This year of 2020 carried on with the COVID-19 pandemic causing disruptions across the country, forcing changes to institutions such as the Platte County Fair, high school sports and Weston’s Applefest. In this issue, the Citizen looks back at 2020, and hopes for a better 2021.
JULY
July 1 – Camden Point held its annual Freedom Festival – the only Independence Day celebration that wasn’t canceled in Platte County; The 157th Platte County Fair was announced, featuring a reduced schedule, livestock shows and 4-H events; The troubled Englewood Apartments complex in southern Platte County was again in trouble with federal housing authorities for fraud; A Platte City voter voiced his concerns about the lack of sanitation, masks and social distancing at a local poll site.
July 8 – The Kansas City Aviation Department released drone footage of the new one-terminal Kansas City International Airport now under construction; Platte County law enforcement officials, including prosecutor Eric Zahnd, gathered to urge the state to take action against violent crime; Youth With Vision continued its work to help Northland youth with the Quarantine Chronicles video series; Platte County commissioners created the county’s federal CARES Act-funded business assistance program.
July 15 – Platte County joined the rest of the Kansas City metro area with the launch of a masking mandate in public places; A Platte City daycare closed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among its employees; Stanley the English Bulldog cheered on first responders and front line workers during the pandemic, by sponsoring a coloring program and wearing his own mask.
July 22 – A Napoleon, Mo. man was charged in a double shooting in Dearborn after a night of partying; The scaled-down Platte County Fair was set to begin on Friday, July 24; Platte County school districts hosting in-person summer school programs saw small enrollment numbers; The renewal of the Platte County parks, recreation and stormwater abatement sales tax and the new law enforcement sales tax were on the upcoming August election ballot.
July 29 – Long time Platte City mayor Frank Offutt left office; The Missouri Department of Transportation closed a portion of Highway 9 for several weeks for road work; The Southern Platte Emergency Assistance Center volunteers help to keep the pantries stocked at Park Hill Presbyterian Church; The City of Parkville moved forward with plans to build pickleball courts in English Landing Park.
AUGUST
August 5 – Platte County’s parks, recreation and stormwater abatement sales tax was renewed by voters, at a reduced rate, and the law enforcement sales tax was also approved; Incumbent first district commissioner Dagmar Wood moved on unopposed for re-election in November; Platte County High School held its delayed commencement ceremony at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.; Commissioners award $1.6 million in CARES Act-funded business grants; the Park Hill School District gives families time to pick virtual or in-person school for the fall.
August 12 – Peddler’s Wagon closed after nearly 40 years on Parkville’s Main Street; The Platte County Health Department struggled to fund free testing programs as the county commission withholds CARES Act funding; A shooting was under investigation in Tracy after two men tussled in a vehicle and one shot the other, causing a car crash; Platte City resident Dr. Gena Ross secured the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Republican Rep. Sam Graves in November; High school sports practices began, with new COVID precautions in place.
August 19 – As high school sports seasons approached, district and health officials voiced concerns about the upcoming season; The Platte County Health Department scheduled a special meeting to discuss the pandemic and hear public concerns about youth and school sports programs; The City of Platte City reopened its skateboard park after weeks of patrons tearing down the ‘closed’ signs and using it anyway; Platte County school districts looked to the Platte County Health Department for guidance on how best to reopen schools.
August 26 – North Platte graduate Baylie Wilson organized the Charge for Charley 5K in Camden Point in honor of her late uncle, who died of pancreatic cancer; Kansas City councilman Dan Fowler, also city attorney of Dearborn, floats the idea of bringing KC’s rental inspection program to the town; Weston’s annual Applefest was canceled due to the COVID pandemic; A health department task force was formed to discuss back-to-school concerns, with schools cleared to open after Labor Day; The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, ruled in favor of Platte County regarding the payments on the Zona Rosa parking garages.
SEPTEMBER
September 2 – High school sports kicked off with new COVID restrictions in place; The City of Platte City was forced to make budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Platte Clay Electric Cooperative headed south to help restore power after Hurricane Laura pummeled Louisiana; A suggestion to change the names of Parkville’s two Missouri River front parks failed to launch with the city’s board of aldermen.
Army Staff Sergeant Kirby Karnes got a big hug from his son Kipton, who is a kindergartner at English Landing Elementary School, on Thursday, Sept. 17. Karnes surprised Kipton and his older brother, fourth grader Kaden, at a surprise set up by the Park Hill School District.
September 9 – Students headed back to the classroom with new COVID restrictions in place; Platte County’s property tax levy was renewed at its rate of six cents per $100 assessed valuation; Edgerton moved ahead with its Pioneer Days, although the festival was scaled back due to the pandemic.
September 16 – Drastic changes were announced for Zona Rosa Town Center in a redevelopment plan to reinvigorate the flagging shopping district; Two historical markers – including a Confederate monument – may be returned to their donors in Parkville; A Black Lives Matter street art project in Briarcliff was vandalized shortly after its installation.
September 23 – English Landing Elementary School students Kipton and Kaden Karnes received a homecoming surprise with the return of their father Kirby Karnes from active service; A St. Joseph man died on Interstate 29 near Camden Point in a four-vehicle crash; Karlton Nash and the contributions of Nash Gas were to be honored at the upcoming Dearborn Reminisce Day; The controversial Creekside development in Parkville continued to move forward with the approval of a TIF agreement.
