Kansas

Mayor Quinton Lucas grades Kansas City's snow response as A-minus

Published

1 year ago

January 9, 2025

Mayor Quinton Lucas grades Kansas City's snow response as A-minus

KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.

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The mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, applauded city staff for their efforts to plow snow following Sunday’s storm.

On Thursday, KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas gave the city an A-minus grade for the job, even if the job isn’t totally complete. Drivers continue working in 12-hour shifts clearing the nearly one foot of snow which fell.

“Nobody is ever perfect,” Lucas said. “I think we continue to pursue getting every street addressed. But I think it was a really darn good response. I’d give an A-minus.”

Al Miller

Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Quinton Lucas

Lucas said the city’s made changes to its snow response in the past four years. Those changes are paying off in the way of improved service.

“When I was growing up in Kansas City, the story was, ‘You go to the suburbs and everything is perfect,’ ‘You go to the city, and everything is not,’” Lucas said as he reiterated a narrative KSHB 41 News has heard before. “With respect to all of our peers around the region, I think you’ve seen that change a bit.”

Changes to the snow plan were the product of KCMO City Manager Brian Platt, who took over in December of 2020.

The following the year, the city began implementing four main changes to its plow routine:

purchases newer trucks
shifted employees from other departments and trained them to drive snow plows (even Platt drove a plow this week)
those additional drivers allow the city to plow main streets and side streets simultaneously
the city keeps drivers assigned to snow duty for longer periods of time

snow covered streets.jpg — Snow-covered streets in Kansas City, Mo.

“It’s going to continue to get better. We’re not where we want to be, but we are going to get better,” KCMO director of Public Works Michael Shaw said. “So we have changed expectations because we are delivering a higher, better quality service.”

Michael Shaw.jpg — Kansas City, Mo., Public Works Director Michael Shaw

The changes seem to be changing opinions from residents.

“Considering how much snow came and how fast it was, I’m pretty satisfied,” Shawn Colby, a KCMO resident, said.

“This year seems to be better,” added Eileen Cohen. “It’s always the side streets, but what do you do? But I think they did a good job, it was a blizzard.”

“Honestly, I feel like they could do better with the side streets and stop pushing the snow people just shoveled back in front of their yard,” DJ Juan said, offering some advice to the city.

At Thursday’s council meeting, members introduced a resolution asking the city manager to review snow removal plans. The proposal should come up for more discussion next week.

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Related Topics:blizzard Brian Platt charlie keegan dj juan eileen cohen Featured Kansas City Kansas City News kcmo Michael Shaw Missouri

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

Published

9 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
Atchison 74, Wamego 43
Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hays 80, Topeka West 18
Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

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Kansas

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

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