Current Topics

KC CARE Health Center COVID-19 Pop-Up Testing January 14-15

GET TESTED Community testing events serve the residents of Missouri. DHSS is partnering with the Missouri Community Health Centers and MAKO Medical Laboratories to offer these free testing events. There is no eligibility other than to have a Missouri address. If you do not see any community testing events in your area, you can continue to check back with this page as new sites will be added as events are planned. Read Article

Kansas City Agencies Partner to Prepare Minority-Owned Businesses to Apply for PPP Funds

WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR SMALL AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES? Kansas City’s minority-owned businesses are critical to the economic vitality and growth of the KC region, and because of that, a group of area business development agencies have joined efforts to encourage/coach/advice regional minority-owned businesses to be prepared to submit Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications when the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) opened the next PPP application window on January 11. Read Article

SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance

WASHINGTON – The Read Article

URGENT BIZ TEAM ALERT: COVID Relief Bill Passes; On Way to POTUS

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (KC Chamber) applauds Congress for its bipartisan and bicameral work to pass another desperately needed COVID-19 relief and stimulus bill. Last night, Congress approved of $900 billion in COVID relief, which was combined with the $1.4 trillion Omnibus that will fund the Federal Government through September 2021. Below is a summary of the major relief parts of the stimulus bill (all numbers approximate): Read Article

Spire creates new assistance program for Missouri small businesses impacted by coronavirus pandemic

With 98% of small businesses impacted financially, the natural gas provider offers up to $500 in assistance Read Article

Legal Assistance under the CARES Act - Financial Hardship with mortgages - Justice in the Halls Project

Legal Aid of Western Missouri is providing free legal assistance to Jackson County homeowners in pursuing forbearance, mortgage/loan modifications, Chapter 13 bankruptcies, or other legal solutions. More than 2.3 million homeowners were 90 days or more past due on their mortgages in September. This is a 500% increase since the beginning of 2020. Homeowners who fall behind on their payments now may face foreclosure in the near future. Read Article

Starlight to Host Third Life-Saving Blood Drive as National Blood Shortage Continues

The blood drive will be held Wednesday, December 9 and Thursday, December 10. Read Article

KC Chamber Supports KS Governor Laura Kelly's Mask Enforcement

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce supports Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s decision to enforce mask-wearing in Kansas. Science has proven that masks work in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Data shows wearing a mask is the best way to support small businesses across our region. A reduced spread means businesses have a better chance of keeping their doors open. Frontline medical workers are dealing with a surge of new cases. Hospitals are running low on staff and ICU beds to treat those cases. Read Article

Public health directors issue call to action to fight spread of COVID-19

Public health directors in the Kansas City metropolitan region are issuing the following joint statement on the steps needed to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our community and reduce strain on the health care system. The Mid-America Regional Council is distributing the statement on behalf of the directors. The statement is signed by the following public health directors: Read Article

City of Independence launches free saliva-based COVID-19 Testing

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. –  The City of Independence will begin free, saliva-based COVID-19 testing on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The City is using CARES Act Funding to support regional testing efforts with 1,000 tests available each week. Testing locations have been placed throughout the City to allow easy access with times and days of the week to make them as accessible as possible. The tests are estimated to take approximately 10 to 20 minutes and results are available in 24-48 hours. Read Article