Category: CNN Regional

By Eric Graves

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A Kansas City committee on Tuesday advanced multiple ordinances concerning a financing plan for a new Royals stadium at Crown Center.

The first ordinance allows up to $560 million in revenue bonds for the stadium, team offices and supporting infrastructure.

All told, the city’s commitment could reach $600 million. That includes the bonds, $20 million previously approved from the city’s food and beverage tax, and another $20 million for road improvements.

The Royals would be responsible for at least $760 million in private funding and any cost overruns.

To help repay the bonds, Kansas City plans to use new tax revenue generated by the stadium and a larger “Stadium Impact Area” covering much of the Crossroads and parts of Midtown and the West Bottoms.

The Stadium Impact Area would capture incremental increases to public safety sales tax, parks sales tax, capital improvements sales tax, food, hotel, and utility tax.

That revenue would then be used to pay off the bonds used to pay for the city’s portion of the stadium.

Councilmember Johnathan Duncan worries about the long-term impacts this could have on city services.

“Those are now going into the baseball stadium,” Duncan said. “Rather than funding our public safety efforts. Same thing with our utility taxes. Those things are going to go into a baseball stadium, rather than going into our general revenue.”

Duncan is also skeptical that a baseball stadium in Crown Center can generate the kind of revenue needed in the surrounding impact area to pay off the bonds.

“We saw the impact of the NFL draft,” Duncan said. “We heard from restaurant owners who said, ‘We didn’t see that impact yet.’ They’re projecting that we’re going to see an increase in dining revenue based on downtown baseball. I just don’t see how the past practice price performance is going to inform this future practice.”

Mayor Quinton Lucas argues 81 nights of baseball a year should bring in more than 2 million new visitors to downtown that will spread their dollars across the area.

There will be a positive impact to the Power & Light District in areas north of our district,” Lucas said. “There will be a positive impact in Midtown. I think there will be a positive impact on the East side areas that are not in the same capture district.”

As for long-term impacts to city services, Lucas acknowledges that that establishing a baseline to collect incremental increases in tax revenues can’t account for inflation.

“Obviously, today the cost of different services increase over time,” Lucas said. “So it is fair to suggest that there can be an impact long term. But that’s why we tried to be as narrow and pinpointed to just a district of the city, as well.”

On Tuesday, the finance committee also heard from two representatives of Hunden Partners. The city paid Hunden Partners to study how much tax revenue they could expect to be generated in and around a new Royals ballpark.

The study estimates the stadium, impact area, and other revenue sources could generate roughly $1.4 billion over 30 years to support the project.

City staff said Tuesday that internal numbers suggest it will cost the city $1.393 billion to pay off the bonds.

Those numbers are projections, not guarantees.

Some economists criticize reported projections like these. Mayor Quinton Lucas said the Hunden Report lines up with city staff’s own predicted economic impact numbers.

“I think what you saw was a model that pays off, certainly, all of our debt, and we would say looks to help fund and rebuild downtown long term,” Lucas said. “There will be a positive impact to the power and light district in areas north of our district. There will be a positive impact in Midtown. I think there will be a positive impact on the East side areas that are not in the same capture district and where I think you will see increasing revenues.”

Duncan is still skeptical. He said he’s not sure if it’s a good deal for Kansas City. He called the Hunden Report “hired guns.”

“I think at the end of the day, what we’re seeing is vibes, right,” Duncan said. “The mayor provided a great pitch about why downtown baseball is a great opportunity. I won’t disagree that downtown baseball is a great opportunity, but we are executives of this corporation, and it’s our responsibility to know the details of what we’re actually pitching, what we are putting on the line, which is our general fund.”

Also on Tuesday, the finance committee amended the Stadium Impact Area not to include any of Kansas City’s third district. This excludes a previous swath of the area on the east side.

“Part of the reason I think that we made that amendment was to say, ‘Let’s actually try to make sure that we’re building more business there, rather than redirecting what might be long-term growth in that area,” Lucas said.

