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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The new Pennway Point entertainment district, which makes use of space that sat empty for years as industrial storage, is already making some neighbors in the Westside neighborhood uneasy. Developers are building the project without using tax money, but say they plan to seek incentives for the years ahead. -
Lester, an 84-year-old white man, was charged with two felonies for shooting Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, April 13. His trial is set for October 2024.
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Previously, dispatchers were classified as clerical workers, which didn’t give them access to the benefits other first responders receive. Experts hope this will attract more candidates to the job.
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For the first time, Women and laypeople will be represented as delegates at the Synod of Bishops, where they will help Pope Francis in deciding the direction of the Catholic Church.
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The aquarium features thousands of animals, and takes visitors on a journey into the ocean and along the shore. It also adds to the zoo’s conservation efforts.
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All of the workers, except for the general manager, quit Thursday. They say they had no other choice but to leave Second Best after multiple conversations with ownership and management went unaddressed.
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Friends and family say Jon Paul was loved by all who knew him. After a car hit and injured him while he was riding his scooter on Aug. 8, Paul succumbed to his injuries in the hospital Saturday.
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The Ethnic Enrichment Festival has been bringing people together to celebrate their different cultures for 44 years now. Maselina Conlon loves the festival for the opportunity to teach people about Haitian culture.
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Kansas City has been trying to make Brush Creek somewhere people gather for almost 100 years. Now, the city is giving it another shot with a new master plan based on community feedback in the hopes that focusing on amenities instead of flood control will finally make the creek a destination.
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Severe storms and winds kept racers in the MR340, a river race from Kansas City to St. Charles, from finishing the endurance race. But they still plan to celebrate.
