Tag: Ian Davis

‘Economic eviction notice’: Property owners decry tax spike as ‘death sentence for small business’

By Tommy Felts / August 14, 2025

Critic of tax office says Jackson County is betting most property owners hit with inflated bills are too intimidated to appeal State lawmakers could be Jackson County business owners’ last hope, said Ian Davis, testifying Wednesday in the Missouri state capitol about spiking property tax assessments that have seen entrepreneurs hit with increases of up…

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Nika Cotton makes a drink at Soulcentricitea, which she opened on Troost Ave. last July. Cotton applied for a grant from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, but did not receive any money. Photo by Zach Bauman/The Beacon

Beacon analysis: Restaurant relief funds flowed to whiter, more affluent areas of Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / August 18, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon, a nonprofit, public-service journalism newsroom serving Kansas and Missouri. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the free Kansas City Beacon email newsletter. Local businesses received a total of $53 million from the fund, but few of those dollars flowed…

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DJ Stewart and Hartzell Gray, Journey Pro KC

KC pro wrestling rides its return — inside Blip Roasters and fueled by founder’s recovery

By Tommy Felts / July 23, 2021

The fast-paced world of local wrestling might seem like a crazy one, but its coming return offers DJ Stewart a much-needed sense of normalcy.  “It gives me something to be really excited to work on,” said Stewart, owner of Journey Pro KC, announcing the return of the Kansas City wrestling company’s live shows, which found…

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