Over on Fat City, Charles Ferruzza has this update to his coverage of the aftermath of the explosion at JJ's:
In addition to the local groups planning fundraising events or arranging for donation sites for the employees of JJ's Restaurant, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association has organized a one-day, citywide effort for Kansas City restaurants and diners to raise money. Tomorrow - Saturday, February 23 - nearly 50 area restaurants are donating 10 percent of sales to the JJ's Restaurant Fund. This fund has been set up by, and will be managed by, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, according to that group's executive director, Steve Cole. He says that "all funds collected will be provided to JJ's Restaurant owner Jimmy Frantze, to help his staff convalesce." For a list of participating restaurants, click here.
So now you're definitely eating out tomorrow night.
Police were looking for Rufus L. Young ever since his ex-girlfriend, Naushay Riley, and her mother, Jackie M. Riley, were found dead in their home early Thursday morning.
But before he could be apprehended, police say, he shot himself in the head last night at an Independence motel.
The ACLU of Kansas & Western Missouri intervened on behalf of a man who was charged with violating the city's trespassing ordinance in May. The ACLU asked that the case against Nicholas "Wick" Thomas be thrown out because he was using a sidewalk in Westport at the time of his arrest. On July 18, the city prosecutor dismissed the charge.
The case highlights the occasional ambiguity between what is private and what is public space in Westport. Thomas is not the first individual to complain that the line gets a little fuzzy in the shopping and entertainment district.
Let no one say this state doesn't have the forward-thinking business leaders who can give the words "Made in Missouri" meaning someday. Yes, in years to come, you'll have scaled the heights of success, be sitting on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean, and the cabana boy will walk through the white sand toward your beach chair carrying a silver tray. As he presents the tiny treat, he'll assure you, "Our finest synthetic pot, sir, a beautiful 2011 K3, made in the rolling fields of western Missouri by their finest artisans." Oh, don't think you won't harrump approvingly at that!
This week's cover of Bloomberg Businessweek, written by The Pitch's own former staff writer Ben Paynter, chronicles the big business of mom-and-pop synthetic-pot manufacturers. A lot of it is stuff you already know if you read The Pitch (K2 product test, "Fake Reefer Madness," "Buzz Factory") but Paynter's story turns up some interesting details from law-enforcement officers who've been testing the drugs.
In their effort to recover from the ongoing sex-abuse scandal, the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese has removed Vicar General Robert Murphy from his job handling sex-abuse complaints.
Murphy is succeeded as vicar by the Rev. Joseph Powers. Bishop Finn appointed him the same day a suit was filed against the diocese claiming that they failed to comply with the terms of a prior sex-abuse settlement, which required disclosure of all such complaints, reports Catholic Culture.
Four years ago, a group of men approached the Unified Government of Wyandotte County with an ambitious proposal. They wanted to transform a flood plain into a $980 million "sports and entertainment destination resort."
The project, Sport World Live, sounded like a mash-up of the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World and the mother of all youth sports complexes. In addition to ball fields, horse stables and an international village, the plans called for a five-star hotel -- not to be confused with the same complex's "signature" hotel. There were to be vacation condos as well, to fulfill any visitor's fantasy of owning a time-share off Interstate 435 near the Missouri River.
At the time, The Pitch called the proposal ridiculous. That has turned out to be an understatement.
The Katz Drug building, which serves as an unofficial gateway to Westport, is for sale. The Art Deco landmark on Main Street, empty since 2006, will be sold at an auction on August 11.
Midtown developer Brent Lambi bought the building in 2009. At the time, he was contemplating a $27-million redevelopment plan encompassing several blocks. He filed an application with the city for credits available to developers who restore historic buildings and work in low-income areas. But when he learned that a former sex partner had filed suit against him, he disappeared.
There was a good amount of righteous outrage in the metro this May when the story broke about Phoenix, a 1-year-old black lab who'd been set on fire then denied medical attention. Phoenix's owner, Maria Alarcon-Suarez, waited a full day before getting the dog to a vet, and when she did finally take him, she claimed that he was a stray she'd just found wandering the streets. Alarcon-Suarez is now facing animal-cruelty charges, and whoever actually lit the poor animal has yet to be identified.
It would be understandable if Phoenix never trusted people again. But this Saturday at City Pets & Ponds, Phoenix appeared not only to be healing well but also to be a happy, playful dog.
Abortion-rights supporters gathered at the steps of the Kansas state Capitol Wednesday to demand an apology from Rep. Pete DeGraaf for his comparing the preparing for the possibility of a rape pregnancy to keeping a spare tire in your trunk, but law enforcement stopped them from personally delivering spare tires to DeGraaf.
"We had the tires, and they told us we couldn't have them in the state building," Kari Ann Rinker, state coordinator for the National Organization for Women, told The Pitch. "The police confiscated them, and I had to ask for them to give the tires back to us for our presentation. DeGraaf was supposed to be in today, but I think he snuck out the back."
This Easter, 16-year-old Ryder Spillman was shot dead near the Thomas Edison Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas.
Now details are emerging about what could have led to the homicide, and police say a feud between rival skateboarders may have been the cause.
Excelsior Springs is so pround of Courtney's accomplishments
Rudy's Chicken
My experiences there have been nothing but good. The food was good. The beer was…
AGREE on the NBA team! I think KC could definitely support an NBA team and…
I love your sense of humor, Courtney!
Courtney Cole, Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus executive director, answers The Pitch's questionnaire
Big Rip Brewing Co. expands the Northland's beer universe
A consultant tells KC that big retail could save Citadel Plaza
WWE's Monday Night Raw returns to Kansas City October 14
Shawn Ratigan and Bishop Robert Finn face two new civil lawsuits
Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper are headed to Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
Which out-of-town restaurant would you lobby to bring to KC?
Yo La Tengo is at Grinders tonight