If you weren’t at Arrowhead last Sunday, like most of Kansas City, you were likely glued to your television set. For 50 years, this town has waited for another chance to bring home the coveted Lombardi trophy. With Kansas City’s sweetheart Patrick Mahomes at the leading position, we will finally see our Chiefs in the big game.

With the AFC Championship’s Lamar Hunt trophy now in its rightful home, Kansas City is already celebrating. Fans packed local sporting goods retailers, searching for t-shirts, hats, or bobbleheads. A few stores had lines of people who waited upwards of four hours for the championship merchandise. Four hours for a gray t-shirt! And we haven’t even made it to Miami yet.

However, the celebration quickly turned sour late Sunday night. On January 19, at about 11:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 4800 block of Noland Rd. on a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers located one deceased adult female and one deceased adult male. As the investigation unfolded, at least 15 other victims arrived at area hospitals, with three listed as being in critical condition.

An armed security guard at the business engaged the shooter outside of the establishment. KCPD reported that they believe the shooter is the deceased adult male, and a motive or the circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown. The nightclub, 9ine Ultra Lounge, has seen its share of violence, with police reporting to have been called to the location seven times this month.

“This city will never stand up for this type of gun violence. We will continue to try and stop it before it starts and we will make sure that in any investigation we are bringing folks to justice,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas during a press conference held on Monday afternoon. “We’ve got a problem in Kansas City. We’ve said a few times that it is an epidemic of gun violence. We’re losing too many lives. We have too many people shot each year. We remain committed, both at City Hall and at the Police Department, and in every agency in Kansas City in making sure that we stop this problem.”

Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith said that as part of a proactive approach, police had just left the nightclub prior to the shooting on Sunday.

“Officers had done a check of the parking lot and were less than a minute out when we received our first call,” said Smith.

Less than a minute. It took less than one minute for chaos to ensue, and for a young woman to lose her life. The gunman, it turns out, was just released from probation on a prior felony conviction and should not have had a gun in the first place.

These shootings, which are marring the celebrations of life, are happening all too frequently. Grandview and South Kansas City are feeling the violence, as incidents are occurring right in our own backyards. We do have a problem in Kansas City, like Mayor Lucas said. It’s a serious problem, and it’s one that affects every single one of us. It’s not just here, it’s everywhere.

I’m looking forward to a Chiefs victory in a few Sundays. I’m looking forward to celebrating with the rest of our great city. But, to be brutally honest, I’ll be celebrating this one at home, with my family close, and without the threat of violence and gunfire, hoping that no one rains on this parade.

It's candidate filing time! In the world of local politics, this is just the beginning of the race. Those interested are just now getting their helmets on as they prepare to shift into high gear. It’s where we find out who we can expect to see come April on our ballots, and whether or not there will be any surprises.

I can already tell you, there’s going to be a few. Local politics thrive when there is a little bit of competition. And, selfishly, it makes my job reporting on the elections a little more interesting.

With the window for the available seats still open, as usual, we will have the full list of candidates once filing closes. In the meantime, though, I can tell you a few things that I already know.

In Grandview, Ward 1’s Sandy Kessinger has decided to hang up her Alderman coat for now, opting to not file for reelection. At last check, there were two candidates who have filed for her seat, including former Alderman Debbie Bibbs, who resigned from her position previously due to health reasons.

There were four candidates vying for incumbent Ward 2 Alderman Annette Turnbaugh’s seat, and so far no opposition in Ward 3. On the school board side of things, we’ll hopefully see an election in Grandview (we don’t always see Grandview C-4 on our ballots because of no opposition), Hickman Mills and Center school districts.

On top of all of this excitement (really, I’m excited about it, just call me a political nerd), we’ll be looking at some statewide races, as well. Check out the election notice that appears on page 6 to see what’s in store for those elections.

I’m looking forward to it. I enjoy reading the responses to our questionnaires. I love listening in on forums. And, I have fun getting to know our elected officials and telling our readers who they are. It’s going to be a great election season. Buckle your seat belts, though, as things might get a little bumpy come April!

