Briefly Noted: Overland Park residents considered calling on Proud Boys for Black Lives Matter protest last year – Shawnee Mission Post

Report: Overland Park residents considered calling in Proud Boys to BLM protests last summer

Some Overland Park residents told city officials they would consider calling a homeowners friend with connections to the white nationalist group the Proud Boys in order to protect their neighborhood ahead of a planned Black Lives Matter demonstration last summer.

Thats according to a Kansas City Star editorial, which reports the conversation took place in July 2020 between Overland Park law enforcement officials and the residents following a protest near Johnson County Community College.

Basically the conversation is, Listen, if you guys arent going to do your job enforcing the law, then were going to have to bring people in that will, Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez told the Stars editorial board. And then, the references made to the Proud Boys, and that they would bring in armed people to line the streets of their neighborhood to protect their homes. And I said, listen, thats a bad idea. Thats a really bad idea. We dont need armed confrontations.

Donchez said he took the homeowners seriously, but the Proud Boys did not show up at any demonstrations in Overland Park last year.

A subsequent protest in a nearby neighborhood on July 24 ended with four Black Lives Matter demonstrators arrested.

St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee and the Community Blood Center are hosting a blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 22, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 11221 Johnson Drive.

Donors can make an appointment online at savealifenow.org and use Sponsor Code stjosephcatholic, or by contacting Virginia Wiedel, parish blood drive coordinator, at (913) 268-3874 or vwiedel63@gmail.com.

The Prairie Village City Council last week approved a design agreement with Affinis Corporation for the 2021 residential street program.

For $120,000, Affinis will create plans for the repaving of about 10 residential streets across the city. Streets on the docket include 82nd Street between Roe Avenue and Somerset Drive, as well as 71st Street between State Line Road and Belinder Avenue.

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Briefly Noted: Overland Park residents considered calling on Proud Boys for Black Lives Matter protest last year - Shawnee Mission Post