Several thousand people attended Parkville’s River Jam festival in English Landing Park on Friday and Saturday. The 12th annual Blues, Jazz and Fine Arts River Jam drew around 15,000 people, according to Karen Montgomery, co-chair. This year’s River Jam honored Bill and Fran Grigsby The two were honored on Friday night for their efforts to encourage growth in the Parkville area. Grigsby resides in Parkville and is also a sports broadcaster for the Chiefs.
The glitzy and famed world of Hollywood contrasts heavily with the quiet life of small town Platte City. Area resident Rebecca Stallard is familiar with the differences as she remains in limbo between the two worlds. Stallard works as a full time substitute teacher at Platte County High School and serves as the director of the creative writing program. She is able to bring her students real world experience since she is actively pursuing playwriting and songwriting endeavors on the West Coast. Stallard wrote a stage play centered on her family’s dark history and battle with cancer.
An Apache helicopter, piloted by James J. McDevitt, drew a crowd when it landed near Outlaw Cigar Company at Tom Watson Parkways and Chatham Ave. near Parkville. The Apache was making a stop to help promote an event at Outlaw. McDevitt answered questions from people who stopped to see the helicopter.