Latest news with #KC-area
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Metro family embraces life with baby battling rare, fatal genetic disorder
OLATHE, Kan. — Five months ago, Christina and Adam Hannan were celebrating the arrival of their sixth child, a beautiful baby girl named Annalise. But the joy of her birth quickly turned to heartbreak. Annalise wasn't crying. She wasn't moving. Something was wrong. KC-area emergency management on staying prepared ahead of severe weather Doctors diagnosed her with congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy, a condition so rare that fewer than 50 cases have ever been recorded worldwide, and only seven people are known to be living with it today. It affects the development of nerves, leaving babies with very low muscle tone. They can't swallow, cry, or even cough. Most don't live past the age of three. 'This is Annalise,' her father Adam says. 'Annalise was born with a super rare genetic disorder.' What makes Annalise's story even more unbelievable—the Hannans have lived this nightmare before. Fourteen years ago, their son Myles was born with the same rare disorder. 'We know one of the 50 because he was our son,' Adam said. 'We had a son with this same condition' Adam continued on to say. Myles lived for just 20 months. So, this time around, every moment with Annalise matters even more. Annalise doesn't cry. She breathes through a trach. She eats through a feeding tube. And each night, she sleeps connected to a ventilator. Yet to her parents, she is not defined by tubes or machines. She's defined by joy. 'It's horrible, but every day is a gift. So you wake up, and it's like—we have today' Christina Hannan, Annalise's mother said. 'It's both hard and good at the same time, our mission is to let her know that she is loved—as much and as often as we can,' Adam said. That mission is shared with Annalise's four siblings, who help care for their baby sister with quiet strength and compassion. The Hannans are not sugarcoating the pain. They live in the tension of knowing their daughter could pass away at any moment. But they refuse to live in fear. View the latest Weather Alerts in the Kansas City region on FOX4 'We have to – that the thing you have to put one foot in front of the other you just have to there's no choice so we proceed with joy,' Adam said. Annalise may never walk or speak. But she feels love, she shows joy and she the Hannans, that's everything. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DACA recipient returns home to Kansas City metro after deportation to Mexico
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Monday, FOX4 shared how a Roeland Park, Kansas man was after visiting family in neighboring Mexico. Evenezer Cortez Martinez is a DACA recipient and has had renewal status for over a decade. His latest application was valid through October 2026. More KC-area orgs impacted by cuts to Museum and Library Services It was a short trip he was allowed and approved to take, according to his attorneys. Yet, he was denied returning home after touching down in Dallas. He was sent back to Mexico City the same day. 'We've been telling people to be very cautious about traveling, and I think a lot of these things that are occurring are so unprecedented, in terms of, normalcy seems to be up in the air a little bit,' Rekha Sharma-Crawford, a Kansas City attorney, said Tuesday. As of Tuesday, he's back with his Kansas family. 'I feel safer here,' Cortez Martinez shared with FOX4 on the emotional embrace with his family at the airport. 'There's peace in my heart, like how happy.' Cortez Martinez says being in Mexico City felt frustrating, not knowing what would be next. He was gone a little over two weeks, on a trip that was only supposed to last a few days. He was in Mexico City to visit a grandparent's grave. 'When I was little, he would always take me with him and show me around what he used to do and all that,' Cortiz Martinez said about his grandfather. 'I wanted to show my respect to him because he was the one who helped me out, too.' His legal counsel, Rekha Sharma-Crawford, said the situation he was in shouldn't have been an issue at all. 'He had all the proper requirements. He met all the proper requirements. He did all the things correctly,' Sharma-Crawford said. 'There really shouldn't have been anything that required, not only for him to go through what he went through, and what his family went through, but for the courts to have to intervene in order to get us a favorable resolution.' Cortez Martinez was back home within a week of the Sharma Crawford legal team on the case. The reason he was denied re-entry was regarding a past 'order of absentia', one that Cortez Martinez says he never knew about. 'They just told me I had that order of removal; I think it was. Like I was telling my lawyer, and I was even telling CBP (Customs and Border Protection), I didn't know I had that order,' Cortez Martinez shared. 'I was surprised also. I had been renewing every two years, and I never had that problem.' 'It's not just a number. It's not just rhetoric. It's not just political speech. It's real life, a real family,' Shama-Crawford shared with FOX4 Wednesday. 'These moments, it's what keeps us going, I really do think that. We are grateful that we were able to connect with him and his family and we were able to get him the help that he needed.' Parents of boy who fell to death from Independence Towers file lawsuit Sharma-Crawford tells FOX4 the lawsuit has now been resolved. 'I'm just grateful that God is good. He put the right person to help me during this process,' he said, talking about Sharma-Crawford and her assistant, Fernando. 'Thank you for that team. They went beyond helping me come back.' Sharma-Crawford said, 'The goal was to have the government recognize the validity of the documents that he held, and the legality of the documents that he held, and that's what occurred here.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas City Public Schools celebrate passing of $474 million bond
