Several Johnson County charities and drives are working to meet growing demand for food and shelter heading into the holiday season, including an upcoming toy and food drive, a Mission food pantry serving hundreds of families, and a Lenexa shelter operating beyond capacity.
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An off-duty Kansas City, Kansas, fire captain was driving the SUV that struck and killed a 25-year-old Shawnee woman on the shoulder of Interstate 35 in Johnson County on Oct. 29, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas City Star.
An Olathe man was sentenced to 283 months in prison after a jury convicted him of rape and sexual abuse charges involving his 15-year-old stepdaughter.
Democrat Kelsey Stock defeated Republican Thomas Palenske with 54% of the vote in Kansas House District 121, flipping the western Johnson County seat that Republicans had held since 2017.
Amy Diediker, a Democrat and former music teacher from Olathe, defeated Republican Jim McMullen with 55% of the vote to flip Kansas State Board of Education District 3, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting.
The FDA is warning parents not to serve Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars after reports of toddlers choking on the product. The nationwide recall includes Kansas, and the bars were sold at Costco, Target and Walmart.
Local parents: Here's what you need to know about Baby Brezza and the CPSC recall of about 29,000 SuperFast Sterilizer Dryers after 32 reports of overheating or melting. Owners should stop using the units and register for a free replacement.
About 190 bipartisan election workers began hand-counting roughly 125,000 ballots Nov. 9 at the Johnson County Election Office in Olathe, covering five races that finished within 1% after the Nov. 3 general election.
Democrat Adam Hamilton won the Kansas U.S. Senate race on Nov. 3, defeating Republican incumbent Roger Marshall with 51% of the unofficial statewide vote. Hamilton is the first Democrat elected to the Kansas Senate since 1932.
Two Olathe Arby's locations have closed, leaving just one in the city, the Kansas City Star reported. About 14 Arby's remain across the Kansas City metro.
Democrat Kristen Schultz leads Republican incumbent Bill Sutton 51% to 49% in unofficial final results for Kansas House District 43, flipping a Gardner-area seat no Democrat had held since the mid-1990s.
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Community
Several Johnson County charities and drives are working to meet growing demand for food and shelter heading into the holiday season, including an upcoming toy and food drive, a Mission food pantry serving hundreds of families, and a Lenexa shelter operating beyond capacity.
Local Government
View MoreThe Olathe Board of Education meets Thursday to vote on formally disposing of seven school buildings, converting grass fields to turf at three high schools, and getting a first look at classroom audio amplification equipment.
Local Government
View MoreThe Olathe City Council unanimously voted to commit $750,000 in park sales tax revenue toward a new inclusive playground at Two Trails Park, pairing the city funds with a $3 million Variety KC grant. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2027, with an opening targeted for spring 2028.
Local Government
View MoreThe City of Lenexa launched a parking study for its growing City Center district and is asking residents, workers and visitors to complete an online survey by Friday, Nov. 20. The study comes as new development adds demand for parking in the 200-acre district.
Local Government
View MoreThe Olathe City Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, to take taxpayer comments on a proposed amendment to the city's 2026 budget involving the Vehicle Replacement Fund.
Local Government
View MoreThe Olathe City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to approve a $567,375 engineering agreement with HNTB for the I-35/Santa Fe interchange project, the largest capital project in city history. Auxiliary lane construction could begin in late 2026 or early 2027.
Local Government
View MoreThe Johnson County Board of County Commissioners authorized nearly $15.5 million for the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Wastewater Treatment Facility Asset Renewal Project and approved a new multi-city EMS medical direction agreement covering Olathe and Lenexa at its Oct. 22 meeting.
Education
View MoreThe Olathe school board is scheduled to vote Thursday on disposing of seven closing school buildings, but Heritage Elementary will stay under district ownership for potential repurposing near Olathe South High School.
Education
View MoreTimber Sage Elementary, a Spring Hill USD 230 school with an Olathe mailing address, ranked No. 6 among Kansas elementary schools in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Meadow Lane Elementary in Olathe USD 233 placed No. 10.