If the stadium impact area were to be expanded to make up for the less of the portion of the 3rd city council district, Lucas said that plan would have to come back to the city council for full approval.

Duncan believes this is another reason this ballpark plan should be slowed down.

“We don’t actually know what the impact zone’s going to be,” Duncan said. “I think that’s an important detail that this council should have before we actually move these things forward. We don’t have those details, so I can’t tell you if it’s a good deal or not.”

Royals President of Real Estate and Development Brooks Sherman, along with several other team representatives, were at the finance committee meeting. Afterward, a Royals spokesperson shared this statement.

“We are grateful to the Finance Committee for their support in another important step in our partnership with the City and Hallmark. We are appreciative of Mayor Lucas’ purposeful passion, and for the outstanding work and support from City Manager Mario Vasquez and his team.

“Our shared goal is to create a transformative project that brings both the Royals and Major League Baseball to the heart of Kansas City, lifting our community for generations to come. Enthusiasm from virtually every corner of the community has enabled us to move this project forward with a bigger vision than any one of us could have achieved on our own.

“We look forward to the important next steps ahead, and pledge to share updates as two crowns converge downtown.”

Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman said on Monday the team wants the new stadium ready for opening day in 2030.

He also plans an additional $1 billion in private investment for a mixed-use entertainment district around the ballpark.

“I think we’ve said that the stadium is $1.9 billion for the stadium, our offices, and infrastructure,” Sherman said. “We plan to invest another $1 billion in phase one, and that will be for – we’re actually working on our master plan right now, but that’ll be kind of certainly retail and entertainment and other things.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Carson DuRall

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Fresh food, locally made goods, and more, all under one roof, are coming to Omaha. Monday night, Heritage gave us a first look at what the new Public Market in downtown Omaha will look like.

Construction is already underway; the three story 50,00 square foot public market is set to be complete by summer 2028. It’s located in the heart of downtown, overlooking the riverfront’s Heartland of America Park.

“This site will be a vibrant destination and gathering place, a market full of people shopping from local vendors who are selling a variety of fresh, prepared and specialty foods, as well as provisions and local goods,” said Heritage Omaha President Tina Cherica.

The nonprofit said they have spent years exploring the possibility of bringing a public market to the city.

“We went to the Milwaukee Public Market and took a lot of great takeaways there,” Roger Weitz, the Chair of the Omaha Market Trust Board, said.

Heritage Omaha also introduced the new public market’s inaugural executive director, Jerrica Marshall.

“I want to take the best ideas from others successful public market, adopt what works well, and build on those ideas and best practices to make our market uniquely Omaha,” Marshall said.

Marshall has managed the Des Moines farmers market and hosted numerous large scale public events.

“I want to call your attention to a couple design details for the 50,000 square foot building. The iconic and welcoming entrance at Eighth and Farnam Streets have plenty of space for pop-up markets, small vendor booths, and gathering areas for market visitors,” Marshall said.

Weitz said the new public market won’t take business away from the downtown farmers market over the summer.

“This is really intended to be a complement. And, we are already working hand in hand with the farmers market about how does this, support the goals of each organization,” Weitz said.

The market is also fully funded by private donations.

Vendors for the market have not been selected yet, but if you’re interested in being a vendor at the new public market, Heritage Omaha said you can sign up to receive updates at the public market’s website.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Lisa Valadez

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    Houston, TX (Houston Style Magazine) — A Texas Southern University survey of likely Fort Bend County voters shows Democratic candidate Dexter McCoy leading Republican candidate Daniel Wong in the November 2026 election for Fort Bend County judge.

According to the survey conducted by the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University, 49% of likely voters intend to vote for McCoy, compared with 40% for Wong. Eleven percent remain unsure.

The survey included 1,200 registered Fort Bend County voters who are likely to cast a ballot in the November 2026 general election. According to the report, the survey was conducted in English and Spanish from Sept. 29 through Oct. 2, 2026. Respondents were contacted by SMS and directed to an online survey platform. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.83%.