Auld Lang Syne has been sung. The champagne bottles have been emptied. The Christmas tree has been put away (at least it has in my house). The black-eyed peas have been eaten. The new year has officially begun.
I’m a fan of new years. I’m not necessarily the type to make resolutions, because I know I’m not going to stick to making any real changes. But, I’ve always loved the idea of a fresh slate. The new year brings hope for great things, and that’s something I can definitely get behind.

As we look back on 2019, and look forward to 2020, I am reminded of the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly stories of the past year. Putting together the year in review issue is, for me, a time of reflection. It truly seems like just yesterday that the events on the front page of this week’s paper took place. I remember each of them clearly, and I recall the emotions I felt covering each story.

The new year will bring some new things into my life. Probably the biggest is that my last name will change come Memorial Day. Apart from the changes in my personal life, 2020 will bring a few new ideas and concepts to the Advocate, as well.

In 2020, our readers can expect to see a little more from us. Starting with the Homegrown in the Hometown special section in the first quarter of the year, which will feature some of your favorite family-owned businesses, we will be busy bringing you more content and more of what you like to read.

We will also look at ramping up our services we offer. We’d like for local businesses and individuals to consider us a one-stop-shop for all of their marketing and public relations needs. Think of us when you need newsletters designed, content written, social media help or news coverage at your events. Combined, we have many years of experience in all things news, and we’d love to be put to work to help you tell your stories.

Happy New Year to all of our readers, advertisers, supporters and friends. Without each of you, our work wouldn’t be possible. We thank you for a successful and fun 2019, and we look forward to what the future of 2020 can bring. Cheers to new beginnings and old traditions.

Do you remember career day in junior high? I recall being dismissed to the gymnasium, where we were able to meet with potential future employers in almost a speed dating fashion. I already knew I was going to be the next Oprah Winfrey, so I’m not sure how seriously I took the day. More likely than not, it was a great social hour for me and my friends.

A few months ago, the counselor at my son’s middle school reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in sharing my career with her students. I jumped at the opportunity, especially knowing that this would give me a chance to check on my son and see a few of his teachers (you can never do this often enough with teenagers).

I put career day in the back of my mind for a while, but last week, as Friday approached, I became a little bit nervous. How can I make being a journalist, and writing for a newspaper, sound interesting to these kids? Talking about my job with kids who spend majority of their days texting and snapchatting, I wasn’t sure how I would keep their attention.

So, Thursday evening, I gathered newspapers (one for each student) and candy and gathered my thoughts. I decided to engage the students in interviews, asking them about their passions, their hobbies, their interests and their lives, which, surprisingly, seemed to work.

These kids are talented. I spoke with future artists, doctors, writers, athletes, engineers, and musicians. One girl wants to be a veterinarian, with a focus on helping elephants. One boy is determined to play in the NFL, but if that doesn’t work out, he’s also a pretty good singer.

I also learned that these kids have been through some tough things. Some have seen violence. Others have witnessed death, or suicide, or traumatic events that have surely left some invisible scars.

I learned more from these kids than I could ever teach them about me. Sure, I explained my day-to-day, and what it’s like to work at the newspaper. But, in a short amount of time (I had roughly 20 minutes with each group of around 20 kids), I learned what makes these kids who they are.

After one of my sessions, a teacher came up to me and said, “I learned more about my students in five minutes with the questions you asked them than I’ve learned about them all school year.”

A seventh-grade girl approached me after another session. “Thank you for inspiring me. I didn’t ever think that being a journalist could be cool, but you made it sound like such a fun job. Maybe I could be a journalist like you one day,” she said.

My job was done. I went into the day thinking that if I could reach just one kid, and inspire them to write a little more, or maybe take a journalism class in high school, then I would consider the day a success. It was definitely more than that.

I learned so much at career day. I learned that despite their backgrounds, their race or their social status, these kids are all going to be something great. I learned that our kids all have a story to tell. You just have to ask the right questions.

