Excelsior Springs

Kansas City's neighboring city of Excelsior Springs has a range of holiday activities to explore spanning from now until the end of the year — including markets full of locally-made goods and an enormous hall of Christmas trees.

Clay County Prosecutor Zach Thompson announced Tuesday that Timothy Haslett Jr. is charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Jaynie Crosdale. Haslett was previously accused of kidnapping a Black woman and holding her in his basement.

Kansas City has its fair share of historic homes, odd churches and menacing mansions, each with their own haunting past. With unsolved murders to unexplained mysteries, these sites are perfectly creepy and fascinating even beyond the Halloween season.

Rural communities across Kansas and Missouri are trying their hand at revitalization. In the face of population decline, many towns are putting effort into beautification — updating bike trails, investing in local business and Main Streets, and renewing interests in local history — in the hopes of attracting visitors and new residents.

Jaynie Crosdale’s family remembers her as charismatic and able to talk to anyone. Her death has brought up questions about how police handle cases of missing Black women.

Law enforcement had been searching for Jaynie Crosdale, 36, in connection with the case against Timothy Hazlett, Jr., who is accused of nine felonies for the alleged beating and sexual assault of a woman who said she was held in his basement.

In the days before air conditioning, electric fans were how Midwesterners beat the heat. One local collector is restoring a rare set of antique fans that once cooled travelers in Kansas City’s Union Station.

The Missouri tourist town once faced the same stress as many rural areas, with a declining population and abandoned buildings. But a conscious effort to fix the downtown's infrastructure and beautify public spaces has turned the economy around.

Timothy M. Haslett, Jr. faces nine felony charges for allegedly keeping a woman captive in his basement for more than a month until she escaped.

Authorities say Timothy Haslett Jr. kept a 22-year-old woman captive in his basement.

A 39-year-old Excelsior Springs, Missouri, man accused of kidnapping a woman in Kansas City and holding her hostage for weeks made his first court appearance Tuesday after being charged with kidnapping, rape and second-degree assault.