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I-70's closure will add a lot of time for KC commuters

Sticking to the highways would tack on up to 20 minutes.

News

If your commute takes you on I-70 in Kansas City, you&#x27;re going to need a new route — and some extra time — next year.Why it matters: 105,000 daily drivers will have to find a way around the fastest, most direct route to and from downtown, and transportation officials want them to take detours that add up to 21 minutes to a one-way trip.

Last call for THC at KC liquor stores

new Missouri law pulls most hemp THC products from gas stations, bars and liquor stores Nov. 12, a month before a federal ban.

Local liquor stores like <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gomer&#x27;s Fine Wine and Spirits" data-vars-click-url="https://shop.gomers.com/" data-vars-content-id="a5097023-fbcb-472a-a1ae-7fc8e8543cbe" data-vars-headline="Last call for THC at KC liquor stores" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://shop.gomers.com/" target="_blank">Gomer&#x27;s Fine Wine and Spirits</a> are racing to unload THC gummies and other intoxicating hemp products before Missouri makes selling most of them a felony.Why it matters: If you&#x27;ve been picking up THC gummies and similar products at the liquor store, that largely ends next month. Once his shelves empty, Gomer&#x27;s manager Corey Spaulding says he won&#x27;t restock them.

When KC's leaves will finally turn

It's still 80 degrees, but Kansas City's leaves should peak between Nov. 5 and 10.

Don&#x27;t let the 80° October days fool you. Kansas City&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="leaves" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/26/fall-foliage-mapped-peak-colors-2026" data-vars-content-id="bdfbbc73-d692-4fa5-8520-dc5d617f06a3" data-vars-headline="When KC&#x27;s leaves will finally turn" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/26/fall-foliage-mapped-peak-colors-2026" target="_self">leaves</a> should hit peak color in only a few weeks, according to a map on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Explore Fall" data-vars-click-url="https://www.explorefall.com/fall-foliage-map" data-vars-content-id="bdfbbc73-d692-4fa5-8520-dc5d617f06a3" data-vars-headline="When KC&#x27;s leaves will finally turn" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.explorefall.com/fall-foliage-map" target="_blank">Explore Fall</a>.Why it matters: KC&#x27;s leaves will look like that for only a week or so. Miss the window and you&#x27;re looking at bare branches until spring.

KC's trendiest dog sounds made up, but it's real

Goldendoodles are still Kansas City's favorite dog, but a Lab and Catahoula mix is growing faster here than in any other big U.S. city, per Rover.

To no one&#x27;s surprise, the goldendoodle is Kansas City&#x27;s favorite dog, but the breed growing fastest in popularity here is one you&#x27;ve probably never heard of.Why it matters: The Labahoula, a Labrador Retriever and Catahoula leopard dog mix, is an energetic, athletic breed, and it&#x27;s catching on in a city that ranks <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="82nd out of 100 for fitness" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/07/17/kansas-city-ranks-low-fitness-health-wellness" data-vars-content-id="c8866a4c-32b0-463d-9cb3-93e783640522" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s trendiest dog sounds made up, but it&#x27;s real" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/07/17/kansas-city-ranks-low-fitness-health-wellness" target="_self">82nd out of 100 for fitness</a> and 83rd out of 107 for walkability.

A KC country artist and a Chiefs player walk into a podcast studio

Episodes include highlights like "sweat"-flavored barbecue.

Country artist and former <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;The Voice&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDyG9m54LY0" data-vars-content-id="7855961a-c1b8-4b01-8b70-d74783bda148" data-vars-headline="A KC country artist and a Chiefs player walk into a podcast studio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDyG9m54LY0" target="_blank">&quot;The Voice&quot;</a> contestant Casi Joy has a new gig since moving back home from Nashville to Kansas City: podcast host.Why it matters: Joy is bringing together familiar names from sports, comedy and music on the show <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Kustom Conversations.&quot; " data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/@KustomConversations" data-vars-content-id="7855961a-c1b8-4b01-8b70-d74783bda148" data-vars-headline="A KC country artist and a Chiefs player walk into a podcast studio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/@KustomConversations" target="_blank">&quot;Kustom Conversations.&quot; </a>

Marching Mizzou is becoming more competitive

Here's a look inside the band's auditions, travel and growing media presence.

Music

Blare your school&#x27;s fight song — college football is back, and with it comes the pageantry, spectacle and sound of the marching band. The big picture: Marching bands are known for snappy songs and viral formations, but outside of performances is a world of competitive auditions, international travel and growing media presence.

How an Indiana professor plans to lead KC's symphony chorus

Kansas City's largest choir has a new director for the first time in nearly two decades.

Kansas City&#x27;s largest choir has a new director for the first time in nearly two decades — and she lives in Indiana. Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Grammy-winning" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcsymphony.org/about-us/awards-recognition/" data-vars-content-id="16d0fb1d-54de-4f69-8c3a-0e7c6b6deeba" data-vars-headline="How an Indiana professor plans to lead KC&#x27;s symphony chorus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcsymphony.org/about-us/awards-recognition/" target="_blank">Grammy-winning</a> KC Symphony Chorus is charting a new path after last season&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sudden departure" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article312485590.html" data-vars-content-id="16d0fb1d-54de-4f69-8c3a-0e7c6b6deeba" data-vars-headline="How an Indiana professor plans to lead KC&#x27;s symphony chorus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article312485590.html" target="_blank">sudden departure</a> of its longtime director, Charles Bruffy.

Dolly Parton put her heart in the Heartland with books

Nearly 20,000 children in Johnson, Wyandotte and the KC metro are enrolled in her Imagination Library.

