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Top Stories of the Week

By Steve Bell

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-995860.mp3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Competing plans but no decision on KC schools.
Two new Kansas City schools proposals emerged before the Missouri board of education meeting Friday. The first, for a five-member advisory board - was submitted by a group of civic leaders who traditionally advocate for minority communities. The nominating group included the Reverend James Tindall, who said the group was merely suggesting names for appointment when the state takes over the district.

School board Member Joseph Jackson took exception, commenting to TV-9 news that it was an example of a power grab attempt by a group of people who have been involved in the schools for years without effect.

Later in the week, Mayor Sly James submitted commissioners a plan under which he would take over the district and appoint a three-member administrative panel to run it. Jamekia Kendrix was a member of the panel the mayor assembled to create the plan. She said the group made its recommendation because in other states mayoral takeovers have been more effective than state takeovers at restoring district accreditation.

School Board member Arthur Benson decried the mayor's plan as an attempt to override democratically elected officials.

Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro said she would delay making a recommendation on what to do about the Kansas City schools, but said all options present problems and she would still like the legislature to empower the commissioners to lift the district accreditation as early as next month.

Neighborhoods quarrel over council redistricting.
The Kansas City city council returned from Thanksgiving break to newly renovated chambers on the 26th floor of City Hall. After a few glitches in operating the new sound and computer systems, council members heard comments from a throng of citizens advocating different approaches to redrawing council district lines.

The map recommended by the redistricting committee has heavy support, but an alternative presented by Hickman Mills school board member Bonnaye Mimms is supported by some groups in Brookside, Armor Hills and the Bannister-Hickman Mills area.

Bill Geary of the city attorney's office left the matter strictly up to the council. He said both maps are, in his opinion, "legal" under federal voting rights laws.

The council district boundaries have to be redrawn because of the shift of population from center-city areas toward the North and South. The council is to make a decision by the end of the month.

Shawnee Mission teen's Twitter post causes uproar.
A Shawnee Mission teen's Tweet about Kansas Governor Sam Brownback had people coast to coast talking. The governor's office, which searches social media for comments about him, reported the impolite message to the school, which demanded that the girl apologize. Thousands of angry citizens flooded the Internet with comments about freedom of speech. Finally, the school rescinded the order to apologize, and the governor apologized. He said his staff member "overreacted."

KU's Turner Gill out in $6 million contract buyout.
KU fired head football coach Turner Gill, who had turned in a 1 and 16 record in the Big 12 and suffered overwhelming losses to MU and K-State. The school will pay Gill more than $6 million to buy out the rest of his contract.

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