Kansas City Council

It’s not often in the public eye, but the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City is an influential organization that has shaped commercial development in the city. The ouster of its leader has placed the EDC in the spotlight.

Canada’s Vantage Airport Group won out over four rival proposers Thursday to run the concessions at Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal, slated to open in March 2023. The City Council vote was seen as a crucial decision, affecting visitors’ first impressions of the city for years to come.

With little in the way of discussion, the often-debated merits of awarding tax incentives for what's been described as an ultra-luxury hotel in the Crossroads was voted down by the Kansas City Council.

The Kansas City Manager reported a phone call that he received from City Council member Teresa Loar in August. He viewed the call as an attempt to get him to intervene in negotiations for a concession contract at Kansas City International Airport.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city was weighing its options, including appealing the ruling.

Brandon Ellington, a Kansas City Councilman, was accused of berating Freedom Inc. president Rodney Bland and poking him in the chest on the evening of March 20. Ellington denied making any threats of physical contact with Bland.

In Missouri, people who are incarcerated or are on parole or probation cannot vote until their full sentence is completed. One study estimated more than 95,000 Missourians are barred from voting because of those disenfranchisement laws.

The Kansas City Health Department says case numbers have decreased since the city reissued its mask mandate, but it's "not out of the woods yet."

Several leaders of Taking KC Back, which is leading an effort to recall Mayor Quinton Lucas and multiple City Council members, have close ties to the Kansas City Police Department.

Pushback from LGBTQ advocates got Chick-fil-A removed as a possible food option at the new KCI airport terminal. And with Kansas City expecting as many as 1,200 refugees from Afghanistan this fall, a new public school is developing programs to help ease their transition.

After pushback from LGBTQ advocates, Chick-Fil-A has been removed as a possible fast food option at the new KCI Airport terminal. But the proposed vendor still faces opposition from Kansas City staples Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and J. Rieger & Co. Distillery

While the company selected to manage the restaurants and stores at the new terminal included several local restaurants in their proposal, eateries north of the Missouri River were noticeably absent.