Arrowhead Stadium is the home of the Kansas City Chiefs, and beyond it is Kauffman Stadium, the home … [+] of the Kansas City Royals. (Photo by Christopher Smith for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Though much of the attention has focused on Kansas’ push to serve as the next home for the Kansas City Chiefs, staying in Missouri remains a strong option.
“We are in some pretty significant conversations with leadership on the Missouri side,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said. “We are in discussions with the folks in Kansas. We are in discussions and continue our discussions with the folks in Missouri.”
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The Chiefs’ current home — GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — resides on the Missouri side of the border, but there had been speculation they’d jump to Kansas after that state’s governor, Laura Kelly, signed into law on June 21 an expansive plan to issue STAR (sales tax and revenue) bonds.
Kansas is one of three states that has this unique funding system, and under this proposal, state lawmakers would issue bonds for up to 70% of the estimated cost of the stadium project.
“We appreciate the effort that the Kansas legislature made to really supercharge STAR Bonds to make it make sense for a professional sports team to come over there and take advantage of that,” Donovan said. “We don’t take that for granted.”
According to this Kansas plan, some of the state’s retail sales tax from the stadium and surrounding business districts — in addition to lottery and sports betting dollars — would go toward paying off the stadium’s STAR bonds.
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After the bonds would be paid off, which is supposed to take 30 years according to the plan, the sales tax from the district would be diverted to the state’s general fund.
Donovan, though, indicated it’s a long way from determining whether that STAR bond proposal is viable.
“There’s a lot of work to be done with Kansas to see what the reality of that is,” Donovan said. “The good news is that it creates more options.”
Donovan said staying at Arrowhead and renovating that structure “very much” remains one of those options.
Though Chiefs are under lease to continue playing there through the end of the 2030 season, Donovan realistically said they need to figure out a direction in the next six months.
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“That’s the timeline we’re working on,” he said. “Six months from today, we’re going to have to have a really good idea where we are. We may not be done-done, but we need to have a really good idea.”
Another upcoming event that could factor in is the election to succeed current Missouri governor Mike Parson.
Parson is a huge Chiefs fan, but that didn’t prevent Missouri’s previous plan from failing.
By a measure of 58% to 42% in April, Jackson County, Mo. residents voted against the 3/8 cent sales tax to help fund the Kansas City Royals’ move to the East Crossroads district and the Chiefs’ renovations at their existing stadium.
One of the most vocal detractors was Jackson County executive Frank White, a five-time All-Star whose No. 20 was retired by the Royals
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White had said the Royals and Chiefs were not transparent on the community benefits that would ensue, that the teams’ ownership should pay more of the bill and that the tax would have cost too much at $2 billion over 40 years.
“It’s just not an equitable situation,” White exclusively shared. “I can’t just rubber stamp this deal because I played sports. I was elected to be a good steward to the taxpayer dollars, and that’s my goal.”
Donovan said he met with White after the vote and had a good conversation.
There also has been discussion that sports betting, which is allowed in Kansas — but not Missouri — could impact the Chiefs’ decision on what to state to play in, but Donovan dismissed that notion.
“I don’t think that is a significant factor,” Donovan said. “If we get something done in Missouri, it’s something we’d be able to add to whatever we’re going to do here, but that’s not a big factor in making the decision one way or the other.”
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Gambling issues aside, the stakes remain high regarding where the Chiefs will call home.
“This is going to impact the future of this franchise for generations,” Donovan said. “We’ve got to get it right and we are going to do the due diligence.”
One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, Friday night, according to police.
Officers heard gunfire just before 10:30 p.m. and responded to the area of East 19th Street between The Paseo and Vine Street, police said. They located two adult women who were “conscious and alert,” along with an adult man who was unresponsive, the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement.
The man, identified as David E. Beck III, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene. The two women were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Three additional victims — a man and a woman in stable condition and another man in critical condition — arrived at the hospital in a private vehicle, police said.
Preliminary information indicates the victims were gathered along 19th Street when multiple people opened fire. “All of the victims appear to have been standing in this vicinity when they were struck,” police said. Detectives are processing evidence and interviewing witnesses. No suspects are in custody.
