Wyandotte County

Development in recent years has transformed the county's west side. And though the county still sees many challenges, especially to the east, community stakeholders are optimistic about paths to the future.

Across the Kansas City metro, departments are making strategic efforts to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future health emergencies. But they are fighting uphill battles against lackluster funding, a mass exodus of employees and public perception.

Tuesday is a primary election in Kansas. Voters in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties are heading to the polls to narrow the field for area city councils, county commissioners and school boards.

Cecil Brooks, 60, is linked to disgraced former KCK Police Detective Roger Golubski through a federal sex trafficking case. The U.S. Attorney’s office will fight Brooks’ release.

Brian Betts, 46, says he was wrongfully convicted thanks to disgraced former KCKPD Detective Roger Golubski. Today Betts will call for new leadership of the local criminal justice system.

District Attorney Mark Dupree said Amaree’ya Henderson refused the officer’s commands to stop his car, which caught the officer in between the driver’s door and Henderson. Kansas law allows the use of deadly force if an officer is in danger and fears for his life, Dupree said.

KCK’s chief of police and the county district attorney are Black men. After years of police corruption, residents are hopeful — but worried — about how they'll handle a fatal police shooting.

The federal public health emergency over COVID, declared in 2020, came to an end on May 11. Health officials say the expiration of the order means that vaccines and tests are no longer being provided free from the federal government.

Between 2012 and 2016, 662 babies in the Kansas City metro area died — about 11 every month. Maternal mortality rates are also higher than the national average, but some Kansas City groups are trying to improve both.

After years of gain, urban core counties in the Kansas City area — including Jackson County and Wyandotte County — have started shrinking. But Johnson County is thriving.

The City Council passed a resolution directing the city manager to report on what such a program would look like. Officials say a city ID would help people who don’t have valid identification access city services.

El Proyecto GreenLight, que se puso en marcha el miércoles, tiene como objetivo combatir lo que ellos llaman "manejando en condiciones de pobreza", ayudando a las personas a pagar las multas acumuladas por infracciones de tráfico así como proporcionando abogados para ayudar a que obtengan de nuevo el permiso de conducir.