Dolly Parton, who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="died" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-has-died-at-80-obit" data-vars-content-id="11b407f6-74f7-49cc-a4b4-4e3dc381e7bb" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton put her heart in the Heartland with books" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-has-died-at-80-obit" target="_self">died</a> Tuesday at 80, was a singer, a movie star and an American icon, but to families across Kansas and Missouri, she was the woman who spent decades teaching kids to love books.The big picture: Parton built a second career out of childhood literacy through her <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Imagination Library" data-vars-click-url="https://imaginationlibrary.com/" data-vars-content-id="11b407f6-74f7-49cc-a4b4-4e3dc381e7bb" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton put her heart in the Heartland with books" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://imaginationlibrary.com/" target="_blank">Imagination Library</a>, and Kansas and Missouri were among the first states in the country to put public money behind it.

5 KC record stores worth digging through

From a Westport shop in a former antique mall to a south KC storefront that started in a backyard shed, here's where to buy vinyl across the metro.

KC vinyl hunters are spoiled for choice, whether that means a cavernous Westport shop or a south KC storefront that started in the owner&#x27;s backyard shed. Wednesday&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Vinyl Record Day" data-vars-click-url="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-vinyl-record-day-august-12" data-vars-content-id="bdd477f9-aefa-465c-a85e-014dc827aef2" data-vars-headline="5 KC record stores worth digging through" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-vinyl-record-day-august-12" target="_blank">National Vinyl Record Day</a> is reason enough to hit one.Why it matters: Independent shops took more than 4 in 10 U.S. vinyl sales last year, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Luminate reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.billboard.com/pro/luminate-2025-year-end-music-report-taylor-swift-showgirl/" data-vars-content-id="bdd477f9-aefa-465c-a85e-014dc827aef2" data-vars-headline="5 KC record stores worth digging through" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.billboard.com/pro/luminate-2025-year-end-music-report-taylor-swift-showgirl/" target="_blank">Luminate reported</a>, and nearly every store below is locally owned.

A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze

Café 333 arrives as American drinking hits a record low.

Business

Kansas City jazz was born in Prohibition-era clubs fueled by liquor. A century later, the city&#x27;s newest club is alcohol-free.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Café 333" data-vars-click-url="https://cafe333kc.com/index.html" data-vars-content-id="12730782-38c9-43b7-9ef7-88f25e28fa3c" data-vars-headline="A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cafe333kc.com/index.html" target="_blank">Café 333</a> is KC&#x27;s first sober jazz bar, and it&#x27;s arriving just as American drinking hits a record low.

Nonprofits launching music hub in the Crossroads

The hangar-like space will be outfitted with a stage, lighting and a greenroom.

Two nonprofits are coming together to form a music hub downtown Kansas City this summer, thanks to the city&#x27;s Open Doors initiative.Why it matters: There&#x27;s no shortage of bars and clubs that feature live music in the area, but this promises to be something different — an intimate, open-air venue where pedestrians can swing by, the music comes first and performances span genres.

KC Symphony's new performance hall would triple its capacity

The new venue would be designed for audiences of up to 4,600.

The Kansas City Symphony this week announced plans to build a new performance hall nearly triple the size of its current space, with a target opening in 2028.Why it matters: The symphony is expanding its footprint with its own venue designed for specialty shows and capable of attracting midsized touring acts.

K-pop dancers go viral on Overland Park restaurant's TikTok

The videos are powered by a KPOT server backed by his competitive dance group.

Culture

An Overland Park Korean restaurant chain is racking up millions of views thanks to an employee and his local dance squad.Why it matters: Korean culture is having a moment in America, with more <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="restaurants opening" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/01/korean-food-us-where-trends" data-vars-content-id="87db5e81-9e0d-42e2-b57d-92fcedfa22fe" data-vars-headline="K-pop dancers go viral on Overland Park restaurant&#x27;s TikTok" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/01/korean-food-us-where-trends" target="_self">restaurants opening</a>, K-pop musicians <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="touring" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/11/13/katseye-world-tour-minneapolis-concert-tickets" data-vars-content-id="87db5e81-9e0d-42e2-b57d-92fcedfa22fe" data-vars-headline="K-pop dancers go viral on Overland Park restaurant&#x27;s TikTok" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/11/13/katseye-world-tour-minneapolis-concert-tickets" target="_self">touring</a>, and &quot;KPop Demon Hunters&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="topping charts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/huntr-x-golden-global-charts-number-one-nov-8-1236104082/" data-vars-content-id="87db5e81-9e0d-42e2-b57d-92fcedfa22fe" data-vars-headline="K-pop dancers go viral on Overland Park restaurant&#x27;s TikTok" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/huntr-x-golden-global-charts-number-one-nov-8-1236104082/" target="_blank">topping charts</a>.

New song release part of KC Streetcar extension opening

A local musician partnered with the KC Streetcar to create a Main Street extension anthem.

<figure><img alt="Kemet Coleman and others sing and dance in a new music video filmed on the KC Streetcar." height="450" id="8a8b3535-7b0f-4d8c-a918-fb8a777d9e04" src="https://images.axios.com/ja_17Cr_5DgnEeEkR8QNwW20n50=/2025/10/22/1761165816095.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>Sneak a peek at the new music video. Video: Courtesy of Kemet Coleman</figcaption></figure>The streetcar has a new sound — and it&#x27;s not the chimes, bells and musical notes that signal passengers and traffic.The big picture: A local musician partnered with the KC Streetcar to create a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Main Street extension" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2025/07/25/kc-streetcar-extension-opening-2025" data-vars-content-id="1a465402-f671-495c-85e1-2b3b5e20c81a" data-vars-headline="New song release part of KC Streetcar extension opening" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2025/07/25/kc-streetcar-extension-opening-2025" target="_self">Main Street extension</a> anthem he hopes will boost civic pride.