JoCo off-leash dog areas are open again

The Johnson County Parks and Recreation District announced Wednesday that gates at its “off-leash dog areas have returned to normal function,” according to a JCPRD tweet.

Off-leash dog areas are located at Heritage Park, Shawnee Mission Park and Kill Creek Streamway Park.

Gates at our off-leash dog areas have returned to normal function.

Thank you very much to everyone for your patience and assistance during this period!

Enjoy the dog park! pic.twitter.com/PFwHNZssUT

— JCPRD (@JCPRDparks) May 26, 2020

Kansas District 48 Democratic officials name Jennifer Day to replace former Rep. Dave Benson

Jennifer Day, a Democrat, is now Kansas’ House District 48 representative after she “was nominated by convention” of Democratic party officials.

Day is replacing former Blue Valley School District Superintendent Dave Benson, a Democrat who resigned because he is moving out of the country. Day is a 20-year Johnson County resident who says she is focused on “protecting public schools” and “access to affordable healthcare.”

“I visited Kansas after graduating college, and immediately felt like I was home,” Day said in a press release. “As it turns out, I do have deep roots here with a three-times great grandfather abolitionist who settled in Eudora before Kansas even became a state. It seems like fate that I settled just about 20 miles east of where my ancestors landed all those years ago. Kansas runs deep in my blood.”

Day will be sworn in on June 3 before the special session begins, and filed for re-election to the seat on Thursday morning.

Mission, Harvesters to host food pantry Saturday, May 30 at SM North

The city of Mission is hosting a Harvesters mobile food pantry on Saturday, May 30, at 7:30 a.m. The event will be held at Shawnee Mission North High School, 7401 Johnson Drive, and will be first come, first served.

A group of women at the Milhaven Homes Association in Mission organized a food drive to contribute to Saturday’s food pantry. The group, led by Sue Walton, procured 75 bags of groceries to donate. Additionally, feminine hygiene products will be distributed at the food pantry as a result of a hygiene product drive held by Tyler’s House KC and Giving Hope and Help last weekend.

JoCo museums participating in KC Virtual Museum Day, May 29

Several Johnson County museums are participating in KC Virtual Museum Day, May 29. The virtual museum day is a way “for museums to celebrate community, share stories that matter and help the Greater KC area connect,” according to KC Virtual Museum Day’s Facebook.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., museums will be showing videos and live streaming on the event’s YouTube channel. Below are some of the Johnson County museums participating:

• Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
• Mahaffie Stagecoach
• Shawnee Town 1929
• Johnson County Museum

To tune into the event, visit its Facebook page here.