Latest news with #KansasCityCityCouncil
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Council authorizes KC Current to negotiate park along levee near CPKC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City City Council unanimously gave new City Manager Mario Vazquez the go-ahead to begin negotiations Thursday with the Kansas City Current and developers on a new park along the levee at Berkley Riverfront Park. There's a quick timeline for the project. The city wants the project done in time for the World Cup at no cost to the city. Legislator Manny Abarca pleads not guilty to domestic battery charges in Johnson County People already enjoying the walkways along the Berkley Riverfront have watched the area transform before their eyes over the past few years. New additions include apartments, CPKC Stadium, a hotel and a mixed-use riverfront district under construction. 'I moved from the Northland, and it's really nice to be along the river and all these walking paths,' Katelyn Banning said. 'This used to be kind of the festival grounds. So seeing it come back to life is really exciting for me. I've always been in the KC area really looking forward to it, especially with the streetcar too and 2026 with all the soccer coming this way it's going to be awesome. I'm really excited,' Shelby Richardson said. With an eye toward the World Cup now just one year away, the Kansas City Current announced this week plans for a new levee park. But since it's city land, it needs city approval. 'I think this is a long way from what the riverfront used to be, so I commend our developers and who have worked in connection with this,' Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said before Thursday's vote. Renderings show Levee Park with native plants, curated landscaping and new trails and an overlook taking joggers and outdoor enthusiasts safely closer to the water. Besides other amenities like children's play areas and performance spaces, there's one other favorite part of the deal for Kansas City lawmakers. Royals doubleheader recap: Jac Caglianone debut, hot bats, more 'The city desires to grant an easement and enter into an agreement to secure the improvements at no cost to the city. Let's see how many times I can say at no cost to the city,' Councilwoman Andrea Bough joked, completing a summary of the plan that pointed out several times the city won't pay for the park. 'This is something that we would love to do, but it would have cost too much for us to do it. So this is a great way to get a project done that we don't have to invest money into, and yet it's going to have a great impact on the city.' Kansas City Current's owners, Angie and Chris Long, who will pay for the park, said in a statement, 'By transforming this unused space into a beautiful new community asset, we hope to inspire Kansas Citians to engage with the water in ways we haven't yet imagined.' The agreement that will now be negotiated calls for the Kansas City Current and developers to operate and maintain the park for the next 50 years. Once negotiations are finalized, park developers will still need to get Army Corps of Engineers approval as they work to get the project done by the World Cup next summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Metro Tow owner, mother plead not guilty to illegal towing charges
The owner of a Kansas City towing company and his mother pleaded not guilty Monday to 18 felony charges for illegal towing practices, court records show. Donald Adamson, the owner of Metro Tow and Transport, and his mother, Lannette Adamson, were both charged with four counts of stealing, four counts of forgery, and one count of first-degree harassment in Jackson County. The pair is accused of falsifying documents to illegally tow vehicles without proper authorization, charging victims large and illegal fees, and holding vehicles. The charges came after a months-long investigation following multiple complaints to Kansas City police stretching back several years, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a news release when charges were announced on April 15. The Adamsons appeared in court on Monday with separate attorneys to enter their pleas. They are both scheduled to return to court for a settlement conference on June 11. The two also have a pending case in Platte County where they are both charged with three felony counts of tampering with a motor vehicle and three felony counts of forgery. There is also an investigation into felony property damage of a pole camera near the company's tow lot that was shot out in late March. Someone in a black pickup truck, consistent with a 1996 to 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, was seen firing rounds at the camera. Five shell casings were collected from the scene near the camera, which is valued at more than $5,000. Metro Tow employees and Adamson are suspected in the shooting, prosecutors said. Two days after the announcement of charges, tow truck driver James Basham was charged with two counts of felony harassment for allegedly blocking two journalists in their car at Metro Tow's lot. The Adamsons' arrests sparked quick reaction from local lawmakers who said the community has been victims of these practices for years. The Kansas City City Council passed an ordinance on Thursday, sponsored by councilmember Darrell Curls, that includes establishing a 'towed vehicle owner' bill of rights, an online system to report all tows and a public awareness campaign to inform citizens about illegal towing. Kansas City currently already has ordinances against non-consensual towing. Officials must return to the council in 30 days with a status report. The Jackson County legislature is aiming to pass an ordinance that requires a tow license, registration, and penalties for companies that don't comply. The county's proposed ordinance, sponsored by legislators DaRon McGee and Venessa Huskey, will also require fees for its towing license. Tow companies would have to pay Jackson County $1,000 per year and $250 per vehicle for a tow license at the beginning of next year. Kansas City police also recently opened a tip line for victims of predatory towing, where they have received more than 100 complaints, spokesperson Cpt. Jake Becchina previously told The Star. Previous reporting by Ilana Arougheti contributed to this article.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Loved ones, officials remember slain KC paramedic at funeral: ‘A walking angel‘
