Kris Ketz

1 month ago | kmbc.com | Kris Ketz

The gear meant to protect firefighters from the dangers of flames and smoke is now being linked to a growing threat: cancer. Across the country, firefighters are being diagnosed with cancer at higher rates, and the gear they wear, specifically the materials inside their protective clothing, is increasingly under scrutiny. Jean Wynn, the widow of longtime Kansas City firefighter Ray Wynn, believes the equipment played a role in his death from cancer in March 2021.

2 months ago | kmbc.com | Kris Ketz

In early December 1990, the town of New Madrid found itself at the center of international attention, not because of an earthquake, but because of a widely publicized prediction that one was imminent. Climatologist Iben Browning had forecast that a magnitude 6.5 to 7.5 earthquake would strike along the New Madrid Fault within the first five days of December.

Mar 4, 2025 | kmbc.com | Kris Ketz |Nick Sloan

An old couch. A dining table and chairs. A set of kitchenware. Items that might no longer have a place in one home can make all the difference in another. That’s the mission of Flourish Furniture Bank, Kansas City’s only furniture bank, which turns donated household goods into essential furnishings for people transitioning out of homelessness. For Thomas, a Kansas City resident emerging from homelessness, having a place to stay was just the first step.

Feb 7, 2025 | kmbc.com | Kris Ketz

The stage is set and Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is ready to host the 2025 Super Bowl on Sunday. When fans walk around the stadium, they may be dazzled by its grandeur and modernity. But it was no small task getting the superdome to where it is now. The 50-year-old building needed upgrades, especially after Hurricane Katrina. Henderson Engineers, based in Kansas City, was the engineering firm of record for the $560 million update project of the largest fixed dome structure in the world.

Jul 26, 2024 | kmbc.com | Kris Ketz

Right now, almost 7 million Americans have it: Alzheimer’s disease. In another 26 years, almost 13 million more may receive the same diagnosis. On this edition of Chronicle, we take a closer look at Alzheimer’s disease while trying to answer two basic questions: What do we know, and what don't we know, about Alzheimer’s? The answers to both questions are ever-changing, but here’s some of what we know now. The National Institute on Aging calls it a brain disorder.