I sat in a Platte County court room for more than two hours Tuesday morning, waiting for Judge Thomas C. Fincham to call the name Quintin P. O’Dell.
Five minutes after he did, the lone TV camera was collapsed and being carried onto the elevator outside the court room, the accused was herded back to his jail cell and the gallery was cleared. The court room was as empty as I assume it is on Christmas Day.
We’re almost a month into 2012 and few people could have predicted the eventful headlines that would come out of the Platte County administration building so far this year, especially regarding the budget which was finally passed after some initially continuous opposition. While you’ve been able to keep track of the overall discussion and finger pointing that’s taken place through our news coverage, there are a few sometimes subtle, but important themes that haven’t grabbed many peoples’ attention and consideration.
The County Commission has cited one main reason why this year’s budget has required them to make, in some cases, drastic cuts and they’re not afraid to tell you every chance they get. It’s what is referred to as the federal government’s unfunded mandate to upgrade emergency radio equipment. They point it out as a way to lay the blame of the financial burden at the foot of the federal government, but leave out its purpose.
I saw many little reasons last weekend for Platte County leaders not to take a wrench to a successful and popular parks program. They ambled about the Kansas City Boat and Sport Show at Bartle Hall with their parents and grandparents leading the way. Many of those children are using county parks and trails today. Their children will use them in the decades to come.
Some Platte County leaders want to tinker with parks funding because it is supported by a dedicated tax and they are suggesting rescinding the voters’ wishes to boost law enforcement.
It’s time for a little journalism 101, with an emphasis in discernment. Sound thrilling? You’d be surprised how many assumptions people make about what is and isn’t news, so why not play along to see what you might be missing.
“Heroes don’t wear capes. They wear
dog tags.”
That is a quote from American Legion Post 501 commander Larry Crocket in Weston last Friday during West Platte’s Veterans Day Observance. It was something that struck me hard.
After months of analysis, discussion and planning, the Platte County R-3 Board of Education last week unanimously voted to place a 60-cent tax levy increase question on the April 3 ballot.
“This has been a long process,” R-3 Superintendent Dr. Mike Reik said prior to the Board’s vote. “We have vetted the community and received feedback. We have conducted an extensive financial review and we know what our enrollment growth projections look like. It’s time we pull it all together and take the issue to our patrons.”
The ballot question will read as follows and requires a simple majority to pass:
The Platte County R-3 High School in Platte City will have a new principal for the 2012-13 school year. At its meeting last week, the Platte County R-3 Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of Dr. Patrick Martin to the post. Martin, who has been assistant principal at Lee’s Summit West High School since 2008, will replace longtime PCHS Principal Craig Robinson, who will retire in June.
The 2012 County budget may have been approved, but the ramifications of the budget disagreements are far from over.
On Jan. 5, the County Commission issued an order to stop all work on the planned $21 million in expansions at both Platte County Community Centers. The move was made after a Jan. 3 budget public hearing, where Prosecutor Eric Zahnd suggested the Commissioners ask voters to rescind the one-half cent parks sales tax and replace it with a one-eighth cent sales tax for parks and one-quarter cent for law enforcement.
The Park Hill School District has put the possibility of a levy increase on the back burner, for now.
With the Jan. 24 deadline looming for placing an issue on the April ballot, the Board of Education last week directed district administration to form a steering committee to build a pilot student-centered digital device program for the 2012-13 school year. The committee will also be tasked with determining how best to fund a full program.
Quintin P. O’Dell was brought in for questioning by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 5 in regards to a brutal Dec. 26 assault of a Ferrelview woman that left her fighting for her life. In the hours that followed, as Jan. 5 gave way to Jan. 6, Platte County authorities say that O’Dell, 22, of Platte City, admitted he sliced open the Ferrelview victim with a razor and nearly disemboweled her. They also say that O’Dell admitted that he killed Alissa Shippert on the banks of the Platte River, just east of Platte City, last May.
