Latest news with #Toni'sItalianRestaurant
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Italian restaurant says goodbye to Olathe as local businesses shutter for highway project
After serving Olathe residents and families for nearly seven years, Toni's Italian Restaurant served its last customers at its Santa Fe Street location on Sunday. 'Saying goodbye to our Olathe location has been incredibly difficult, not just for our guests but for us as well,' the restaurant posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday. 'These last few days have been bittersweet, and it's hard to walk away from a place filled with so many memories.' Toni Curri and Mario Maluko opened the Olathe location in 2018 and a new location in Shawnee about two months ago — which will serve as the restaurant's home base moving forward since it's been hard for the owners to find a new spot to rent in Olathe. 'Unfortunately the closure is entirely due to the upcoming I-35 Highway project,' the Facebook post read. 'This past year has been one of the most stressful for our family as we've searched for a new location in Olathe. While we're grateful to still have our Shawnee restaurant open, we haven't yet found a space that fits our needs.' The nearly $200 million project is for needed improvements on Santa Fe Street from Ridgeview to Mur-Len roads, and to construct a new interchange at Interstate 35. According to previous Star reporting, city officials say the interchange has a crash rate about six times the national average. In order to make improvements, the city has to acquire the land and purchase properties — valued at nearly $22 million total — demolish them and make way for the project. The project is expected to displace 20 businesses and construction is set to begin in late 2026 or early 2027 and will last through 2029, according to previous Star reporting. The city is scheduled to host a public meeting on March 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Indian Creek Library (16100 W. 135th St.) for residents to learn more about the improvements. Olathe spokesperson Cody Kennedy told the Star via email that the city has been in constant communication with all of the property owners and businesses affected by the project. 'As set forth by strict state and federal laws in the process, we provide advisory services and administer payments needed to accommodate moves. Tenants are however required to find their own location,' Kennedy said in the email. Toni's Italian is one of the businesses that leased its location and required to find a new spot, but it's been hard to find a replacement because of high rent for other buildings in the area, Bajram Maluko, the owners' father and father-in-law, told the Star on Thursday. The Santa Fe Street location cost about $7,500 per month, he said. Other locations the family explored were asking for $12,000 a month and another for $23,000 a month. 'That's too much spaghetti,' Maluko said. 'We got three families feeding from this business, you know? … It's hard because everything's expensive now, it's not easy.' The Double Nickel, a local bar, announced it will also close its doors because of the Santa Fe project after serving Olathe for 30 years. Mary Armstrong, the Double Nickel's owner for eight years, declined to comment further on the bar's closure and the project. AR's Breakfast and Brunch closed its spot at the intersection at the end of the year, but it hopes to find a new location in town soon. Bikes for the Likes of Us relocated to downtown Olathe, and Evexia Health and Fitness moved to a new studio on Antioch Road in Overland Park. Karen Morris, the owner of Sweet Tee's Coffee Shop on Santa Fe, told The Star that her business won't have to close for the construction, but the road closures will affect how customers will access her shop. 'I think about 60 to 70% of our customers come off of Santa Fe,' Morris estimated. 'Hopefully the shopping center will work with us on some signage to help direct customers in entering the shopping center.' While she won't have to close and she understands the need for the roadway improvements, she's sad to see the impacts it's had on her friends and fellow local business owners who rent out spaces. 'That's the thing I've struggled with the most is the ones who have the most impact are those who don't own their properties,' Morris said. 'The landlords are going to get their fair value for their property, but for the business to find a place to move with inflation on rent… They [the city] are making efforts to help these businesses but it's still not enough based on how the market is.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Accusers speak on Jackson County decision: ‘This is way beyond us'
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office wouldn't elaborate on the decision it's standing by regarding not filing criminal charges in a sexual misconduct case against former pastor and school board president Bobby Hawk. However, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson took to social media to share more on the statute of limitations. 'A deadline that determines how long prosecutors have to file criminal charges after a crime occurs,' Prosecutor Johnson shared on what a statute of limitations is in Missouri. 'Once the deadline passes, under state law, we can no longer charge someone with that crime.' Toni's Italian Restaurant closing Olathe location because of I-35 Highway project Prosecutor Johnson added that her office must follow state laws along with time limits.'Some serious crimes like murder, rape, sodomy, or any other class A felony, has no state of limitations, meaning charges can be filed at any time,' she shared. Her office said Tuesday that the time to prosecute these potential crimes against Hawk has expired in this case.'Other felonies must be charged within three years of when the crime occurred and misdemeanors have [an] even shorter time limit of one year.' FOX4 asked what crimes Hawk was accused of, and what classification this would fall under, but the Prosecutor's Office said it would be unethical to say what charges could have been brought not referring to this specific case, Prosecutor Johnson rounded out her educational video by saying: 'When the statute of limitations bars of office from pursuing charges, it does not necessarily mean we don't think the crime occurred, it's about following our state laws.'Hawks' accusers say something must give. 