Remembering Sister Berta

By Nomin Ujiyediin,

Published January 30, 2024 at 4:00 AM CST

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Sister Berta Sailer, one of Kansas City's greatest advocates for disadvantaged chidlren, died last week at 87. In the 1960s, she opened an at-home day care that eventually grew to become Operation Breakthrough. Plus: A rural Missouri school district is one of the first in the U.S. to receive electric buses from a new EPA program.

Sister Berta Sailer — the public face as well as the emotional DNA of Operation Breakthrough, one of the largest and most comprehensive childcare agencies in the Kansas City region — died last Thursday due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. Sailer devoted her life to helping children and families and personally fostered some 75 kids.

KCUR's Laura Ziegler reports on Sailer's life and long-lasting legacy.

Ralls County School District in rural northeastern Missouri is one of the first in the state to receive electric buses from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. The federal initiative has sent at least one electric bus to nearly every U.S. state with thousands more on the way.

Kate Grumke reports for Harvest Public Media.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Anna Schmidt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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