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Kansas City News Today Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City. |
KANSAS CITY NEWS TODAY - Tuesday, December 11, 2007 State Agencies Take Action to Aid Missourians Recovering from Severe Winter Storms KANSAS CITY, (SLFP.com), December 11, 2007 - Gov. Matt Blunt has declasred state of emergency across Missouri to ensure state resources are positioned to aid Missouri communities impacted by the severe winter weather storms that began Saturday, December 8, and are expected to continue through mid-week. "Whether it is power generation, clearing roads and debris, or health and welfare checks, Missourians can be confident we are taking the necessary steps to ensure state agencies are available to assist however possible," Gov. Blunt said. "With more severe winter weather expected, Missourians' safety remains our first priority. I am encouraging Missourians to continue checking on their neighbors, especially the elderly and disabled, so we can help those who require warming shelters or other assistance." Gov. Blunt also activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Missouri National Guard. So far the state has provided twelve generators to local agencies and has another seven staged and available if requested. Today more than 100,000 Missourians were estimated to be without power across the state. To aid in emergency relief efforts, the Missouri Department of Transportation has also waived certain state and federal regulations for carriers who participate in emergency response. The hotline number is 888-377-2100 for areas of Missouri without 211 access. However, all life safety emergencies should continue to be called into 911. The lines will be staffed from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. seven days a week. Calls will roll over to an answering machine if all lines are busy or after hours. Missourians are encouraged to leave a message and a phone number because all calls will be returned. AmeriCorps and the Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (MOVOAD) are supporting the human services and disaster relief coordination for impacted communities. Anyone wishing to donate items or volunteer through an established organized group should contact their local chapters of the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, or faith-based group with a disaster mission such as the Southern Baptists, the United Methodist Disaster Response, Catholic Charities, the Seventh Day Adventists, Lutheran Disaster Response or other faith based denominations with a volunteer disaster response mission.
KANSAS CITY, (SLFP.com), December 9, 2007 - Attorney General Jay Nixon helped break ground in Kansas City for a new home to the Black Archives of Mid-America, one of the country's premier collections of documents and artifacts chronicling African-American history. Nixon joined Kansas City civic leaders and members of the Black Archives board of directors in the ceremony at the new location for the Archives at the intersection of John "Buck" O'Neil Way and Woodland in the historic 18th and Vine District. "This day represents a milestone in many respects," Nixon said. "A year and a half ago, we began a dialogue on the future of the Black Archives of Mid-America. You as a community have demonstrated what vision, leadership, and hard work can accomplish. This community put aside personal and political differences and has come together for the common good - and a common purpose. And the generosity of many citizens and the support and leadership of this city is turning this dream into a reality." As steward of the state's non-profit assets, Nixon stepped in after learning that financial difficulties and other problems were threatening the condition of the documents and artifacts that formed the Black Archives collection. The Archives had been dissolved as a non-profit corporation in 2006 for failing to comply with state law. In order to place the Archives on firmer footing, Nixon held two public hearings in Kansas City. More than 400 people attended the hearings - an indication, Nixon said, of the community support to keep the Black Archives. One hundred people submitted applications to serve on the board of directors. Nixon helped in reconstituting a 14-member board of directors and swore in the new board in January 2007. He said the new board had the experience, the knowledge and the proven community leadership to help the Black Archives reach its full potential as a historical resource. The new board then elected Barbara Peterson, widow of Black Archives founder Horace Peterson, as its president. Nixon praised Mrs. Peterson for carrying forth with her husband's dream. "Once again, you demonstrate what we must be as a community," Nixon told those at the groundbreaking ceremony. "We must be dedicated to working together. We must set aside political and personal differences in order to serve the broader community, to serve the common good." The Black Archives board of directors has been working with the Parks and Recreation Department of Kansas City to develop a new location for the Archives. The new site will provide better protection for the documents and artifacts, including better climate controls, and better access for historians and researchers, as well as the general public. MoDOT Winter Weather Information 
