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Up To Date

Seg. 1: How Safe Is Kansas City From Catastrophic Flood? Seg. 2: The Modern Role Of Libraries.

Luke X. Martin
/
KCUR 89.3
Steve Potter, center, and Sean Casserly, right, joined Up To Date guest host Brian Ellison in a live broadcast from Johnson County's new Monticello library branch.

Segment 1: Twenty-five years after the "Great Flood of 1993," is Kansas City any safer?

Like most cities in the Missouri River basin, the danger of flooding is a fact of life in Kansas City. Floods in 1993 caused 50 deaths and $15 billion in damages, but rains every year furrow the brows of civil engineers. Today, we learned about the infrastructure projects keeping Kansas City safe from collosal floods and normal downpours alike. We also asked where the weak spots are in the system, and what work is left to be done.

Segment 2, beginning at 23:27: How does a millennium-old institution stay relevant?

In a conversation broadcast live from Johnson County Library's newest branch, we ask local leaders in the industry what separates public libraries from online bookmongers like Amazon and digital forums like Facebook or Twitter. Despite the ease with which people can download and order books, video and audio online, library systems on both sides of the state line expect sustained expansion.

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
As culture editor, I oversee KCUR’s coverage of race, culture, the arts, food and sports. I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City. Email me at luke@kcur.org.