Lee's Summit Town Hall

LSR7 Superintendent Dr. David Buck, along with local business owner Jon Ellis, drops by The Vault to talk about the growth at Great Beginnings at Paradise Park and where the district stands as we get set to start the 2024-25 academic year. Did you know Lee's Summit was home to the state's first FFA chapter? We didn't! Tune in for this, and other fun nuggets from Ellis and Dr. Buck.

Megan Salerno and Tonee Schwartz drop by The Vault to talk about Lee's Summit Social Services' annual back-to-school store, which opens today. The store will serve more than 700 students this year, providing them with needed clothing and supplies as they head into the 2024-25 academic year. Part of the conversation includes donation needs for the store, as well as opportunities to volunteer.

Maybe the experience is the product? Seth Allen, owner of Libations & Co. and its sister "joint", the 1909 Club, returns to The Vault this week. He popped in for a return of what used to be an annual Independence Day preview episode, but this week's conversation turned to a look at his two downtown Lee's Summit businesses built on crafting a particular customer experience. Oh, and he may have...

Do your wings rule? When you whip a batch of delicious chicken wings, do the family and friends coming running? If not, are there tears of jealousy because they weren't invited. If your answer to any or all of these questions is yes, then you should think about taking part in September's annual Wings 4 Water charity event. The local nonprofit's Ryan Bryant joins host Nick Parker to talk about the...

Downtown Days finished up this weekend and now it's time to get ready for another big event in Lee's Summit. The inaugural Lee's Summit Jazz Festival is slated to take the stage June 22 at Bridge Space in the historic downtown district. Festival founders Ben Rao and Shawn Harrel stop by the vault to talk about Lee's Summit's growing jazz scene and the eight acts gearing up for this all-day festiva...

It's been eight years since Nick Parker launched Link 2 Lee's Summit and the Lee's Summit Town Hall podcast. In the never-ending quest to do local news a little bit differently, a new friend is joining the team to help make sure a spotlight shines on our local nonprofit organizations. Enter Vanessa Hickman. Vanessa has made multiple appearances on the podcast and is a well-known community voluntee...

It's May 22, the kids are in their final days of the school year and we're all counting down the official local summer kick-off event — Downtown Days. Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street's Julie Cook and Jenny Gale return to The Vault to prep us for the big weekend coming June 7-9. And Julie turns the tables! She's got questions for the hosts, and for you!

Whether it's time, skills or money, sometimes youth in our community just need a little extra. Enter, Pro Deo Youth Center. Executive Director Elaine Metcalf and head volunteer fundraiser/Pickleball Bringer of Fun Shannon Pennington enter The Vault to talk about the upcoming Rally for Teens pickleball tournament raising funds for Pro Deo's fall 2024 programming. The tournament will run on Saturday...

Hosts Nick Parker and Liesl Hays take a few minutes to discuss upcoming local events and since Wednesday is National 501c Day, the duo takes a few minutes to talk about some of the many local nonprofits serving the Lee's Summit community and how easy it is for residents to offer service be it donations of time, talent or treasure.

A now years-long effort to give teens a voice and help bring the community together in conversation about youth mental health continued this week with a community forum presented by Pro Deo Youth Center and ReDiscover at the Missouri Innovation Campus. The event was moderated by ReDiscover's Demetrios Walker and Lee's Summit West senior Ellie Johnson and included a panel of 12 local high school st...

Everyone relax. Liesl is back home. After what seemed like a way-too-long hiatus, Liesl Hays rejoins Nick Parker for the latest episode of the Lee's Summit Town Hall podcast just in time to preview some weekend activities and discuss a recent guest column in Link 2 Lee's Summit discussing the role Political Action Committees are playing in our local elections and governance. Both Nick and Liesl ar...

If you're feeling down, or a little overwhelmed, Steve Arbo has a suggestion — Find a local organization and volunteer. Service to others, he says, offers a reward of happiness you may not be expecting. Arbo, who has now been retired from his role as Lee's Summit City Manager for a year, entered The Vault this week for a conversation with host Nick Parker on his new life outside the bureaucracy an...

