JANUARY
Jan. 3 – A man accused of a string of convenience store robberies in both Platte and Clay counties died in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 435 near Highway 210 in Clay County; MFA Oil Company announced it had purchased Platte-Clay Fuels in both Platte City and Kearney; The former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Rwanda and Djibouti spoke to students at the McCoy Meetin’ House at Park University, sharing his unique viewpoint as a resident of the world.
Jan. 10 – Winter weather brought several inches of snow to Platte County over two days, with all school districts closing due to visibility and slick streets; The Federal Bureau of Investigations was searching for an attempted bank robber after the suspect tried to rob the Bank of Weston in Platte City; The City of Parkville turned daily operation of its sewer system over to the Platte County Regional Sewer District, citing a need to streamline sewer services and administration; The Park Hill School District Board of Education heard an update on the district’s long-range planning process and outcomes of public surveys regarding its Park Hill 2034 plan; Noah Kincaid, Platte County resident, was shaken up in the deadly Japanese earthquake that struck his newly-adopted nation on Jan. 1, 2024.
Jan. 17 – The Platte City Police Department was investigating an armed robbery at the Platte City Subway location; There were more questions than answers in the case of three men found dead at a house in the Coves subdivision off Barry Road after a Kansas City Chiefs viewing party; Former Sixth District Rep. Pat Danner celebrated her 90th birthday on Jan. 13; The Platte County Commission awarded nearly $5 million in parks partnership grants, including major awards to the Cities of Parkville, Platte City and Riverside as well as the Platte County R-3 School District; The Platte County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 29 at Dearborn after a semi tractor-trailer driver crashed into the Highway Z overpass.
Jan. 24 – The Highway 92 bridge over Interstate 29 was closed “indefinitely” after a southbound semi tractor-trailer’s over-sized load struck the bottom of the overpass; Platte County R- inducted three into its Hall of Fame – Molley Burns, Gena Puckett and Barrett Martens; The Platte County R-3 School District began its effort to educate voters on a no-tax-increase Proposition C waiver to restructure the district tax rate on the April 2 ballot; The Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter celebrated its 25th anniversary with a Chocolate 4 PAWS fund raiser; The City of Parkville approved an agreement with Platte County Parks and Recreation for maintenance of the Brush Creek Trail.
Jan. 31 – The Platte City Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a Red Cross blood drive at the old city hall building; The Highway 92 bridge over Interstate 29 reopened one lane in each direction, awaiting repairs for the damage done to it earlier in the month; The Buck O’Neil Bridge over the Missouri River closed for the last time before its replacement was scheduled to open later in 2024; Platte City Mayor Tony Paolillo presented the investigators of the Metro Squad a plaque in recognition of their efforts leading to a quick resolution of the shooting investigation at the Platte City Wendy’s in November 2023; Gwendolyn Grant, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Kansas City was announced as the first speaker for Park University’s Black History Month program.
FEBRUARY
Feb. 7 – Work was moving forward both inside and out at the new Riverside Branch of Mid-Continent Public Library; Weston’s Black Ancestors Awareness Campaign (BAAC) announced its Black History Month project, which consisted of banners placed in downtown Weston outlining the contributions of Black Weston residents; An unnamed inmate at the Platte County Detention Center was found dead in their cell; Platte County Assessor’s Office employee Marcus Farr announced he would run against Commissioner Dagmar Wood in the Republican primary for assessor in August; Platte County Public Works served the community in many ways, including roads and bridges and the popular Platte County Cleanup events.
Feb. 14 – In Riverside, artist Jeff Parson erected a tribute to the Kansas City Chiefs, who won Super Bowl LVIII over the San Francisco 49ers; Park Hill and the Platte County R-3 school districts canceled school on Wednesday, Feb. 14 for a “red snow day” in celebration of the Chiefs’ win; Second District Commissioner Joe Vanover announced he would seek re-election to his seat in the November general election; Washington Chapel Church in Parkville received a portion of a $4 million grant to preserve historic Black churches across the nation; David Hardy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for child endangerment and possession of methamphetamine after three children – two of them his sons – died in a 2021 house fire in southern Platte County.
