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Kansas City-area residents plead with Missouri lawmakers to stop landfill • Missouri Independent

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Kansas City-area residents plead with Missouri lawmakers to stop landfill • Missouri Independent


Nine-year-old Macie Thomas loves living in Raymore. She said she spends the summers playing outside, golfing and swimming. Her best friend and her grandmother both live nearby. 

But Thomas told Missouri senators Tuesday that she fears a landfill proposed just over the city limits in Kansas City will change everything.

Thomas said her father suffers lung issues from exposure to toxic burn pits during his time in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her grandmother has cancer, and her brother has severe asthma. She worries living near a landfill will make them all sick, and said her grandmother’s doctor suggested she’d have to move away. 

“I don’t want her to move,” Thomas said. “We get to see each other almost every day. She makes the best hot chocolate and biscuits in the morning. We craft and garden and snuggle.” 

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The landfill — proposed by KC Recycle & Waste Solutions — would be built just south of Missouri Highway 150 in Kansas City. It’s less than a mile from the Creekmoor golf course community, located in Raymore, with homes priced between $500,000 and $1 million.

Mayors of Raymore, Lee’s Summit and other suburban Kansas City municipalities have decried the project, saying it will harm their constituents and communities. 

But the Kansas City-Raymore border is just far enough from the site that developers wouldn’t need the approval of any of those cities to build on the Kansas City site. Nearby residents are hoping the Missouri General Assembly will change that. 

Thomas and fellow residents spoke in support of legislation that would block the landfill. Two bills, sponsored by Republican Sens. Mike Cierpiot of Lee’s Summit and Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, would require that municipalities within one mile of a landfill built in an adjacent city be allowed to sign off before the state can issue an environmental permit. Right now, the buffer zone is half a mile. 

Fight over proposed Kansas City landfill will return to Missouri legislature

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Rick Meyers, a Kansas City resident who said he lives near the site, quoted a former U.S. Supreme Court justice to say one person can’t infringe on another’s rights.

“My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins,” Meyers said. 

He added: “Their right to put in a harmful landfill next door to a school in the middle of a growing neighborhood does not serve my and my neighbors’ rights to our property, to breathe clean, toxin-and odor-free air.”

The same bill was debated last year, but it stalled in the Senate when another Republican lawmaker — who received a campaign contribution from a political action committee associated with one of the lobbying firms working for KC Recycling & Waste Solutions — launched a filibuster.

Brattin responded the next day with a filibuster of his own, bringing the Senate to a halt for nine hours as its time to pass the state’s annual budget grew short. He relented after striking a deal with fellow senators to amend the budget to fund a study by Missouri environmental regulators into the possible effects a landfill would have on the surrounding communities. 

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But Gov. Mike Parson later vetoed that funding, saying the budget passed by legislators was $1.7 billion larger than he had recommended and decreased revenues while increasing expenditures. He added that the landfill was a “local responsibility with minimal statewide impact” and that other funding mechanisms besides earmarked state funding should be used. 

KC Recycle & Waste Solutions is owned by a married couple: Jenny and Aden Monheiser. 

Jenny Monheiser spoke at Tuesday’s hearing in the Missouri Senate’s Local Government and Elections Committee, saying the region is quickly running out of landfill space and needs a new facility.

“I’m not so naïve to think that people wake up in the morning and hope that somebody will knock on their door and say that there’s going to be a landfill developed in their area,” Monheiser said. “The fact of the matter is, though, landfills are a part of infrastructure that cities need.”

Monheiser said her company wants to be “responsible neighbors and engage stakeholders.” 

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During debate over similar legislation last year, Monheiser asked legislators not to change the rules in the middle of the game. While her company hasn’t sought rezoning or an environmental permit, they have started acquiring the site. 

But it’s unclear how much land they have already assembled. 

After the last legislative session, the Monheisers and opponents of the landfill started donating and organizing to influence the legislature.

The Monheisers have donated more than $42,000 to state and local races and political action committees, including $25,000 to Southern Drawl PAC, which is supporting Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder’s run for lieutenant governor. 

Kill the Fill PAC, which opposes the landfill, has raised more than $157,000 since its launch last May.

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The committee took no action on either bill Tuesday.

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Buffalo Bills advance to face Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game 

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Buffalo Bills advance to face Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game 


With their thrilling 27-25 win over the Ravens, the Buffalo Bills have advanced to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 2020.

