Here’s some business news for you to kick things off this week.
A Love’s Travel Stop location is coming to Platte County, specifically to the I-29 and Mexico City Ave. area.
Love’s plans to open a 12,779 sq. ft. location in early 2027 near the I-29 and Mexico City Ave. intersection. It will be part of the KCI-29 Logistics Park. Love’s acquired an 18 acres site in the KCI-29 Logistics Park a couple of months ago.
According to the Kansas City Business Journal, Love’s plans show a 8,297 sq. ft. country store with an attached 4,400 sq. ft. restaurant. The plans name Whataburger as the prospective restaurant, “though that may change,” according to the Business Journal. The plans show 16 gas pumps, additional truck fueling, a dog park and 204 parking spaces, including 78 truck spaces and 12 RV spaces, the Business Journal reports.
This would become the second KC-area location for a Love’s, with the other being on North Ameristar Drive not far from the Ameristar Casino in Clay County.
It has been a while since we’ve talked about a jail sales tax.
What? Platte County has another jail sales tax attempt on the ballot? No. No, they do not.
Clinton County does, however. Remember that Clinton is one of the counties that a Platte County representative had reached out to during the 2024 Platte County jail sales tax campaign. Platte County knew it would have plenty of extra space in its proposed jail and it’s financial guy had a conversation–in public–with Clinton County reps about perhaps the Clinton folks renting some space in the newly-proposed behemoth that Platte County was proposing at the time.
Anyway, thankfully all that is just a memory because voters in Platte County wisely rejected the more than $400 million half cent sales tax proposal that summer of 2024 by a 62-38 percent margin.
On April 7, Clinton County voters will decide the fate of a quarter cent sales tax question to fund a 56-bed jail addition to their courthouse, “as well as remodeling of existing elements of the existing jail space, sheriff’s department and judicial wing of the courthouse,” according to reporting being done by the fine folks at the Clinton County Leader in the county seat of Plattsburg.
“We’re not going crazy with the size of this thing. In the past, they did. There was talk of 200 beds, 150 beds. No. We’re looking seriously at what the county’s needs are going to be now and in the future,” Clinton County Presiding Commissioner Patrick Clark told the Leader.
I’m old enough to remember when “America First. No more wars!” was a popular thing. Anybody else remember that battle cry? I guess it was fake news.
Lots of mental gymnastics being performed lately for justification.
Here’s an update on candidate filings for county office right here in Platte County. Filing deadline is March 31.
Biggest news this week is that Sheila Palmer, who had filed on Feb. 25, has withdrawn and will not be seeking reelection as collector. She withdrew her candidacy last Friday, March 6. That same day, Holly Cayer, a deputy in the collector’s office, filed to run for the office. As of 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6, Cayer is the only candidate in the race for collector, according to the Platte County Board of Elections website.
There have been two Democrats file for office in Republican-heavy Platte County thus far. Mary McKenna is seeking the Democratic nomination for presiding commissioner and Hans Peter is seeking the Democratic nomination for county clerk.
Here are the Republicans who have filed as of March 6 at 4 p.m. Candidates are listed in order in which their names will appear on the ballot.
Presiding commissioner: Gena L. Ross, Dale Brouck and incumbent Scott Fricker.
County clerk: Mary Calvillo, Russ “Wojo” Wojtkiewicz and incumbent Jera Pruitt.
County auditor: incumbent Kevin Robinson, Laura Waldon.
County collector: Holly Cayer.
County treasurer: current treasurer Chris Kendall. (Note: A man by the name of Elliot Lahn put out a press release announcing his candidacy for treasurer, but on the board of elections’ website he is not listed as having yet filed as of March 6 at 4 p.m.)
Prosecutor: incumbent Eric Zahnd.
Recorder of deeds: incumbent Christopher L. Wright.
We’re only a few days away from Selection Sunday and a week away from the tip of March Madness. Note for you sports investors: My favorite championship future is on the Florida Gators, as I mentioned several weeks ago. I put $25 on them at 16-1 (payout $425) way back on Feb. 8 and then went back for more, putting $10 on them at 10-1on Feb. 22 (payout $110). So if Florida wins the title I will put $535 in the coffers for a Landmark mail room pizza and ice cream party that will feature our dancing distribution specialist Fred Felix.
If you haven’t followed me on the Gators but you’d still like to do so, don’t expect to get them at 16-1 or 10-1. Those numbers are long gone. Florida’s current number at most outlets is down to 6-1. I still like it, you’re just not going to get the bigger payout, so you decide if the juice is worth the squeeze. I prefer to only play double digit odds on funsie futures of this nature, but you do you.
In full disclosure, I also have pizza money investments on UConn, Illinois and Purdue (don’t do that one), if you’re interested in checking out what you can get on those.
Stay level headed with these, these are not Foley’s Futures NFL Pay Your Mortgage-level picks, which are undefeated lifetime and on which I would feel comfortable advising you to get jiggy with it.
(Foley is a big fan of watching politically-motivated mental gymnastics in action. Catch him at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
