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It’s almost over. Where has the year gone?
Sometimes the news happens so fast–even here in Platte County–that it’s hard to remember all the highlights. No worries, The Landmark has you covered.
This week The Landmark begins a three-part series looking back at the local news headlines from the first four months of the year 2022.
How many of these had already slipped your memory?
JAN. 5:
Kansas City’s vision for a modern and convenient new airport terminal is quickly becoming a reality, according to the latest bi-montly update from the Build KCI team. Construction crews have made significant progress on the project over the fall months, bringing the 39-gate facility steps closer to completion.
Parkville City Hall is home to a criminal investigation being conducted by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department and a Sunshine Law probe by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. It also could soon be home to some changes in positions of leadership. Three current aldermen did not sign up for re-election.
The Parkville resident who filed a complaint calling for Mayor Nan Johnson’s removal from office due to ethics violations believes the mayor’s written rebuttal, replete with what the resident calls “false statements,” offers no defense against the charges. Instead, the document has the opposite effect. Elaine Kellerman says the mayors’ response solidifies Kellerman’s claims that the mayor behaves unethically and in violation of Parkville ethics laws.
Health care professionals are gearing up as the highly transmittable Omicron variant is starting to spread in Platte County.
Jan. 12:
Goodcents sandwich shop is welcoming customers to its newest location at 7500 NW River Park Drive, adjacent to the Please Stop convenience store at Parkville. Goodcents offers deli fresh subs. Customers can order online and pick up their order at the drive-thru window or have it delivered.
The US Bank located near I-29 and 64th Street in southern Platte County was robbed Monday afternoon. The FBI said a man walked into the bank at 6405 N. Cosby Avenue about 4:45 p.m., walked up to a teller and demanded money. Allegedly the man made a threat and showed a gun, officials said.
Redistricting is in the works for the geographical areas represented by the Platte County Commission, officials said this week. The county commission is considering adjusting the boundaries of the north and south district to more closely match the population numbers as shown in the 2020 census. Currently district two (basically the northern part of the county) contains 2,276 more people than district one (the southern district), says Joe Vanover, current second district commissioner.
Jan. 19:
A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for an armed robbery in Platte County. Marqus Wilson, 22, received the sentence after a jury convicted him in October of first degree robbery of the Waffle House near KCI Airport.
A vehicle traveling the wrong way on I-29 led to a head-on crash that injured three people, two of them seriously. The crash happened at 1:42 a.m. on Jan. 9 at Tiffany Springs Parkway.
Quilts for Cops volunteer Reaylene Mason presented a quilt to Frank Thurman, chief of the Tracy Police Department. Thurman was injured in the line of duty in late October during a police pursuit incident.
Jan. 26:
Tricia Friddell, who started her career at a local NBC affiliate in Columbia while attending Mizzou and hosted a morning radio show in Virginia Beach, was recently named new executive director of the Platte City Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization. In her new post, Friddell will lead the chamber’s efforts to strengthen the community by hosting events in support of business owners and fostering a strong business sector.
Ron Porter, 86, a former alderman for the City of Platte City, died on Saturday, Jan. 22. His family said he had been fighting the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Parkville Mayor Nan Johnston verbally sparred last week with a resident who criticized her management style, which he claimed is wrought with “illegal activity” and blatant and willful hiding of public information. The terse exchange occurred during the Jan. 18 Parkville Board of Aldermen meeting between resident Brett Krause and the mayor.
Feb. 2:
A 23-year-old woman, who later claimed she was raped, has been charged with one count of prostitution. The man who police say she met for sex is facing a charge of patronizing prostitution. The charge against each is a misdemeanor. The alleged incident occurred at the Travelodge in Platte City. The woman is from Easton, Mo. and the man lives in Bonner Springs, Kan.
There was a major traffic slowdown on I-29 Friday afternoon after a crash that occurred in Buchanan County, just north of the Platte County line. Five persons suffered minor injuries.
