North Newton now will have a parks and recreation committee. That’s after the North Newton City Council voted 4-0 in favor of establishing the group at its regular monthly meeting on Monday night. “The creation of a parks and recreation committee, which focuses on advising the city council on how to best utilize and improve the city’s parks, trails and open spaces, was identified as a productive way to fulfill some of the outcomes in our strategic plan,” City Administrator Brad Harris said at the meeting. “This ordinance will establish a group of four residents, selected by the mayor, and a council liaison member to engage in this work. The committee will meet regularly and serve in an advisory role, and its recommendations and findings will be presented to the city council for consideration.”
Read more: Harvey County Now

The room was packed and hot, both in temperature and in palpable anger. It was just a regular meeting of the Olathe Planning Commission in late 2024. But on this agenda, a Michigan-based developer called Magnus Capital Partners LLC wanted to rezone a 14-acre property west of 161st Street and Mur-Len Road for mixed-use development featuring what was referred to as “workforce housing.” The developer said the project, called HōM Flats, would be geared toward the young professional making between $50,000 and $85,000 annually, with 200 or so apartments proposed in all. Roughly a dozen neighbors spoke in opposition to the project during the public hearing. The reasons they gave ran the gamut: Fears about traffic, crime, property values, the degradation of the views from their property, etc. There was one common thread, though: HōM Flats wouldn’t be the right fit for the existing character of the neighborhood, one of the eight Golden Criteria based on a 1978 Kansas Supreme Court ruling.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Local officials, prospective homebuyers and industry experts largely agree that Johnson County doesn’t have enough housing, which often squeezes prospective homebuyers or puts renters in unsustainable living situations. Johnson County’s 2021 housing study painted a concerning picture of the situation, and in the intervening years, the county’s housing shortage has only gotten worse. The Post found that through 2024, there was a 3,500-unit deficit in new housing development across Johnson County, compared to the housing study’s goals. And, the process of getting new housing projects planned, approved and eventually built can be so cumbersome that such developments are functionally dead on arrival.
Read more: Johnson County Post

A new 14-bed center in Shawnee has opened to help people dealing with mental health issues get the care they need. On Friday, local officials cut the ribbon on Johnson County Mental Health’s Adult Crisis Stabilization Center at The Recovery Place in Shawnee. Located near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Nieman Road, the facility is a 24-hour crisis observation and stabilization program that provides care and treatment for adults in Johnson County experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Previously, the county has sent adults going through mental health crises to the RSI Crisis Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Just one day prior to last week’s election, the Girard City Council considered a charter ordinance regarding elections, potentially changing its selection process from wards to an at-large vote. The council features four wards, each represented by a council member, including a mayor position as well. Prior to the election, however, numerous candidates dropped out as the council deliberated over whether to keep the election by ward or at-large by the most votes.
Read more: – Morning Sun

A handful of county-level officials who were involved in a small-town Kansas newspaper raid in 2023 will pay a cumulative $3 million to three journalists and a city councilor. In two of the four agreements, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office also crafted a statement admitting regret.
Read more: The Lawrence Times