Liberty

Classical KC takes you inside the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri for a June 2023 performance by the Liberty Community Chorus: ”Then Sings My Soul.” During this special 20th anniversary concert, we’ll hear the chorus, under the direction of Bryan Taylor, organist Jan Kraybill and other assembled musicians perform a diverse selection of choral works.

Andrew “Dan” Lester, 84, has a preliminary hearing in Clay County Court on Thursday and Friday, where the high-profile case will be held with limited media coverage and a gag on what attorneys can say outside of court.

Anyone can join the Liberty Community Chorus, where amateur singers sit next to classically trained vocalists. “Without them sitting next to those other singers, they never know how good they can become,” says Artistic Director Bryan Taylor.

Yarl’s family has little confidence in Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson, who they say failed to act aggressively from the beginning. “The whole world is watching Kansas City to see if there’s going to be accountability and justice for this teenage kid who merely rang the doorbell.”

The Clay County Judge ruled that the case against Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white man who shot 17-year-old Ralph Yarl, be sealed so that he receives a fair and impartial trial. Judge Louis Angles cited the harassment, media coverage and threats Andrew Lester has faced.

The attorney for Andrew D. Lester says the 84-year-old has been threatened, harassed and called a racist since the Black teen's shooting made national headlines, and is asking the case be sealed so Lester can have a fair trial.

Andrew D. Lester appeared for a three-minute hearing at the Clay County Courthouse for a formal reading of his two felony charges, first degree assault and armed criminal action. Meanwhile, Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the teen’s family, said the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the shooting as a federal hate crime.

Missouri's municipal election day is April 4, 2023, less than a month away. Thousands of residents will vote in general and primary elections to choose who represents them in their city governments. Here's a list of opportunities to meet some of the candidates running in these races.

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.

While parents are campaigning to remove books in school districts around Kansas City, the Redacted Readers club in Liberty is meeting to read and discuss banned books holistically — and encourage members to speak out on behalf of the challenged texts.

The Liberty African American Legacy Memorial honors the lives of 761 Black individuals who have been confirmed to be interred, mostly in unmarked graves, in the formerly segregated sections of Fairview and New Hope cemeteries in Liberty, Missouri.

As the Russian war against Ukraine continues, so do broadcasts of what critics decry as Kremlin-funded propaganda on KCXL, a radio station in Liberty, Missouri. Pressure is mounting for KCXL to end broadcasts that have kept the station in business.