Celebrity Weekend, June 2-3, joining Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, David Koechner and…

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Culture

Boon Area 1 is a surprise community asset reclaiming KC’s tarnished history

“J.C. Nichols had a vision. As an artist, I admire that vision. Granted, as a Black man, I'm like, yeah, no that’s terrible.”
Megan Ganey,

Boon Area 1 team. // Courtesy Carl Stafford When I meet up with Carl at the site on a cold January Friday evening, it’s yellow grass, soft earth and a hand-sculpted ferrocement rain barrel. It’s a living project, requiring tending to and a long-term vision. It is art as environmental justice. It’s racial justice. It’s Boon Area 1. Carl Stafford,…

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Music

Photos: Fit For A King, Alpha Wolf, and Northlane at The Granada

Maura Dayton,

Fit For A King at The Granada. // Photo by Maura Dayton Fit For A King with Alpha Wolf and Northlane The Granada Monday, February 27, 2023 After a two-day reschedule due to inclement weather, metalcore bands Fit For A King, Alpha Wolf, and Northlane took The Granada by storm on Monday night. Our photographer Maura Dayton (@twistedmauraphotos) was there…