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

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell wasn’t kidding a couple weeks ago when he said a December rate cut wasn’t in the bag. Recent remarks from Powell’s colleagues point to plenty of apprehension over whether the central bank should deliver its third consecutive easing of policy when it meets Dec. 9-10. As a result, markets have recalibrated their expectations. Whereas traders as recently as a few days ago were pricing in at least a 2-to-1 probability of a quarter percentage point cut, that’s now flipped to a coin toss, according to futures markets readings tabulated by the CME Group in its FedWatch tool.
Read more: CNBC

With standing-room-only, the Frontenac City Council voted unanimously to oppose the annexation of land north of the city by the City of Mulberry for use as a solar farm. Several concerned citizens, residents of Frontenac, Mulberry, and Crawford County at-large, urged the council to vote against supporting the annexation. Long-term opponents Judy Prince and Becky Willard repeated arguments against allowing the solar farm to be built, citing the fire hazard created by the storage batteries and Mulberry’s inability to respond and contain those fires in a timely manner, a fact even a pair of Mulberry residents agreed with. Moreover, residents argued that there is already development happening in that area as lots are sectioned off for sale and new construction. One resident said he chose to live in the area because of the natural scenery and didn’t want to look at solar arrays all around.
Read more: -Morning Sun