Missourians cast their votes in the general election at the Greene County Election Center on Nov. 8, 2022. // Photo courtesy of the Greene County Clerk’s Office The Kansas City City Council primary election was held this Tuesday, with almost all of the incumbent candidates projected to keep their seats, except for Brandon Ellington (3rd district at-large) who narrowly missed…
Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. // Courtesy Universal From almost the moment it was announced (Chris Pratt? Really?) Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie faced an uphill battle. First, there’s the often-repeated adage that video game adaptations rarely work onscreen. Then there’s the fact that the previous attempt, 1993’s gonzo…
Kyra Elise Gardner and Chucky. // Photo courtesy Cinedigm Filmmaker Kyra Elise Gardner is the daughter of special effects wizard Tony Gardner, the man behind both Child’s Play films since 2004’s Seed of Chucky and the Daft Punk helmets. It’s made for a fascinating life because she grew up behind the scenes of the iconic killer doll franchise, and her…
A cannabis-infused tasting menu. // Courtesy photo It’s difficult to encompass an entire community compared to another, but St. Louis and Kansas City each provide a different approach to cannabis and education. It’s still early days for legal weed in Missouri, and while it’s too soon to tell which way the wind blows for caregivers and small businesses, many consumers…
Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, took the lead Tuesday in the successful effort to reverse a vote in the Kansas House against a bill allowing for a March 2024 presidential preference primary. On reconsideration, the House voted to concur with the Senate on the $4 million to $5 million primary. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) Dozens of the Kansas House members flip-flopped Tuesday…
Concha from Reyna’s Mexican Bakery. // Photo by Lauren Textor It’s still possible to get $1 pastries at Reyna’s Mexican Bakery Reyna’s Mexican Bakery might serve the most inexpensive pastries in the metro. Marranitos from Reyna’s Mexican Bakery. // Photo by Lauren Textor The self-serve bakery isn’t flashy. Patrons pick up a cafeteria tray by the front door, load it…
The Jackson County Legislature holds a vote to ban conversion therapy March 20. // Photo by Sarah Moore. Jackson County became the first county in Missouri to ban conversion therapy, yesterday. The Trevor Project commended the legislators and the county as a whole for being a leading example and taking a huge step to ban this practice across the state. …
Ma’Ko’Quah Jones stands in front of Lawrence City Hall. // Courtesy campaign In some ways, Ma’Ko’Quah Jones’ journey toward climate advocacy had always been underway. But, the urgency of her mission intensified in 2008. “I had a son who passed away that year. He was a 7-month-old baby,” says Jones. Her tone is firm. There’s a sadness, of course, but…
Violet Mango Cannabis Seltzer by Mighty Kind. // Photo by Kala Elkinton Alcohol alternatives have been top of mind lately as hangovers gain their full strength. Seltzer waters, pre-biotic sodas, kombuchas, and non-alcoholic beers; the options are ever-growing. The key to switching out alcohol for an alternative though is to get the relaxing, social-anxiety soothing effects that alcohol brings. Something…
Courtesy Adobe Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 New York state felony offenses related to what prosecutors say were hush money payments to an adult film star. In a brief but historic appearance in a Manhattan trial court, Trump, the first former president to face criminal prosecution, learned he was charged with falsifying business records 34…
Redder Moon performs at Lemonade Park. // Photo by Nemo The outdoor performance venue Lemonad(e) Park is coming back for its fourth season, and the lineup is packed. The summer series starts May 6 with a hometown performance by the Sunwrecks and ends August 26 with the Crossroads Music Fest. The park has a whopping 33 shows scheduled, saying there…
State Sen. Doug Beck D-Afton (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications) All 10 Democratic members of the Missouri Senate signed a letter Monday urging Gov. Mike Parson to remove the chair of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights over his recent public statements in opposition to LGBTQ-rights legislation. Timothy Faber, a lobbyist for the Missouri Baptist Convention, testified in a Senate committee…