Buffalo will travel to face Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. with a trip to Super Bowl LIX on the line. This marks the 4th time in the last 5th seasons that the Bills and Chiefs will meet in the playoffs.

The Bills defense forced 3 turnovers in their victory over the Ravens in the AFC Divisional Game. Buffalo intercepted Ravens QB Lamar Jackson once, forced a fumble on Jackson and forced a fumble on TE Mark Andrews.

QB Josh Allen ran for two touchdowns and RB Ray Davis ran for his first career postseason TD.

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The Bills and Chiefs met in Buffalo earlier this season with the Bills taking home a 30-21 win.



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Brooke Shields joined Donna Kelce — and became part of Taylor Swift’s entourage — at Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff game

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Brooke Shields joined Donna Kelce — and became part of Taylor Swift’s entourage — at Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff game


Brooke Shields joined Donna Kelce and Taylor Swift in cheering for Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs at Saturday’s playoff game.

The actress was all smiles alongside the Kelce matriarch during the team’s game against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., per a photo posted to her Instagram Story.

Shields dolled up in pink-rimmed glasses and a red Chiefs jacket with Travis’ number, 87.

Brooke Shields joined Donna Kelce in supporting the Kansas City Chiefs at Saturday’s playoff game. Instagram/brookeshields
The actress wore a red jacket with Travis Kelce’s number on it. Instagram/brookeshields

Donna, meanwhile, kept warm in a red flannel shirt underneath a black jacket.

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“With @donnakelce! Let’s go @chiefs & @killatrav!!” the actress captioned the post.

Shields, 59, attended the game to promote her GSK and Thrive@50+ partnership to raise awareness for shingles in women over 50 years old.

“With @donnakelce! Let’s go @chiefs & @killatrav!!” Shields captioned a snap. Instagram/brookeshields
Shields watched the game alongside Donna in a VIP suite. GKS

“I’m in Kansas City to cheer on the Chiefs,” she said in a joint Instagram video with the brand, noting the “vibe for the game today is cozy yet chic.” 

Donna, 72, also joined the campaign, saying in another video with the company that she takes care of her health so she can be there for her sons, Travis and Jason Kelce.

“And you know me, I’ll never miss a chance to support my boys,” she said.

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The actress was at the game promoting her GSK and Thrive@50+ partnership. Instagram/brookeshields
Shields wasn’t pictured in Travis’ VIP suite with Swift. Getty Images

While Shields wasn’t pictured with Swift, 35, at the game, the 14-time Grammy winner cheered on her beau from Travis’ VIP suite.

The “Lover” songstress showed up wearing $22,000 worth of Chanel, including a tweed jacket, zip-up romper and pearl belt.

She was joined by WNBA star Caitlin Clark, who was decked out in Chiefs red for the outing.

The 14-time Grammy winner proudly cheered for the NFL star. Getty Images
WNBA star Caitlin Clark attended the game with Swift. Getty Images

At one point during the game, Swift and Clark embraced while jumping up and down celebrating Travis’ touchdown in the fourth quarter.

After winning, Travis, 35, confessed he was feeling “22, baby” while chatting with a reporter in the locker room.

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The NFL star’s comment was a nod to Swift’s 2012 track “22” from her “Red” album.





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K-State’s Coleman Hawkins On Kansas Loss: ‘I Feel Like We Should’ve Won’

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K-State’s Coleman Hawkins On Kansas Loss: ‘I Feel Like We Should’ve Won’


The Kansas State basketball team has lost games in just about every way possible this season.

Close calls. Blowouts. Turnovers. Free throws.

On Saturday, the loss to rival Kansas stung the most because it was a game the Wildcats felt was winnable.

“I think if we don’t come out to the slow start like we did, we win,” senior Coleman Hawkins said. “I won’t consider anything different, the name on the front of the jersey. Honestly, I feel like we should’ve won this game. It’s a rivalry game but regardless, I feel like we should have won. I’m not into moral victories. I want to win but we’re going to have to move on. We’ll see them again.” 

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The Wildcats never recovered from the Jayhawks’ 14-0 run to start the game. Kansas State took some solace in rallying to keep it close in the second half. The Wildcats pulled to within six points on two occasions but it wasn’t enough.

The next step is for the Wildcats to regroup after a slow start to the Big 12 season. They have lost eight of nine, including five straight.

“Life throws things at you and you man up,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “You believe in who you are and what you’re about and move onto the next thing … We don’t have guys who hang their heads. These are high character dudes.” 

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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X: @KStateOnSI





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