A barn owl has a way of stopping you cold. It’s not because it’s big—in comparison to a great horned owl, it isn’t—but rather because of that face. Heart-shaped, white, and nearly expressionless. It has been referred to as the “monkey-faced owl” for many generations, and the moniker endures because it is eerily accurate. It’s difficult not to feel as though you’ve stumbled upon something ancient when you stand inside a dimly lit Missouri barn at dusk and watch one tilt its disk-shaped face toward a faint rustling in the hay below. In Missouri’s wildlife narrative, the American barn owl…
Author: Sierra Foster
Sierra Foster
Born in Kansas City, Sierra Foster writes about politics and serves as Senior Editor at kbsd6.com. She was raised paying attention to this city, not just living in it. Sierra has a strong, deep connection to Kansas City, from the neighborhoods east of Troost to the discussions that take place in the city hall halls. Sierra, who is presently enrolled at the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in Political Science, applies the rigor of academic study to her journalism. She writes about politics in Missouri and Kansas as someone who genuinely cares about what happens to the people in these communities—the policies that impact them, the leaders who represent them, and the civic forces influencing their futures—rather than as an outsider watching from a distance. Her editorial coverage encompasses state-level policy, local government, and the national political currents that permeate bi-state regional life. Whether it's a city council vote or a Senate race, she has a special gift for turning complex policy language into writing that feels urgent, relatable, and worthwhile. Sierra seldom sits still off the page. She claims that playing soccer on a regular basis has sharpened her instincts for political reporting because of the sport's teamwork, strategy, and requirement to read a changing game in real time. She's probably somewhere in Kansas City with her friends when she's not writing or on the pitch, discovering new reasons to adore a city she already knows so well.
You can see it without really trying when you drive down Metcalf Avenue on a Tuesday afternoon. Between two empty storefronts is a nail salon. Where a Pier 1 once stood is now a dollar store. window paint that was faded and never completely removed from a gym that closed in 2022. In the suburbs of Kansas City, the strip mall—the least glamorous of American retail formats—is struggling. It’s also becoming more difficult to ignore. The suburban corridors are suffering the most from the steady increase in retail vacancies throughout the Kansas City metro. It’s more like a slow exhale…
The fact that one of the most identifiable voices in American entertainment history is owned by a man who, according to his own account, never really set out to own it is quietly remarkable. Tony Anselmo did not try out for the role of Donald Duck. He didn’t run for the position. He inherited it from a friend who saw something in him long before he saw it in himself, not from a stranger. This is how you inherit something genuinely significant. Fundamentally, the tale of Donald Duck’s voice is one of mentoring. It starts with Clarence Nash, the man…
When the vendors at Painted Tree’s Overland Park location opened their phones early on April 14, the majority of them were ill-prepared to read the email. The local makers, artisans, and small business owners in the Kansas City area relied on the boutique chain as a kind of lifeline, but it was closing. With immediate effect. No phased closure, no slow wind-down. We’re finished, so please pick up your inventory by April 24. The message hurt a lot of sellers because it seemed clinical. For those who had invested thousands of dollars and months of effort into their spaces, Angela…
Kansas City’s approach to comedy is almost unyieldingly subtle. No loud declarations. It didn’t have a viral moment that instantly made it famous. Just a gradual accumulation of skill that eventually catches your attention. This is where Paul Rudd originated. This is where current Saturday Night Live cast member Heidi Gardner originated. These are not small footnotes. These are the names of rooms that most people can only imagine going into. However, when discussing comedy pipelines, Kansas City is hardly ever mentioned in the same sentence as Chicago or New York. The city is partially to blame for that. The…
Nick Castellanos’ return to the conversation around Kauffman Stadium has an almost poetic quality. If you watched baseball at all in August 2020, you undoubtedly recall the scene: the empty seats, the strange live broadcast apology, and Castellanos’ home run that simultaneously made everything funnier and stranger. It was just plain ridiculous baseball. The kind of thing that, even in cases where the stadium itself was prohibited from hosting spectators, leaves a lasting impression. Years later, Castellanos is now available, essentially for minimum wage rather than $100 million, and the Kansas City Royals are reportedly among the teams keeping an…
In downtown Kansas City, there is a streetlight at 12th and Main that illuminates more than just the sidewalk. A tiny blue sensor the size of a deck of cards and a small grey box shaped like the letter H are mounted on its pole. Anyone standing close to the box can use free Wi-Fi. Every single person who passes by is counted by the sensor in silence and without any fanfare. The majority of passersby are unaware that any of this is taking place. The Chief Innovation Officer of the city, Bob Bennett, made these observations while standing outside…
There is a moment when storm chasing still feels like it was supposed to, somewhere along a level Kansas highway with a greenish sky overhead and a wall cloud tightening to the southwest. Silent. intentional. A bit scary. However, it has become more difficult to locate that moment. The road was congested on a recent chase weekend close to the Kansas border. While a tornado developed somewhere in the distance that no one could get to in time, hundreds of cars, some with cameras mounted on their roofs and others just pickup trucks with inquisitive drivers, sat bumper to bumper.…
A painted wall has a way of stopping people. Just an abrupt, uncontrollable pause, not in the style of a polished gallery or an officially recognized public monument. You’re walking or driving while holding a cup of coffee, and then you’re not. That’s what happened in Kansas City when a mural was painted on the side of Senorita Margarita, a downtown restaurant located at 20th and Main streets. Willian Pacho, a defender for the Ecuadorian national team, and Lionel Messi, without a doubt, were two massive faces staring back at the city. And for a split second, a typical Tuesday…
In the Midwest, a particular kind of dread sets in around March. It’s not loud or dramatic. The habit of looking up at the sky a bit too frequently and opening the weather app once, twice, or five times before noon are examples of the low hum of unease that follows a person from morning coffee to bedtime. Spring doesn’t bring relief to millions of people who live in states that are prone to tornadoes. It comes with a countdown. This can occasionally be difficult for people who don’t live in the area to comprehend. To an outsider, tornadoes are…