In a little bit of a twist, host Nick Parker hands the reins to local Lee’s Summit West Senior Ellie Johnson, who talks with ReDiscover’s Jennifer Craig and LSPD Officer Amanda Geno about the upcoming community forum on mental health scheduled for 6 p.m. April 22 at the Missouri Innovation Campus. This episode was edited by Lee’s Summit Junior Charlie Parker. Both Johnson and Parker are part of th...

Their chiropractic business isn't exactly what they thought it would be. She didn't plan on developing a passion helping young patients and he had no idea the directions his study and budding network would take him. Today, Doctors Alex and Lauren Nelson operate HML Functional Care in Lee's Summit and have a budding practice focusing on providing a holistic and collaborative approach to caring for...

Listen in on his resume, and you may start to wonder how Gary Good wound up in our midwest hamlet as the new executive director of the Lee's Summit Symphony. First off, we'll apologize, he's not all that new anymore. He's actually been here almost year, Nick and Liesl are just late getting him on the show. Good enters the vault to share his story of a career in music and the path to Lee's Summit....

We're gonna shamrock around the clock tonight… OK, it’s not tonight. But on the morning of Saturday, March 16, Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street invites local families to join them for a new St. Patrick’s day event — Shamrock the Block. Events Director Julie Cook returns to The Vault to talk about creating the new event and what entertainment will be available.

Liesl's out this week, but Nick's back to highlight a few local events coming up this weekend before kicking back with one of his favorite interviews from the podcast, Theron Denson — aka The Black Diamond. Hint-hint, there's some rumors Theron has a couple of big announcements coming soon so stay tuned. But for now, if you missed it last year, hears a conversation with the Lee's Summit resident a...

"Get over it and tell the stories..." If there's been a theme for host Nick Parker the last week or so, it's been to stop making things about himself. The point was driven home in a conversation with Lee's Summit resident and community activist Vanessa Hickman and his fear appearing phony while featuring black residents during Black History Month. The appropriate reprimand leads to a open and fran...

Everyone knows two of the main keys for business success lie in both timing and location. For Sarah Boehnlein and Lisa McConnell, this couldn't have been more true as they moved into a new downtown Lee's Summit home just in time for the holiday rush. Their two businesses, TruKC and Boss Babe Balloon Co. respectively, took over the former Ivy and Sparrow space on Third Street just before the holida...

In this lively episode of Lee's Summit Town Hall podcast, hosts Nick Parker and Liesl Hayes bring their dynamic chemistry to the forefront as they explore the vibrant local business scene. Ashley Muffitt, from Mid-Continent Public Library and Square One, joins the discussion, shedding light on a mission to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. The conversation delves into the resources offer...

In their first full week back since breaking for the holidays, winter travel, snow (errrrrr, AMI) days, etc., hosts Nick Parker and Liesl Hays take a few minutes to look back at what happened in 2023 and ahead to some of what they're planning for the podcast in 2024. And then, they offer up a replay from one of their favorite episodes of last year... Fair warning, this episode includes what could...

In the latest episode of the Lee's Summit Town Hall podcast, hosts Nick Parker and Liesl Hays bring listeners up to speed on the upcoming April election, revealing changes in the Board of Education ballot. As the election draws near, the hosts promise in-depth coverage of contested races for school board, city council, and municipal judge positions. The episode also highlights the City of Lee's Su...

🎙️ Dive into local politics on the Lee's Summit Town Hall podcast as host Nick Parker covers contested races and candidates for Lee's Summit City Council, municipal judge, and the Board of Education. Act fast – the filing period ends on December 26th! 🗳️ In a festive twist, join us on Facebook Live for a special Christmas episode at 7 p.m. this Thursday, for a live stream with Santa Claus from his...

Join hosts Nick Parker and Liesl Hays in this festive episode of the Lee's Summit Town Hall podcast. Discover the excitement as they announce the first winner of the 'Favorite Things' giveaway. Listen in for holiday-themed discussions, updates on community events like Storytime with Santa, and a sneak peek into an upcoming live stream event featuring Santa himself. Get ready for a lively blend of...

Join Nick Parker and Liesl Hays in the latest Lee’s Summit Town Hall podcast episode for a roundup of community happenings and political updates. Highlights include the upcoming Storytime with Santa event at Budget Blinds, encouraging donations for the Pro Deo Youth Center, and the successful Grandparent's Day celebration at Summit Christian Academy. The episode previews an imminent City Council m...