Frank White

Rejecting a consultant’s recommendation that would save money and delays, Jackson County officials said Tuesday the county is open to sharing space and services at the site of the new detention center already being built on the city’s eastside.

KCATA's development arm aims to create walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods with easy access to public transit. But some Kansas City leaders are concerned about the agency's use of tax incentives — and lack of affordable housing requirements.

Mayor Quinton Lucas says the county cited costs in turning away a proposal to add a municipal jail to the $256.5 million Jackson County Detention Center. Now the city and county are spending “half a billion dollars on two jails potentially across the street from each other,” Lucas said.

If she defeats incumbent Frank White, Theresa Cass Galvin would be the fourth county executive in eight years and the first Republican to win in decades.

Rae's Cafe and its owner, Amanda Wohletz, had defied the county's health order and allowed unmasked customers and employees into the restaurant.

The new order takes effect on Monday and will last 30 days. Any extension must be approved by the county legislature.

Tuesday's announcement from Mayor Quinton Lucas follows new CDC guidance urging that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with significant COVID-19 spread.

This is the first step in replacing the current Jackson County Detention Center which has been overcrowded since it opened in downtown Kansas City in 1984.

A joint lawsuit from the City and County of St. Louis seeks to overturn the state's new Second Amendment sanctuary law. Jackson County lawmakers want to lend their support to the legal action.

The project will focus on six east side Kansas City zip codes where vaccination rates remain low, especially among minority populations.

The Friday and Saturday vaccination effort is by appointment only.

More than 2,000 people in the Kansas City area died from COVID-19. Area leaders gathered to mark one year since they announced restrictions that would upend life across the metro.