Lee's Summit Lowdown

Welcome to the Lowdown! I am so glad you’re here!

Happy Sunday, Lee’s Summit! ☀️

It’s back to school week, and I am just not ready. Summer flew by, and then I went shopping yesterday and saw Halloween decorations already on display. Halloween. In August. Anyway, deep breath. Here’s what’s happening around town this week. Let’s get into it! 👇

🎒 Back to School Week Is Here

School starts Wednesday, so get those alarms set. (RIP to sleeping in, we hardly knew ye.) A few things to know before the first bell: minor road construction has the Hawthorne Hill bus entrance temporarily closed. It should reopen quickly, but give yourself extra time if that’s your pickup or drop-off spot.

The district’s New Teacher Academy welcomed this year’s new hires with $150 gift cards from the LS Educational Foundation, and the Chamber of Commerce breakfast that’s part of the Academy included a farewell speech from outgoing Teacher of the Year Aubrey Shortino. The night before, Convocation packed the house: keynote speaker Colonel Arthur Athens, Board President Stacie Myers, incoming Teacher of the Year Chris Walker, Support Staff Member of the Year Zack Pros, and the LSR5 Band brought the energy, with three state representatives plus several city officials in the crowd. Not a bad way to kick off a year.

👶 Kid City USA’s Swann Road Location Is Closed for Good

Kid City USA is closing its Swann Road location for good, telling families through a notice on the childcare app sent at 3pm on a Wednesday, with the doors shut two days later on Friday. Enrollment had fallen from about 80 kids to 22, and the company pointed to that along with the landlord selling the building. Parents are now scrambling for backup care with almost no runway. One mom of an autistic son put it plainly: “Giving parents two days notice to find care isn’t enough time. You are putting a financial burden on other people.” Staff got no severance and won’t be paid out for unused PTO, even though several of them had their own kids enrolled there too.

The company’s only public comment, from CEO Audrey Bruner, was that no other locations are closing right now. Stories like this are the ones that stick with me. If you know a family affected, Missouri Childhood Resource and Referral can help find open slots: 573-415-8605 or mochildcareaware.org/child-care-search.

🏗️ New Townhomes Planned for Fourth & Green

Omni 360 Development wants to build 28 stacked rental townhomes on a small infill lot just southwest of Fourth and Green downtown, with Collins | Webb Architecture designing. The pitch is about 40 new residents downtown, rents targeted around $2,300 a month, and construction potentially starting by the end of the year. Forty new neighbors, and I still can’t find parking downtown on a Friday night, so we’ll see how that goes.

🎉 New Names Coming to Town

A handful of things opening or newly confirmed around town:

• Costco’s official opening date is October 2, at 1690 NW Chipman Road. Straight from Costco’s own site this time, so it’s locked in for real.

• Kid to Kid Lee’s Summit‘s grand opening runs this Thursday through Sunday (Aug 27-30) at 300 NE 291 Hwy, with giveaways and exclusive drops all weekend. Kid consignment heaven.

• Hometown Subs is opening at 11 SE 3rd St, right in the middle of downtown. No opening date yet, but the name alone tells you exactly what you’re getting.

• Well Read Bookstore opens Friday, Aug 28, at 241 SE Main St. Downtown’s book people, rejoice.

🚧 Heads Up: Two Road Closures to Plan Around

MoDOT is replacing the bridge at the MO-291/US-50 interchange, and the big closure starts soon: northbound MO-291 shuts down between US-50’s south and north sides from September 11 through November 13, with US-50’s left lanes closed too. The whole project wraps up January 2027. This affects Blue Springs and eastern Jackson County commuters too, not just us.

Closer to home, NW Ward Road and NW O’Brien Road close to through traffic starting Monday, for about two months. Ward closes between NW Blue Parkway and NW Chipman Road; O’Brien closes between Executive Way and NW Donovan Road. Weather permitting, so the timeline could shift. Consider this your permission to find a new route to Costco early. Updates at cityofLS.net/Ward.

⏪ THE LS LOOP

City Council: Judges want more court time, and after a nearly four-hour meeting Tuesday (yes, four hours), council voted 5-2, with Mayor Lopez recused, to direct staff toward a pay raise that would roughly double court capacity, per the meeting agenda. Nothing’s final yet, it comes back for an actual vote within 30 days, and the no votes came down to a charter technicality, not a “the court doesn’t need help” stance. One resident used his entire three minutes of public comment for a Secretariat metaphor: “let them run, let them run.” Iconic.

Also from the meeting: a Flock camera privacy briefing from Chief Forbes (no, they’re not watching what you order in the Taco Bell drive-through, he clarified), and a big honor for Fire Chief Snyder, newly sworn in as second vice president of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

LSR-7 School Board: Four contracts, all 7-0: turf work and Miller Park design tied to the current bond project, a five-year benefits rate lock, and SPED-related renovations at Meadow Lane and Highland Park elementaries. Residents used public comment to raise real questions about staffing costs, device spending, and reading proficiency at Thursday’s meeting, right as the district heads into its fall tax rate season.

Mark your calendar: town halls Sept 1 and Sept 8, official tax rate hearing Sept 29 at 6pm. Add it right under “buy folders” on your back-to-school list.

🎸 Live & Local

So much going on this week, here’s your full lineup.

