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🌱 How a retired Olathe firefighter got squeezed by soaring health premiums
Hello Olathe! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How a retired Olathe firefighter got squeezed by soaring health premiums
- Could Johnson County land Bill Gates–backed nuclear power near Olathe?
- Why Olathe Police are leading the Panasonic plant shooting investigation
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Olathe? Post it to Olathe photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Tuesday: Freezing fog in the morning, with a high of 49 and low of 30 degrees.
- Wednesday: Increasing cloudiness, temps: high: 53, low: 43.
- Thursday: Becoming windier, then cooler, with a high of 48 and low of 18 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
📰 News we're reading
1. Retired Olathe firefighter faces 'no-win' health care choice as ACA tax credits could expire (kshb.com) — Olathe retirees are facing steep city health insurance premium hikes just as federal ACA tax credits are set to expire, forcing painful coverage choices. A retired Olathe firefighter describes premiums jumping from under $200 to about $1,000 a month and says he’s lost trust in government. The city has added a limited subsidy, but many retirees remain in limbo. 
2. Headlines for Monday, December 15, 2025 (kansaspublicradio.org) — Johnson County leaders in Olathe are actively courting a next-generation TerraPower nuclear plant, which could bring major investment and energy infrastructure to the area, though no commitments have been made. The same statewide roundup covers everything from KU buyouts and a Manhattan Chipotle milestone to a southwest Kansas tax lawsuit, a Pittsburg shooting arrest, and Kansas senators’ votes on health insurance subsidies.
3. Stabbing suspect killed in Panasonic plant (iolaregister.com subscription) — Olathe residents should know their police department is leading the investigation into a deadly officer-involved shooting of a stabbing suspect at the Panasonic battery plant in nearby DeSoto. Johnson County and state investigators say the incident is contained, one victim remains in critical condition, and there is no ongoing threat to the public as they work to clarify what happened.
4. Grocery Industry Navigates Expansion, Rural Challenges Across Kansas (theshelbyreport.com) — A long-absent Dillons grocery store brand is returning to Johnson County with a new location planned in Olathe at College and Sunnybrook boulevards, signaling fresh competition and convenience for local shoppers. The piece also explains how statewide tax changes, rural grocery struggles, and new industry advocacy efforts are reshaping where Kansans can buy food and how much they pay.
5. 2025 USAC Champs & Award Winners Share Spotlight at 70th USAC Night of Champions - St. Louis Racing (stlracing.com) — An Olathe racer, Tyler Nelson, clinched the 2025 USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget championship after a wild travel scramble from a family vacation to make a key race. He’s one of many drivers and teams honored at USAC’s 70th Night of Champions in Indianapolis, where national and regional champions, rookies, and special award winners from across the country were recognized.
📸 Around Olathe
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Olathe
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
-
Dickens Carolers in Concert
Chestnut Fine Arts Center, 234 N Chestnut St, Olathe
7:30 pm
Thursday December 18
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
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Holiday Spirit Week- Wear Ugly Sweater
Tomahawk Elem Olathe, KS 66062 -
STUCO Store before school
Tomahawk Elem Olathe, KS 66062 -
Gingerbread House Day for Pre-K
Tomahawk Elem Olathe, KS 66062 -
Ugly Sweater - Spirit Day
Black Bob Elem Olathe, KS 66062 -
Holiday Spirit Week- Polar Express Day- Wear PJs
Tomahawk Elem Olathe, KS 66062 -
JH BB vs Meadow View
Oswego Junior Senior High School , 1501 Tomahawk Trail , Oswego
5:00 pm -
Gingerbread House Day- K-5
Tomahawk Elem Olathe, KS 66062
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
📣 Olathe Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
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Municipal Court
City of Spring Hill Calendar , 401 N. Madison St. , Spring Hill
8:30 am -
Homeschoolers Art Class: Gingerbread Creations
De Soto, KS Calendar , 32905 W. 84th St , De Soto
9:00 am -
GARDNER Hampton Inn Conference Center — Smoke 'n' Seoul
Hampton Inn Gardner Conference Center , 151 Cedar Niles Rd , Gardner
4:30 pm -
BINGO @ Hank's
Hank's Garage and Grill , 5801 Nieman , Shawnee
5:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Ok I am not back full time but there have been times I needed to come here like I do now.
I need to know what I should I do I have had my faucets running since I got home yesterday and the water is on now but during night last night it… (Nextdoor Central Core) - Looking for someone with a thermal imaging camera to see if it will help find my cat in my house she may be in the ceiling of the garage but I dont truly know.
Shes been missing since 12/12 and Im desperate to find her, so far she hasn't come for food and I havent seen her or heard her since that day. If… (Nextdoor Waldron Place)
- Hersha Hospitality Management, LP posted a job opening for Night Auditor in Olathe. Apply here.
- ABM Industries posted a job opening for Refrigerated Warehouse Janitorial Cleaner in Olathe. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Olathe here.
Ok Olathe! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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