Leawood City Council Allows Limited Beekeeping

A yes for the bees

Leawood City Council has agreed to allow beekeeping within city limits, but only on larger lots.

Under an ordinance passed in September, residential property is allowed up to two beehives, which must be kept in the back yard. Beehives must be located at least 50 feet from the boundaries of the adjacent landscaped property, 75 feet from any building on adjacent land, and 100 feet from the drivable portion of a street, footpath or footpath. sidewalk.

Hives cannot be more than 5 feet tall, and a barrier should be installed to limit the area that bees can roam when they leave the hive to collect pollen and nectar.

Such barriers, consisting of dense landscaping or structure, are designed to limit the contact adjacent homeowners would have with bees, Leawood planning director Mark Klein told the planning committee. last summer.

Africanized bees, sometimes called “killer bees”, are prohibited, and the beekeeper must obtain a municipal permit for the hives.

Beehives will be permitted on agricultural land and in three types of residential zoning districts where the required lot area is 12,000 square feet or more. They are prohibited in areas with smaller minimum lots, even if a particular property reaches the 12,000 square foot threshold.

City officials studied the bylaws of several cities – including Lenexa, Overland Park, Shawnee, Olathe and Prairie Village – before drafting a proposal. City Council removed a provision allowing a beekeeper to place a beehive on someone else’s property if the owner gives permission. Instead, all beehives must be on the property of the beekeeper.

98 dogs rescued from a false shelter

A Mission-based animal welfare group took care of 98 dogs living in unsanitary conditions on a property that would have served as an animal shelter.

Unleashed Pet Rescue said that in late September, two pickup trucks were dispatched six hours south of Kansas City to retrieve the dogs. Shortly after the rescue, the agency began searching for donations and foster homes to help cope with the sudden influx.

“Of the rescues we’ve been involved in, this one is particularly sad considering we had to rescue dogs from someone posing as a rescue,” Danielle Reno, founder of Unleashed Pet Rescue, said in a statement. Press.

The statement said the owner used fraudulent documents and a relative’s nonprofit status to operate the bogus shelter. The owner reportedly welcomed the dogs and accepted the sponsorship money, but then neglected the animals. Some animals were kept in crates without food or water, and others were slaughtered by neighboring owners. Deceased animals were found on the property.

“Although the Unleashed Pet Rescue facility is already near full capacity, an immediate response has been taken,” the agency said in the press release.

New Criminal Justice Coordinator

Mike Brouwer began working in late September as the new Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinator. His job is to examine the data to identify the root causes of criminal behavior and find ways to improve the justice system.

“We are confident that Mike’s nationally recognized wealth of experience will help us continue to advance innovative approaches to criminal justice reform,” Deputy County Director Maury Thompson said in a statement. Press release.

Brouwer began his career in community mental health, including 14 years at Johnson County Mental Health Center. He worked for the Sheriff’s Offices in Johnson and Douglas Counties and in 2019 was appointed Criminal Justice Coordinator in Douglas County, which includes Lawrence.

The county said Brouwer’s work was presented in two White House briefings and a congressional hearing.

The 119th Street Bridge reopens in Olathe

The 119th Street bridge on Interstate 35 has reopened and motorists can now use the diverging diamond interchange that was built there.

“The new Divergent Diamond Interchange will improve safety by reducing points of traffic conflict and increase traffic capacity by improving turn movements to and from I-35,” the city said in a press release.

The bridge reopened on September 30. Work is expected to continue until the end of the year on other parts of the project, including the 119th Street bridges over the BNSF tracks.

Solidarity in pink

To show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Shawnee Police Department fitted one of their cruise cars with a graphic that contained pink. The department’s graphics application company will remove the large sticker once October is over and apply the usual font graphics package.

Lenexa to present police ‘use of force’ protocols

Once again this month, residents of Lenexa have the opportunity to learn how municipal police officers deal with the use of force at work. The experience will allow participants to get an overview of realistic scenarios using a video gun simulator.

“We have found that the public sometimes has misconceptions on this topic, which mainly came from movies, TV shows, social media and reports,” the city said in a press release.

The workshop, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon on October 23 at City Hall, covers the ministry’s policies, practices and training on the use of force, as well as the legal issues involved.

The free workshops have been held annually since 2016. Participants must be 18 years of age or older. Registration is required at lenexa.com.

Blue Valley sets academic record

Fifty-eight seniors from the Blue Valley School District were named National Merit Semifinalists this year, a record for the school district and the highest number for a Kansas district, the Blue Valley District announced.

Semi-finalists are chosen for their scores on a qualifying test and are shortlisted for prestigious university scholarships awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

October 23 is “Drug Support Day”

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has designated October 23 as “Recovery Day” for prescription drugs.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., various law enforcement agencies will accept prescription drugs, no questions asked, for proper disposal. In Leawood, for example, drugs can be brought to the city justice center, 4201 Town Center Drive. Liquids, sharps and inhalers will not be accepted.

Some police departments, including Overland Park and Lenexa, accept unwanted orders year round. For a full list of October 23 rerun events, visit deadiversion.usdoj.gov and click the Resume box.