KANSAS CITY, MO, December 9, 2007 - With winter weather in the forecast for much of Missouri this week, the Missouri Department of Transportation has several tools to keep travel safer.The Traveler Information Map gives drivers an up-to-the-minute view of road conditions for major Missouri highways. Conditions for major routes across the state are color-coded to give visitors the information they need at a glance. Green means clear, blue is partly covered, purple is covered and a red snowflake means the road is impassable. The map can display road conditions for major Missouri cities, counties, MoDOT districts and other travel destinations. Individual routes can also be selected. A text report and links to road condition maps for surrounding states are also available on the Traveler Information Map page. Also, MoDOT's toll-free customer service line is available 24/7 at 1-888-ASK-MODOT. Additional information on winter weather, such as which roads get plowed first, clearing your driveway, and winter weather driving tips, is available here. Remember -- in ice and snow, take it slow! Hardee's(R) Sells 30 Restaurants in Kansas City Market as Part of Ongoing Strategic Refranchising KANSAS CITY, (PRNewswire-FirstCall), December 9, 2007 - CKE Restaurants, Inc. has announced the sale of 30 restaurants as part of its ongoing strategic refranchising program that was originally announced in April, 2007. The initiative is expected to involve approximately 200 Hardee's restaurant locations in a number of markets across the Midwest and Southeast. To date, the Company has sold 136 restaurants to franchisees and secured commitments for 59 new franchise restaurants under development agreements for those markets. The Company most recently completed the sale of 30 restaurants in the Kansas City market, including Topeka, KS and St. Joseph, MO, to Rising Stars, LLC. The franchisees purchasing the restaurants, Steve Rosenfield and Buddy Brown, currently operate Hardee's restaurants in Georgia, Montana and Wyoming, as well as Carl's Jr. restaurant locations in Colorado. With the purchase of these additional restaurants, Rosenfield and Brown now own more than 100 restaurants under the Hardee's and Carl's Jr. flag. Rising Stars has also committed to build 15 new Hardee's restaurant locations in the Kansas City market. "Buddy and I are excited to increase our ownership in Hardee's with the purchase of 30 units in the Kansas City market," said franchisee Steve Rosenfield. "We believe the brand is well-positioned for future success and look forward to developing additional units over the coming years." IMAX signs 100-theatre Deal with AMC Entertainment(TM) KANSAS CITY, (SLFP.com), December 9, 2007 - IMAX Corporation and AMC Entertainment Inc., one of the world's largest and most innovative theatrical exhibition companies, today announced a joint-venture agreement to install 100 IMAX(R) digital projection systems at AMC locations in 33 major U.S. markets. The theatres will feature IMAX's digital projection system which is being developed for the IMAX MPX(R) theatre design. The agreement is projected to double IMAX's current commercial theatre footprint in North America and accelerates the momentum behind IMAX and AMC's transition to digital projection technology. "We are committed to delivering a premium entertainment experience by offering a menu of entertainment alternatives inside our facilities," said Peter C. Brown, chairman and chief executive officer, AMC Entertainment Inc. "Our expanded relationship with IMAX and the deployment of its state-of-the-art, next-generation digital projection systems is a key part of our strategy of continuing to broaden and enhance the AMC experience. It also builds on the successful partnership we have had with IMAX since June of 2005 and complements our overall digital plan." The rollout of the first 50 IMAX digital projection systems will begin in July 2008 at premier AMC theatre locations in 24 of the 33 selected markets, with an additional 25 scheduled for rollout in 2009 and 25 more in 2010. The IMAX theatres are slated to be installed in many of AMC's top-performing locations in the United States, including: AMC South Barrington 30, Chicago; AMC Mesquite 30, Dallas; AMC Gulf Pointe 30, Houston; AMC Century City 15, Los Angeles; AMC Empire 25, New York; AMC Neshaminy 24, Philadelphia; AMC Eastridge 15, San Francisco; AMC Hoffman Center 22, Washington D.C.; AMC BarryWoods 24 and AMC Independence Commons 20, Kansas City. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., AMC Entertainment Inc. is one of the world's largest and most innovative theatrical exhibition companies. With a history of industry leadership dating back to 1920, the company today serves more than 230 million guests annually through interests in 358 theatres with 5,128 screens in six countries. Gov. Blunt Calls for $15 Million for UMKC Pharmacy and Nursing Building KANSAS CITY, MO (SLFP.com), December 9, 2007 - Gov. Matt Blunt has announced the he will call for $15 million for the University of Missouri-Kansas City's (UMKC) state-of-the-art Pharmacy and Nursing Building to help students prepare for careers in health care. The funding is available thanks to the governor's Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative. "This year, we enacted the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative to provide Missouri's colleges and universities the resources they need to attract and prepare students to compete in the global economy," Gov. Blunt said. "This vital funding will help ensure that the University of Missouri-Kansas City has state-of-the-art learning centers to prepare Missouri students for careers in the health care fields of nursing and pharmacy." The $15 million will be part of the governor's supplemental budget recommendation and will provide needed space for new educational and instructional areas in nursing and pharmacy with enhanced student services and state-of-the-art classroom and clinical simulation laboratory spaces. When complete, the full project will provide more than 34,000 net square feet of instructional space, as well as new laboratory space and a state-of-the-art animal research center. The Pharmacy and Nursing Building will enhance teaching and enrollment capacity at UMKC and increase the number of new health care professionals to address demands in both nursing and pharmacy.   The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 Moore Design Group. |
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