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Urban Neighborhoods Initiative, Evan Connell

Monica Sandreczki
/
KCUR

Initiative Aims To Improve Neighborhoods Along Troost

The Urban Neighborhood Initiative was founded last year as part of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Big Five ideas to improve life in the metro. UNI will focus on the area between 22nd  and 52nd  Streets, from Troost Avenue to Highway 71.  We visit one of the neighborhoods, Manheim Park, to hear about the revitalization already underway.  And we meet UNI's  new executive director, Dianne Cleaver.

Kansas Lawmakers React To School Finance Ruling

When a state court ruled earlier this month that Kansas needs to increase its funding for schools, budget-cutting lawmakers reacted with anger. And the recommendations were more or less ignored by the governor. Hear details from state government reporter Andy Marso, who has been covering the school funding issue for the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Lower Cost & Better Care: Can KanCare Deliver?

Governor Sam Brownback has two objectives for his overhaul of Medicaid in Kansas. First, save money. And second, improve the care delivered to the 380,000 Kansans who depend on the program.  But how realistic is it to think that the governor's KanCare program can achieve both of those goals?  This week, we continue Kansas Public Radio's series on the privatization of Medicaid in Kansas.

Evan Connell On Mr. Bridge And Mrs. Bridge

Kansas City native Evan S. Connell died this month at the age of 88. Connell was probably best known locally for his two novels, Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge, about a fictional well-to-do Kansas City family. In 1989, former New Letters on the Air host Rebekah Presson Mosby talked to Connell on the set of the film, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, on location in Kansas City.

Sylvia Maria Gross is storytelling editor at KCUR 89.3. Reach her on Twitter @pubradiosly.
As a health care reporter, I aim to empower my audience to take steps to improve health care and make informed decisions as consumers and voters. I tell human stories augmented with research and data to explain how our health care system works and sometimes fails us. Email me at alexs@kcur.org.
As managing podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I want to feed your curious mind, offer historical context so you understand why things are the way they are, and introduce you to the people working to make a difference behind the scenes. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
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