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We're hearing from district leaders after . The historic milestone will help make upgrades to every school in the district. More KC-area orgs impacted by cuts to Museum and Library Services Leaders say the bond passing is years overdue, but are grateful for the community's investment in the district. The $474 million bond passed with 85% of Tuesday's votes. It means the district will finally be able to tackle years of deferred maintenance. 'The passing of this bond is not just a financial milestone, it's a bold step toward progress,' said KCPS Board Chair Rita Cortes. 'A meaningful investment in our future and a shared vision for a stronger, more vibrant Kansas City.' Each school will receive at least $5 million in upgrades. $424 million will go to 30 Kansas City schools, $50 million will go to nine charter schools and help build three new centers and one new middle school. The money will help upgrade security, HVAC systems, learning spaces and more. 'Schools are a vital part of the community and we have to be a part of what's happening,' KCPS Superintendent Jennifer Collier said. 'We are building a world class city and we cannot do that by leaving the school district behind. We have to bring our children along with us because they are the future, they are our next leaders.' Measles cases climb to 32 in eight Kansas counties In total, Collier said the district needs about $1.25 million to fully modernize all of its buildings. They may look at a no tax increase bond down the road, but for now, she said the bond passage is a step in the right direction. Collier said projects could take between 5 and 7 years to complete. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voters approve school upgrades across KC metro. See where, who won board seats
Nearly 85% of Kansas City voters approved a historic influx of tax dollars to improve the city's public schools in Tuesday's election. But Kansas City Public Schools wasn't the only district that won big. Across the metro, voters made decisions about which schools will be able to upgrade their aging facilities — approving a slew of bond issues — and who should be leading and guiding KC-area school districts. Here are the election results and what they'll mean for future property taxes, school buildings and district leadership. Bond — Voters passed a $474 million bond aimed to address deferred maintenance and renovation projects that have been mounting for decades in Kansas City Public Schools. Every school in the district will receive at least $5 million from the bond, with a focus on building safety, play areas, STEM and music spaces and athletic facilities. KCPS also plans to construct several entirely new buildings, opening new schools to serve students and families as enrollment rises after decades of decline. School board — Two new candidates and two returning members were elected to the Kansas City Board of Education Tuesday night. Incumbent Tanesha Ford won an at-large seat with about 86% of the vote, beating out newcomer Joseph Nelson, while new elector Tricia McGee won the sub-district 3 seat uncontested. In sub-district 1, incumbent Rita Cortes beat Kelly Thompson with about 72% of the vote, and in sub-district 5, Brittany Foley won the seat over Bruce Beatty with about 54.6% of the vote. The four winners will each serve four-year terms on the seven-member KCPS board, which spans five sub-district roles and two at-large positions. Bond — Voters approved a $225 million bond proposed by the Lee's Summit R-7 School District, focused on rebuilding two schools and updating extracurricular and athletic spaces. The bond, which passed with about 75% of the vote, is part of a five-year plan to inject $309 million into district facilities. It will fund entirely new school buildings for two elementary schools. It will also bring Pleasant Lea Middle School and Miller Park Center up to the same infrastructure standards as other district buildings and refurbish sports facilities at two high schools. The bond will not increase property tax rates, according to the district. School board — Michelle Dawson and Nicky Nickens beat out incumbent Jennifer Foley and Leon Weatherby for two available seats on the Lee's Summit R-7 School Board. Dawson and Nickens won with about 32.6% of the vote and about 31% of the vote, respectively. Their term will last for three years. Dawson and Nickens were endorsed by the Lee's Summit Teacher's Union and the Lee's Summit Democrats, as reported by The Kansas City Beacon. Foley and Weatherby were endorsed by Salt and Light of Jackson County, a conservative political action group based around 'biblical principles.' Bond — Voters appeared likely to soundly approve a $175 million bond issue for North Kansas City Schools, according to unofficial results around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, which would support performing art spaces in two high schools and add competition gyms in two middle schools. Other projects include a new elementary school gym and district-wide improvements such as roofing, air-conditioning, asphalt maintenance and purchasing the Northland Innovation Center. The property tax rate will not change, but the bond will add to the district's debt services paid by taxpayers. School board — Unofficial results were still too close to call as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night, as it was unclear if Clay County's election board had posted all precincts' voting data or not, and the election board did not return multiple requests to confirm the vote totals. We will update this story when unofficial results are confirmed. Proposition G — Voters overwhelmingly approved an increase in the district's tax levy to raise teacher salaries with nearly 67% of voters supporting the ballot measure. 'This is just one way to reaffirm the commitment that our community has to our teachers and that our teachers have for our kids and for our families,' said Kelly Wachel, the Chief of Communications Officer for Park Hill. Proposition O — Park Hill voters also approved a $128 million bond, which will be paid back by increasing the district's property tax levy by 30 cents. The measure was approved by 62% of voters on Tuesday. The bond will support renovations at Park Hill High School, build stadium and field improvements at Park Hill South High School, renovate some of the oldest elementary schools in the district as well as fund future land purchases for the district. This is the first time since 2002 Park Hill will raise taxes. Wachel described the vote as 'a community win for Park Hill.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man killed after driving into tree near Gregory Boulevard in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One man is dead after driving into a tree in south Kansas City Friday night, according to law enforcement. The Kansas City Police Department reported that at about 11:30 p.m., officers and emergency responders were called to East Gregory Boulevard and South Agnes Avenue on reports of an injury crash. Andy Lock, father of Drew Lock and KC-area restaurateur, dies Investigations revealed that the driver of a Ford Fusion, a man, had been traveling eastbound from 71 Highway to Gregory Boulevard when he crashed into a large tree near Agnes Avenue. According to KCPD, the driver was the only person in the car, and shortly after the crash, he was taken to a hospital, where he died minutes after arriving. Police have not released the victim's name or the cause of the crash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
