Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Shawnee Pulse

This month, we talk with Elizabeth Griffith, the Volunteer Coordinator the City of Shawnee. She connects residents and companies who want to help out with residents who need assistance. From small, house-hold maintenance to snow shoveling, the programs she administers helps hundreds of residents each year in Shawnee.

She'll tell us how the programs originally started with help from the community and how they've grown over the years. 

If you'd like to get involved in helping your neighbors, visit: cityofshawnee.org/volunteer or email: egriffith@cityofshawnee.org.

Seven days a week, Co-Responders from the Johnson County Mental Health Department team up with the Shawnee Police Department to assist residents in crisis by responding the scene when a mental health call comes in to 911. That's just the beginning of the work they do to help people in the community.

This week, we're talking to Jen Melby, Co-Responder Team Leader, and Haley Carrillo, Co-Responder, about the history of the Co-Responder program, the work they do, and how they help people in crisis achieve better outcomes.

If you, or someone you know, is in need of mental health help Johnson County provides resources through the county's dedicated Mental Health Department. Visit them online at https://www.jocogov.org/department/mental-health or you can call the Mental Health Crisis line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 913-268-0156 and be connected to resources. 

Every single day of the year, firefighters staff each of Shawnee's four fire stations ready to respond to calls 24 hours a day. This week, we sit down with Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Pyle, a 27-year veteran of the Shawnee Fire Department, who started as a volunteer. 

He's seen the department evolve to meet the growing and changing needs of Shawnee. We talk his career path through the ranks, how the department looks different today than it did almost three decades earlier, and what the future may hold.

Plus, he and the entire Fire Department want everyone to stop by Fire Station 71, 6501 Quivira Road, on Saturday Oct. 4 from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. for Turnout Shawnee! Meet Shawnee firefighters, check out the equipment they use, watch a live burn demo, and find out how fire safety starts at home.

Plus, Kate Kinkaid is here to talk other events happening in Shawnee!

If you have a topic you'd like us to talk about on the Pulse, you can email us at cityofshawnee@cityofshawnee.org! 

Join us for a trip back in time, sort of. For this episode of The Shawnee Pulse, we're chatting with Charlie Pautler and Hannah Howard from Shawnee Town 1929. We talk about the museum's own history of how it started and when the City of Shawnee took over management, along with the time period the staff and volunteers work to tell and keep alive in the heart of the City.

Plus, we talk the final events that will happen at Shawnee Town 1929 this fall along with the return of the award-winning Veterans Lantern Tour on Saturday, Nov. 15. For details about the tour and everything else related to Shawnee Town 1929, visit ShawneeTown.org.

Election season is right around the corner and we're talking to our first guest from outside the City of Shawnee. Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman joins us to talk about how he landed the job, what his team does leading up to Election Day, and what you can expect on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

Plus, we have a complete rundown of all the important Election season dates including the deadline to register to vote (or update your registration), advanced voting, and requesting an absentee ballot. 

To register to vote, find candidates, and make your plan to vote this year, visit: https://www.jocoelection.org/ for complete details.

Just like you have a budget, whether it be for weekly groceries, monthly entertainment, or buying a new car, the City of Shawnee does, too. When you're talking about all the services the City provides, there's a lot of work that goes into preparing that budget and making sure it covers all the bases for the residents of Shawnee.

Finance Director Sean Rocco joins us for this special edition of the Shawnee Pulse to talk about the budget process and when residents can share their thoughts with the City Council before the budget is approved. 

This month, we're chatting with Shawnee Police Chief Sam Larson and getting you ready for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5 at the Thomas A. Soetaert Aquatic Center. Chief Larson is talking about his career in law enforcement, starting as a patrol officer and working his way up the ranks all the way to the leader of the Shawnee Police Department. 

He'll take us through his time in uniform and the changes he's seen working for the City of Shawnee and why National Night Out is important for the Shawnee Police Department to make connections in the community. 

