Kansas City Health Department

The $6.4 million grant will go toward renovating about 170 Kansas City homes in low-income, minority neighborhoods next year.

Kansas City’s Fountain Card, which has fewer requirements than a traditional ID card, will help residents who have issues getting government-issued identification by easing access to water services, library cards, bank accounts and other city programs.

Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, offers an over-the-counter medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. Despite efforts to make it more widely available, high prices mean Kansas City doesn't have enough doses for the people who need it most.

COVID has been having a "summer surge." Dr. Marvia Jones, director of the Kansas City Health Department, says that the increase in new cases could be linked to a new variant and more travel.

The Fountain Card will let people who have trouble getting state and federal identification access water services, library cards, prescription drug discounts and other programs. Residents will just need to show proof of their identity and residency.

A fire knocked out the heat in a Northeast Kansas City apartment complex Friday, leaving residents in the cold indefinitely. The property owner, who serves on the board of a housing advocacy nonprofit, blames the issue on unhoused people breaking into the building. But the building has a history of code violations.

This week marked three years since the first announcement of a COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. After more than 31,000 deaths in Missouri and Kansas, local health officials are trying to keep people vigilant — but people are tired of pandemic measures.

The Kansas City, Missouri Health Department sounded the alarm about syphilis in 2019. Since then, cases have continued to climb, spurred by the pandemic and reduced federal funding.

Under Kansas City's Tenants Bill of Rights, rental housing must have functional heating, sewage, hot water, plumbing and electrical fixtures, and any provided appliances must remain functional. The Healthy Homes program can compel a landlord to resolve any violations.

The FDA and CDC recently approved COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of six months to five years old. Vaccines are available through your pediatrician, some local pharmacies and hospitals.

Missourians are encouraged to use tests obtained through the state before processing ends after March 31.

St. Louis and Kansas City both have programs meant to recognize and interrupt conflicts before they escalate to violence, but the results are very different.