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Up To Date

Sheila Albers | Optometry During A Pandemic | KC Library's New Director

By Steve Kraske,
Grace Cole, Chris Young, Danie Alexander, Mackenzie Martin
Published July 13, 2020 at 5:15 PM CDT
Andrea Tudhope
/
KCUR 89.3
More than two years after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed by a police officer outside of the family's Overland Park home, Sheila Albers' fight for change is far from over.

An Overland Park mother's years-long fight for transparency and better police training after the death of her son, how going to the eye doctor is different during a pandemic, and a new director takes over at the Kansas City Public Library.

Segment 1, beginning at 4:03: An Overland Park mom demands for reform two years after her son was shot to death by police.

John Albers was 17 and struggling with mental health issues when an Overland Park police officer shot him to death in 2018. Today, his mother continues to fight for what she says could have kept him alive — transparency and better training for first responders.

Segment 2, beginning at 29:24: How eye doctors are working through the pandemic.

Practicing medicine during a pandemic is challenging for both doctors and the patients, especially in the world of optometry, where eye doctors tend to move in close to patients to examine or operate on them.

Segment 3, beginning at 39:33: A new leader takes over at the Kansas City Public Library.

John Herron succeeds Crosby Kemper III, and takes over at a time when the library's public events and finances have taken a hit. He comes from UMKC, where he was the interim dean of the the College of Arts and Science.

Tags
Up To Date Kansas City Public LibraryKansas City Missouri (KCMO)Talk ShowCoronavirusOverland Park PolicePolice shootingsmental healthpolicemedical decisionspublic health
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Grace Cole
Grace Cole is an intern for KCUR's Up To Date.
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Chris Young
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
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Danie Alexander
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.
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Mackenzie Martin
Mackenzie Martin is a senior podcast producer at KCUR Studios and host of the podcast, A People's History of Kansas City. Contact her at mackenzie@kcur.org.
See stories by Mackenzie Martin