JoCo will pay half cost of controlling dust in front of homes in unincorporated areas
Starting this year, Johnson County Government will pay half the cost of controlling dust in front of homes on the 135 miles of gravel roads in the county’s unincorporated areas. Residents must pay the other half.
Dust generated by traffic can be a headache, finding its way onto parked vehicles and inside homes. For the first 100 residents who sign up for the program, the county will spray magnesium chloride on a 400-foot-stretch of roadway in front of the home. The substance creates a cement-like surface, but the road will retain its gravel look. The applications are tentatively planned for May and June.
The county cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the treatment, but officials hope it will last through the summer. It all depends on weather and traffic. Annual applications are recommended.
Residents can start applying for the program in a few weeks, when pricing information will be released. A preliminary estimate is that residents would pay around $300. Call Rob Callahan at 913-715-8363 to receive updates on the program.
Olathe to widen Woodland Road
Olathe will widen Woodland Road from two lanes to four lanes and a median from Kansas 10 to College Boulevard.
Anyone interested in the construction schedule and other details can drop into an open house between 5 and 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at Saint Mark’s Lutheran Church, 21155 College Blvd.
Industrial plant to bring jobs to Shawnee
A regional industrial park is planned on 182 acres west of Kansas 7 at 43rd Street in northwestern Shawnee.
The Heartland Logistics Park will house up to 2 million square feet of industrial space, including light manufacturing, distribution/warehousing and freezer/cooler space. The first building should be finished by the end of 2020.
“The Heartland Logistics Park will bring a significant economic impact with as many as 1,500 to 2,000 new jobs to Shawnee,” said Ann Smith-Tate, president and CEO of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council.
Shawnee and the Kansas Department of Transportation are helping with public infrastructure, including wastewater and public road improvements. Smith-Tate said the amounts are $4 million for the city and $4.3 million for KDOT.
“Kansans want transportation investments to be linked to the economic priorities of the state,” said Julie Lorenz, Kansas secretary of transportation. “This project is expected to bring more jobs and businesses to the region as well as improve safety and freight movement.”
Southwest Johnson County already has a similar development, Logistics Park Kansas City, in Edgerton.
Heartland “will not have the rail access that LPKC does,” Smith-Tate said via email. “This will be smaller in scope than their park, but we believe we have a competitive advantage by our proximity to labor sources.”
Mission entertainment complex to be finished this year
The city of Mission has provided an update on the long-delayed Mission Gateway project at Roe Avenue and Johnson Drive, where construction is finally starting to become visible.
First to be completed, later this year, is The Cinergy, a 90,000-square-foot entertainment venue that will include 10 movie screens, a 16-lane bowling alley, escape rooms, an elevated rope course with zip lines, and a game floor with 100 interactive games. A four-level parking structure will follow in early 2021.
Opening later in 2021 will be a 202-room Marriott hotel, three four-story apartment buildings with a total of 169 units plus shops on the first floor, an office building and a food hall with 14 stalls.
The development is going up where the MIssion Mall once stood.
Murder highlights domestic violence concerns
The recent death of a Johnson County employee has prompted the county to offer advice for anyone who is in a potentially violent relationship.
On Jan. 10, Georgia Leming Petsch, 38, who had been a residential direct support professional with Johnson County Developmental Supports since 2016, was found shot to death and rolled up in a rug in her south Kansas City home. Her husband, Brandon J. Petsch, was charged in the case.
“Not only is Georgia’s untimely death a huge loss for her family, friends and county colleagues, but she was a beloved volunteer with The Rescue Project,” the county said in a news release.
Citing the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, the county said that one in four women and one in seven men will experience domestic violence, and that on average, three U.S. women are murdered each day by their partners.
If you or someone you know is being victimized, you can contact Safehome, the county’s domestic violence shelter, at 913-262-2868. Another resource is the domestic violence division of the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. Go to da.jocogov.org and find domestic violence under the adult tab.
The Rose Brooks shelter in Kansas City also has a pet shelter for people who fear leaving an abusive partner because of concern for their pets. Contact Rose Brooks at 816-861-6100.
Panel to address reproductive rights
Two Kansas organizations are sponsoring a forum Feb. 1 on abortion politics and the status of reproductive rights in Kansas.
It will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. at Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Ave. in Prairie Village. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last year that the state constitution protects a woman’s right to abortion.
Panelists include Valerie French, a physician who specializes in family planning; Bob Eye, an environmental and civil rights attorney, and Sophia Navarro, a women’s health nurse practitioner.
The session is sponsored by the MainStream Coalition and the League of Women Voters of Johnson County.
Lenexa mayor offers annual address
Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm will give his annual State of the City Address on Feb. 19 during a luncheon organized by the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce.
Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at noon and Boehm’s speech at 12:15 p.m.
The event will be at the Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference Center, 8741 Ryckert St.
Attending the speech is free, and residents can also follow along on social media from home or office. Lunch is $30 for chamber members and $35 for non-members. Chamber members can reserve tickets through the event calendar at lenexa.org. Nonmembers should call 913-888-1414.
Faith and voting to be discussed
A Feb. 10 panel discussion in Prairie Village will focus on the relationship between voting and religious faith.
“Battle Over Ballots: Voting in Kansas 2020 Panel Discussion” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Village Church, 6641 Mission Road. It’s hosted by the Presbyterian congregation’s Social Witness & Advocacy Task Force.
Panel members will include Johnson County Commissioner Becky Fast, state Rep. Brett Parker and Lindsay Behgam, voter engagement director for the MainStream Education Foundation.
‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ starts Feb. 8
Can’t wait for the summer Shakespeare festival to enjoy the Bard? The Jewish Community Center will present the comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” starting Feb. 8.
The company’s first Shakespeare production, directed by Sidonie Garrett, will honor Marilyn Strauss, who founded the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in Kansas City. Strauss died in 2018 at the age of 91.
“We’re setting the play during the 1930s, a time period that is in our not-so-distant past and when the U.S. was struggling with the Great Depression and were working hard to make ends meet,” Garrett said in a news release. “It was also a time when radio programs, particularly comedies, were popular and swing music was at its height of popularity.”
Public performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8, 13 and 15, with 2 p.m. matinees Feb. 9 and 16 at the Jewish Community Center, 5801 W. 115th St. in Overland Park. A performance for schoolchildren is scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 12. Buy tickets at TheWhiteTheatre.org.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 11:58 AM with the headline "JoCo will pay half cost of controlling dust in front of homes in unincorporated areas."