LS Lowdown: 🏆 LS Champions, Drones, & Deviled Eggs

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Hey Lee’s Summit! Here’s what’s happening this week!

Welcome back to the Lee’s Summit Lowdown! I’m so glad you’re here. If you’re seeing this a little later than usual, it’s because I’ve been out of town this week. (Not at all bummed to be in 80 degree weather when LS got snow!)

Because I was traveling, I may have missed a few events or updates from the last few days. To make sure you’re fully in the loop, I’ll be sending out a special “Catch-Up” mini-edition early in the week to cover anything that slipped through the cracks. For now, let’s dive into the huge wins our community celebrated while I was away!

Inside this edition:

  • ☘️ LS Traditions: Why the fun is just starting (looking at you, Downtown Days).

  • 📉 Market Watch: A tiny bit of breathing room in the LS housing market.

  • 🐝 To the Bee: Meet the local middle schooler heading to D.C.

  • 🏛️ The Loop: A recap of City Hall and the School Board.

  • 🍴 Roots & Fashion: Deviled Eggs at Roots and shopping for a cause at Anchora Bella.

☘️ Beyond Shamrock – Upcoming LS Annual Events

We just wrapped up the Emerald Isle Pub Crawl and Shamrock the Block, but I heard from some of you that you would like a bit more notice about some upcoming events. While I don’t have the specific dates for all of these yet, Lee’s Summit has several upcoming annual events to look forward to! Here are some of my faves:

  • Downtown Days (June 5-7): The ultimate summer festival with carnival rides and local makers.

  • Fourth Fridays Art Walk (4th Friday of the month, starting in April): Pop-ups from local artists and live music performances inside and outside of our participating shops and restaurants.

  • Oktoberfest (September, exact date TBD): This is where you’ll find the famous “Kinderstrassen” for the kids and the best bratwursts in the state.

  • 12-ish Bars of Christmas (December): For when you need a little holiday spirit (literally) and a reason to wear that ugly sweater.

News this week:

📉 Housing Market Dip: Even though LS remains very competitive, prices have cooled slightly. The median home sale price is currently $352,000 (a 10.8% decrease from last year). Homes are spending about 38 days on the market – giving buyers just a tiny bit more breathing room.

🎖️ A Hero’s Legacy: A huge congratulations to the late Jamie Taylor of the LSPD, who was posthumously honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for emergency dispatch excellence. Her legacy of service is something our entire city can be proud of.

🏢 Major “Homecoming”: Retired Colonel Roger Stottlemyre has been appointed to the Missouri Gaming Commission. As a former director of the commission and a local resident, it’s a big win for Lee’s Summit to have his expertise back in the mix.

🐝 To the Bee!: We have a National Spelling Bee contestant! A local middle schooler is officially heading to D.C. after winning the regionals.

⏪ The LS Loop

What happened while you were living your life last week.

​🏛️ City Hall Highlights

  • ​🚓 Tech Upgrade: Council reviewed a massive hardware refresh for the LSPD. We’re talking 182 new body cameras, updated Tasers, and 4 Skydio drones.

  • ​🚑 Safety First: Over $200,000 was approved for new structural firefighting gear and 11 powered stair chairs to help EMS transport patients more safely.

  • ​🏗️ Progress Reports: The Paragon Star “Preserve” apartments got a sales tax exemption boost to keep construction moving, and the Legacy Ridge project (Ward & Hook Rd) officially moved into its first reading.

  • ​✂️ Red Tape: Council advanced new rules to make the development process faster for small, “infill” projects and minor revisions.

  • ​🤝 Sealed & Signed: Labor agreements with the Fraternal Order of Police are now official, along with the $50,000 funding for World Cup “Football Fridays.”

​🏫 LSR7 Board Meeting: The High-Fives

​If you missed the meeting, it was basically one giant celebration for our kids.

  • ​🏆 Making History: LSHS wrestler Clara became the first female in school history to earn a state medal.

  • ​📣 Cheer Champs: LS West (Co-ed and Girls) both took home 1st Place at Nationals.

  • ​🏀 Undefeated: The LS North Special Olympics unified basketball team is undefeated and heading to State!

  • ​🐝 Spelling Bee Repeat: 6th grader Becket Griffin is heading back to the National Spelling Bee in D.C. for the second year in a row!

​💰 The Boring but Important School Business

  • ​Approved: The 2026-2027 employee compensation package is officially a go.

  • ​Clarified: The board approved a contract for “Honest Game” (sports academic compliance) after realizing a “$5 per student” marketing line was actually a flat fee.

🛍️ Shop LS Spotlight

Keeping it local, one shop at a time.

Anchora Bella Boutique

The Experience: Anchora Bella is a staple of our Downtown district. They specialize in trendy, high-quality women’s fashion and unique accessories.

The “LS” Factor: They are known for their “host-a-cause” shopping events, where a portion of their sales goes directly to local non-profits and school groups. Supporting them means you’re supporting the whole community.

Why Visit: Whether you’re looking for a “Lucky Girl” St. Paddy’s tee or a fresh spring dress, the staff is incredibly helpful and the prices are surprisingly approachable.

Location: 100 SE 3rd St

🍴 Local Eats & Treats: What’s for Dinner?

Where to Eat: Roots Seasonal Cuisine

If you haven’t visited Roots, you’re missing out on one of the most intentional dining experiences in the city. They focus on hyper-local, farm-to-table ingredients that change with the Missouri seasons.

The Vibe: Modern, cozy, and sophisticated without being stuffy. It feels like a special occasion even on a Tuesday.

Jen’s Recommendation: The Deviled Egg Flight. When I saw a Bloody Mary egg and one with hot honey… I knew it was going to be great!

Location: 940 NW Blue Pkwy

🎸 Live & Local

Where to find the best tunes this week.

Know a local musician I missed? Hit reply and let me know who’s playing next weekend!

📝 The Weekly Lineup

Put these on your radar so you don’t miss out.

Monday, March 16

  • 🎶 Spring Break Anthems Music Bingo: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Craft Putt

Tuesday, March 17 (St. Paddy’s Day! ☘️)

Wednesday, March 18

Thursday, March 19

Friday, March 20

✍️ Help Me Shape the Lowdown

Nominations Open: I want to highlight the people you care about. Use our new Community Nomination Form to tell me which local business or neighbor I should feature next!

We talked today about the housing market cooling just a bit, giving buyers some breathing room. As our city continues to grow and change, I want to make sure the Lowdown covers what matters to you.

What’s one part of Lee’s Summit you hope never changes, no matter how much we grow? Whether it’s a specific view, a local shop, or just the way neighbors wave on your street – hit reply and let me know. 

Thanks for being part of the Lowdown crew!

– Jen

 Editor, Lee’s Summit Lowdown

P.S. Huge congrats to Becket on the Spelling Bee win! Meanwhile, I’m over here still relying on spellcheck to get through this newsletter every week. If you spot a typo, just consider it a “pop quiz” to see if you’re paying attention! 🐝✍️

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