Local News

KCMO council to vote today on outdoor dining extension

Many Kansas City metro restaurant owners are concerned that as the weather changes, so too will the amount of customers wanting to eat outside. On May 21, the KCMO City Council allowed restaurants to open dining rooms to the sidewalk or, in… more

Data shows steady hospital capacity in Kansas City metro

Contrary to recent news reports circulating information that Kansas City hospitals are experiencing a surge in capacity, a recent summary report from the Kansas Hospital Association, which includes data for the Kansas City metro, seems to show otherwise. Among 43… more

Kansas City, Mo., Lee’s Summit noted among U.S. cities with fastest economic growth

A number of Kansas City-area cities are included in WalletHub's new ranking of the U.S. cities with the fastest economic growth. However, only three local cities ranked in the top half of the 515 municipalities evaluated. Of the three cities, Lee's… more

KC homicide rate declining; Operation Legend continues

Kansas City police Chief Rick Smith says Kansas City's homicide rate has gone down since Operation Legend began. Before federal agents came to Kansas City, the metro was averaging 5.5 homicides every week. During Operation Legend, that dropped to 4.3. A… more

Aramark to lay off KC stadium, convention workers

The continued impact of COVID-19 has touched yet another company, Aramark announcing last week that that it will be cutting staff and work hours for hundreds of employees at both Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Convention Center. Around 600… more

Project Fairway in south KC pulled from city docket

High hopes for south Kansas City’s Project Fairway have faltered, plans for its construction recently canceled by the City Plan Commission just as plans were drawing near to final approval. Proposed plans for the massive 700,000-square-foot fulfillment center had been… more

Survey shows boost in confidence among CEOs for remainder of 2020

The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose sharply in the final month of Q3, after a moderate increase in the first month of Q3. The measure stands at 64, up from 45. (A reading… more

Coping with COVID: Lee’s Summit diagnostics company receives FDA approval for COVID-19 test kit

Viracor Eurofins in Lee's Summit has now received approval from the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its development of an at-home Covid-19 test kit. The FDA gave emergency-use authorization for the test kit, a swab resembling a Q-tip… more

KC earnings tax renewal to appear on April ballot

This upcoming spring, Kansas City, Mo. residents will see a return of the earnings tax, or e-tax, to the ballot. On April 6, 2021, voters will be asked the question of whether to continue Kansas City's current one-percent earnings tax… more

Annual Plaza Lighting Ceremony to be held virtually in 2020

For one of the region’s most beloved traditions, the Country Club Plaza will host the 91st Annual Evergy Plaza Lighting Ceremony as a broadcast-only event on KMBC 9. The hour-long production will start at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. While Plaza restaurants… more