FBI: Death of Gardner man in rural Kansas in 2004 was a homicide
The FBI says new forensic evidence in a long-running hate crime investigation indicates a Gardner man died by homicide in 2004, the Kansas City Star reports.
In April 2004, Alonzo Brooks went missing after attending a party with friends in La Cygne, Kan., about an hour south of Gardner.
On May 1, 2004, Brooks’ body was discovered near a creek in La Cygne after his family organized dozens of volunteers to search for the 23-year-old.
He had gone with friends to a farmhouse near La Cygne to attend a party with more than 100 other people. His friends left him there, but Brooks had no ride home.
Brooks’ killing was covered last year in an episode of the Netflix series “Unsolved Mysteries.”
The FBI is currently offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of anyone involved in Brooks’ killing. [FBI: New forensic evidence shows Johnson County man’s 2004 death was a homicide.]
Prairie Village Planning Commission to host public hearing on Brighton Gardens expansion
The Prairie Village Planning Commission on Tuesday will host a public hearing on the Brighton Gardens expansion.
As Tutera Senior Living is acquiring Brighton Gardens, the senior living company is planning to renovate the facility to bring it up to speed to the market standard. Plans include a new 2,100 square foot therapy center and replacing the one-story memory care wing with a two-story building.
Residents can provide input during the planning commission meeting, which will take place virtually at 7 p.m. A link to the meeting can be found online here.
Roeland Park, resident group taking donations for elementary teachers
A resident group and the city of Roeland Park are partnering to thank Roesland Elementary School teachers during teacher appreciation week from May 3 to May 7.
Neighbors for a Better Roeland Park and the city will be taking donations between now and April 22. Cash donations can be taken to city hall, 4600 W. 51st Street, with a personally written thank you note. Venmo or PayPal donations can be made to @shea-geist of sheageist@gmail.com, respectively.
All donations will be transferred to the Roesland PTA and will be used to fund a meal and potentially a gift for each of the 50 staff members.
Merriam receives high marks on resident satisfaction survey
The city of Merriam received high marks in several categories on its resident satisfaction survey, according to a city newsletter.
Some of the areas the city received high marks in including city maintenance, customer service and public safety. The city received 88% satisfaction for overall quality of city services, compared to a regional average of 42%, according to the newsletter.
