Lee's Summit Town Hall

A casting change & the (likely) return of in-person commencement for LSR7 class of 2020

New City of Lee’s Summit City Council members take the oath of office and Nick & Jason sit down with Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Emily Miller to talk about the district’s new plan to hold in-person commencements at Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

Monday NewsLink: Graduations & Special Olympics go virtual... and more news from the community

NICK: Hello and welcome to Lee’s Summit Town Hall and your Monday News Link presented by Budget Blinds of Lee’s Summit and Shredd KC. I am Nick Parker and once again I am joined by The Historic Browning’s Liesl Hays.

LIESL: Each week, we'll take a few minutes to give you the news, happenings, and events around Lee's Summit.

NICK: Following guidance from the Jackson County Health Department, the Lee’s Summit R7 School District announced last week its post-poned graduation ceremony for the class of 2020 will be held virtually on July 25. The video commencement will be held for Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit West and Summit Ridge Academy graduates. Ceremony times will be announced at a later date.

LIESL: As with so many other events, Special Olympics Missouri pivoted its Summer games to a virtual format this year. Eight students from the LSR7 School District earned honors at the games. Congratulations to: Rhys Burke, Joslyn Sabol, Julius Jones, John Scheuer, Nolan Skelsey, Quentin Ford, Thomas Clapp and Anna Schwager. For more information, visit Link2Lee’s Summit.com.

NICK: Five principals and assistant principals from the LSR7 School District have filed discrimination lawsuits in the Circuit Court of Jackson County. Filing the suits are Heather Kenney, Jodi Mallette, Brooke Morehead, Stacy Orf and Beth Ratty.

LIESL: Public art projects continue to pop up around the community. In addition to sculptures in downtown and at some of the City’s parks, a new photo project has been unveiled outside the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street offices in the south alley off Third Street. Inspired by a project in Joplin, Mo, the We Are Lee’s Summit projects features hundreds of photos of Local residents using their own words to describe their place in our community. The project also contains an interactive feature for visitors to participate through social media. For more information visit the We Are Lee’s Summit Facebook page.

NICK: The Greater Lee’s Summit Healthcare Foundation has launched a limited, matching-donation fundraiser to support local nonprofits in the fight against COVID-19. The foundation will donate matching funds for the first $5,000 raised from online contributions this sumer. All funds raised will be applied toward the COVID-related needs of local nonprofits. More details are available at Link2Lee’s Summit.com.

LIESL: Have an event, tip, or question, contact us on Facebook & Instagram at Link 2 Lee’s Summit, on Twitter @lstownhall or through email nick@link2leessummit.com.

Friday Conversation: Maryam Khalil on #OurStruggleLSR7, tackling racism in her community & the need to speak up

Stanford University freshman and Lee's Summit West alum Maryam Khalil drops by the studio for a conversation about her role in launching the #OurStruggleLSR7 Twitter thread, petitioning the LSR7 School District for change, and her need to take on the issues of diversity and inclusion in Lee's Summit.

Some kudos; the many layers of the LR7 equity conversation & let's all go to the market!

After a short, but needed, week off, Jason and Nick return to the podcast just in time to celebrate a group of involved citizens, see the City Council to take up the FY21 budget and to look at the LSR7 School District and community-wide conversation on equity and diversity. And in the second half of the show, Nick sits down with Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street's Ashley Nowell and local farmers Karin Velez and Katie Farrar for a conversation about the farmers market.

Monday NewsLink: Race & diversity conversations in Lee's Summit; election results highlight local news

Your Monday NewsLink for the week of June 8, 2020. Election results, protests, rallies & conversations on race and equality dominate the news in the past week.

After 2-month delay, voters hit the polls for local elections

Despite a two-month delay, fears of leaving the house, changes to many polling locations and attention shifts to the pandemic and a national conversation on race, 16% of registered hit the polls on Tuesday for the local election. Hosts Nick Parker and Jason Norbury break down the results, which includes the election of the first African-American member of the Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education.

Monday NewsLink: Phase 2 Reopening begins and Tuesday is Election Day

Your Monday NewsLink for the week of June 1, 2020. Jackson County, Mo officially moves into Phase 2 of its reopening plan and a few notes about Tuesday's municipal election.

One final look at Tuesday's ballot

If this spring's municipal election season were a baseball game, we'd now finally be heading into the bottom half of the 27th inning. Lee's Summit Town Hall hosts Nick Parker & Jason Norbury take one final look at the ballot issues, as well as Board of Education and City Council candidates.

The changing polling locations and a look at the LSR7 bond issue

A two-month delay combined with changes to many polling locations has Jason and Nick worried (more than usual) about voter turnout next week. And a conversation about the LSR7 bond issue.

Monday NewsLink: Phase 2 is coming & so is the local election

Your weekly quick look into the news, events and happenings from around Lee’s Summit. On this Monday we’re looking at the next phase of reopening for Jackson County, the changing of polling locations for the upcoming election, some new courses through UCM and the City is asking for residents’ input.