Good morning, this is Kansas City Local Pulse for Saturday, January 4, 2025. We're starting off the day with breaking news: a snow and parking emergency has been declared in Kansas City, Kansas, effective 6:00 PM tonight. This means that unless extended, the declaration will be in effect until Tuesday, January 7, at 8:00 AM. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for our area, with heavy snow and sleet accumulations of 8-13 inches and ice up to 0.2 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph, making travel very dangerous[1].

Let's shift gears to the job market. Kansas City's tech industry is booming, with over 4,000 tech companies generating a $25 billion economic impact. Tech jobs are growing by 10% annually, with companies like PwC, Fluent, Inc., and Artera leading the way. The Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub has just been designated for up to $75 million in federal funding, solidifying the city's place in the national tech scene[4].

In other business news, the labor market in Kansas City is showing resilience, with employment numbers on an upward trajectory. The unemployment rate is forecasted to stabilize at 3.1% by 2025, with the labor force expanding to 1,192,276[2].

Moving on to real estate, there haven't been any major property sales or development projects announced recently. However, the tech industry's expansion is expected to drive growth in the local real estate market.

From city hall, the Unified Government has announced that UG offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, in observance of New Year's Day. WM will not collect residential trash and recycling in Kansas City, KS that day, and residential trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day this week[1].

The weather is certainly the top story today, with the winter storm expected to impact our area from tonight through late Sunday night. We urge everyone to stay safe and indoors during this time. If you must travel, please slow down, drive with extreme caution, and give snow removal teams plenty of room to work safely.

In new business activity, there haven't been any major openings or closings announced recently. However, the tech industry's growth is expected to lead to new business opportunities in the coming year.

Looking ahead to community events, there aren't any major events scheduled for the next few days due to the winter storm. However, we'll keep you updated on any changes or cancellations.

In local sports news, Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Luca Antongirolami has been called up to the USYNT U-15 Training Camp in Georgia[5].

Unfortunately, we don't have any feel-good community stories to share today, but we'll be back with more local updates tomorrow.

In today's crime report, there haven't been any significant incidents or arrests reported in the past 24 hours. However, we urge everyone to stay safe and aware during the winter storm.

This has been Kansas City Local Pulse. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates. Stay safe and warm out there.