JoCo program focuses on jobs for people with disabilities
Help for those needing employment
A Johnson County agency has set two meetings for families interested in finding community employment for loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The discussion will focus on Project SEARCH, which is for individuals 18 and over. Operated by Johnson County Developmental Supports, the program places people in a host business, where they participate, in three internship rotations and learn marketable, transferable skills.
“The goal of the program is employment for each intern — defined as a minimum of 16 hours per week in a competitive, integrated setting, earning a prevailing wage or higher,” the county said in a news release. The program will begin its seventh year in August.
Family members can choose to attend either of the meetings, scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23 or Feb. 4 at the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 S. Cherry St. in Olathe.
Register through the events and meetings calendar at jocogov.org.
Shawnee creates hotline for landfill odor complaints
Shawnee has announced a preferred method for submitting complaints about odors from the Johnson County Landfill, operated by Waste Management at 17955 Holliday Drive.
Instead of using the Shawnee Connect app or the online system for citizen requests, residents are asked to call a new hotline, 913-894-3777, so that landfill employees can address the complaint more quickly.
Edgerton authorizes downtown community building
A community center is coming to downtown Edgerton as early as next year.
After gathering input from residents and others, the City Council has authorized the new Greenspace Building, with a budget of just over $4.1 million. It now must choose a firm to design and construct the building.
In a recent city newsletter, officials said residents have asked for meeting rooms, event space, fitness equipment and sports courts, plus public parking and a spray park.
Overland Park ranks high in jobs
The personal finance website Wallethub has named Overland Park as one of the best cities in the nation to find a job.
The city ranked 11th, behind Boise, Idaho, and ahead of Plano, Texas. Coming in first was Scottsdale, Arizona.
Wallethub highlighted Overland Park for several strengths: median annual income, unemployment rate and housing affordability, among other metrics. It was the only city in metropolitan Kansas City to make the top 100. Kansas City was 124th.
Phone scam targets Gardner utility customers
Gardner officials say some of their utility customers have been victimized by phone scams in which callers — claiming to be from the city — threaten a utility shutoff if they are not paid immediately.
Some callers asked customers to provide prepaid calling cards within 30 minutes to avoid a shutoff.
The city says it does not call customers before a shutoff. Customers receiving such a call should hang up and call the city at 913-856-7535 to check on their accounts.
Prairie Village to present skate park plan
Prairie Village is closing in on the final design for a new skateboard park to be built in Harmon Park, near 79th and Delmar Streets. The current skateboard structure has experienced faster-than-usual concrete deterioration and must be replaced.
The city will present the final layout at its third and final community design workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22, at the Meadowbrook Clubhouse, at Nall Avenue at Somerset Drive.
Johnson Drive project in Merriam
Merriam officials will meet with residents and other interested parties at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 22 to inform them about planned upgrades on Johnson Drive from the BNSF railway tracks to the east city limits. The meeting will last until 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The city plans to repave the street from the tracks to Mackey Road; install sidewalks, streetlights and new curbs and gutters, and replace driveway approaches to comply with the American with Disabilities Act.
Comcast donates $20,000 to kids’ digital program
As Comcast opens a new Xfinity store at 15305 West 119th St. in Olathe, the company is donating $20,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City for the organization’s My.Future digital literacy and computer programming training initiative.
My.Future provides Boys & Girls Club members with a digital platform — that’s free of cyberbullying — where they can interact with other kids, showcase their computer work and earn recognition for it.
Teen-driving seminar
A free, safe-driving workshop will be offered Jan. 26 for teens in the ninth and 10th grades, as well as their parents.
“Driving Risk Awareness for Teens and Parents,” will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 W. 115th St. in Overland Park. Susie Hurst of Jewish Family Services and retired Kansas City Police Capt. Mark Terman will facilitate.
Reservations are required. To register, contact Hurst at 913-327-8259 or Susieh@jfskc.org.
Legislative coffees at libraries
The Johnson County Library and the League of Women Voters of Johnson County have scheduled a series of Saturday coffees where residents can meet with state legislators to hear what’s going on Topeka.
The first one is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 25 at the Corinth branch, 8100 Mission Road in Prairie Village. Expected to attend are Sen. Pat Pettey and Reps. Stephanie Clayton, Jerry Stogsdill, Jarrod Ousley and Rui Xu.
Another coffee is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 8 at the Blue Valley branch with Sen. Molly Baumgardner and Reps. Cindy Holscher and David Benson. The Blue Valley branch is at 9000 W. 151st St. in Overland Park.
Want to host a food drive?
Jewish Family Services is launching a Kansas City-wide drive in February to collect peanut butter, jelly, and other non-perishable spreadables for the agency’s two pantries. The initiative is called “Spread the Love.”
People are encouraged to host a drive for a week or the whole month, or to celebrate a special occasion by collecting spreadables. Email fooddrive@jfskc.org or call Jo Hickey at 913-327-8257 to coordinate dates. Jewish Family Services will drop off collection barrels or totes and pick up the donations afterward.
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "JoCo program focuses on jobs for people with disabilities."