JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. -- Staff reductions due to Johnson County government’s voluntary retirement incentive program prompted the Johnson County Library Board to review the hours of operation for the 12 Johnson County neighborhood libraries and the Central Resource Library at its regular board meeting held on December 21.

Due to staffing shortages, the board voted to reduce hours effective January 3, 2012.  The Leawood, Oak Park and Lackman Neighborhood Libraries will no longer be open on Sundays. The Cedar Roe Neighborhood Library will no longer be open on Fridays and will be open only from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays.  All library locations, including the Central Resource Library, will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. The DeSoto and Spring Hill Neighborhood Libraries will open at 1:00 p.m. on Thursdays, rather than at 10:00 a.m.

(Press Release) Budding Olathe chefs will take farmer's market patrons to school when they display their culinary skills during heated competitions on August 27, September 3, 17 and 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Market located at 200 W Santa Fe in downtown Olathe at the corner of Kansas and Poplar Streets.

Sponsored by COUNTRY Financial and the City of Olathe, Olathe Public Schools students from Les Arts Culinaires are going head-to-head in the inaugural COUNTRY Chef Challenge.

Competitors will scope out the market’s goodies the week prior to competition. Then, they will have a week to develop a recipe of their choice. The teams will have 45 minutes to prepare their dish on the day of each challenge.

Exhibits for the 2011 Downtown Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit are in place. Now in its seventh year, the exhibit displays sculptures on loan from artists throughout the Midwest.  The sculptures are rotated annually through Olathe’s Original Town Core area.  This year’s exhibit includes five displays from artists from two states.

For a map of the exhibit go to: www.olatheks.org/GIS/SculptureMap.