News

KCRise Fund Announces First Investments

The entrepreneurship-supporting KCRise Fund—a sidecar venture capital initiative of the KC Rising economic development effort—announced today that it has selected two area companies for the fund’s first investments.  The companies chosen are, SpiderOak, an online data security company with several… more

Missouri Added Jobs in September

Missouri’s Department of Economic Development released seasonally adjusted data today, saying the state’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 6,700 jobs in September.  The largest private-industry employment growth for the month occurred in health care & social assistance (+2,400 jobs), followed… more

K-State Makes List of Safe Schools

College Choice, an organization providing rankings and resources geared toward helping students with the decision on which college or university to attend, has published its 50-school, 2016 ranking of the Safest Large Colleges and Universities in America. Kanas State University… more

Excess Production Leads to Spilt Milk

Within weeks of a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report announcing record net income for agriculture cooperatives, including Kansas City’s Dairy Farmers of America, The Wall Street Journal is reporting a “massive glut” in excess milk that has filled warehouses… more

Retail Sales and Producer Prices Both Up in September

The prices producers pay to make their products edged up a bit in September, according to the United States Department of Labor. The Producer Price Index rose 0.3 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, bringing the total rise in producer prices… more

Concerns Regarding Westar Purchase Addressed

The Associated Press is reporting that Great Plains Energy Inc. has reached an agreement with the Missouri Public Service Commission designed to insulate Missouri customers against any negative impacts from Great Plains' $8.6 billion purchase of Westar Energy Inc. A… more

Kauffman Researchers Look at Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Growthology—an arm of Kansas City’s Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, focusing on entrepreneurial research—has released a report on immigrant entrepreneurship in the United States. The report says two things with great certainty: 1) America’s immigrants tend to be more entrepreneurial than… more

Record-Setting Corn and Soybean Crops for Kansas

The Associated Press is reporting that the current Kansas corn and soybean harvest is expected to be record-setting. According to the report, the National Agricultural Statistics Service is saying the 713 million bushels of corn forecast in Kansas is a… more

Public Opinion Sought on $54 Million Max Project

The City of Kansas City, Mo., and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) are holding a community meeting today for discussion of the planned $54 million Prospect MAX bus rapid transit (BRT) line. Anyone interested in attending is invited… more

Unemployment Up Slightly in September

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, America’s economy added 156,000 nonfarm jobs in September while the unemployment rate, up to 5 percent from 4.9 percent in August, hovered in the same range it has been in for the… more