Education
View MoreGardner Edgerton USD 231 named fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Cusick and business teacher Krista Mealman as its 2024-25 Teachers of the Year, with both advancing to the Kansas Teacher of the Year state competition.
Education
View MoreOlathe Public Schools Superintendent Brent Yeager was named the 2027 Kansas Superintendent of the Year on Monday, Oct. 5, and will represent the state for the national title.
Education
View MoreOlathe Families United launched its "6,100 Voices" petition Friday, Oct. 2, giving opponents 45 days to collect enough signatures to force a state-level review of the board's 7-0 vote to close six schools.
Education
View MoreAll five Olathe high schools have switched to cashless ticket sales for athletic events, with fans directed to buy through the Bound platform or at the gate without cash.
Public Safety
View MoreBradley Boyd, who represents District 2 on the Olathe Board of Education and serves as deputy police chief for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, faces a possible firearm offense after a Nov. 3 emergency on Interstate 35 and separate allegations from fellow officers about mishandled union funds.
Public Safety
View MoreAn Olathe man was sentenced to 283 months in prison after a jury convicted him of rape and sexual abuse charges involving his 15-year-old stepdaughter.
Public Safety
View MoreLocal parents: Here's what you need to know about Baby Brezza and the CPSC recall of about 29,000 SuperFast Sterilizer Dryers after 32 reports of overheating or melting. Owners should stop using the units and register for a free replacement.
Public Safety
View MoreAn off-duty Kansas City, Kansas, fire captain was driving the SUV that struck and killed a 25-year-old Shawnee woman on the shoulder of Interstate 35 in Johnson County on Oct. 29, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas City Star.
Public Safety
View MoreThe FDA is warning parents not to serve Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars after reports of toddlers choking on the product. The nationwide recall includes Kansas, and the bars were sold at Costco, Target and Walmart.
Public Safety
View MoreA Johnson County judge sentenced Axel Arellanes-Vara to life in prison without parole on Nov. 3 for the capital murder of a Tonganoxie couple shot to death in Olathe in November 2021.
Business
View MoreThe Lenexa Rec Center will hold an open house on Wednesday, Nov. 18, offering guided tours, tips on using fitness equipment, a free body composition scan and a prize wheel.
Business
View MoreThe Kansas City Automotive Museum announced it will close its Olathe location after 12 years and search for a larger space, though no closure date or relocation timeline has been set.
Business
View MoreTwo Olathe Arby's locations have closed, leaving just one in the city, the Kansas City Star reported. About 14 Arby's remain across the Kansas City metro.
Business
View MoreThe De Soto Chamber of Commerce launched a nine-week holiday campaign and is recruiting local businesses to join a community gift guide.
Sports
View MoreThe No. 2 Gardner Edgerton Trailblazers and No. 3 Olathe Northwest Ravens, both 8-2, meet Friday at 7 p.m. in a KSHSAA Class 6A sectional championship with a sub-state berth on the line.
Sports
View MoreThe Kansas State High School Activities Association is giving veterans and active-duty military free admission, plus one guest, to all sectional championship football games Nov. 12-13. Five area teams — Olathe Northwest, Olathe North, Gardner-Edgerton, De Soto and Spring Hill — are still alive in the playoffs.
Sports
View MoreNo. 3 Olathe Northwest (7-2) faces No. 6 Olathe West (6-3) at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at CBAC in a KSHSAA Class 6A second-round regional playoff game, with the winner advancing to the sectional round Nov. 13.
Sports
View MoreThe Olathe West Owls boys cross country team captured its first Kansas 6A state championship Saturday, Oct. 31, edging Washburn Rural 83-84 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Head coach Kelsey Carbajo, who also led the Owls girls to five consecutive state titles, credited the program's team-first culture.
Editor
Brady Johnson is an Illinois native and an Augustana College journalism alumni. His prior experience includes a stint as a Newscast Producer for KWQC-TV6 News in Davenport, Iowa.
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