Brian Ellison

Central Standard takes a close look at the most recent homeless count in Kansas City and explore the implications of these findings on these often overlooked residents of our communities.  Our guests are Vickie Riddle, Executive Director of Homeless Services Coalition, Ehren Dohler, Kansas City 100,000 Homes Campaign manager and James Ponder, a former client of Dohler's who was once homeless and now lives in an apartment.

Immigration reform is a hot topic for legislators nationwide, and this week both President Obama and a bipartisan group of senators proposed changes to immigration policy. In a city located in the dead center of the country, it might seem illegal immigration is not the biggest issue facing Kansas City, but that is not the case.

Reverend Adam Hamilton, the Senior Pastor at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, did not believe his assistant when she told him the White House called and asked for his presence at this year's inauguration ceremony. Hamilton gave the sermon at the National Prayer Service, held at the National Cathedral the day after the inauguration ceremonies, which has been a tradition for every inauguration ceremony starting with George Washington.

  Ever wonder what goes on during a city council meeting? Or how much money was made from parking meters last year? The answers to some questions like these are available to the public online, but every city in the United States differs on how much information they share. MoPIRG is an organization that looks at major metropolitan cities in the country and grades them on how transparent their budget information is to that city's residents.

With education options more diverse than ever, some parents are eschewing the standard public school system.  With this choice, comes the debate on where taxpayer dollars should be going.

On the coattails of President Obama's second inaugural address yesterday and the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Central Standard looks at the economic situation for the African-American community in the United States.

Watching the teenage experience

In 2008, High School Confidential, a documentary-type show that followed 12 high school girls at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park through their four years of high school, aired on WE tv. Sharon Liese is the filmmaker who created this show, and conceived the idea to create a documentary about the high school experience when her own daughter was going through high school.

The experience of growing up from a child to an adult includes awkward experiences with friends, family and one's own body add to that the challenge of living with a chronic disease. Brian Ellison speaks with one teenage girl who is growing up with Sickle Cell Anemia.

What are the chances of your favorite athletes being replaced by pixels? Let’s just say you might not have to worry about the next hockey lockout. 

This weekend's news about the murder-suicide involving Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs is bringing the ongoing discussion about domestic violence to the forefront.

Technology can be a boon or a bust to cities, depending on how it's applied.

If you've ever hunted for your food in the Oregon Trail video game, you know it's no easy task. Now, imagine stepping into the game yourself.