Monica Sandreczki

Cellist Sascha Groschang and violinist Laurel Morgan Parks have been good friends since they trained together as classical musicians at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance. They perform around the region, and internationally, in symphony orchestras and chamber groups.  They’ve also delved into traditional folk, rock and jazz genres.  (Parks plays in the Kansas City folk-rock band, In The Pines.)

Buffets: you either love them or hate them. And in a tough economy, the idea of an all-you-can meal can sound alluring, even if the choices can be more about quantity than quality. On today's Central Standard Friday, we'll fill our plates up with suggestions for the best, the cheapest and the most unusual buffets in Kansas City. Today's food critics are host Charles Ferruzza, Chris Becicka, Mary Bloch and Emily Farris.

The heavy snow last week caused several roof collapses around the Kansas City area. And several more buildings were evacuated for fear of a collapse, including a Macy’s in Overland Park.  KCUR’s Dan Verbeck sat down with Overland Park Code Administrator, Tim Ryan, to find out more about addressing and preventing roof collapses.

After the two snowstorms that slammed Kansas City, even the bravest of winter weather enthusiasts found their schedules disrupted.  A lot of people spent their snow days digging their way out. But besides shoveling, many locals did something unanticipated, whether it was dealing with the loneliness of a power outage, or kicking back to play Call of Duty.

Child advocates and state lawmakers are demanding answers after several recent high profile cases of extreme child abuse in Kansas City.  The most recent case, involving a Northland teen who was handcuffed to a pole the family’s basement, brings up questions about Missouri's child welfare system.

The redevelopment of each closed school building in Kansas City, Mo. tends to draw a small group of concerned residents.  And that was the case for the old Bingham Junior High School property, at 77th and Wyandotte in Waldo. Until Walmart came knocking.

Across the Kansas City area, communities are debating the drawbacks and benefits of having the world's largest retailer as a neighbor: Walmart. In Lee’s Summit, a group of residents showed up at a recent city council meeting wearing red, to oppose the construction of a $25 million dollar Walmart Supercenter.