Archives: December 2023

Politics

Fight over proposed Kansas City landfill will return to Missouri legislature

The landfill is proposed at Kansas City’s border with Raymore, roiling residents of the adjacent city.
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) Communities bordering the southern stretch of Kansas City and their state legislators are gearing up once again to fight developers’ plan to build a landfill near a…
Politics

Retail pharmacy workers in Kansas and Missouri are unhappy with their pay and working conditions

The University of Kansas surveyed more than 200 workers in chain retail settings about their job satisfaction. “They've been treated, in a lot of cases, like a commodity instead of a health care worker,” one industry professional said.
Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga,

A CVS pharmacy at 9521 Mission Road in Overland Park, Kansas. This location, and about a dozen others in the Kansas City metro, closed temporarily this fall due to staff walkouts. // Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of Kansas News Service Pharmacy work is a tough job, according to Amanda Applegate with the Kansas Pharmacists Association. There are, of course, many prescriptions to…
Politics

Missouri House GOP changes campaign leader amid row with Senate

Jonathan Ratliff, executive director of the House Republican Campaign Committee, will become ‘senior consultant’ after 14 years leading election efforts.
Rudi Keller,

House Majority Leader Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, speaks in a press conference after voting against a bill seeking to ban gender-affirming care for minors (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Missouri House GOP changes campaign leader amid row with Senate by Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent December 28, 2023 Missouri lawmakers return next week to Jefferson City for their annual session with a new…

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Food & Drink

The Big Biscuit serves gingerbread pancakes through Dec. 31

Lauren Textor,

The Loaded Sticky Biscuit with a mug of hot chocolate // Photo by Lauren Textor This year is drawing to a close, and whatever your feelings about leaving 2023 behind, The Big Biscuit has one last way for you to sweeten it. Through Dec. 31, The Big Biscuit is serving its seasonal gingerbread pancakes. The large, pillowy pancakes are topped…

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Culture

KC Cares: NourishKC delivers on a big promise

Beth Lipoff,

Courtesy photo You don’t have to prove anything to get a hot meal at NourishKC. The organization, located at 750 Paseo Blvd., serves “anyone who walks through our doors.” “We are a zero-barrier facility. No questions asked. People don’t need to show I.D. or any type of need just to access a meal,” says Mandi Jean Retter, executive director of…

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Food & Drink

Denisha Jones is building her Sweet Peaches Cobblers empire one treat at a time

Mar'Che Boggess,

Courtesy photo During the pandemic, Denisha Jones found herself craving some peach cobbler. After realizing that grocery store options just weren’t cutting it, and restaurants weren’t satisfying her cravings, she took matters into her own hands and made her own. “I really wanted my grandmother’s peach cobbler,” says Jones. After the seventh try, she hit it right on the nail….
Politics

Missouri lawmakers renew push to regulate ‘delta-8 THC’ hemp products

Rebecca Rivas,

Delta-8 THC products like this cherry seltzer can be sold in stores in Missouri because the intoxicating ingredient, THC, is derived from hemp, not marijuana which is a controlled substance (Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent) A Republican state senator has filed legislation to renew last spring’s failed effort to regulate intoxicating hemp products in Missouri, such as Delta-8 drinks and edibles….

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Games

Wonder’s scale and scope in video game Jusant gave us the digital coping mechanisms we needed in ’23

Adrian Torres,

Ever since the pandemic of 2020, there’s been constant discussion about “getting back to normal” or returning to “the before times”. To say it’s been a struggle would be an understatement. Various strains of COVID still exist and to some levels, even thrive. The world has adjusted and course-corrected to an extent, but there are still hardships and strife almost…

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Food & Drink

KC Sipps: Top food and drink stories of 2023, plus a look ahead

Your Kansas City dining guide: special edition!
Sarah Sipple,

Art by Cassondra Jones The final installment of KC Sipps for 2023 is a bit different: I’m taking a break! But to be honest, that just means that I worked twice as much last week so I could rest this week.  Thank you for turning to The Pitch for food and drink news–your readership and trust is everything. Feel free…

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Politics

‘Not alone’: Missourians experiencing infertility say insurance is a major hurdle to care

‘It’s more like gambling than it is health care,’ said one woman about infertility treatments, ‘because you’re wagering significant amounts of money. And you might come out with nothing.’
Anna Spoerre,

Angela Crawford, 38, hugs her daughter, Alexandria, 6, in their Springfield home on Dec. 14, 2023. “I could not be happier,” said Crawford, who started an infertility support group after undergoing IVF to have her two children. “I’m in the best mental health of my life. And I want what I have for everyone” (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent) SPRINGFIELD — Angela…

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Art

Four Inane Questions with KC photographer Courtney Crutcher-Staton

Michael Mackie,

When we asked stalwart KC photographer Courtney Crutcher-Staton for a brief, but all-encompassing bio, she led with this: “I’m a firm believer that I am not for everyone. I can be loud, goofy, and borderline ridiculous,” she says. “I say what I think and mean what I say. I am too much for many. That’s okay, they can go find…

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Politics

Major Kansas City corporations are failing to tackle climate action plans, according to new report

Bauer and his team at Spendwell have configured their report based on commitments, or rather lack of commitments, made by some of the metro’s largest corporations, which is publicly available.
Joe Ellett,

KC skyline. // Photo by Brooke Trammel Kansas Citians may be wondering when driveways will be covered in white felt and they will have to bust out shovels. That answer is unknown, but it is clear that normal weather patterns have shifted over the past few decades and it is not looking like the city will get any snow before…

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Music

Single Sentence Singles: Holiday 2023 edition

We're back, baby. The hits keep coming.
Nick Spacek,

Illustrated by Katelyn Betz In an effort to keep you all abreast of the latest local music that’s not album or music video related, we present the latest installment of our irregular feature, Single Sentence Singles. We take a listen to the latest local singles to hit Soundcloud, Spotify, Bandcamp, et al, and sum them up in one sentence. Simple…

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Movies

Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire is a failed Star Wars story, reimagined as a new and original form of failure

The bad guy is cosplaying as Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer. Cary Elwes is wearing a He-Man wig from a children’s Halloween costume. Ray Fisher looks like he was cut out of a Christian rock opera. 
Patrick Moore,

Rebel Moon. // Courtesy Clay Enos/Netflix A long, long time ago (in a galaxy far away?) Zack Snyder met with Kathleen Kennedy to pitch a Star Wars spinoff that was ultimately rejected. It is because of this that we now have REBEL MOON — PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE streaming December 21st on Netflix. The title is just like…

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Politics

In a statehouse short on space, Dean Plocher converted an office into a liquor ‘pantry’

Public records show the Missouri House spent $60,000 of taxpayer money renovating the speaker’s office — including $29,000 on new furniture.
Jason Hancock,

House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, speaking during House debate on Sept. 15, 2021 (Tim Bommel/House Communications) For four years, state Rep. Mike Stephens occupied prime real estate on the third floor of the Missouri Capitol. His office in room 306B certainly wasn’t the biggest in the space-starved statehouse, where staff often work out of musty, windowless rooms, and many…

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Music

Blues maven Cassie Taylor’s “Desire” signifies a musical return and unapologetic queerness

Nina Cherry,

Cassie Taylor uses she/her and they/them pronouns. For the sake of clarity and readability, this article will use they/them pronouns. When Cassie Taylor came out of the closet in their thirties, they experienced an artistic resurgence. “I’ve never felt so uninhibited by creativity,” says Taylor, a blues bassist and singer-songwriter. “When you figure out who you are, it just clicks.” …