A daily digest of headlines from KCUR.
- Streetcar Plan On Track
- Bike Share Rolls Out
- Trial Date Set For Bishop & Catholic Diocese
- Kansas Agriculture Secretary Blasts Bioscience Authority
- Artists In Their Own Words: Year Of The Dragon
Streetcar Plan On Track
A week after the Kansas City Council endorsed a plan to fund a downtown streetcar system, it approved appropriating a million dollars for advance work on the system, including a contract for some preliminary engineering studies. Funding for construction depends largely on voter approval of a special transportation tax district in the area the system would serve. Read more here.
Bike Share Rolls Out
The advocacy group BikeWalkKC has announced its launching a bike share program. Starting this summer, bikes will be available, for a fee, at 20 kiosks around downtown. BikeWalkKC says the system will provide a cheap, easy and healthy way for people to get between popular downtown spots. Find out more here.
Trial Date Set For Bishop & Catholic Diocese
A Jackson County Circuit Court judge has set a late September trial date for the Bishop of Kansas City and St. Joseph and the diocese as an entity. The case will be a first of its kind in the nation. Bishop Robert Finn and the diocese are accused of failing to report suspicions of child sexual abuse. In the history of child sexual abuse scandals, a catholic bishop and his diocese together have never been so charged in a United States court. Read more here.
Kansas Agriculture Secretary Blasts Bioscience Authority
Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman blasted the Kansas Bioscience Authority, saying the agency's board of directors hasn't fulfilled its duties. Rodman criticized the way the agency has been spending money. Gov. Sam Brownback’s office is withholding more than $20 million in funding for the KBA, until the legislature decides if the agency needs reform or more oversight.
Artists In Their Own Words: Year Of The Dragon
This week marked the start of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar. The dragon is a symbol of strength, good luck, and the supernatural. This week marked the start of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar. The dragon is a symbol of strength, good luck, and the supernatural. For a series called Artists in their Own Words, magician Dan Chan and his wife, balloon artist Kat Chan, discussed magic, Bian Lian or "Face Changing" (a performance with masks), and dragons. Listen to the story here.