I’ve spent the better part of the last week or so watching videos on YouTube and looking up articles. No, I’m not researching for a big story. My son started wrestling, and it’s probably the one sport that I know pretty much nothing about.

Give me a sport with a ball, and I can figure it out pretty quickly. I’m by no means an expert on any of them, though. There’s a reason we pay someone else to write the sports stories in the paper. But, I can usually get by and cheer our teams on with the best of them. But wrestling? That’s a whole different ballgame (and, once again, there’s no ball. Go figure.).

Michael has tried to explain things to me, and has even tried to practice some moves on me (for just over 100 pounds, that kid is strong). But, during his first meet on Monday night this week, I was finally able to “get” it. At least enough to know that Michael won a few of his matches.

It may not be baseball. Or tennis. Or even bowling. He picked wrestling for his first school-related sport. As his mom, I’ll be in the bleachers cheering him on, biting my nails, and trying to follow along as much as I can. Then, I’ll look forward to bats, gloves and sunshine again in the spring.

As you start to run out of ways to eat leftover turkey, and your kitchens start to return to their pre-Thanksgiving states, I’ll be in my own kitchen making a homemade apple pie. You see, in my family, the celebration of Thanksgiving is always followed by my favorite day of the year: my son’s birthday.

This Saturday, as Michael turns 14, we’ll go from turkey to catching shrimp in our mouths at the Japanese steakhouse. His birthday will always be extra special to me, and provides me with an opportunity to reflect on the years since the day he came into this world.

I wasn’t ready for him. In fact, the day before he was born, I was on a ladder painting his bedroom walls a light blue. I still had a month to go, I thought. I had a doctor’s appointment that day, too, and as I was leaving, I recall my obstetrician saying, “I’ll see you next week, but it’ll probably be sooner.” I remember thinking she was nuts! There’s no way he would be here before that!

Sure enough, later that evening, I began to feel weird. With this being my first baby, I didn’t really know what that “weirdness” was. So, around five in the morning, off to the hospital we went. I was wheeled in, and was greeted by nurses who said, “There’s no way she’s in real labor; she’s smiling too much.”

At about six, I called my mom and told her I was at the hospital, knowing she would be getting up for work around that time. She came as quickly as she could, and when she got there, was told that they were getting ready to send me home. No baby was coming today.

Surprise! Less than an hour later, while the nurses were preparing the paperwork to send me on my way, Michael made his grand appearance. At only five pounds, he was small but mighty, and he came into the world wiggling and moving (and he hasn’t stopped since).

When I was a little girl, I imagined myself being the mom of daughters: little dolls I could dress up, fix their hair, and show off to the world. They would look just like me, and be as sweet as can be. Life had other plans, though, and made me a boy mom. Full of dirt, bugs, blood and all things gross, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My son is my world. He is wickedly smart, more handsome all the time, compassionate and strong. He keeps his parents on our toes, and he continues to amaze me with the person he is becoming.
I got really, really lucky. My cup overflows, and my blessings all seem to be wrapped up in the love I have for this kid. For 14 years, my heart has swelled, and my pride and joy has grown right along with it. I have many things to be thankful for each year, but Michael always seems to top my list.

In the middle columns of this page, Gerald Caldwell writes about a true American hero. A man who, when confronted literally head on with serious challenges, he trudged on. Every year, when Veterans Day comes around, I look forward to reading and hearing the stories of the men and women who have sacrificed so much for this great country of ours.

I think we’d be hard-pressed to find a family without someone who has served or is currently serving in our military. Each of us has likely been affected, either directly or indirectly, by service for the country. Men and women who are willing to put service above self, who are honorable and almost fearless, and who are much braver than I, are the true heroes and they should be celebrated.

My grandfathers were all in the service. My brother served in the Marine Corps, as did my fiancé. Our family is no stranger to the selflessness it takes to be a part of our military, and I’m personally grateful to each of these men in my life who put on their uniforms in the name of America while they did.

To all of our area veterans, we salute you. We honor you. We thank you. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. We see you. We recognize you. We owe you more than we can give. Happy Veterans Day to all who have served. And may God bless America.