Plus, there's still time left to enjoy National Parks and Rec Month. Kate Kinkaid is here to talk the events left in the month of July and what's happening as summer wraps up in August.

July is National Parks and Recreation month and what better way to celebrate than a conversation with Tonya Lecuru, Parks and Rec Director for the City of Shawnee. Kate Kinkaid also joins us for the entire conversation as we talk everything the Parks and Rec team does to care for more than 1,000 acres of parkland, two aquatic centers, the Civic Centre, and provide hundreds of programs every year in Shawnee. Find out what free events are planned for Parks and Rec month, kicking off with PARKED at Stump Park on Friday, June 27! For complete details visit cityofshawnee.org/parkmonth

It's National Public Works Week, kicking off a full week of recognizing and honoring all the hard work and accomplishments of Public Works crews around the country and right here in our Hometown with Heart. 

We thought who better to talk all things Public Works than the department director, Kevin Manning! He chats about all the work accomplished by the City's third largest department to keep roads in good condition, stormwater pipes draining, and streets cleared when it snows.

Plus, Kevin gives us a detailed look at the upcoming mill and overlay of Shawnee Mission Parkway between K-7 and Lackman Road, coming later this summer. We'll talk what project entails, how drivers will be impacted, and how long you can expect the work to last.

One of our favorite events of the summer is just one month away! Assistant City Manager Lauren Grashoff joins us this month to talk Moonlight Market. Find out how this exclusive Shawnee event got its start in the summer of 2021 and what you can expect for the event during summer 2025. From a larger variety of vendors to new look along Johnson Drive, there's a lot to be excited about for this season of Moonlight Market.

Make you plans to shop local-made, hand-made vendors, dine on fantastic fare from local food trucks, and wile away the hours enjoying the tunes from local bands. It's all about bringing Shawnee, and our neighbors, together to enjoy Moonlight Market!

Plus, event season is right around the corner for the City of Shawnee. Kate Kinkaid is here to go over the upcoming calendar and get you ready for the unofficial fifth season of the year... pool season!

Last week, Mayor Mickey Sandifer presented the 2025 Shawnee State of the City. Take a listen to hear what happened last year in the City of Shawnee and what lies ahead. Plus, the Mayor was joined on stage to talk about the opportunities for businesses in Shawnee and the community's housing market.

This episode was recorded live from the stage audio and there are a couple of points where the audio has issues, so we do apologize in advance.

We've already seen some wild weather so far in 2025, and this week, Matt Epperson, Shawnee Fire's Divisional Chief for Emergency Management, joins us to talk about why it's so important to say weather aware and where to find info on how to prepare for spring and summer storms in Shawnee.

The temperatures outside are making us all long for warmer weather, and the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department has you covered. Start planning for your summer of fun with our two Aquatic Centers (whether you looking for a job or to relax) and find out more about Shawnee's new Summer Camp program for 2025.

With snow falling once more in Shawnee, we wanted to take you behind the wheel and hear what it takes to get Shawnee ready for a winter storm, to keep the plows rolling during the storm, and dig the City out after the storm is over. It takes a dedicated team of drivers from all across the City of Shawnee, and one of them was nice enough to let us tag along this morning as the snow was still coming down. 

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Shawnee Pulse, where we take you inside the happenings in the City of Shawnee, Kansas. Each month, we'll bring you interviews with the professional staff in the City government who work hard every day to make Shawnee a great place to live, work, and play. 

We're kicking off this first episode with a topic that should interest all residents: Shawnee's Landfill Voucher program. Deputy City Manager Colin Duffy joins us to discuss when to expect those vouchers to arrive in the mail, how residents can use them, and other requirements for trash service providers in the City of Shawnee. For more information about the vouchers, trash service, recycling, and yard waste, visit: https://www.cityofshawnee.org/residents/trash_collection_recycling_and_yard_waste.

If you have any questions you'd like answered or topics you'd like to hear on future episodes, please contact us via email at cityofshawnee@cityofshawnee.org