summer heat

A 15-year-old sophomore at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School collapsed and died during football practice this month. Similar tragedies have occurred repeatedly in several states.

Thirty-four Missouri residents — aged 11 months to 96 years — died last year due to heat-related illness, according to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services.

Much of Kansas City experiences some heat island effect. As global temperatures rise, Kansas City planners and environmental experts are trying harder to make these hot spots cooler. Plus: Missouri hasn't just outlawed abortion — it's also funding anti-abortion organizations that are working in neighboring states.

Bluejacket is the third Overland Park pool to close since 2013, leaving the city with four pools to serve nearly 200,000 people. Like many cities, it's shifting from smaller public neighborhood pools to larger aquatic centers — essentially mini water parks.

More than 300,000 people are expected to head to Sedalia for the Missouri State Fair. Keeping that many people safe is a responsibility that’s actually too big for the town of about 22,000 people — but each year they get plenty of help.

Kansas City Public Schools invested millions in keeping students cool this year after districts grappled with record-high temperatures last fall.

More than 10,000 households around Kansas City lack access to any kind of air conditioning — and during the summer, many more struggle to afford their electric utility bills. Some programs around Kansas City are trying to help.

Kansas City may not be as well known for its lakes as other parts of the Midwest, but you can still find plenty of waterfront access within a short drive. Here’s a guide to the Missouri and Kansas towns where you can enjoy the lake life this summer.

With music, food, and the great outdoors, summer is the time for festivals and concert series all around Kansas City. We put together a list of the season's can't-miss events, including July 4 festivities and annual staples like the Ethnic Enrichment Festival.

Kansas City’s extreme temperatures have many community members sheltering inside in the air conditioning. But how is the city's unhoused population coping with the heat? Plus: Get the top headlines from around Kansas and Missouri.

Unhoused residents in Kansas City are at risk due to the extreme heat sweeping across the region. Street outreach teams from local nonprofit reStart are working to provide emergency supplies and shelter from the heat.

En los próximos días, la zona metropolitana de Kansas City experimentará las temperaturas más altas en lo que va del año, con índices de calor por arriba de 100. Encuentre una guía de lugares donde escapar del clima veraniego, incluidos centros para refrescarse y piscinas públicas.