The report identifies Wong as the interim Fort Bend County judge and McCoy as the Precinct 4 county commissioner. Wong is a Republican and McCoy is a Democrat.

While McCoy leads Wong in vote intention, the survey found that many likely voters do not know enough about either candidate to have an opinion.

According to the report, 31% of likely voters have a favorable opinion of McCoy, while 17% have an unfavorable opinion. Fifty-two percent said they did not know enough about McCoy to have an opinion.

Wong received a favorable opinion from 26% of likely voters, while 28% viewed him unfavorably. Forty-six percent said they did not know enough about Wong to have an opinion.

The survey found differences in vote intention among demographic groups.

Among Black likely voters, 86% said they intend to vote for McCoy, compared with 7% for Wong. Among White voters, Wong led McCoy 55% to 34%.

The candidates were closely matched among Latino voters, with Wong receiving 44% and McCoy 42%. Among Asian American voters, Wong received 42% compared with 40% for McCoy.

McCoy led among women, 57% to 31%, while Wong led among men, 50% to 39%.

Age also showed differences in vote intention. McCoy led Wong 66% to 20% among voters ages 18 to 34 and 52% to 35% among voters ages 35 to 54. Among voters age 55 and older, Wong led McCoy 46% to 44%, with 10% unsure.

The survey also found a difference based on education. McCoy received 53% support among likely voters with a four-year college degree, compared with 37% for Wong. Among voters without a four-year college degree, the candidates were tied at 44% each.

Partisanship was another significant factor in the race. According to the survey, 92% of Democratic likely voters intended to vote for McCoy, while 86% of Republican likely voters intended to vote for Wong.

Among independent likely voters, McCoy led Wong 42% to 21%, while 37% remained unsure.

Confidence in Elections

The survey also examined voter confidence in elections at the county, state and national levels.

According to the report, 80% of Fort Bend County likely voters are confident that the November 2026 elections in Fort Bend County will be conducted fairly and accurately. Eighteen percent are not confident, while 2% are unsure.

The survey found similar levels of confidence among Democrats and Republicans. Eighty-one percent of Democrats and 79% of Republicans said they were confident the county elections would be conducted fairly and accurately. Among independent voters, 87% expressed confidence.

Confidence was lower when voters were asked about elections across Texas. Sixty-five percent said they were confident the November elections in Texas would be conducted fairly and accurately, while 33% were not confident and 2% were unsure.

At the national level, 45% said they were confident that the November elections in the United States would be conducted fairly and accurately. Fifty-three percent were not confident and 2% were unsure.

The survey also measured confidence in Fort Bend County election officials’ ability to carry out four election-related responsibilities. Eighty-one percent of likely voters were confident officials would count votes accurately. Eighty percent were confident voting machines and election systems would be kept secure, while 79% were confident all eligible voters would be able to cast a ballot.

Seventy-six percent were confident election officials would prevent people who are not eligible to vote from voting.

Statewide Races

The survey also asked Fort Bend County likely voters about three statewide races.

In the November 2026 Texas U.S. Senate election, Democrat James Talarico led Republican Ken Paxton among Fort Bend County likely voters, 56% to 38%. Libertarian Ted Brown received 2%, while 4% were undecided.

In the Texas gubernatorial election, Democrat Gina Hinojosa led Republican incumbent Greg Abbott 53% to 42%. Libertarian Pat Dixon received 2%, while 3% were undecided.

In the Texas Railroad Commissioner election, Democrat Jon Rosenthal led Republican Bo French 50% to 35%. Libertarian Arthur DiBianca received 3%, while 12% were undecided.

Opinions of County Officials

The report also examined opinions of four Fort Bend County countywide elected officials: suspended County Judge KP George, District Attorney Brian Middleton, Sheriff Eric Fagan and County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson.

