Shawnee is finally experiencing winter weather, but when Kevin Taylor, Director of Field Operations for the Public Works Department, sat down to talk to the Shawnee Pulse, the mercury was topping 60 degrees! During the winter months, though, Kevin is always watching the weather since he oversees Shawnee's fleet of 22 snowplows and all the drivers behind the wheel.

Kevin takes us through his career in public works, how snow operations work in the City of Shawnee, and we test Kevin's memory for some of the most memorable snow events he's seen.

To find out more about Shawnee's winter weather operations, check out CityofShawnee.org.

For the final episode of 2025, Shawnee's City Manager Paul Kramer stops by to share his journey through the ranks of municipal government that brought him to Shawnee, plus he looks back at the year that was and looks ahead to 2026 and what's on the horizon for the City.

A special thanks to everyone who joined us for the first year of the Shawnee Pulse. We'll be back in 2026 with more conversations, more insights, and more guests to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make the City of Shawnee operate.

If you have questions or guests you'd like to hear from, please email us at cityofshawnee@cityofshawnee.org

The Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund has been a holiday-season fixture in Shawnee for more than a decade, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations in the City. This year, Mayor Mickey Sandifer selected Shawnee Community Services as the sole beneficiary of the fundraiser and they have a specific need your donations will help fund.

We talk to David Aramovich and Craig Gibson from the Shawnee Community Services Board of Directors about their experience with the organization, the good work it does, and the need to build a new storage space behind the main building to help even more people.

If you'd like to donate to the Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund, you can visit: https://www.cityofshawnee.org/mctf

And, if you'd like to join us for Dine at the Vine on Tuesday, Dec. 2, you can call the Wandering Vine at 913-379-1300 or visit: https://www.wanderingvine.com/mct2025 to reserve your seats now.

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.