How’s the Royals’ season treating you? It has me looking forward to the NFL Draft, and I’m normally not a draftnik.
I don’t want to say the 2026 political season is zany beyond belief but a candidate for Congress called me at 6:25 Tuesday morning. Yes, that’s 6:25 a.m. We engaged in a 15-minute talk about Sixth District politics and I wasn’t even mad about it. Actually enjoyed it.
There’s nothing better than talking bizarre political stuff first thing in the morning, I’ve always said that.
Local motorists probably noticed the price of gasoline dropped by four cents earlier this week, at least at the Platte City QuikTrip, which seems to be the trendsetter for gas prices in northern Platte County. Price went from $3.49 per gallon to $3.45.
Unfortunately most of QT’s competitors follow along closely to the changes set by QT. When there’s a sudden and noticeable rise in the cost of local gasoline, QT is always the first to rocket the price upward. The others almost always quickly follow suit, not always to the exact price, but usually within a penny or two.
The MFA station in Platte City, I’ve noticed, has developed the habit of being two cents cheaper than QT. That’s nice for those of us who are interested in buying gasoline only, but not enough incentive for the motorists who like to combine a trip inside the store when they stop for gas. There’s no store to go into at MFA.
And recently, there always seems to be a malfunctioning pump or two at MFA. Not a displayed “out of order” pump or two, but a pump that you don’t know is screwy until you have tried to initiate your card payment. So you have to stop mid-transaction and wheel to another pump on site, hopefully one that is functioning properly. Less than ideal.
Is it worth the irritation to drive to two separate pumps on site to save two cents per gallon? Probably not. If I were MFA I’d be spending a little more time on monitoring the functionality of pumps, but what do I know, I’m just a smartass with a newspaper column.
Average gasoline prices in Kansas City on Monday were $3.51, according to GasBuddy, so Platte City is about six cents cheaper than the average KC station. Sam’s Club on North Oak was selling gas for $3.29 a gallon over the weekend, guess how I know?
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Kansas City was priced at $3.22/g on Sunday while the most expensive was $4.09. The lowest price in the state on Sunday was $3.11/g while the highest was $4.39. The national average price of gasoline on Sunday was $3.97, which is 87 cents higher than the national average a year ago at this time.
I’m told plans for the new Royals stadium include luxury suites with no windows so you don’t have to watch the game.
Amber Brune, Platte City’s mayor-elect who is scheduled to officially be sworn into office on Tuesday, April 28, rode the city’s trash truck earlier this week as part of an effort to familiarize herself with all departments of the city.
“I rode the trash truck Monday and also took the opportunity to meet the public works team during the bulk trash dropoff on Saturday. Mondays are typically lighter with commercial pickup, but it gave me a good chance to see operations up close,” Brune told me.
“They work incredibly hard for our city. I probably slowed them down a bit, but I really appreciated the opportunity to learn alongside them,” she added.
The mayor-elect said she has also done three ride-alongs with different Platte City police officers, which “has been eye-opening in understanding some of the challenges a small department faces.”
Later this week she is scheduled to spend time with the parks and rec department and the codes enforcement officer, as well.
A buddy parked at Walmart the other day and left two Royals tickets on his dash. When he came back out his windshield had been smashed and two more Royals tickets had been placed on his dash.
Steve Hoeger, current Platte City mayor who was defeated by Brune in his bid for a second term, has just a few days left in office, which means it’s time to thank him for his service and dedication to the city.
In my opinion, the best accomplishment by Hoeger happened a short time before he was elected mayor. In his time as an alderman, Hoeger led the charge to fire Marji Gehr, who had served as city administrator for about eight months. There’s no need to relive the soap opera-like drama, a mix of personal and professional stuff, that led to Gehr’s necessary removal. Just know that it was needed and just know that the mayor at the time, Tony Paolillo, for some reason was doing everything in his power to keep Marji in place and fought against his board’s efforts to clean up the mess that was becoming an embarrassment for the city.
The other day a buddy got pulled over for speeding. Instead of a traffic citation the cop issued him two Royals tickets.
Update on the two-inch asphalt overlay coming to the streets in my neighborhood. Project was originally set for Monday and Tuesday of this week, now pushed back to Thursday and Friday, weather permitting, and I’m still giddy about it.
There’s nothing better than fresh black asphalt in the morning, I’ve always said that.
(Find Foley watching televised Royals games for the train wreck effect. Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
