Election quickies:
Biggest eye opener? Newcomer Mary Calvillo’s convincing win for the Republican nomination for county clerk. Wondering if incumbent Jera Pruitt would do anything differently in her campaign if she had the chance to do it again.
Biggest loser? Gov. Mike Kehoe’s legislative agenda. Amendment 5 (income tax phase out) was the centerpiece of Kehoe’s agenda. It was absolutely crap-canned by voters, losing statewide by an incredible 83% to 17% margin. It’s very unusual to see a margin like that in politics these days. He’s playing it off like no big deal but this is embarrassing for the governor. I wouldn’t say it will mean trouble for him in a re-election bid in 2028. Missouri voters are funny like that.
Interesting to learn via Chris Kendall’s letter to the editor at right that at least a few Republicans are making calls looking to replace Elliot Lahn (pronounced Lane) on the general election ballot for treasurer, should Lahn decide to step away from the race before Aug. 18. Media outlets and seemingly hundreds of people in this county received an anonymous mailer months ago raising less than flattering verifiable facts in public documents and other concerns about Lahn’s political past in the state of Kansas, among other things. Kendall’s letter is the first I’ve heard of some noted Republicans making calls to potential ballot replacements for Lahn.
Withdrawal deadline for a candidate to pull his/her name off the November ballot is Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. Lahn and his camp can say whatever they want, but if he does pull out there seems little doubt that the background information contained in that anonymous mailer is the primary driving force. Since Lahn was unopposed in the primary, The Landmark chose to let the information sit. A story is/was planned during the general election campaign.
Looking for the best salsa at a restaurant in the area?
That’s a judgment call, of course. My choice is Jose Pepper’s in Liberty. Their salsa is always fresh, bursting with flavor. Ask them why and they will tell you: “Always made with fresh tomatoes, never canned. garlic, onions, cilantro, peppers–make it spicy with our jalapeños.”
The problem –or maybe it is not a problem at all–is that I tend to fill up on the chips and salsa before the entree arrives.
There’s a lot going on in Downtown Platte City on Saturday, Aug. 15. There’s a farmers market in the morning near Third and Main, the monthly Firehouse Market featuring craft vendors and whatnot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Hot Summer Night celebration runs from 4-10 p.m. near 246 Main Street. My favorite part of the Hot Summer Night celebration a couple of years ago was the pyro show featuring fire dancers and such. Talented performers in an art form you don’t get to see every day. Very cool.
The pyro show doesn’t start till dusk, so come prepared to stay up past my bedtime. Notice I said my bedtime, not your bedtime.
Remember that Between the Lines column in May of 2022 when I wrote a couple of paragraphs about 80s music and mentioned that in my opinion 1985 was the sweet spot for pop music in the 80s? Sure you do.
Well color me vindicated. Nailed it. How do I know? During the July 4th weekend, the 80s on 8 Channel on Sirius XM ran a countdown of the top 80 pop hits of the decade of the 80s. Of the top 80 songs, 17 of those were from the year 1985, the most of any year in the decade.
Stop, no need for applause. I’ll pat myself on the back on my way out.
Flock talk.
I’m going to predict you’ll be seeing much more Landmark news coverage by The Landmark in the near future about Flock cameras. If you’re bothered by the presence of Flock cameras, which seem to be popping up in many places in various parts of the county and the nation, you are not alone, of course. Flock cameras, for those who may not be aware, can be defined this way: a device that acts as an automated license plate reader (ALPR). Mounted near public roads and neighborhood entrances, it captures vehicle details—including license plates, make, model, color, and unique identifiers like bumper stickers or dents—and logs them into a searchable database used by law enforcement.
In last week’s Landmark you likely read reporter Stacy Wiedmaier’s account of some anti-Flock folks showing up at a meeting of the Platte City Board of Aldermen to voice concerns over privacy and Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. It requires law enforcement to have a warrant backed by probable cause or a recognized exception before searching or seizing a person, home, or personal property.
Up to this point, federal and state courts have generally ruled that fixed Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras do not violate the Fourth Amendment, because motorists have no reasonable expectation of privacy on public roads. However, privacy groups and civil rights organizations argue that aggregating continuous travel data creates warrantless tracking concerns.
Policies for Platte City and for Platte County were listed in last week’s article and you may have noticed the city’s policy seems more detailed. Platte County Sheriff Erik Holland this week tells me his department is in the process of updating its written policy, apparently tweaking and tightening up some aspects of a policy that Holland said has been in place for awhile–as in back in the days when Flock cameras were not nearly as prevalent as they are today.
At The Landmark, we noticed that the City of Parkville this week in its newsletter shared its Flock camera locations and announced the scheduling of some informational sessions about its police department’s use of the license plate readers. Parkville currently has eight Flock cameras operating in its city limits: at Hwy. 45 west of I-435; Hwy. 45 east of I-435; Hwy. 45 at Cenex; Hwy. 45 and Route 9; Hwy. 45 east limit; Hwy. 9/Downtown Parkville, Hwy. 9 east limit; and FF Hwy./Vikings Field.
Parkville’s police department will host two Flock informational sessions on Sept. 10. The first session will be from noon to 1 p.m. and the second session will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the board room at City Hall.
Might be a good idea to be there if you’re a Parkville resident with strong feelings on Flock cameras.
(Find Foley listening to 80s music while trying to avoid Flock cameras. Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
