Urban sprawl and decades of disinvestment have created a strain on Kansas City, Kansas' ability to grow a healthy and vibrant community. A new long-range comprehensive plan aims to reverse that trend through strategic investment and intentional development. PlanKCK will focus on 11 elements — including economic development, transit access, historic preservation, and housing — in an effort to make strategic decisions that balance equity, access, health and regeneration. "They want access to attainable housing, reliable transportation, childcare, all of those things that make community vibrant," said Alyssa Marcy, long range community planner for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. [...]

Squirrel, elderberries and pawpaws aren't usually the stars of Kansas cuisine. But they — and other ingredients found in the Kansas outdoors — are taking center stage at Wild Foods Cook Off in Lawrence this weekend. Amy Bousman, an education specialist at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and organizer of the event, said the idea came from a similar event focused on invasive species in Oregon. "I thought, why aren't we doing this cook-off with wild foods?" she said. "There's so many hunters and anglers and foragers in our state, and also in Missouri, that aren't getting to feature their skills and [...]