September 30 – The Park Hill School District provided free, hot meals to families in need; The Southern Platte County Athletic Association was awarded a $37,500 parks and recreation grant to purchase new uniforms; The Platte City Police Department brought the Kona Ice Truck to the city to travel to neighborhoods to provide free icees to kids.
OCTOBER
October 7 – Republican state Rep. Vic Allred threatened Democratic candidate Vic Abundis with a lawsuit over the use of a phrase using their shared name; The Platte City Nursing Home Squad got back to work helping out nursing home residents; The Platte County Prosecutor’s Office was relocated to the county administration building due to air quality problems in the old courthouse building.
October 14 – Park Hill South High School volleyball players hoping to fight racism with team shirts were met with opposition from parents and administrators, landing the school in the local headlines; Rockstar Burgers owner Brian Smith was indicted in a federal drug case; Arthur’s Lounge owner Dawn Huff celebrated her birthday with a special parking lot party to benefit local charities; Residents spoke out at a meeting of the Parkville Board of Aldermen about mayor Nan Johnston’s DWI arrest in September.
October 21 – Dearborn hosted a costume and yodeling contest; A college student who worked as an athletic trainer at Park Hill South High School died of COVID-19; Platte City real estate agent Tony Farr sponsored a Halloween coloring contest for area kids; Platte County Circuit Court judge James Van Amburg announced his retirement after more than 25 years of service; The Platte County Health Department was still waiting for its share of CARES Act funding from the Platte County Commission.
October 28 – The Platte County Health Department urged residents to be cautious of ‘pandemic fatigue’ as positive numbers of infections in the county continued to rise; Sean Pouche was tapped to run for Republican rep after Vic Allred dropped from the race; Farley resident Judy Bond looked back on her cancer diagnosis and battle, 30 years on; October ended with snow, bringing on the winter season.
NOVEMBER
November 4 – Platte County voters turned out in droves for the election, where voter turnout was at 84 percent; former Platte County assistant prosecutor Joe Vanover, Republican, beat out Democratic candidate David Park for the second district commission seat; The Citizen published its annual Salute to Veterans section; The LevelUp dental program helped bring care to kids in need; The Platte County Commission created a CARES Act program for political subdivisions.
November 11 – The Northland Career Center celebrated 40 years of operation in its Platte City facility; Park Hill soccer headed to the final four; The Lady Pirates volleyball team the best in school history; Platte County Circuit Court judge Thomas Fincham ordered jury trials canceled through the end of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 18 – The Park Hill School District was not happy with Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s suggested changes to quarantine guidelines in schools; Park Hill also warned of exploding positivity rates in the district; Patty Farr’s Winter Wonderland event was scheduled to benefit Platte City’s Shop with a Cop program; The City of Kansas City imposed new COVID restrictions with the Platte County Health Department discussing the rising rates of positive COVID tests in the county.
November 25 – The Platte County University of Missouri Extension’s Platte Pet Power program celebrated 20 years of visits to community homes and organizations; Due to rising positivity rates and staff shortages the Platte County School District scrapped its plans to return to all in-person learning; The Platte County Health Department enacted new guidelines to bring the county into line with the City of Kansas City’s new, more restrictive guidelines; Platte City’s annual holiday lighting ceremony was canceled.
DECEMBER
December 2 – Though most traditional holiday events were canceled, Weston’s Father Christmas still made appearances downtown; Platte County judge James Van Amburg looked back on his career with the Citizen; Platte City realtor Patty Farr hosted an altered version of her Winter Wonderland event; Shane Smeed was named acting president of Park University after the resignation of president Dr. Greg Gunderson; The Weston branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library was forced to close due to a COVID-19 exposure.
December 9 – Platte County commissioners pave the way for a second round of small business grants; After a brief COVID-related closure, the Park Hill School District planned to resume in-person school; The Platte County Health Department issued a statement on a change to the CDC’s quarantine guidelines, voicing disagreement with a portion of the new guides; Two local residents came together to help supply face masks to the Platte County School District; The Platte County Pirates football team took runner up in the championship game in Jefferson City.
December 16 – The Park Hill School District announced plans to begin testing students on site for COVID-19; The Platte County Health Department was forced to discontinue providing free COVID tests to residents; A local author uses historical fiction to tell the tales of Platte and Leavenworth counties; Zona Rosa’s new outdoor ice rink was open for skaters; A convicted felon led police on a chase around Park Hill High School and was later released on bond.
December 23 – The first round of COVID-19 vaccines were given in the St. Luke’s Hospital system, to healthcare workers; The Platte County Health Department and City of Kansas City receive CARES Act funding from Platte County; The Citizen conducted a special, exclusive interview with Santa and Mrs. Claus; Park Hill High School’s head football coach Josh Hood was charged with sex crimes against a former student.
December 30 - The Supreme Court of Missouri denied a request by UMB Bank, the trustee for the Zona Rosa bonds, to file an appeal regarding its efforts to force Platte County to pay shortfalls on bonds; The Platte County Health Department issued its own guidance about the new COVID-19 vaccines now becoming available; The pilot of a small ultra-light plane was injured when it crashed over the weekend in rural southern Platte County.