Feb. 21 – Platte County guard Delaney Childers had eight points in the Lady Pirates’ 551-7 win over Raytown to clinch a share of the Kansas City Suburban Conference White Division; In the aftermath of the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally at union station, the Park Hill School District offered to help kids who may have been affected by the violence; Daughters of the American Revolution member Judith Listrom spoke to the Citizen about her work as a member of the Platte Purchase Chapter; Platte County Recorder of Deeds Christopher Wright went on a mission to inform Platte County residents of any fishy business regarding their property deeds; Lake Waukomis was lowered for repairs to the dam.
Feb. 28 – A Kansas City police officer with a history of violent encounters was accused of using excessive force in detaining a woman at the Platte County Walmart in 2022; Platte County Commissioners paid tribute to former district commissioner Jim Plunkett, who died earlier in the month at the age of 66; Platte City Mid-Continent Public Library Branch worker Rachel Rafuse pointed to positive library experiences had as a child to her current success; Platte County Commissioners approved a contract with HMN Architects for design of a possible expansion to the Platte County Detention Center.
MARCH
March 6 – The Park Hill School District named its newest elementary school, where they just broke ground, after a pillar of the Parkville Black Community, Angeline Washington; O.G. Bandits opened up in the new Kansas City International Airport after winning the second annual Made for KC Barbecue Championship; Stacey Graves, the chief of the Kansas City Police Department was announced as a speaker in Park University’s Women Transforming Criminal Justice event; Transportation tax agreements were finalized by the Platte County Commission; Platte City Administrator Marji Gehr was removed from office after less than a year on the job.
March 13 – The ribbon was cut for Barley & Vine in Platte City, a new downtown brewery and wine bar; Terrion Gully-Henry, accused of the shooting death of a man in Platte City over a marijuana deal gone wrong was due back in court for a hearing; Residents of Riss Lake in Parkville were up in arms about what they consider dangerous eyesores in their community – utility cabinets; Meta announced a $200,000 partnership with the Northland Workforce Development Center (Northland Career Center).
March 20 – Property tax relief for seniors under Senate Bill 190 came to Platte County with the Commission’s approval of a new tax credit; The Platte County Sheriff’s Office relocated to the Platte Count Resource Center, vacating its space in Platte City for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to move in; The Platte County R-3 School District celebrated Down Syndrome Day for the very first time; A 3.5 magnitude earthquake shook Platte County beneath Ferrelview.
March 27 – Platte City mayor Tony Paolillo faced an April election challenge from current alderman Steven Hoeger; The Northland Career Center continued to raise funds for its transition into the Northland Workforce Development Center; The Northland Regional Ambulance District was seeking a 30-cent tax levy increase approval on the April election ballot to support future growth of the district; Resurfacing of Highway 371 from Buchanan County to Highway 273 was scheduled to last into June; Platte City Mayor Tony Paolillo – who was up for re-election the next week – resigned at the Tuesday evening meeting of the board of aldermen, citing Sunshine Law violations.
APRIL
April 3 – Alderman Steven Hoeger was elected to Platte City mayor, ousting incumbent Tony Paolillo, who had resigned the week before; Proposition C for the Platte County R-3 School District was approved by Platte County voters; Three people were found dead at a home near Zona Rosa in a murder-suicide; The Northland Regional Ambulance District’s 30-cent levy increase was approved by voters; Platte County Commissioners shot down a proposal from two mental health service providers to create a sales tax to fund children’s mental health services in Platte County.
April 10 – West Platte School District students took to the field with special glasses to observe the partial solar eclipse that was visible in the Kansas City area; The ribbon cutting for the new Platte County Sheriff’s Office was scheduled for April 18; The Ferrelview earthquake was determined by the United States Geological Survey to be a collapse in the Stamper Underground mine complex; The new Firehouse Market brings a fun shopping opportunity to downtown Platte City; Lee Hill was charged with shooting a woman in the leg while she was a passenger in his car and leaving her and her child in a roadway near Kansas City International Airport.