One of the Bible verses on the wall outside Pleasant Valley Baptist Church's sanctuary is from the Book of Matthew, a verse that embodies how officials and loved ones described slain Kansas City firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman. The verse, from chapter 7, verse 12, reads: 'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.' Dozens of firefighters and first responders from local agencies, to first responders from as far as California, filled the church and lined the the sanctuary walls Friday to honor Hoffman, who was killed in the line of duty April 27, after he was fatally stabbed by a patient he was treating in an ambulance. During the public visitation, hundreds paid their respects to Hoffman while the lobby buzzed with first responder brotherhood. Hugs, handshakes, back slaps and well wishes spread throughout the building as attendees coped with the loss of one of their own. Hoffman's casket was open, with his firefighter jacket and helmet standing up next to him, and an American flag draped over his casket. Flowers, shaped into Kansas City Fire Department insignia, were displayed in the pulpit and on both sides of the casket. First responders and loved ones signed Kansas City Fire Department signs commemorating Hoffman outside the sanctuary. During the funeral, Hoffman's older brother, Noah, said he always looked up to his younger brother and recollected on his loving spirit in the family's first public comment since Hoffman's death. 'He is a walking angel,' Noah said during his emotional speech. 'People always say you can give the shirt off his back. He is the person that would have done that.' The elder sibling recalled how Hoffman was good at everything he did, and was always a competitor in sports. As kids, the brothers played with each other in sports, like homemade mini golf and wiffleball games, and camped in their backyard, ringing neighbors' doorbells and running away, known to many as the classic game, Ding Dong Ditch. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who spoke first at the funeral, mentioned Hoffman's beaming smile and generous, kind personality that loved ones conveyed to him in the days since Hoffman's death. Lucas was one of several public officials who attended the service, including members of the Kansas City City Council, Jackson County legislature, and prosecutors for Jackson County and Clay County. 'Based on everything I've heard about Graham from those who knew him best, it should not be a challenge to keep his memory alive, and indeed, we all will make sure that we continue to do that,' Lucas said. Hoffman was 29 years old, and joined the Kansas City Fire Department in 2022. He was stationed at Station 42 in southeast Kansas City and was working overtime in Kansas City's Northland at the time of his death. Hoffman started his career working for Belton Fire Department, whose officials were in attendance, and joined Kansas City Fire during one of the biggest staffing shortages in department history, Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said during his speech. 'I remember getting a call from the Belton chief, and he was grumbling to me that I was taking one of his best young men,' Grundyson said. 'I was so glad to have Graham on our team during his time at KC.' Hoffman was a skilled paramedic who saved many lives while remaining calm and compassionate, Grundyson said. On April 27, Hoffman was sent with a partner on a routine call to the area of North Oak Trafficway and MO-152 around 1 a.m. Hoffman was treating the patient in the ambulance on the way to the hospital when he was allegedly stabbed in the heart by the woman they had been called to transport. The woman, identified as Shanetta Bossell, allegedly also tried to steal the ambulance after the act and bit the police officer who tried to stop her, just days after being arrested for biting another off-duty officer in another incident, for which she was deemed a danger to the public. Bossell has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest in the death of Hoffman in Clay County. Bossell has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lucas pledged to get justice for the fallen firefighter, and to make sure Hoffman's name is known. 'Graham, in many ways, is the best of Kansas City,' Lucas said. Hoffman has already received tributes throughout the state. On the night of his death, Union Station displayed red, gold, and black, the colors of the Kansas City Fire Department crest. Fundraisers have raised over $100,000 for Hoffman's family. On Friday, American and Missouri flags were flown at half-staff at government buildings in Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City, and firehouses statewide. Hoffman would have turned 30 on May 9. Bagpipes and drums from several local and state agencies, including the Olathe Fire Department and the Springfield Fire Department, rang like a chorus throughout the sanctuary as 'Amazing Grace' was played towards the end of the ceremony. Uniformed officials put on their caps and wiped away their tears during the soulful rendition. The same bagpipes played as Hoffman's casket was walked outside with family and loved ones in front of more than 100 saluting first responders after the service ended. The casket was placed onto a Station 42 fire truck, the first vehicle to begin the procession that drove under a giant waving American flag outside of the church, held high by two KCFD pumper trucks. The procession, which wound through the metro and passed by Station 42, featured local agencies using flashing lights on their vehicles. But before his final journey, those at the funeral were reminded to honor Hoffman by embracing the positivity he was known for, even in this time of tragedy. Rev. Adam James, a deacon at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, performed a eulogy focused on balancing mournful emotions of rage and anger with Hoffman's love-centered attitude, which James called Christ-like. Hoffman's girlfriend told James that the fallen firefighter would not want people to be angry at Bossell, James said. 'She said, 'You can be mad, but you'll have to let that go. Graham would want you to turn this negative into a positive,' James said. Hoffman's giving spirit is also reflected in his decision to be an organ donor. His organs, donated through Midwest Transplant Network, are estimated to impact more than 100 lives, Grundyson said. Noah Hoffman said he never wanted to bury his little brother, but telling people how much Hoffman meant to him was the highlight of his week. He thanked everyone for their love and support. 'Just seeing all you guys look up here, I mean, just makes me feel so good,' Noah said. 'And just having these fleeting moments of bliss are so good for me and my family. So I just want you guys to know how much it means to us all. Everything you guys have all done it's been wonderful.'
