Kansas City's Northeast Newscast

Since September of 2017, Ana Ramirez has worked out of the Mattie Rhodes Center in the Historic Northeast as an Americorps VISTA - which is essentially the domestic version of the Peace Corps. For this week's episode of Kansas City's Northeast Newscast, host Paul Thompson sits down with Ramirez to discuss how she got involved with the program, her impressions of Kansas City and the Historic Northeast, and what projects she's been working on during her first few months in the area.

For this week's episode of Kansas City's Northeast Newscast, Northeast News publisher Michael Bushnell turns the tables on managing editor Paul Thompson to find out more about his experiences recording the first 37 episodes of the podcast. The pair discuss specific episodes and interviews, touch on the process behind the podcast, and look to the future to see where the Northeast Newscast can go from here.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, we're shaking up our format with a first-hand account of the machinations inside City Hall on Thursday, December 21 - as the Council attempts to salvage the Memorandum of Understanding with Edgemoor for the construction of a new single terminal airport. On Thursday, December 14, a 9-4 super-majority of the City Council voted against approving the MOU, leaving the state of negotiations uncertain. But by the morning of Thursday, December 21, the tides had begun to turn with word that Mayor Sly James had drafted legislation designed to avoid the termination of negotiations with Edgemoor. With this edition of the podcast, we'll drop you right into the heart of the action, as the future of the single terminal airport project hangs in the balance.

On the latest edition of the Northeast Newscast, we sit down with Becky Gripp, the founder of The Tamale Kitchen, to get some insight into the Northeast-based business. Gripp invited us to a tamale cook to get a look at the process, and opened up about the many stages The Tamale Kitchen has gone through since it's genesis in July of 2015.Gripp also discusses the conception of the business, the execution of the operation, the advice she would give to first-time business owners, and where The Tamale Kitchen wants to go from here.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson sits down with KCMO 6th District Councilman Scott Taylor to discuss his 'Revive the East Side' economic package, his mayoral ambitions, the latest developments in the long-running short term rental (Airbnb) debate, and Edgemoor's recently released Memorandum of Understanding, which the Council's Airport Committee will discuss on Thursday, December 7.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson sits down with Healing House founder and Executive Director Bobbi Jo Reed, who began the non-profit addiction recovery organization in 2003. Reed discusses the genesis of Healing House, her most prideful moments leading the non-profit, the organization's Saturday, November 18 ribbon cutting ceremony for its new fellowship hall and addiction recovery center (112 Elmwood), and Reed's plans for the future of Healing House.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, Managing Editor Paul Thompson dives into the violent crime surge that has recently plagued Northeast Kansas City. After a rundown of incidents that have occurred over the past month, Thompson relays details of a conversation with Chief of Police Rick Smith, and plays audio clips from a community meeting with KCPD East Patrol leaders on the evening of Thursday, November 9.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, Paul Thompson sits down with Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce President & CEO and Independence Avenue Community Improvement District (CID) Manager Bobbi Baker-Hughes. The episode begins with a discussion of the recent vandalism on the Avenue that claimed 16 planters - and the subsequent investigation conducted by Titan Security and the Urban Street Ambassadors. From there, they discuss residential and commercial development projects in the area, the Independence Avenue Overlay District, and potential changes to the sandwich board ordinance that are being discusses at City Hall.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, 4th District Councilwoman Jolie Justus sits down with Managing Editor Paul Thompson to discuss Kansas City's rash of homicides over the past week - and the steps that can be taken at City Hall to combat it, the role of guns in violent crime, and why she supports a new single terminal at Kansas City International airport.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson sits down with Jordan Schiele, Project Director at Jerusalem Farm. Jerusalem Farm is a faith-based community service organization rooted in four key pillars: prayer, community, simplicity and service.Since Schiele (a licensed contractor) began the organization in the Historic Northeast five years ago, Jerusalem Farm has provided no-cost labor to area residents for home repair projects, hosted volunteers from throughout the country for a variety of service projects, created a Neighborhood Accountability Board to address code violations and settle disputes between neighbors in the Indian Mound neighborhood, and started a curbside program to collect compost from dozens of area residents.Click the link below to listen to the full interview with Jordan Schiele, or subscribe to "Kansas City's Northeast Newscast" on iTunes to check out each episode as soon it's made available.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, KCPD's newly appointed Community Initiative Officer, Jason Cooley, sits down with managing editor Paul Thompson to discuss a bevy of topics, including: the duties of his new position; Chief of Police Rick Smith's desire to double the amount of Community Interaction Officers (CIO's) in the department by January 2018; the department's efforts to entice more minorities to join the force; the negative repercussions of Missouri's gun laws, and much more.

