Rachel Schnelle
Feature reporter, KRPS 89.9Contact: @rschnelle@pittstate.edu
Job Title: Feature Reporter, KRPS 89.9
Topic Expertise: Intersection of Health and Environment; Politics and Civic Engagement; Social Issues and Public Welfare
Location: Pittsburg, Kansas
Geographic Expertise: Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri
Education: University of Missouri - Columbia, Bachelor's Degree in Journalism
Language: English
Honors & Awards: Student Honoree of the 2022 Women in Media Gracie Award.
Conflicts of Interest: Rachel Schnelle's father owns a successful farm equipment business. She avoids covering agriculture topics that relate to his work.
Professional Associations/Memberships: Public Media Journalists Association
About Rachel
Rachel Schnelle is the Feature Reporter for KRPS 89.9 in Pittsburg, Kansas. Since joining KRPS, she's developed a trusted network of sources in Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. Her rapport with sources has allowed her to be the first to break several stories of Missouri politics and public service commission issues. One of her biggest stories this year involved covering the lasting impacts on the Tri-State Mining District in Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri.
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Many Midwest residents distrust their tap water. Some purchase water and ice from standalone kiosks. University of Iowa researchers found at least trace levels of lead in most of these kiosks. -
Lead exposure is a common issue in southeast Kansas and nearby parts of Missouri and Oklahoma. Health experts say there are few accessible resources for high-risk communities. -
The number of disconnection notices sent to customers by utility company Evergy has nearly doubled over the last year. -
Kansas City has more than 5,000 vacant lots. The Heartland Conservation Alliance wants to renovate a 20-acre urban forest in a neighborhood on the east side of the city — but not until they hear what neighbors want. -
The new-and-improved ride will feature speeds up to 45 mph, a free-fall after a signature spiral ascent, and tight turns whipping in and out of the trees. -
Brandon Calloway is putting characters of color at the center of their own stories with his Kansas City-based publishing company Darkmoon Comics. -
Incumbent Missouri Sen. Mike Cierpiot is facing primary challengers from the right, who criticize him for being "worst Republican in our area." But his campaign priorities tend to line up even with his opponents. -
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Kansas City area, as temperatures reach dangerous levels. -
Panasonic announced on Wednesday it has chosen De Soto, Kansas, as the site of a massive new factory. The plant will be the largest vehicle battery production facility in the world and will cost $4 billion to construct. -
COVID cases have increased in Kansas City by nearly 40% in the last two weeks, a surge attributed to the highly contagious variant BA.5.