'We are not done with Bobby Hawk. We are not done with him, but this is way beyond us. The laws on the statute of limitation, I think everyone now knows is very skewed. There are thousands of victims out there that aren't being able to go forward and confront their accuser, their assaulters, and stuff like that, and that has to stop,' Destiny Bounds, an accuser said. 'We don't want anybody else in a situation that the Church makes us vulnerable and that it continues to happen.' Two Kansas City-area cocktail bars mourning loss of two team members Bounds is one of several women who've spoken up about sexual misconduct claims against Bobby Hawk. She says her experiences were from about 25 years ago.'If we have enough people come forward that they are seeing that the statute of limitations is just doing people more harm than good. Right? Because our laws are here to assist in the community, to help us, and if they see there is enough harm being done, I feel like that has got to create change in itself,' Bounds continued. On Tuesday, Bounds and others learned no charges will be filed in the case against Hawk. The prosecutor is citing Missouri's State of Limitations. Bounds says devastation then took over. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office is referring to this statute.'This is why so many women don't want to come forward. Anybody. Men. Women. Anybody. They don't want to step forward, because they are like 'Well that's just what's going to happen.' I just want to say, 'Don't let this stop you,'' Bounds explained. Support stretches through their own stories and experiences with Hawk. Ali Terwilliger and Destiny Bounds met last year after these allegations came to light.'You would have been 11 (years old),' she said referring to Ali. 'I would have 12, passing in time of going to an Assemblies of God Church when we were kids. That's when the incidents happened with me and my sister and where he was in a leadership role in the church at that time,' Bounds and Bounds want people to know, their voices and stories matter.'For us, the second that I heard Izzy's story last year, this was a trauma that had been hidden in my heart for many, many, years and it just broke me to know that someone else had gone through that. Someone that was so precious to me and someone that I knew,' Terwilliger said. 'I would hope that anyone who has experienced something like this, especially with Bobby specifically, that they would join us in this fight to make sure that he can no longer hurt anyone else in this way.''There are several victims that are spanned over different states and churches that are across state lines. There will be numerous churches involved,' Bounds added. Kansas City man sentenced for assaulting officer, illegal ammunition The Prosecutor's Office has shared, if any new evidence or allegations come to light, it will be reviewed. The two women accusing Hawk are urging anyone with any similar experiences, related to this case, and this man, to contact the Blue Springs Police Department. Below are ways to contact police, as they've shared with FOX4. You can remain anonymous. Sergeant Keegan HughesBlue Springs Police Department(816) 220-2693 or email khughes@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Toni's Italian Restaurant closing Olathe location because of I-35 Highway project
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A popular, family-owned Italian restaurant in Olathe, Kansas announced Tuesday afternoon that it will be closing its doors because of an upcoming road improvement project on Interstate 35. Toni's Italian Restaurant, owned by Toni Curri and Mario Maloku, opened its Olathe location back in 2018. Now, nearly seven years later, the restaurant made the breaking announcement that its flagship eatery will no longer be operating. Travis Kelce battled 'pretty big illness' ahead of Super Bowl LIX 'As many of you know—some of you even personally—Mario and Toni have poured their hearts into building this family-owned restaurant. Saying goodbye to our Olathe location has been incredibly difficult, not just for our guests but for us as well,' . 'These last few days have been bittersweet, and it's hard to walk away from a place filled with so many memories.' According to Toni's, the closure stems from the upcoming . The interchange's aims to improve safety and ease traffic congestion for drivers after it has seen an increase in traffic accidents. But the project doesn't just come with a $200 million price tag; it also comes with the cost of many businesses along the corridor, including Toni's. The restaurant said the project is 'entirely' the reason for its closure and that over the last year, it has been trying to find a place to relocate. However, the search has come up unsuccessful due to high costs and other buildings not having the components to fill the restaurant's needs. In an interview with , co-owner Maloku said, 'Moving an apartment is difficult, let alone a whole business.' He continued, 'I hope they treat everybody with respect because all these businesses that are forced to move from these locations, it's going to be very difficult. This is people's livelihood.' Even though the Olathe location will no longer be operating, it another spot in Shawnee, — located at 22716 Midland Drive — giving regulars a place to continue ordering one of the many authentic Italian cuisines from . But that isn't all. The restaurant also assured the residents of Olathe that it would not be left out entirely. Two in hospital after road rage incident, shooting in Prairie Village 'Please know that although we are leaving this location, we are not leaving you,' Toni's said. 'We will continue catering events throughout Olathe and the surrounding areas, and we will also offer takeout through different companies as much as possible so you can still enjoy our food.' 'Your support means the world to us, and we'll keep you updated as we continue this journey.' Toni's Italian Restaurant doesn't operate on Mondays; however, it is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and Tuesdays through Thursdays, as well as 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information about Toni's and to see its menu, . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
