Kaylie McLaughlin

1 week ago | johnsoncountypost.com | Kaylie McLaughlin

Florent Wagner — Overland Park’s unofficial city historian and beloved keeper of countless stories — died late last month at the age of 87. Wagner, who never actually lived in the city of Overland Park but in neighboring Leawood, was integral in forming what is now the Overland Park Historical Society and worked for decades at the former Overland Park State Bank and Trust Company downtown. “We are extremely saddened by Florent’s passing,” Mayor Curt Skoog said in a statement to the Post.

1 week ago | johnsoncountypost.com | Kaylie McLaughlin

Students at Blue Valley North High School celebrated a week of kindness with a small walk event. The school’s SevenDays Club led the Kindness Walk on Thursday afternoon. Students walked around the track in groups as part of the event and tied up colorful written messages of kindness to the fence. SevenDays is an annual week-long event aimed at promoting kindness and tolerance.

2 weeks ago | johnsoncountypost.com | Kaylie McLaughlin

A new mixed residential neighborhood with single-family homes and duplexes planned near 172nd Street and Metcalf Avenue in southern Overland Park has cleared a key hurdle. Earlier this week, the Overland Park City Council voted 11-0 to advance the required rezoning and preliminary development plan, paving the way for the Blackhawk Trail development on the mostly untouched property at 17205 Metcalf Pl.The property is east of U.S. Highway 69, and the Blue River runs through the site.

2 weeks ago | johnsoncountypost.com | Kaylie McLaughlin

Overland Park has dealt a blow to a Kansas City-based home services company’s plans to make the old Waddell & Reed building in the city’s north its new headquarters. Southwind Management — the group behind five home services businesses including DreamLawn — had hoped to move into the 55-year-old building at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Lamar Avenue and use a portion of its large parking lot for overnight parking for some of its smaller service vehicles.

2 weeks ago | johnsoncountypost.com | Kaylie McLaughlin

Despite vocal objections from neighboring residents, a plan to build more than 900 new apartments and townhomes along with some commercial space in southern Overland Park is moving forward. The project on the one-time site of a city fire station near 159th Street and Metcalf Avenue includes more than 930 multifamily units, some civic space for community gathering and more than 20,000 square feet of commercial space. M159 RE LLC is listed as the developer.