According to the survey, 64% of likely voters did not know enough about Middleton to have an opinion. Sixty-one percent did not know enough about Fagan, while 73% did not know enough about Smith-Lawson.

Middleton was viewed favorably by 24% of likely voters and unfavorably by 12%. Fagan was viewed favorably by 24% and unfavorably by 15%. Smith-Lawson was viewed favorably by 18% and unfavorably by 9%.

George was better known among respondents. Seventy percent viewed him unfavorably, 5% viewed him favorably and 25% said they did not know enough about him to have an opinion.

The survey also measured opinions of Fort Bend County commissioners among likely voters in their respective precincts.

Grady Prestage had a favorable opinion among 35% of likely voters in Precinct 2, compared with 12% unfavorable. McCoy had a favorable opinion among 33% of Precinct 4 likely voters, compared with 24% unfavorable.

Vincent Morales was viewed favorably by 19% and unfavorably by 12% of Precinct 1 likely voters. In Precinct 3, Andy Meyers was viewed favorably by 22% and unfavorably by 18%.

The survey included 53% women, 46% men and 1% who identified their gender identity as something else. The partisan composition was 45% Democratic, 42% Republican and 9% independent, with 3% identifying with another party and 1% unsure.

The report was prepared by the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. Dr. Michael O. Adams is identified as the center’s founding director.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Lisa Valadez
Lisa@stylemagazine.com
713-748-6300

By Emma Burch

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    EDMOND, Oklahoma (KOCO) — A heated moment on the sidelines is now costing the University of Central Oklahoma’s head football coach his job.

Adam Dorrel resigned Monday, just two days after officials said his conduct did not match the university’s expectations. After UCO’s two-point loss to Central Missouri on Saturday, he was seen running across the field, screaming.

“Adam Dorrel is chasing the officials down the field. Oh, my goodness,” announcers said in a video of the game. “He is pushing his own coaches back. He’s going to get reprimanded by the league.”

The video showed coaches from both sides trying to calm Dorrel down. After a couple of minutes, he did ease up.

After the video of Saturday’s game circulated on social media, the university announced Monday that Dorrel was stepping down immediately.

“It was kind of shocking at first,” Conner Mason, a UCO student, said.

Dorrel had success on the field, compiling a 30-21 record with the Bronchos and taking them to the second round of the Division II playoffs in 2024.

Students said they were surprised by the news.

“I really wasn’t expecting it. I see the video going around on Twitter, but, I mean, you see it every day in college football,” Mason said.

UCO’s assistant athletic director said Dorrel’s behavior Saturday was inconsistent with the expectations of its leaders. Now, assistant coach Cody Swanson will lead the team.

“It just depends on how the team rallies around the defensive coordinator,” Mason said.

The Bronchos will play Fort Hays State at 7 p.m. Saturday in Edmond.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By DeAndria Turner

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — An LMPD officer shot and wounded a teenage boy Monday night after police say the 15-year-old fired a rifle toward the officer and his mother in Okolona.

Louisville Metro Police said an officer responded to a disturbance in the 3700 block of Cutler Road, near Outer Loop, and began interviewing the boy’s mother.

Initial radio traffic indicated the teen had a gun that was not loaded and did not have access to ammunition, according to information provided by his mother. Within minutes, an officer reported shots fired.

Police said the teen arrived during the interview carrying a rifle and fired toward the officer and his mother. The officer moved the woman to safety and ordered the boy to drop the weapon, according to LMPD.

Investigators said the teen fired again and the officer returned fire, hitting him several times. A nearby Ring camera captured the sound of the gunfire.

The boy was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery Monday night. Police have not released additional information about his condition or said what led to the confrontation.

Neighbors described the area as quiet. One neighbor said the teen was often seen outside playing basketball.

The shooting is raising concerns among city leaders about young people gaining access to firearms.

“The fact that teenagers have access to weapons like that is disappointing,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said. “It is challenging for our community.”

