Kansas

Kansas City voters to decide April 8 on funding for proposed detention center

Published

10 months ago

March 11, 2025

Kansas City voters to decide April 8 on funding for proposed detention center

KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability and solutions. Share your story with Isabella.

Kansas City, Missouri, leaders want to build a new jail as one solution to the problem of crime in the city.

Kansas City does not have its own municipal detention center.

In less than a month, voters will vote to decide how the proposed detention center will be funded.

If Kansas City builds its detention center, it would go next to where Jackson County is building its jail.

It would cost more than $200 million to build, which is an expense Kansas City Councilman Crispin Rea explained is only possible if voters renew the public sales tax.

Jack McCormick

“We’ve already paid this tax for 15 years,” Councilmember Rea said. “There will be no increase in sales tax. It will be a quarter-cent sales tax, which is what we have utilized in the past.”

The tax currently funds public safety infrastructure, including Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department and Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department buildings and resources.

“Kansas City residents pay this tax, but so do a lot of visitors,” Rea said. “Anytime someone is coming and making purchases in Kansas City from outside of Kansas City, they’re paying into the sales tax, and we get to utilize that revenue to make our city safer.”

Multiple businesses suffered from the recent string of property crimes.

The Bar West Plaza has been broken into twice. Owner Amy Turpin supports the detention center as a part of the solution.

“More taxes, we all can’t wait for that,” Turpin laughed. “But if it’s for the better, then we’ll just have to suck it up.”

Grunauer Restaurant is located in the Crossroads Arts District, the center of where property crimes have been occurring in Kansas City.

The restaurant’s owner explained that a local detention center is an important part of public safety in the city.

“Not having a detention facility for a city our size is a major handicap for police to be able to do their job,” Nicholas Grunauer said. “The benefit of paying taxes is that you have a safe and stable community. This isn’t necessarily going to guarantee that, but it’s a necessary step to tackle a lot of these quality of life issues.”

Everyone agrees that Kansas City, Missouri, crime needs a strong solution, but there’s a disconnect on what should be funded by taxpayers.

“It’s about trust, it’s about accountability, and it’s about whether our city makes fiscally responsible decisions,” Decarcerate KC Executive Director Amaia Cook said.

At a town hall forum Monday in south Kansas City, opponents of the sales tax renewal argued the money should go toward crime prevention, not incarceration measures.

“I don’t want us, our kids, and our grandkids having to pay for a tax that isn’t going to address these root causes and going to continue to cycle people in and out of jail,” Cook said.

Proponents like Councilwoman Melissa Patterson Hazley noted a concerning challenge of not having a local detention center.

“These [repeat offenders] are fully aware that they can keep misbehaving, and there’s not really a lot that we can do about it,” she said.

Another problem is that offenders placed in Vernon and Johnson County jails aren’t under Kansas City jurisdiction, often leading to premature releases.

“If we have somebody who is combative or extremely mentally ill, [the jails] are saying we won’t take them, and we have no place to put them,” Municipal Court Judge Martina Peterson said. “They release them back on the street.”

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Kansas

Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.

On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.

It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.

The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.

Courtesy: Butler County Fire District #3

The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.

From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.

Courtesy: Butler County Fire District #3

Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.

“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.

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Kansas

Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.

According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.

Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.

Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.

He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.

“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.

The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.

KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.

While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.

A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.

Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.

KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.

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Kansas

Arizona-Kansas State free livestream: How to watch Big 12 basketball game, TV, time

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Arizona-Kansas State free livestream: How to watch Big 12 basketball game, TV, time

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The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats play against the Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 basketball game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

The Arizona squad has played at a high level this season, as it enters this matchup with a 14-0 record. The team is coming off a 97-78 win against the Utah Utes.

In order to win tonight’s game, Arizona will need to rely on its forward Koa Peat. He leads the team in scoring this season, as he averages more than 14 points per game.

The Kansas State squad enters this matchup with a 9-5 record, but the team is coming off an 83-73 loss against BYU.

In order to bounce back tonight, Kansas State will need a great performance from its guard P.J. Haggerty. He averages 23 points per game, which leads the team.

Fans can watch this Big 12 basketball game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

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