On Jan. 7, Platte County Sheriff Richard Anderson and Prosecutor Eric Zahnd held a joint press conference at the Platte Resource Center near KCI Airport to announce O’Dell had been charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action in the Shippert killing and first degree assault and armed criminal action for the Ferrelview assault.
Some of his co-workers at Casey’s General Store in Platte City all shared one recollection about accused murderer Quintin O’Dell: he was a big talker.
“It seemed like he always had some kind of big plan,” Casey’s manager Ron Stone said. “He was going to go in the military or move somewhere crazy.”
After the explosive County Commission meeting Jan. 3, followed by a week of special budget meetings, the newly retooled County budget was unanimously passed Jan. 10 with little fanfare.
Last week, every County officeholder, minus Auditor Kevin Robinson, spoke out against the Commission’s last-minute budget revisions. Those revisions were reductions that would cost County employees jobs, call for the closure of the Platte County Annex in Platte Woods, the automation of the County telephone system and the elimination of hand-delivery of County mail. Also of concern to officeholders was the Commission’s proposal to redirect dedicated funds in the Assessor’s and Collector’s offices to the general fund.
After a three-hour public hearing Jan. 3, during which the Platte County Commissioners heard from displeased officeholders, the Commission has unanimously voted to table its approval of the County’s proposed $49.8 million 2012 budget. The Commissioners have set aside Jan. 5 to meet with officeholders to discuss budget alternatives. State statute requires the budget be approved no later than Jan. 10.
Late Dec. 23, at around 3 p.m., according to Auditor Kevin Robinson, he received the Commission’s proposed budget, which had significantly changed from his recommended budget presented in November.
Known for its tourism, Weston draws in the crowds each year with several major events and shopping opportunities. Now, though, if Cline’s Opry owner Ted Cline has anything to say about it — it’ll attract Nashville headliners, too.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff coming up in 2012,” Cline said. “We’re really just trying to get our bearings. I have local talent in all the time and some regional. In 2012, we’ll have some national acts in once a month or once every other month.” After a holiday hiatus, Cline’s Opry will return this Sunday (Jan. 8) at its New Deal Warehouse location on Highway 45 entering Weston. The shows, scheduled for 5 p.m. every Sunday, feature plenty of live music, country comedy and family-friendly entertainment.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, 2011 flew by so fast we could hardly keep up with it. There was plenty of good news, but many of the highlights of the year were defined by disaster, tragedy and wrongdoing. Regardless, here are the headlines that appeared on the pages of The Citizen the past 12 months.
6: County no longer needs warrant for blood tests of DUI suspects; Weston business owner George Treese killed in July 4 fire; PC police sergeant Bill Babbitt suspended, resigns; Parkville residents bent at recycling public forum; Platte City looks at new audit law; Attorney John Cady obtains $375,000 settlement for Edgerton women; Parkville aims to improve access if Highway 9 floods
The Platte County budget process is in the final stretch with the release of the Platte County Commission’s $49.8 million proposed budget late last week.
Several key items have changed since Auditor Kevin Robinson submitted his draft budget in November, including the removal of Robinson’s recommended three percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for County employees. The Commissioners added two major projects to be funded in 2012 — the expansion of the Platte County Community Centers and an agreement with Motorola to purchase a narrow-band radio system.
Landis Shippert was looking forward to going fishing with his daughter, Alissa Shippert, on May 31. That day was a Tuesday, Alissa’s normal day off work from her job at Casey’s General Store in Platte City.
“She would call me all the time and ask me to go fishing with her,” Landis Shippert said. “The last time I talked to her was the Sunday before when I stopped by her apartment. The last thing I told her was to let me know if she wanted to go fishing on Tuesday.”
When Landis did not hear from Alissa, he took note, but shrugged it off.
“I thought she probably was going to go with one of her friends or had made other plans,” he said.
The next day, June 1, Landis was on his way home from a church activity when he got a call from a friend.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Click Here and provide your contact information to sign up for a subscription or call 816-858-5154.
Copyright © 2009 Platte County Citizen All right reserved. Platte County, Missouri