April 17 – The Platte County Prosecutor’s Office gave back to the community by volunteering through its We Care program at Harvesters in downtown Kansas City; Airman recruit Rylee Crockett of Weston was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 143; The Park Hill School District Board of Education reorganized after the April board election.
April 24 – Platte and Clay county presiding commissioners teamed up to criticize a proposal made by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to bring refugees and migrants workers to the Kansas City metro area; The annual Victims’ Rights Luncheon was scheduled for April 26; Local country music star Matt Snook opened up with the Citizen about his terminal cancer diagnosis.
MAY
May 1 – Firefighters from the Kansas City Fire Department and the Southern Platte Fire Protection District as well as detectives with the Kansas City Police Department received the 17th annual Sara Andrasek Memorial Award; Commissioners discussed the need for a new Platte County Detention Center at a special meeting; A repeat sex offender – Joseph Ginn – was found guilty of raping a 14-year-old girl on several occasions by a jury; Steven Hoeger was sworn in as the new Platte City mayor.
May 8 – The Parkville Board of Aldermen held a joint meeting with the city’s parks and recreation board to discuss the new farmers market building to be erected at English Landing Park; The Farmers House prepared for its annual Talent Show; A shoplifting suspect at the Platte City Walmart choked to death on an unknown object while being detained by off-duty Kansas City police officers; The Platte County Sheriff’s Office became involved in an across-state-lines chase involving a domestic battery suspect.
May 15 – The North and West Platte school districts held their graduation ceremonies in Dearborn and Weston; The Platte County Commission unveiled its plans for an expanded and renovated Platte County Detention Center; A local jazz musician fulfilled a hospice patient’s dying wish to hear Feels So Good performed before his death; Carl and Gary Riddle took an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. to view war memorials.
May 22 – Platte County Commissioners placed questions to fund construction of a renovated Platte County Detention Center on the August election ballot; Former science teacher Glenn Dykstra finished a children’s book for children that addresses global warming; Parkville aldermen decide to rebuild the Parkville Farmers Market as it was instead of building it with an eye to future enclosure.
May 29 – An alligator that escaped from a petting zoo at Lakeview Middle School captured headlines across the city and authorities had not yet located the critter; A Parkville family was working to raise funds to help them recover from a massive tree falling on their home during severe weather; Kansas City North Kansas City and Riverside, in coordination with the Mid-American Regional Council, continued to develop the Missouri River North Trail project to connect their communities; The Farmers House annual Wine Walk was set for early June.
JUNE
June 5 – A Platte County woman was charged with a misdemeanor after keeping her child out of school without apparent cause for most of the school year; Alyssa’s Ride benefits multiple programs; The Highway 92 bridge over Interstate 29 was scheduled to close to allow the Missouri Department of Transportation to replace the section of the bridge damaged by an over-sized load earlier in the year; The missing gator that captured headlines was returned to Lakeview Middle School after nearly two weeks missing.
June 12 – The Platte City Friends of the Arts kicked off their summer concert series with help from Harper Haus; A substitute teacher and assistant football coach at Park Hill South High School was charged with attempted sexual contact with a student; Bridge work on Highway 92 brings additional closures, including the closure of Interstate 29 beneath the underpass for partial demolition; Restoration of the historic Washington Chapel in Parkville was under way thanks to grant funding.
June 19 – The fourth annual Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee in Weston was celebrated at the Weston Red Barn Farm under perfect weather; The Platte County Sheriff’s Office asked the Platte County Commission to purchase a transport van to get inmates released from the detention center out of downtown Platte City; Kansas City man Jacky Shariff was being held without bond after stealing several hundred dollars worth of merchandise from Target, assaulting a man who tried to stop him and hitting a pedestrian in the parking lot; Platte City Friends of the Arts prepared to celebrate the annual Make Music Day.
June 26 – Treasurer Rob Willard issued a press release announcing his concerns about the proposed jail tax, making him the first elected official to publicly oppose the proposal; Connections Bank announced a $250,000 funding pledge to the new Northland Career Center; A Ukrainian family found shelter and a new start in life in Dearborn; Bill Willoughby with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office was named the leader of an association representing criminal investigators across the state.