Nick’s Picks | Hereford House Case, Jackson County Property Taxes Swinging into Summer Festival Season
Published June 3rd, 2024 at 9:44 AM
Above image credit: "Kansas City Week in Review" host Nick Haines. (John McGrath | Flatland)The man at the center of the Hereford House contamination case appears in court this week.
The 21-year-old restaurant worker, Jace Hanson, is facing felony food tampering charges.
According to court documents, Hanson posted videos of himself urinating in sauces and rubbing menu ingredients on his genitals.
Five separate lawsuits have now been filed against the Leawood steakhouse from customers claiming they got sick after eating there.
Hanson will appear before a judge at the Johnson County Courthouse on Thursday.
Jackson County Property Taxes
Remember all the anger and outrage over Jackson County property assessments last year?
Now the issue is heading to court this week.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has sued the county claiming officials violated state law by failing to perform physical inspections, not providing timely and proper notice of assessments, and, in some cases, coercing homeowners to drop their appeals.
A two-day bench trial begins on Thursday at the Jackson County Courthouse.
D-Day Anniversary
Just days after welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs to the White House, President Joe Biden now flies to Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Allied soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in northwestern France on June 6, 1944. D-Day, as it was known, marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.
On Thursday, Biden will join world leaders at an international memorial service on Omaha Beach, where U.S. forces suffered their greatest casualties.
Hunter Biden Trial
It’s going to be another big week for courtroom drama.
Just days after Donald Trump became a convicted felon, Hunter Biden is set to become the first child of a sitting U.S. president to go on criminal trial this week.
The younger Biden is facing allegations of lying about past drug use on a federal form so he could buy a handgun.
Jury selection begins in the case today.
Hunter Biden is also facing charges of tax evasion.
Funeral for Missouri Missionaries
The remains of two Missouri missionaries killed in a gang attack in Haiti have now arrived home.
Funeral services for Davy and Natalie Lloyd have been set for Tuesday in the southwest Missouri town of Neosho.
A police escort greeted the couple’s remains at KCI Airport over the weekend.
Delayed Graduation
Graduation season is now officially over. But not for one area high school.
This week, DeLaSalle High School is doing a redo of its graduation ceremony after a shootout halted its commencement event two weeks ago.
According to news reports, graduates were still walking across the stage when everyone had to suddenly run for their lives. Some family members say it felt like “a warzone.”
Police are still looking for suspects and a motive behind the shooting.
A new graduation event is planned for this Saturday. School administrators haven’t revealed the location, but they say it will no longer take place on its campus at 37th and Troost.
Presidential Primaries
While most of us have already resigned ourselves to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, did you know that some states still haven’t cast their votes in this year’s presidential primaries?
The presidential primary calendar officially ends on Tuesday when voters in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota head to the polls.
The vote comes just three weeks before the first presidential debate, set for June 27 on CNN.
It’s the earliest general election debate in modern history.
Deadline in Kansas
Have you ever thought about running for political office?
Today is the deadline to file as a candidate in Kansas this year.
While we’re told there’s more interest in running for office, more than half of Kansas House candidates went unchallenged in the last election. In other words, they won automatically because they were the only name on the ballot.
Today is also the deadline to change your party affiliation before the August primary.
Once ruby red Johnson County is showing signs of changing colors. According to the Johnson County Election Office, Republicans are still in the majority, but Democrats and unaffiliated voters are fast catching up, turning the county closer to a muddled shade of purple.
Sports News
It’s finals week in the two big professional sports leagues in which Kansas City doesn’t have a team. (At least not yet.)
Game 1 of the NBA Finals starts Thursday between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
On Saturday, the best two teams in the NHL square off in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Speaking of ice hockey, the Kansas City Mavericks are making a championship run for the first time in franchise history.
The Independence-based team is currently tied one game apiece against the Florida Everblades in the Kelly Cup Finals.
The best of seven series continues Wednesday in Florida.
Sajak’s Final Spin
In pop culture news, Pat Sajak is spinning his last wheel.
After more than 40 years as host of “Wheel of Fortune,” Sajak will officially say farewell on Friday.
The 76-year-old tweeted that “the time has come” for him to move on.
He is the longest-running TV game-show host in history.
Ryan Seacrest has been tapped to replace Sajak next season.
Celebrity Sightings
This past weekend’s Big Slick may have brought a cavalcade of stars to Kansas City, but there’s a lot more celebrity power on the way.
James Taylor will be at Starlight Theater on Wednesday night.
Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire perform at T-Mobile Center on Thursday.
Famed cellist Yo-Yo-Ma plays alongside the Kansas City Symphony at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday.
And on Saturday, country music legend Randy Travis plays at the Folly Theater, while Tim McGraw takes the stage a few blocks away at T-Mobile Center.
Festival Season
Along with the temperatures, Kansas City’s robust festival season is heating up.
PrideFest starts Friday evening at Theis Park.
Kansas City Symphony musicians are slathering on sunscreen and bug spray for their annual Symphony in the Flint Hills concert on Saturday.
Also, this weekend it’s Old Shawnee Days in Johnson County and Downtown Days in Lee’s Summit.
And on Friday night, it’s the Meadowbrook Park Festival in Prairie Village, a free public celebration of arts and parks, featuring artists, makers, food trucks and music.
Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful local news stories on “Kansas City Week in Review,” Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.