National

Housing Starts Up in Midwest but Down Overall

The Commerce Department announced today that housing starts in the US fell 5.8 percent in August to their lowest level in three months, due largely to a 14.8 percent decrease in the South. Building activity increased in the Northeast (7.6… more

St. Joseph 5th in Startups Nationwide

According to the data-analysis website, FiveThirtyEight.com, St. Joseph, Missouri ranks 5th among metro areas with the fastest-growing rates of new startups (businesses less than a year old). Basing its findings on data from 2014, the report puts three Missouri metros… more

Nation’s Largest Grocer Cooperative Is Formed

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) and Affiliated Foods Midwest Cooperative, Inc. (AFM)—wholesale cooperatives serving the needs of grocery store member-owners around the country—have agreed to combine their businesses. Operating under the AWG name, the new cooperative will provide products and… more

Census Bureau Says Incomes Up, Poverty Down

According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income for the nation rose 5.2 percent in 2015, the first time Americans have seen an increase since 2007. The Census Bureau also reported that 3.5 million less people were below… more

Survey Cites the Effect of Cash Flow on Business Growth

It may sound obvious but apparently, businesses around the world would be in better shape if everybody paid their bills on time. According to Colin Sharp, senior vice president at a company called C2FO, “There is a significant opportunity for… more

Kansas City Charities Are Tops in Transparency

Kansas City charities are part of a six-way tie for first place in the category of Accountability and Transparency: this according to a Charity Navigator assessment of nearly 5,000 charitable organizations in 30 major metropolitan markets. The KC metro joined… more

Nearly $9 Million in Federal Grant Money for KC Buses

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) $8,986,350 in grant money for the purchase of new buses. President & CEO of KCATA, Robbie Makinen said, "This is a very… more

Federal Reserve “Beige Book” Reports on the Kansas City District

According to the Federal Reserve Bank, activity in the Fed’s Tenth District—Kansas City— was largely flat in recent months, though expectations remained mostly positive. That assessment is from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, a report produced eight times a year… more

Jet Midwest in deal for ‘mini-satellite’ aircraft

Airborne Wireless Network (OTC QB: ABWN) says it has a deal with Kansas City-based Jet Midwest Group to obtain three aircraft to test its Airborne Wireless Network concept. A memorandum of understanding states that both parties have agreed to enter… more

Missouri Flexes Manufacturing Muscle

     A new report from the Brookings Institution ranks Missouri No. 6 nationwide for annual job growth in advanced manufacturing, Gov. Jay Nixon's office announced this morning. The Brookings analysis is based on recent jobs reports that showed the durable… more