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Savannah Hawley-Bates
General Assignment ReporterWhen news breaks, it can be easy to rely on officials and people in power to get information fast. As KCUR’s general assignment and breaking news reporter, I want to bring you the human faces of the day’s biggest stories. Whether it’s a local shop owner or a worker on the picket line, I want to give you the stories of the real people who are driving change in the Kansas City area. Email me at savannahhawley@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @savannahhawley.
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Attacks on poll workers have been on the rise since 2020. One local election worker is afraid that four years of conspiracy theories and harmful rhetoric are putting her in danger — and she’s not alone.
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Kansas City's iconic outdoor shopping center has faced multiple challenges under its previous ownership, including high turnover and crime. The new owners run a successful shopping mall similar to the Plaza in Texas.
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Kansas City’s homegrown relationship between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and superstar Taylor Swift could have been modeled after a rom-com for the ages. Now, a Hallmark Christmas movie set to premiere later this year appears to have taken some notes from their relationship.
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Clinton’s Soda Fountain has been a pillar of the Independence community since the 1980s for its ice cream and nostalgic feel. As a teenager, President Harry Truman worked in the same building at a different ice cream shop.
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En los próximos días, la zona metropolitana de Kansas City experimentará las temperaturas más altas en lo que va del año, con índices de calor por arriba de 100. Encuentre una guía de lugares donde escapar del clima veraniego, incluidos centros para refrescarse y piscinas públicas.
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The Neck was the largest Black neighborhood in Independence, but was demolished in the 1960s as part of the city’s urban renewal efforts. The city dedicated granite markers honoring the former neighborhood as part of its efforts to right the past.
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The Kansas City metro will experience the hottest temperatures so far this year in the coming days, with heat indexes in the triple digits. Find a guide to where you escape the summer weather, including cooling centers and public pools.
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Now open in the old Crispus Attucks School, the Zhou B Art Center brings free exhibitions to the public, beginning with a show that combines local and international artists.
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Rose Brooks is now the first unionized domestic violence shelter in the state. Organizers say they hope the union helps stabilize an industry with high levels of burnout and turnover.
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Mayor Quinton Lucas threatened to veto the ceasefire resolution and another item recognizing the work of a Kansas City nonprofit that's been providing medical aid in Gaza. Palestinian groups have been calling on Kansas City Council to support a ceasefire for months.