News Stories

KC Streetcar stop ad for the Giving Machines at Crown Center

A service you never knew you needed: Buying chickens from a vending machine at the Mayor’s Christmas Tree

As children gave life to the ice terrace above Friday, volunteers and shoppers were giving light to local and global charities at a newly placed installation of vending machines — stocked with donation opportunities, not snacks — at Crown Center. The hottest “selling” item so far in Kansas City: a trio of chickens for $18. Three Giving…

Pastor Adrian and Vicky Roberson, KC United

New nonprofit surprises first-ever $20K ‘changemaker’ grant winner; he already knows how he’ll invest it 

Pastor Adrian Roberson was initially too stunned to speak Thursday when he was awarded a $20,000 grant for KC United — a youth sports initiative he co-founded in 2009 with his wife Vicky. But the duo already have plans for the money: spreading blessings. “I want to say, ‘Glory to God,’” Adrian Roberson shared moments after…

Muenfua Lewis and Justin Ikerionwu, By Design

They built a coffee table magazine to showcase Black creatives; Why this week’s issue will be By Design’s last

The sixth and final issue of By Design magazine is a culmination of the work of three Black men who saw a lack of community and representation in Kansas City’s art ecosystem — and decided to create their own, shared Muenfua Lewis and Justin Ikerionwu.  “By Design has always been about going deeper and breaking…

Kansas City skyline, December 2021

Survey: 97 percent of KC businesses expect same or better performance in 2022

Business executives in the Kansas City metro expressed optimism about what lies ahead in 2022 — despite lingering pandemic-related challenges, according to newly released local and regional survey results from First Business Bank. “There are always multiple dimensions of the story to consider, but 2021 was a big improvement over 2020, and with employment increasing across…

Ignition Lab image courtesy of Black & Veatch

Teen STEM lab championed by Travis Kelce goes zero-carbon solar with boost from KC corporate leaders

A solar installation at Operation Breakthrough’s new Ignition Lab on Troost Avenue is expected to power the STEM space for students — made possible by a team of Kansas City corporate leaders committed to clean energy and support for the Travis Kelce-backed complex. Mounted atop a central canopy at the site, the project is set to…