The City of Parkville has decided to hire Alexa Barton as its next city administrator. The appointment of Barton is scheduled to be effective March 2. Parkville officials said Barton will bring more than 19 years experience to the position. She has served as city administrator in Grain Valley and in Belton.
Feb. 9:
It was unlike any situation ever experienced in the current Platte County Jail. Around 30 inmates were involved with authorities describe as a riot, an incident that lasted for several hours and ended only after SWAT teams from the Platte County Sheriff’s Department and Clay County Sheriff’s Department fired pepper balls into an area of the jail known as G Tank. Major Erik Holland with the Platte County Sheriff’s Department reports a majority of the inmates involved say they were motivated to riot by the lack of electronic cigarettes being distributed that day.
Platte County Commissioner Joe Vanover announced that the county commission will host a roundtable discussion of the possible renewal of the countywide sales tax for roads and bridges.
Members of the Parkville Ethics Commission investigating alleged ethics violations by Mayor Nan Johnston expressed disappointment during a recent meeting when they learned Parkville elected officials and key members of city staff are refusing to testify in person.
Feb. 16:
The Commerce Bank located at 9155 NW Hwy. 45 in Parkville was robbed about 3:40 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11. The suspect fled the bank southbound on foot through a parking lot with an undisclosed amount of money.
The majority of Parkville residents who responded to a city survey about the future of Platte Landing Park prefer passive recreation, such as enjoying nature while walking on the park’s trails.
The Mid-Continent Public Library is building a new culinary-inspired library at Green Hills. It will replace the Boardwalk Branch library, which is scheduled to permanently close on March 13. The cost of the new Green Hills Library Center is about $10.9 million.
Feb. 23:
Two people were killed and three were injured in a two-vehicle crash on Hwy. 92 near Hoover on Sunday morning The crash occurred on Hwy. 92 near B Hwy.
An attorney who specializes in Missouri’s open records law this week wrote a letter of support for a Parkville area resident who sued city officials for unfulfilled and mismanaged Sunshine requests. In his letter to the Parkville Ethics Commission, Elad Gross stated the city violated state law when it charged Jason Maki for review time. The city charged Maki for review time spent by staffers determining whether a record was open or closed.
March 2:
Six countywide officeholder positions will be on the ballot this year. It appears that three of the current officeholders will not be on the ballot. Current presiding commissioner Ron Schieber, who was first elected in 2014, has long indicated he will not be running in 2022. Gloria Boyer, longtime county recorder of deeds, has also made it known she will be stepping away. What wasn’t known until recently is that Nancy Armstrong, county clerk since 2014, is also stepping away.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, consumers have been burdened with “very large increases in meat, poultry, and fish prices,” leaving many to wonder whether the trend will hold true again this year. At the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum Virtual Event, several experts confirmed that prices are forecasted to continue to rise across many food categories, especially meat.
March 9:
Guilty of ethics violations. Parkville Mayor Nan Johnston delivered an impassioned response to members of the Parkville Ethics Commission last week after the ethics commission announced she was guilty of eight violations of Parkville laws governing the ethical behavior of city officials. The ethics panel recommended to the Parkville Board of Aldermen that the board issue “a strongly written reprimand” as a consequence of the mayor’s violations.
Mid-Continent Public Library Director and CEO Steven V. Potter has announced that he will retire at the end of June.
The Park Hill Board of Education has announced that it has chosen Dr. Mike Kimbrel to be the next superintendent of the Park Hill School District starting on July 1. He will replace Dr. Jeanette Cowherd, who is retiring effective June 30.
March 16:
A technology giant is planning to occupy a piece of the Northland. Meta, which is more commonly known as Facebook will become a tenant in a highly anticipated data center southwest of US Hwy. 169 and NW 128th St. The property is in a technology park that straddles the Clay and Platte County line and is in the Platte County R-3 School District.
Platte Purchase Middle School has been chosen as the name for the new middle school for Platte County R-3 being built near Platte Purchase Drive and Hwy. 152.
