KC official fired after talking to FBI, new luxury brand heading to Plaza: Top stories
From a whistleblower lawsuit rocking Kansas City Hall to a luxury retailer headed for the Country Club Plaza, here’s a roundup of what’s making news in the Kansas City region. These are the top stories from The Kansas City Star.
Here are the key takeaways:
KC official’s lawsuit
A former assistant city manager was fired six days after speaking with FBI agents about city officials allegedly steering public contracts to favored vendors based on race and connections. Melissa Kozakiewicz’s whistleblower lawsuit marks the first time an individual has publicly identified themselves as a source for the federal probe that has upended City Hall.
Parks and Recreation financials
An audit of Kansas City Parks and Recreation found the department misreported financial details and failed to track revenue, potentially missing millions of dollars in collections over the years. Parks Director Christopher Cotten fiercely disputed the findings, drawing a rebuke from Councilmember Melissa Robinson, who called his response “embarrassing.”
Olathe schools lawsuit
A mother has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Olathe Public Schools of ignoring years of sexual harassment and abuse against her son at Oregon Trail Middle School. The suit alleges district leadership failed to report more than 100 incidents and instead suspended and criminally charged the victim after he photographed an incident to defend himself.
No Other Pub
No Other Pub, the Sporting KC-themed bar inside the KC Live! Block, ranked No. 4 on USA Today’s list of the top 10 local sports bars in the United States. The 21,000-square-foot venue, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in February, was praised for its many TVs and activities like bowling, shuffleboard, darts and ping pong.
Veronica Beard
Luxury women’s clothing brand Veronica Beard will open its first Kansas City location this summer at 4747 Broadway Blvd. on the Country Club Plaza. The brand, founded in 2010 by sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard, will move into the former Charlie Hustle storefront and has more than 40 locations worldwide.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
