Roxie Hammill

The Steinegers are part of a wave of nontraditional farmers in Kansas and Missouri who taking chances on niche crops — motivated by spirituality, tourism and simply giving back to their communities.

City councilmembers now will consider whether to make the chicken rules permanent and whether to reduce or drop the minimum land requirement. Overland Park's animal control department noted there have been no documented complaints on properties with chicken permits since the pilot began in March 2022.

With the county committing $1 million in federal funds, a Habitat for Humanity project at 159th Street and Blackbob Road will allow eligible applicants to own and collect partial equity on their homes, while the land remains in a trust so it can remain available to low-income buyers in the future.

Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden has been investigating election results for over a year, but has so far failed to produce any confirmed cases of voter fraud. An open records request revealed only a single case that has been referred to the district attorney, who said there was no evidence to support criminal charges.

Negro Creek runs for 6.5 miles south of 151st Street, through parts of Overland Park and Leawood, but few people knew its name until the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. An informal committee that included members of the NAACP and other community groups began exploring the creek's origin but couldn't agree on an alternative name for the creek.

The Johnson County Library Board voted unanimously to discontinue charging 30 cents for each day an item is overdue. The library will also forgive overdue fines already on the books, saying that embarrassment has been discouraging people from ever returning items or using the library.

Wild Bill Hickok was a figure in Shawnee history in the 1850s. The artwork, which was installed on Shawnee Mission Parkway and Nieman Road, depicts Hickok astride his legendary horse, Black Nell.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests backed legislation from a Johnson County lawmaker aimed at holding more people accountable when clergy abuse children.

In an area with a reputation for shunning other forms of transportation, a handful of Johnson County commuters have a message for colleagues, friends and other potential cyclists: It’s not so hard to quit being a driver.

Police officers in Johnson County’s biggest cities say they do not expect Missouri's impending recreational marijuana law to change much about their operations. Marijuana possession is still illegal, as is driving while impaired.