The Parkville resident who filed an ethics complaint with city officials asking for the mayor’s removal from office is questioning why taxpayers are paying the bill for an attorney who spoke on the mayor’s behalf. Elaine Kellerman is asking why a bill of $8,500 to pay Johnston’s attorney was an approved city expense.
March 23:
At a special meeting the Parkville Board of Aldermen acted upon a recommendation from the city’s ethics commission and issued a “strongly written” letter of reprimand to the mayor for eight violations of the city’s ethics code. Mayor Nan Johnston remarked that the action was “like a kick in the teeth.”
A fiery crash resulted in the death of a Parkville woman on March 18. The crash occurred on I-70 in Kansas, not far from Legends Outlets. A section of the Kansas Turnpike was closed for hours as the crash was investigated.
March 30:
A five-year-old Weatherby Lake resident is doing his part to help the kids of Ukraine. It’s a toy drive and it’s the idea of Aedan Keating, age 5.
Parkville will elect a new mayor on Tuesday among a list of three candidates: Dean Katerndahl, Jason Sears and Andrew Barchers.
Elaine Kellerman, the Parkville resident who kick-started the ehtics complaint process against Parkville Mayor Nan Johnston, said that the board of aldermen “did what they needed to do” in issuing a letter of reprimand to Johnston. Meanwhile, Jason Maki, the area resident who received a record-setting settlement from the city over alleged Sunshine Law violations, said Johnston “is deeply troubled and needs help.”
April 6:
Dean Katerndahl handily won the race to be the new mayor of Parkville. Katerndahl won with 714 votes to 412 for Andrew Barchers, 300 for Jason Sears, and 35 for Emily Boullear, whose name was on the ballot even though she had suspended her campaign. Katerndahl campaigned on his government experience both within Parkville City Hall and a longtime career working with local governments for the Mid-America Regional Council. He’ll be sworn in as new mayor later this month.
Real estate development company Hunt Midwest has procured a parcel of land north of the KCI Airport in the interest of spurring development of what will be one of the largest logistics parks in the state of Missouri. Their recent acquisition of 1,300 acres is part of a plan to attract warehousing and manufacturing businesses to the KCI region.
April 13:
What is described as the largest private sector investment and largest single development in Platte City’s history is being planned east of I-29 and north of Hwy. 92. Three hundred acres are involved. Van Trust Real Estate has applied for preliminary plat approval for a light industrial subdivision, which will cover 160 acres and will be known as Platte City Commerce Center. Three industrial buildings are planned on that site. The project will be a multi-million square feet light industrial/logistics complex near the I-29 and Hwy. 92 interchange. In addition, zoning for an adjacent 140-acre residential subdivision has been approved. The residential acres are not included in the Platte City Commerce Center subdivision and preliminary plat approval for the residential parcel will be sought separately.
Authorities have charged a local man who police say swung a machete at another man inside a Platte City hotel with felonious assault and armed criminal action. The incident took place around 12:30 p.m. on April 7 in a hallway at the Quality Inn & Suites along Hwy. 92.
April 20:
A site plan has been approved for a Go Car Wash to be constructed in Platte City on the vacant lot behind Wendy’s along Running Horse Road. At one time that lot had been targeted by KFC.
The Creekside development at Parkville has its first hotel, which recently opened to a sold-out crowd due to games at a nearby baseball complex. The 92-room Creekside Hotel is now open.
April 27:
After years of infrastructure planning, Aristocrat Realty has announced the beginning of site work for the 87 acres of land accompanying the Ambassador Building, formerly known as the Farmland Building, at I-435 and I-29 in the KCI Corridor. Plans include a convenience store, fast food, and a hotel.
A Platte County jury has convicted a man for starting a fire in a hotel room being used as a temporary shelter for the homeless. Jurors found that the man started a fire in the bathtub of a hotel room in what was previously known as the Sure Stay Hotel located near KCI Airport.
(2022 Year in Review to be continued next week)