Spring Hill, which straddles the Johnson/Miami line at U.S. 169, has joined the growing list of cities that are considering allowing chickens within city limits. In May 2020, a group of teens petitioned the city to allow chickens within city boundaries. Spring Hill officials, including the police, researched the subject, and now the city is seeking public feedback. Residents can submit comments through April 16, and the City Council will discuss the matter again on April 22. ... The proposal would allow up to six chickens on a property if a special permit is granted, and it sets rules for enclosures [...]

After a distribution formula tended to give rural counties in Kansas more COVID-19 vaccines per capita than more heavily-populated areas, a new plan underway this week offered substantially more doses to some larger counties. New data from the Kansas Department of Health & Environment showed Johnson County was due to receive 14,040 vaccine doses this week, more than twice what was allocated to the state’s largest county two weeks ago. Sedgwick County was due to receive 15,530. Wyandotte County, however, received only 2,340. That’s fewer than it received two weeks ago. Source: KC Star Local News

Developers in Johnson County have long said the costs of land and construction are too high for them to make much of a profit off more affordable apartments — a housing market the area sorely needs. But now a Utah-based firm has a solution, using existing buildings that are very similar to apartment buildings. The developer plans to convert two Overland Park hotels into apartments — with rental prices more attainable for middle-income workers who can’t afford most Johnson County housing. It’s not a new idea, but it is one that has grown in popularity across the country in recent years, [...]

Shawnee Mission North High School and three district elementary schools must retire their “Indians” and “Braves” mascots under a new policy after thousands petitioned for the change. The Shawnee Mission school board voted unanimously Monday to approve removing the mascots. The new policy states that school mascots must be culturally and racially appropriate, and that they may not be derogatory or offensive toward a person or class of people protected under the district’s nondiscrimination policy. North, which has had “Indians” as its mascot for almost a century, as well as Belinder, Shawanoe and Rushton elementary schools, will begin the process of [...]

Following the lead of Kansas City (MO), Prairie Village is looking into decriminalizing marijuana. It would be the first Johnson County city to reduce penalties for marijuana possession. City Council members Ian Graves and Inga Selders proposed the idea earlier this month, and the City Council unanimously agreed to have staff look into the legality of it. Prairie Village officials could consider stripping the crime from the city code, as Kansas City did last summer. Another option could be issuing citations for violations in lieu of municipal court. Graves pushed for the change because Prairie Village borders Missouri, where medical marijuana [...]

Johnson County will begin giving COVID-19 vaccines to residents age 65 and older starting Tuesday, as part of its move into the next phase of distribution, health officials said Thursday. That phase also includes kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers and child care workers, who will get their vaccines through Children’s Mercy, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, the county’s director of health and environment. But it was unclear when those vaccinations would begin. He said the department received more than 6,800 vaccine doses on Thursday, and Areola emphasized that “the opportunity to get vaccinated next week and the week after depends on the supply,” [...]

It’s the only place in Kansas’ most affluent county for homeless single adults without children to stay. And it’s temporary, only for the winter. There are no beds for such people the rest of the year in a time when advocates say the county’s homeless population is growing — and when evictions and job loss during the pandemic are expected to displace many more. But for the first time, some major cities in Johnson County are considering whether their laws should clearly allow shelters. Most of the cities lack any written rules stating when or where a shelter is permissible, which [...]

When Overland Park officials decided it was time to build a fire station in the growing southwest part of the city, they were hamstrung. Like a homebuyer in a seller’s market, the fire department couldn’t find affordable land in the right location. The answer? A partnership that’s giving birth to both a fire station and a new career program for students in the Blue Valley School District. Source: KC Star Local News

This past year took its toll on several major development projects in Johnson County. The long-awaited, ill-fated Mission Gateway development stalled, once again. For months, the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for crews across the county, including those working on the Interstate 35 expansion, to finish work due to a shortage of supplies. And when city leaders planned for the financial impacts of the pandemic, several projects were pushed back. But looking ahead to 2021, developers and county leaders are optimistic that this coming year they’ll see significant growth in these Kansas City suburbs. Some projects that have managed to [...]

After more than two years of construction, the new $193 million Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe opens Monday, Jan. 4, 2020. Source: KC Star Local News