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Holden Police say vandals caused extensive damage to one of Holden’s most historic homes sometime the first part of February.

The home located at 1401 South Market Street is owned by Rhonda Jean Brants, and according to a Holden Police Department report, was broken into sometime during the weeks of February 2 and February 8 when no one was in residence.

Police state that at 11 a.m. last Thursday, two unknown men entered the police department and reported someone had broken into the residence. The men had been hired by owner Brants to perform home repairs. They also telephoned the owner to report the incident.

Major Rick Martin responded to the residence and found someone entered the residence by breaking a window in a door and unlocking the door.

According to the police report, a check of the residence revealed extensive damage to the inside. The report states that the toilets throughout the residence were broken with a blunt object. The thermostat was also broken, causing the heat to turn off.

Due to the winter weather, the water became frozen, breaking the pipes. The water then overflowed causing water and ice to do major damage to the top floor, first floor and basement.

In Holden Police Chief Ed Bone’s report of interview with Brants, she stated that she believes the damage was caused by an individual whom she had obtained a Jackson County, MO order of protection against. She further stated that the order had expired December 31, 2006, and that the individual had called and threatened her.

The chief was unable to find any witnesses after a neighborhood check.

The home was built in 1854 by the Nancy King family and was originally part of a 250-acre farm. The house was home for many years to the James family, Jack and Frances Bileyu, Dr. and Mrs. Zeigler and Rusty and Cyndy Hartwell among others.

The house had been listed for sale for a time with Keller Williams Real Estate prior to the vandalism.

By Steve Sullins
Editor

The first step to putting a Johnson County planning and zoning initiative on the ballot was taken last Monday night, as concerned citizens from the county met at Heroes Restaurant in Warrensburg to begin a petition drive.

The group, many from the Holden area, were addressed by leaders Gene Martin, Dana Straka and Billy Stone, who told them the drive bore no political allegiance or hidden agenda other than putting zoning before county voters.

The county, especially the Holden area, was recently rocked by reports that a possible proposal for a sex-offender halfway complex near Holden was to be put before the Johnson County Commissioners. Two appointments made by Concorde Enterprises representative Kareem Muhammed had been broken.

During his speech before the petition-drive gathering, Martin stressed that although zoning had been defeated in the past, it was not the organization’s intentions to limit personal freedoms or civil liberties. “This is not about counting how many cows a county resident has,” he explained. “We want to create a process whereby corporations or agencies wanting to come into our communities identify themselves and their intentions. We want the citizens of Johnson County to have notification and a platform to say no.”

Martin explained that the process consisted of obtaining 1,013 signatures of registered Johnson County voters on petitions which would be turned into the county commissioners.

After the signatures were approved, the commissioners would appoint one representative from each of the 15 townships to form a temporary planning and zoning board. That board would work in concert with a consult group to construct a master plan.

He stressed that the master plan would be “whatever Johnson County citizens wanted it to be, and would be available to all residents through public hearings before adoption.”

Then the plan would be placed on the ballot for a vote.

Relating a conversation with County Clerk Gilbert Powers, Straka stated that Powers said the absolute earliest he felt it could possibly be on the ballot would be November, but it would probably take longer.

Former planning and zoning board member Bob Grainger informed the group that they were looking at more like two years. He was joined by other former members of the zoning board Gene Atkinson and Darrell Pinson at the meeting.

In an open forum discussion, Straka stated that she felt zoning had been defeated before because people had been misinformed of what zoning consists of. She said her desire was to carry the completed plan to those who were against it and ask why.

Warrensburg resident Tom Fitzpatrick’s opinion of previous failures was “irrational fear of the unknown and ignorance.”

Holden business owner Jerome Heiman hit an optimistic note explaining that other counties have passed zoning - “Lafayette has,” he stated. He also stressed that those who signed the petitions need to show up at the meetings involved in formulating the plan.

Warrensburg mayor Debbie Arwood said that county people need to be pro-active instead of reactive. She stated that our family’s protection was at stake as well as property values. She stressed that rural citizens must “buy in” to zoning and the plan needed to be sensitive to them.

