Sylvia Maria Gross

Two years ago, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce led a community-wide brainstorming session to generate five "big ideas" for improving our metropolitan area. One of those "big ideas" is to revitalize our urban neighborhoods. 

Three years ago, Kansas City police re-opened one of the most vexing cold cases in local history. It was the 1970 murder of politician and civil rights leader Leon Jordan. The case was re-opened after an investigation by Kansas City Star reporters Mike McGraw and Glenn Rice.  McGraw told us what one of the original detectives told him about the 40-year-old case.

“'I can’t remember a case with less info, more blind alleys, more possible motives, and more possible suspects than the Leon Jordan murder,'” said McGraw, quoting detective Lloyd DeGraffenreid. 

Iconic funk and soul singer Marva Whitney will be buried Saturday in Kansas City. She died two weeks ago at the age of 68, just six years after the passing of James Brown, who catapulted her to national stardom.

Made In Olathe: Custom Brass Instruments
Mike Corrigan calls himself the Horn Doctor. He knows the physics, chemistry and geometry behind making music, from the unique properties of brass, copper and silver to the angle of a bend on a horn bell.

8-Year-Old’s Mission To Help South Sudan
In 2001, when the Lost Boys of Sudan came to the United States, most of the young refugees brought painful memories of war as well as a deep desire to help their home country. Now, over a decade later, many of them have families and children of their own. A former Lost Boy living in Kansas City recently found out that his devotion to Sudan doesn’t end with him. John Akuei was as surprised as anyone when his son decided he wanted to collect school supplies for children in South Sudan.

Local Handmade Marbles Inspire Memories From A Simpler Playtime
As the winter holidays approach, toys are on the minds of children and parents alike. So this week we take you to a unique place—The Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs Kansas, where toys and of course, marbles draw crowds from all over.

Local Artifacts
From The Atomic Era
Once upon a time, youth in the 50s and 60s lived in fear. They practiced going to “fallout” shelters to escape the atomic bomb. Independence resident Michael Scheibach has studied this period of American history extensively. In addition to combing through school newspapers, Sheibach’s collection of photographs, posters and other artifacts from Kansas City high schools tells the story of an America trying its best to prepare for the possibility of annihilation.

Local Artist's Drawings Help Solve Crimes
You’ve probably seen crime shows like CSI and America’s Most Wanted, where artists work with victims to create a drawing that helps identify a criminal. This job is performed by a forensic illustrator.  If you’ve seen one of these drawings on the news in Kansas City, then you’ve seen the work of artist and author Lee Hammond, who lives in Overland Park.