Thursday, Aug 27

• Addy Gardner Music, The Fillmore Cafe, 5:30-8:30pm

• Bluzboyz Jam Night, Jack Ray Post 5789 VFW, 7-10pm

• Soul Fundamentals w/ Julian Goff, The 1909 Club, 7-10pm

• Howard Mahan, Iron Horse Bar & Grill, 7:30-10:30pm (Rock/Blues/Roots/Jam/Funk)

Friday, Aug 28

• Streetlight Curfew KC, William B Howard Station Park, 6:30-8pm

• Brody Buster & The Redemption, The 1909 Club, 7-10pm

• Micah Burdick, Konrad’s Kitchen and Tap House, 8-11pm

• Zach Lepper, Llywelyn’s, 8-11pm (Acoustic covers)

Saturday, Aug 29

• Up From The Coop, Jack Ray Post 5789 VFW, 7-10:30pm (Classic Rock/Rock)

• Brooke Waters, Tipsy Taco, 7-10pm (Country)

• Howard Mahan Band, The 1909 Club, 7-10pm

• Sworn to Secrecy Fundraiser Show, GA Sports Bar, 7-10pm, a charity show for the UMDF Energy for Life Walk KC

• Joey in da Hizzouse, The Goat, 7-10pm (Jazz/Blues)

• Dating Sarah, Konrad’s Kitchen and Tap House, 8-11pm (Classic Rock/Covers)

• Big Rick Soul Band, Iron Horse Bar & Grill, 8-11pm (Motown/Funk/Soul/R&B)

• Wonderfuzz, Llywelyn’s, 8-11pm

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📅 The Weekly Lineup

Tuesday, Aug 25

• Kids STEAM: Brick Building, Colbern Road Community Room 1&2, 6:30pm

• Pooch Paddle, Summit Waves, small dogs 5-5:30pm, large dogs 6-7pm, $7/dog

• Brick’s: Music Bingo, 7pm

• Konrad’s: Live Trivia, 7pm

Wednesday, Aug 26

• Storytime for Families, Lee’s Summit Community Room 1&2, 9:15am & 10:15am

• Karaoke Night, Iron Horse Bar & Grill

• Brick’s: Karaoke, 8:30pm

Thursday, Aug 27

• Cabinet IQ of Lee’s Summit Grand Opening, 4:30pm

• Kid to Kid Lee’s Summit Grand Opening, 300 NE 291 Hwy, starts 10am, runs through Sunday

• Editorial Photography | Discovery Series, Green Street, 5-8pm

• Pappo’s Pizza Rock Island Cruise, group bike ride from Pappo’s, 6-9pm, pizza after

• Brick’s: Trivia, 8pm

Friday, Aug 28

• Well Read Bookstore Grand Opening, 241 SE Main St

• Fourth Fridays Art Walk, Downtown LS, 5-8pm, swing by Well Read on your way through

• Board Game and Puzzle Swap: Dropoff, Colbern Road, 9am

• Friday Night Restorative Yoga, Genesis Health Clubs LS West, 6-7pm

Saturday, Aug 29

• Downtown LS Farmers Market, Green Street Market, 8am-noon

Sunday, Aug 30

• Vintage Takeover, Green Street, 11am-4pm, 40+ vintage vendors, free admission

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🤔 Lee’s Summit Trivia

Ever wonder why it’s “Lee’s Summit” and not something else? The town was actually named after Dr. Pleasant Lea, a physician killed near the old railroad depot during the Civil War. When his name got painted on the boxcar that served as the town’s first depot sign, someone misspelled it “Lee” instead of “Lea.” Nobody ever fixed it, and the mistake just stuck. Permanently.

So the next time someone asks why it’s not “Lea’s Summit,” now you know. A 150-year-old typo. You’re welcome. 😜

One Last Thing

This issue had a little bit of everything: judges asking for more court time, a daycare closing with almost no warning, new townhomes downtown, a handful of new businesses, and enough live music to fill your whole weekend. Lee’s Summit really doesn’t do slow weeks.

That’s actually exactly why I started this newsletter almost nine months ago. This town has so much going on, and I just love it here. I never expected the Lowdown to grow the way it has, and that’s entirely thanks to readers like you sharing it, forwarding it, and showing up every Sunday. We have an amazing community, and I’m grateful for every single one of you.

Whatever this new season brings for your family, buses, backpacks, first day photos, I hope it’s a good one.

Hit reply and tell me: are you Team Bring On Fall or Team Let Summer Breathe a Little Longer? I want to know which side of Lee’s Summit I’m talking to.

Thanks for being part of the Lowdown crew!

– Jen

 Editor, Lee’s Summit Lowdown

P.S. A little update on my car accident recovery, since so many of you have asked: a genuine shoutout to Athletico Physical Therapy, off Hwy 150 here in Lee’s Summit. They’ve been amazing to work with, patient, encouraging, and just really good at what they do. If you’re dealing with an injury or recovery of your own, I can’t recommend them enough.

Also, if you’ve already spotted Halloween candy at the store, you’re not losing your mind. It’s real, and I have questions.

How did we do in this edition?

• 🥇 First Car in Line: My favorite part of the week!

• 🎒 Backpack Actually Zipped: A really great surprise.

• 📝 Signed the Permission Slip: Useful, but I wasn’t excited.

• 🚗 Stuck Behind a Minivan: Pretty “blah” today.

• 🔔 Forgot It Was Early Release: Let’s pretend this didn’t happen.