Former board member Atkinson told the group that no planning or zoning board had authority over farm land. “The purpose of planning and zoning is to protect property values.”

Martin related that he had contacted organizations and people from throughout Johnson County. Many were at the meeting, including Tammy Long of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce and Nancy Daniel, from the Holden Optimist Club.

Closing the meeting, Martin stressed that Johnson was the only county bordering Jackson that is not protected by planning and zoning. He stated that House Bill 568 sponsored by Representative David Pearce is a good bill, but it only deals with privately-run sex-offender housing and not that which is contracted with a governmental body.

“Society has changed,” he continued. “To date, we don’t have the safeguards in place that many counties have. It is time to take action to protect our property values, our farms, our families and our communities. We can’t just merely rely on good intentions of strangers.

“It’s time to let it be known that Johnson County is not the dumping ground for everyone’s problems. Instead we are a county of neighbors and friends and family that not only welcome those who share our common interests of safety for our family and community, but will take the steps necessary to insure it.”

He related that the petitions should be returned at a meeting to be held at Heroes March 6 at 6 p.m.

By Steve Sullins
Editor

Johnson County Sheriff department officials believe that the burglary of the Kingsville Fastop early Wednesday morning may be connected to a pair of thefts the night before north of Warrensburg.

Prior to the theft of the ATM machine at the convenience store in Kingsville at approximately 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday, a 2004 F-350 diesel pickup was stolen from the driveway of James Brockhaus who lives on North V Highway. Deputies believe the truck was used in a burglary at H&R Payday Loans on NE 13 Highway before taking part in the Fastop burglary.

The truck was recovered later on Wednesday near the Duncan Cemetery, south of Kingsville. It was partially stuck in a pond just west of the cemetery. It had apparently broken through a barbed-wire fence at the cemetery.

According to Kyndal Phelps, manager of both the Holden and Kingsville Fastops, there was approximately $6,000 in cash taken when the ATM machine was pulled out of the store through a broken door. She also reported that repair and replacement of the glass door will cost approximately $1,000.

First on the scene of the Fastop burglary was Holden policeman Tom Wehr, who secured the crime scene until the Johnson County Sheriff deputy arrived.

When the deputy arrived after being contacted by Tosha Warner, at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning when she came to work, he found the east glass door shattered and the ATM machine stolen.

While watching the security tapes, the deputy observed a subject wearing a dark ski mask and heavy jacket with a hood enter the business at 3:44 a.m.

According to the sheriff’s report, it appears the glass had been broken and the suspect attached a device to the ATM before forcing the machine through the door frame.

According to Phelps, the business had recently purchased the ATM in October.

She stated she was very discouraged that this is the fourth time in five years they have had to replace a door to the store due to criminal activity. She added that she was very disturbed with this trend of being vandalized.
She continued by saying they were looking into adding additional security measures.

By Steve Sullins
Editor

It’s been three years since the Health Midwest Corporation’s Holden Family Health Care closed its doors, but according to Robin Dawson, director of business development for Lee’s Summit Hospital, the doors should open once again as early as this spring.

“The opening date isn’t solid yet, but our goal is March 31,” Dawson explained. “We’re doing the best we can to get the clinic open as soon as possible. Right now, we’re working on the building and getting supplies and equipment ordered.”

To be named the Holden Family Health Clinic, she says that initially the office will have a full-time nurse practitioner on staff and a part-time physician. The clinic will also have a new owner in Hospital Corporation of America.

“It’s been a long-time goal for us here at Lee’s Summit Hospital to re-open the clinic,” Dawson continued. “We want to work with the Kingsville clinic to insure everybody in the area has ample medical care. We already have many patients from the Holden area.”

Dawson also reported that the full-time nurse practitioner will be Janet Clark, who is from Holden.

The clinic was originally built by Dr. Michael Misko before being sold to Health Midwest.

By Steve Sullins
Editor