Newly-appointed President of PGAV Planners, Andy Struckhoff. // Courtesy photo PGAV Planners PGAV Planners, an urban planning firm that completes projects across the Midwest and globally, has announced that 15-year team member Andy Struckhoff has been promoted to their new President. PGAV Planners is behind many new developments in KC, such as the Smokey River Entertainment District. The collective of…
The Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. on May 13, 2022 (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent) A bill that would incentivize film and television production in Missouri gained final House approval in a 104-50 vote Monday. HB675, sponsored by Rep. Kurtis Gregory, R-Marshall, “authorizes a tax credit equal to 20% of qualifying expenses … associated with the production of a qualified motion media production…
This year has already been a record breaker for Travis Kelce. He brought home a Super Bowl win, hosted SNL, and announced the first live performance of the Kelce brothers’ podcast “New Heights,” but he’s not done there. Kelce Jam, a music festival completely curated and hosted by Kelce, will be taking over the Azura Amphitheater Kansas City April 28,…
The Comancheros. // photo by Allison Scavo The Comancheros with Chris Stewart & Clint Stevenson and Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters Knuckleheads Saturday, April 1 Missouri “Heavy and Western” band The Comancheros are always hilarious to photograph because I either have to physically fight my way to the front or stand in the back and watch women swoon. There is…
Royals employees speak out against unsafe working conditions. // Photo by Chris Ortiz Royals employees are speaking out against what they claim to be unsafe working conditions at Kauffman Stadium, including sub-standard drinking water and managerial policies. For years, employees could bring their own insulated water bottles to games, but about two years ago, Royals management allegedly banned personal water…
People show their pride at Lawrence PRIDE’s annual parade. // Photo by Fally Afani. Lawrence PRIDE has announced its annual LGBTQ+ pride celebration is set to take place on Saturday, June 3, 2023. This year’s event includes a street party and parade that will showcase the diversity and inclusivity of the Lawrence community. The parade will begin at 3 p.m.,…
Marcus Kerr started as a budtender and specialist at Luxury Leaf dispensary in St. Louis about a month ago. He’s among thousands who have landed new jobs in Missouri’s growing cannabis industry (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent) Marcus Kerr was running his own food truck in California in 2018, when he parked by a marijuana dispensary one day. “I just ended up…
A top-ranking official from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment told lawmakers the agency will monitor the landfill “until the fire is out.”(Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector) EASTON — Residents had complained to their local officials for months before Kansas environmental regulators investigated a trash mountain forming in a Leavenworth County landfill that is only permitted to take construction debris. By…
Courtesy Manor Records As of today, tickets for Manor Records’ Manor Fest are now on sale, along with the announcement of who’s playing over the course of the last two weekends of May. Manor Fest 5 will feature 57 bands on 19 stages across both weekends. This festival functions as the label’s yearly fundraiser event to help raise funds for…
Cat Fight at Farmer’s Ball 2023 semi-finals. // Photo by Maura Dayton Farmer’s Ball 2023 semi-finals The Bottleneck Lawrence, KS March 31, 2023 Lawrence’s beloved KJHK 90.7 FM hosted their annual Farmer’s Ball semi-finals at the Bottleneck on Friday night, featuring a range of local performers nominated and voted on by listeners. Bands included 24hr Video, Cat Fight, Discotek Mama,…
Poore with his beloved pup, Leo. // Courtesy Mission Driven Goods Local animal activist Scott Poore, who writes The Pitch’s Creature Feature (a weekly column showcasing local adoptable animals) has been named Chief of Advocacy and Media Relations at Great Plains SPCA. Poore left the corporate world 12 years ago to pursue a life of animal activism, funded from his…
John Hagen. // Courtesy photo Ever since The Texas Tenors made it big on the fourth season of America’s Got Talent a hundred years ago, the trio’s shooting star hasn’t stopped ascending. (Fun fact: TTT have become the most successful and biggest selling music group in the history of the well-known reality show.) John Hagen, one of the pop-opera (popera?) stars of the group,…