Greenberg urged gun owners to secure firearms kept inside their homes.

“If there are guns in the home, they need to be stored properly, need to be locked up so that our youth don’t have access to weapons like that,” Greenberg said.

LMPD said it plans to release body-camera video of the shooting within 10 business days. The officer who shot the teen will remain on administrative leave during the investigation, in accordance with department policy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Mike Moses

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    CONCORD, New Hampshire (WMUR) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court has dismissed a petition to review the death penalty sentence of Michael Addison, who was convicted of capital murder in the 2006 shooting death of Manchester police Officer Michael Briggs.

Addison’s attorneys argued in March that because New Hampshire abolished the death penalty in 2019, Addison’s sentence goes against the state’s contemporary values.

In the decision, Justice Melissa Countway wrote the statute abolishing the death penalty specifies that it only applies to sentences handed down on or after the date that the statute became active.

She wrote that the only decision left to the Supreme Court was whether Addison is entitled to a comparative proportionality review of his death sentence. But she said the court already reviewed the sentence and found it fair, rejecting the argument from Addison’s attorneys that he was entitled to a new review because the death sentence was subsequently abolished.

Addison’s attorneys said they were disappointed by the decision.

“We continue to believe that the law compellingly supports the conclusion that in the wake of New Hampshire’s repeal of the death penalty, Mr. Addison’s death sentence cannot stand,” the attorneys said in a statement. “We will continue to fight in the courts to ensure that it does not.”

Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who prosecuted Addison when she was attorney general, released a statement reiterating her support for the death penalty in Addison’s case.

“Michael Addison should face the death penalty for murdering Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs in cold blood nearly 20 years ago,” she said. “Addison’s sentence was handed down fairly and in accordance with the law by a jury of his peers, and today’s ruling by the New Hampshire Supreme Court is an important step toward ensuring justice for Officer Briggs, the Briggs family, and the men and women of the Manchester Police Department. Our law enforcement officers deserve to know that criminals who harm them will face the toughest penalties, and I thank the Department of Justice for their efforts to hold Addison accountable.”

In a statement, the Attorney General’s Office said it was grateful for the decision.

“This decision marks an important step in the ongoing post-conviction process, and we hope it provides some measure of relief to the Briggs family,” it said in the statement. “The department remains committed to pursuing justice for victims and their families and holding accountable those who harm members of our law enforcement community.”

Jesse O’Neill, former New Hampshire senior assistant attorney general weighed in on what the decision means.

“What the Supreme Court held is that the law only entitles somebody sentenced to death to one comparative proportionality review, which they had already committed,” O’Neill said. “It’s definitely a big blow to Michael Addison’s defense.”

Manchester Police Chief Peter Marr also said he supported the decision.

“I support the Supreme Court’s decision,” Marr said in a written statement. “Officer Briggs’ murderer was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death by a jury. His conviction and sentence have been extensively reviewed and upheld through the judicial process. Next week will mark 20 years since Officer Briggs was murdered. His family, his fellow officers, and this community deserve finality.”

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Cinde Warmington says she opposes the death penalty, and has said she would not proceed with an execution if Addison’s case reaches that point if she is in office.

“I will not be proceeding with the application of a death penalty in this state,” Warmington said.

The ACLU of New Hampshire said in a statement that questions remain about the constitutionality of executing Addison after the state has repealed the death penalty.

“Today is a sad day that could lead New Hampshire down the path of becoming the first and only state to execute someone under a repealed death penalty statute,” said Gilles Bissonnette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire. “New Hampshire repealed the death penalty in 2019 because it is inhumane, unjust, racist, and error-prone — things that are all still true today. The penalty of death cannot be proportionate in this case when someone convicted of an identical crime today would not receive the death penalty. While today’s decision ignores this reality, the fight against the death penalty in this case will continue.”

Addison’s attorneys can file a motion to rehear the decision.

New Hampshire has not executed anyone since 1939.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.