Regional News

Kansas board approves new guidance for return to schools

The Kansas State Board of Education members approved a new guidance document to help support schools successfully complete the 2020-2021 school year while simultaneously preparing for the 2022-2022 school year. This 28-page document, “Navigating Next,” also helps districts determine options… more

Retail most competitive job sector in Missouri

A new study from CareerCloud shows that “retail salesperson” is the most common and competitive job in Missouri, at 1,359 jobs per 100,000 people.  Neighboring Kansas also shows retail as the most competitive job. The study uses recent data from the… more

Missouri-based Centene to cut work force by 6 percent

A Missouri-based health insurance giant, Centene Corp., will soon be cutting thousands of jobs. According to Centene CEO Michael Neidorff, around 3,000 positions will be eliminated as well as another 1,500 open positions, representing about 6 percent of its workforce.… more

Metro tech startup brings in 400 percent revenue growth

Enterprise data platform startup Replica saw a boom in revenue growth last year. In 2020, the Overland Park-based company brought in around 400 percent in revenue growth. Replica is a next-generation urban planning tool that can help cities answer key… more

Coping with COVID: Week four of mass vaccinations to begin in Missouri Tuesday, state releases locations

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's office released a list of mass vaccination sites for the upcoming week, Feb. 16-20. The list includes a vaccination clinic for those receiving their initial dose at the Cerner World Headquarters Campus in North Kansas City… more

GAO calls for delay in implementing Cerner’s $16B EHR System for Department of Veterans Affairs

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the Department of Veterans Affairs pause the implementation of its $16 billion Cerner EHR system to perform "critical" tests before deploying the system at any additional facilities.  The VA went live with the new… more

Kansas rural communities receive development grant

This week, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced 32 rural Kansas communities will receive a share of approximately $13.8 million in federal grants to assist with community development projects. The money is available through the Community Development Block Grant program facilitated… more

Lockton Affinity acquires insurance platform company

Kansas City-based Lockton Companies affiliate, Lockton Affinity, is bringing on an insurance platform company thanks to a recent acquisition. Lockton acquired San Diego, Calif.-based The BluePrint Insurance Services. The company provides technology, training and customer services to help registered investment… more

Coping with COVID: Missouri seven-day average of new cases on downturn, sees six-month low

The COVID-19 case count is holding steady on a downward trend in Missouri. A number of spikes over the holidays have slowed, the state’s seven-day moving average displaying a decline on Jan. 10. Most recently, Missouri’s seven-day moving average bumped… more

$324M Missouri rent assistance bill signed into law

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill Thursday that will provide more than $324 million in funding to help tenants and landlords across the state. House Bill 16 provides more than $324 million in funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance… more