Luke X. Martin

3 weeks ago | kcur.org | Luke X. Martin

In a 5-4 vote last year, Jackson County legislators approved a budget that was later vetoed by County Executive Frank White. Now more than three months into 2025, Jackson County has yet to pass a spending plan. Hear why the gridlock has led to a lawsuit and why some county services aren't being funded. Steve Kraske spoke with government reporters Josh Merchant of The Beacon and KCUR's Savannah Hawley-Bates about the stalemate on KCUR's Up To Date. Contact the show at [email protected].

Jan 6, 2025 | kcur.org | Luke X. Martin

Kansas City residents are digging out after a massive storm dumped nearly a foot of snow over the weekend — closing down businesses and making roads and highways nearly impassible. Heavy snowfall and wind gusts up to 40 mph brought blizzard conditions from the central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, and left at least four people dead in Missouri and Kansas. Dozens more people were injured, mostly in car crashes.

Jan 6, 2025 | ourcommunitynow.com | Luke X. Martin

left at least four people dead in Missouri and Kansas. Dozens more people were injured, mostly in car crashes. According to the National Weather Service, the 11 inches of snow was the fourth-largest single-day snow fall on record, and the biggest overall blizzard in three decades. “Years ago, with a storm like this, with a record high storm, the city would have been closed for days or weeks,” Kansas City Manager Brian Platt told KCUR’s Up To Date on Monday.

Dec 24, 2024 | kcur.org | Luke X. Martin |Olivia Hewitt

Tenant union members at an Independence apartment building are in their third month of a rent strike. Has it been worth the risk? Plus: A Kansas native explains how Truman Capote and Harper Lee ended up joining her family for Christmas dinner. In downtown Kansas City and eastern Independence, tenants withheld their rent payments October and November in response to deteriorating conditions and landlords who turned a blind eye to issues like persistent pests, mold and faulty appliances.

Oct 16, 2024 | kcur.org | Luke X. Martin

Democrats have long enjoyed support from organized labor, but many union members don’t feel a party allegiance any more. In Kansas City's Northland, both Republican Rep. Bill Allen and his opponent, UAW member and Democrat Shirley Mata, hope to win over dissatisfied voters. Plus: The Midwest is going through another drought, but farmers might not be eligible for relief. Missouri House District 17, which covers part of the Northland in Clay County, sits in the shadow of the Claycomo Ford Plant.