Kyle Palmer  - JoCo Notes

JoCo Notes: ‘Dangerous heat’ to hit KC area Wednesday

A triathlete trained in the stifling heat at Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village in the summer of 2021. Photo credit Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3.

Halfway there, Blue Valley!

🥵 Today’s forecast: Mostly sunny and very hot. High: 98. Low: 75. Heat index: 104

🚨 Happening today

This summer’s first real heat blast hits the Kansas City region today.

Temperatures are expected to top 100 over the next 48 hours and the heat index is set to hover in triple digits through Friday.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory that covers much of the metro starting at 1 p.m. this afternoon and will remain in effect until 7 p.m. Friday.

County officials are warning residents to stay hydrated and avoid prolonged and strenuous outdoor activity while the advisory is in effect.

“Extreme heat events have claimed more lives in the United States over the past 10 years than any other weather event, including floods and tornadoes,” said Johnson County Department of Health and Environment Director Charlie Hunt. “It is important to follow proper precautions to stay safe when it gets hot and humid outside, as heat-related illness can strike fast.”

That includes drinking plenty of fluids, wearing loose, light-colored clothing outdoors and staying indoors as much as possible, especially if you have respiratory issues.

Read more tips and advice with Johnson County’s heat safety guide.

🚀 Post’s top Tuesday stories

  1. Overland Park T-bone crash leaves 17-year-old hospitalized
  2. Parts of U.S. Highway 69 reopen this Friday — What to expect
  3. Overland Park sculpture will honor late artist’s legacy of ‘growing kindness’
  4. JoCo Notes: Stretch of Mission Road in Leawood to close
  5. Local obituaries for June 23-26

📰 Other local news

  • Johnson County Wastewater proposes another 5% rate increase. For the second year in a row, JCW is proposing a 5% rate increase to help pay for the increasing “demands of a growing population.” [JoCoGov.org]
  • Jason Sudeikis reps ‘fantastic’ Overland Park Taco Bell. In a recent interview, the Emmy-winning actor and Johnson County native said he “genuinely loves” Taco Bell and a particular one in his hometown. [TikTok]
  • UK-based data analytics firm to open OP office. Clarivate’s local workforce has recently expanded to more than 50 employees, and the company is now planning to open a 10,000-square-foot office on 112th Street later this year. [Kansas City Business Journal]

📸 A thousand words

Young reader Ruby reunited with a giant stuffed horse named Stanley, who she grew fond of while reading with at the Blue Valley branch of Johnson County Library three years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Ruby and Stanley were finally reunited! It was so precious to see a piece of her world put back in its proper place, and to see the joy in her face,” her mother wrote on Facebook. Photo via Facebook.

 

Hi! I'm Kyle Palmer and I'm the editor of the Blue Valley Post and the Shawnee Mission Post.

I believe deeply in the power of local news and strive each day to make our readers feel informed, so they can get the most out of life in this great place we all call home.

Our work is only possible because more than 7,000 Johnson Countians subscribe. To those of you who already support us as subscribers, THANK YOU! If you aren't a subscriber yet, I hope you'll try it out today! Your first month of full access is just $1.

A bit about me and my background:

Prior to joining the Post in 2020, I served as News Director for KCUR. I got my start in journalism at the University of Missouri, where I worked for KBIA, mid-Missouri's NPR affiliate. After college, I spent 10 years as a teacher and went on to get a master's degree in education policy from Stanford University.