This week on Kansas City's Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson sits down with Northeast Kansas City Historical Society President Kent Dicus to preview the NEKCHS Homes Tour, to be held on Saturday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood.Dicus also gives a progress report on the latest edition of the historical society's history book of Northeast homes, dishes on his Mystery House Facebook series, discusses his hopes for the Jackson County Historical Society, weighs his role in historic preservation battles throughout the area, and talks about his hope for the future of the Historic Northeast.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, Kansas City Public Schools athletic director Dr. James Sanders sits down with managing editor Paul Thompson to talk about Northeast High School's homecoming celebration on September 30, the new renovated football field at the high school, what it was like to see the Vikings play a home game for the first time during his tenure, and the district's emphasis on athletics under superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell. To end the interview - Dr. Sanders relays the college nickname of college fraternity brother - and Northeast News publisher - Michael Bushnell

On this week's episode of the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson talk with Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association President Jessica Ray.The two discuss Pendleton Heights' Party in the Park; the now-leasing Pendleton Flats apartments, and how that project might help build momentum for future Paseo Gateway housing projects; what businesses Ray would like to see move into the neighborhood; the joy of seeing families in Pendleton Heights, and where she believes the neighborhood will be 5-10 years in the future; and finally, Ray discusses the latest developments in the neighborhood association's efforts to save a historic home from demolition.

On this week's edition of the Northeast Newscast, KCPD East Patrol's Commander, Major Jim Thomas, sits down with managing editor Paul Thompson to reflect upon his first six months at the helm of the patrol division.Major Thomas discusses how he's settled into the position, how he maintains his trademark positive disposition in the face of rising violent crime in Kansas City, and the new Impact Squad he's implemented in East Patrol.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, Managing Editor Paul Thompson goes on a ride-along with KCMO Animal Control officer Chris Harriman.It bears mentioning that what many in Kansas City refer to as Animal Control is actually the Animal Health and Public Safety department. Chris Harriman is technically an Animal Health and Public Safety officer, but even he will refer to himself as Animal Control for the sake of brevity and the understanding of the general public.At any rate, Harriman allows Thompson to join up for several hours as he answers service requests in the Historic Northeast community. The pair check in on a duplex that is allegedly home to 26 cats; checks in on a block full of stray dogs, and even chase a rabbit around until its owner mercifully arrives. To close the episode, Harriman offers some thoughts on the Animal Health and Public Safety audit that was recently completed by the KCMO Auditor's Office.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson talks with Kansas City Art Institute Assistant Professor of Illustration - and architect of the Scarritt Mural project - Hector Casanova. Casanova discusses his relationship with the Historic Northeast; the genesis of the mural project at Scarritt Elementary; what it felt like to have the project defaced over the summer; where he and his students will focus their artistic talents next; and how Kansas City's embrace of the artistic community can lead to community growth and economic development. If you've followed the work of Casanova and his students over the past few years, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson runs through the history of Kansas City audits with KCMO City Auditor Doug Jones.In an interesting and wide-ranging conversation, Jones discusses how some of the City's past audits are reflected in the police staffing study that was recently presented to the City Council and the Board of Police Commissioners. Jones also discusses audits that relate to the City's overtime hours and the City's Bike KC plan, which is Kansas City's on-street master bike plan. In addition, the City Auditor talks about what he wants the public to take from the @KCMOCityAuditor Twitter account.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson sits down for an exclusive interview with incoming Chief of Police Rick Smith, who will be sworn in to his new position on the morning of Tuesday, August 15.Smith talks about the whirlwind past few weeks that found him elevated to the top job within the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, discusses his plans for KCPD's Community Interaction Officers (CIO's), addresses the police staffing study that was recently completed by Matrix Consulting Group, talks about his potential contributions to the Chief's blog (and whether he'll embrace social media), describes how he thinks the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA) can improve, and lays out his plans to embed a social services coordinator in every patrol division.

This week on the Northeast Newscast, managing editor Paul Thompson invites Kansas City Museum Executive Director Anna Marie Tutera on to serve as the podcast's first ever two-time guest. After celebrating that great honor, Tutera talks about the Museum's new satellite space at 800 Broadway, right across the street from the Historic Garment District Museum (801 Broadway). The conversation also turns to the upcoming July 27 meeting at the Kansas City Museum to discuss parking solutions when Corinthian Hall reopens in 2019, the restoration and renovation plans at the Museum, and how the Museum is handling clean-up after a giant weekend storm took down a tree on its grounds.