Segment 1: How Jackson County leaders are handling political and personal controversies, and rising crime rates.
There's a lot going on in Jackson County government lately: a crumbling jail, a financial and operations audit, a recently-resigned sheriff, and an executive mired in personal financial difficulties. Adding to these troubles are homicide numbers in Kansas City that are worse than last year. Today, we got an update on the most pressing issues for the county and how local leaders are responding.
- Jean Peters Baker, Jackson County prosecutor
- Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star reporter
- Sam Zeff, KCUR reporter
The Jackson County Prosecutor's office will host 'The Realities of Gun Violence in Kansas City: A Community Discussion' beginning at 8 a.m., Friday, April 20, at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, 4801 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, Missouri 64110. Find more information at JacksonCountyProsecutor.com.
Segment 2 beginning at 26:08: Activist and scholar push for more resources at Quindaro.
About five miles from downtown Kansas City lie the ruins of Quindaro, a former station on the Underground Railroad that was a safe haven for slaves escaping into free Kansas. Preservation of the site remains challenged by individuals and community groups with differing visions for its future. We discussed the town's history, and the various obstacles in the way of its preservation.
- Quintard Taylor, University of Washington history professor
- Marvin Robinson, Quindaro preservation activist
Quintard Taylor will deliver the keynote address for the Quindaro Symposium at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19, at Kansas City Public Library's Central Library, 14 W. 10th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105. For more information, visit KCLibrary.org.
