The Beacon

The Beacon Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Beacon, Media/News Company, 300 E. 39th Street, Kansas City, MO.

The Beacon Kansas City cultivates engaged and informed communities through accessible reporting and active community engagement on crucial local subjects, anchored by a sustainable nonprofit model.

failed, for the fourth straight year, to connect foster children with critical mental health services.
10/07/2025

failed, for the fourth straight year, to connect foster children with critical mental health services.

A 2025 audit finds the state's foster care system isn't connecting enough children to mental health treatment.

On Nov. 4, residents of the Unified School District 232 will see six candidates on their ballot. The school district cov...
10/06/2025

On Nov. 4, residents of the Unified School District 232 will see six candidates on their ballot.

The school district covers not only De Soto but parts of , , and unincorporated Johnson County.

For the Member 4 position, newcomers Lucy Rumsey DeWitt and Nancy Moneymaker will face off. For the Member 5 position, incumbent Calley Malloy faces challenger Christian Amend. For the Member 6 position, incumbent Brandi Jonasson faces challenger TJ Finan.

Six candidates for the school board in De Soto, Kansas, answered questions about their priorities and their positions on issues facing schools.

Two major grocery closures are creating expanded food deserts affecting thousands of Kansas City area residents on both ...
10/03/2025

Two major grocery closures are creating expanded food deserts affecting thousands of Kansas City area residents on both sides of the state line.

The Sun Fresh closure is just part of a growing urban food desert and food insecurity problem in the area. Six miles away in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, the Merc Co+op will close at the end of the year, returning that area to food desert status after just five years of operation.

Phillip Ramsey, a master gardener, is trying to do his part by growing and giving away more than 1,000 pounds of produce. But he knows that’s only a bandage for a bigger wound. He is worried for his neighbors — often elderly or low-income — who will now have a harder time finding nutritious food.

“I’ve seen an uptick in neighbors needing the service of the community garden,” Ramsey said. “The impact of the store closing is being felt throughout the neighborhood, and we’ll get by because we always get by. But I’m beginning to see resentment set in, and that scares me.”

Prospect Sun Fresh and Merc Co-op closures expand Kansas City food deserts along historic redlining patterns, leaving thousands without nearby grocery access.

Raytown Central Middle School might no longer exist as a middle school, under plans the school district is considering. ...
10/03/2025

Raytown Central Middle School might no longer exist as a middle school, under plans the school district is considering.

South Middle School and Raytown Middle School would serve seventh and eighth graders only, while the district’s 10 elementary schools would cover grades K-6 rather than the current K-5. Some neighborhoods would be assigned to different schools.

In all, the district estimates more than 1,100 students would be affected. K-12 enrollment for the whole district was less than 7,500 during the 2024-25 school year, according to preliminary state data, the most recent available.

But that future isn’t set in stone. This idea, known as the “green plan,” is one of two draft ideas the district is circulating, asking for feedback from the public ahead of an Oct. 13 presentation to the school board.

Raytown Quality Schools is seeking public feedback on two draft proposals, one of which would reconfigure the district’s middle schools. The other would affect fewer students.

Shawn Koch saved hundreds of threatening emails from her ex, Christopher Koch. He threatened to kill her, get her fired,...
10/02/2025

Shawn Koch saved hundreds of threatening emails from her ex, Christopher Koch. He threatened to kill her, get her fired, keep their children from her and ruin her life.

Christopher Koch threatened Shawn Koch. She went to police, but an arrest took months. Experts say this is common in domestic violence cases.

Preliminary election results show 85% of voters supporting the Sept. 30 recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White J...
10/01/2025

Preliminary election results show 85% of voters supporting the Sept. 30 recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. But legal challenges loom that could get the election results thrown out.

The Frank White recall results are in after the Sept. 30 special election. But a legal battle could get the vote thrown out.

Get ready to vote: what you need to know about today's special election to recall Frank White Jr. 👀
09/30/2025

Get ready to vote: what you need to know about today's special election to recall Frank White Jr. 👀

Supporters of the recall say they’re ticked off about how Frank White Jr. handled property assessments. Opponents say the construction lobby is trying to clear the path for “sweetheart stadium deals.”

As a school counselor in Neosho, , Tracy Clements was skeptical that an tool could help her students’ mental health, ...
09/29/2025

As a school counselor in Neosho, , Tracy Clements was skeptical that an tool could help her students’ mental health, or make any dent in the school’s su***de prevention efforts.

She entered the School District in the fall of 2012. Over the years, she started to notice a trend.

“I was an elementary building-level counselor for probably six years, and we just kept having all these su***des.” Clements said. “I was like, ‘Why is nobody doing anything about this?’ And nobody seemed to know what to do.”

She became the director of counseling for the district, and started developing a community-wide mental health task force to try to chip away at the problem.

Advocates for the digital monitoring tools say they help save lives. Experts warn that the programs have a higher tendency to flag content from certain groups of students, and that more is needed to address youth mental health concerns.

Missouri Gov. Mike signed into law a new congressional map that is widely expected to unseat U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver...
09/29/2025

Missouri Gov. Mike signed into law a new congressional map that is widely expected to unseat U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat.

Even with the governor’s signature, the map faces several legal challenges amid allegations of gerrymandering.

Bob Lozier's relationship with the community has made Axtell's sole grocery store a success. From the record-setting H...
09/26/2025

Bob Lozier's relationship with the community has made Axtell's sole grocery store a success.

From the record-setting High School football team, to breakfasts for the American Legion and firefighters, Lozier makes feeding the community a priority.

“It’s more than just a little town,” Lozier said. “Everybody is family here.”

That’s just the type of community investment program the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative looks to foster across . The program is part of Kansas State University's Rural Grocery Initiative, which aims to increase access to healthy food statewide.

Get the full story from The Beacon and Institute for Nonprofit News's

Amid expanding food deserts and soaring prices, investments in rural Kansas are keeping small grocery stores afloat.

As voters decide whether to recall Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., they might wonder: who would replace him?
09/25/2025

As voters decide whether to recall Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., they might wonder: who would replace him?

If the Frank White recall passes on Sept. 30, legislators will name his replacement as county executive. Here’s what they’re thinking.

Latinos are expected to be 70% of net new homeowners in the United States by 2040.
09/25/2025

Latinos are expected to be 70% of net new homeowners in the United States by 2040.

Latinos are expected to be 70% of net new homeowners in the U.S. by 2040. Local programs are designed to help increase Latino homeownership.

Address

300 E. 39th Street
Kansas City, MO
64111

Telephone

+18165146071

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Beacon posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Beacon:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Locally controlled, nonprofit journalism in Kansas City

The Beacon, which is slated to launch in 2020, is an online news outlet based in Kansas City focused on local, in-depth journalism in the public interest. Coverage is geared toward reporting that is revelatory, contextual, data-driven and solutions-driven.

Local journalism empowers the people

Information is power. If people are informed, they have the power to make changes in their community through everything from voting to constructive community dialogue to attending protests.

At The Beacon, we’re betting on the relationships that we (journalists) can build with communities through membership, events and collaboration — a sustainable, nonprofit (or rather, “for purpose”) model that puts the interest of the public first.