The shooting took place roughly 7 miles from Arrowhead Stadium, which is hosting World Cup matches this summer under the name Kansas City Stadium. Ecuador and Curaçao are scheduled to play there Saturday night. Kansas City is touted as the “Soccer Capital of America.”
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The city already has a large law enforcement presence to assist with World Cup security, including officers from all over the Midwest, Kansas City Police Capt. Jake Becchina told NBC News.
“We have the largest police presence we have ever had in our city for an event,” Becchina said.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact their anonymous tips hotline. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.
Here’s a clearer, tighter version suitable for a news feature or community-interest article:
Opening June 18 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” is a major new exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibition features more than 600 rare specimens and cultural objects representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
Drawn from the museum’s collection of more than 148 million artifacts and specimens, the 5,000-square-foot exhibition explores the people, landscapes, discoveries, traditions and stories that have shaped the nation throughout millions of years of natural and cultural history. Many of the featured items have rarely, if ever, been displayed publicly.
Missouri is represented by an American paddlefish, one of seven objects from the state included in the exhibition. The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is the last surviving member of an ancient fish family and one of the largest fish species found in North America’s rivers. Scientists estimate paddlefish diverged from other fish lineages more than 310 million years ago and have changed little since.
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Once found throughout the Great Lakes region, the species is now limited to the Mississippi River watershed. Its distinctive paddle-shaped snout contains sensors that detect electrical signals in the water, helping the fish locate food and navigate its environment. The paddlefish serves as a living link to the distant past, illustrating how some ancient species have survived through hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary change.
The exhibition highlights natural, cultural, scientific and historical connections from across the United States, including Missouri, and is expected to be viewed by millions of visitors during its run in Washington, D.C., through December 2029.
“This exhibition brings the entire country into one gallery,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. “As the country marks its 250th anniversary, ‘From These Lands’ presents an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our landscapes, the depth of our history and the connections that link people and the natural world across borders.”
The exhibition includes fossils, minerals, scientific specimens, cultural artifacts and interactive displays designed to help visitors explore the connections between people, places and the natural world. Featured objects range from a rare blue gemstone from California and a Northern bobwhite collected by a young Theodore Roosevelt to Indigenous cultural objects and specimens tied to major scientific discoveries and conservation efforts.
Organized around themes such as biodiversity, geology, state symbols, Indigenous traditions, environmental change and ecosystem restoration, the exhibition also features animated maps and digital interactives that allow visitors to explore shared natural features and state symbols from across the nation.
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“From These Lands” is part of the Smithsonian-wide initiative “Our Shared Future: 250,” which commemorates the nation’s semiquincentennial. Related programming will include lectures, family activities, hands-on events, a companion book and an online version of the exhibition.
Opened in 1910, the National Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s most visited natural history museums and offers free admission to the public.
Callaway County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two Mexico, Missouri, residents on suspicion of possession of 10 pounds of methamphetamine, according to a social media post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 10:18 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies conducted traffic stops on Interstate 70 regarding an ongoing narcotics investigation by the Sheriff’s Office investigators assigned to the MUSTANG Drug Task Force, according to the social media post.
Deputies made contact with Louetta Dorsey, 43, and Brian Wilson, 41, of Mexico, in their vehicles during the investigation, according to the social media post. The two suspects were in separate vehicles, and one was allegedly acting as a decoy vehicle for the other, according to court documents.
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During the traffic stops, deputies located approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Dorsey and Wilson were arrested and taken to the Callaway County Jail, according to the social media post.
Dorsey has been charged with second-degree drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. Charges for Wilson were not appearing in Missouri’s online court record system as of Friday afternoon.
A probable cause statement filed in Dorsey’s case indicates that both she and Wilson were under investigation on suspicion of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine throughout Audrain, Boone and Callaway counties.
Members of the MUSTANG Drug Task Force worked with the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Drug Task Force and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office-MO to execute additional narcotics related search warrants, according to the social media post.
The results of the search warrants revealed firearms and drug paraphernalia commonly used for drug trafficking, according to the social media post.
