No watches or warnings are currently posted for Independence (NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, office EAX).
Patchy fog before 9 a.m., then mostly sunny with a high near 83°F, north northeast wind 1 to 5 mph. No heat index is mentioned in the forecast. Overnight: mostly clear, low around 68°F.
Sunny with a high near 89°F, west southwest wind around 5 mph. A chance of showers and thunderstorms develops after 1 a.m. Friday night (40%), with less than a tenth of an inch of rain possible. Saturday: a chance of showers/storms before 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny with a high near 86°F (40% chance of precipitation).
The deadline to submit letters regarding the Sept. 1 recall election in Independence is 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20. Letters are generally limited in length.
— Examiner
The Examiner reports a fire station replacement is in the works in southwest Independence (published Aug. 19). (Paywalled; summarized from the headline and snippet.)
First-year Mayor Kevin King has proposed an addition to the City Code that would make storm shelters a requirement for new or significantly renovated homes, to give more Independence residents access to shelter in their home or immediate neighborhood.
The Board of Adjustment meeting scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m. at Independence Municipal Commons (20201 E. Jackson Drive) has been canceled.
City Manager Troy Anderson named Richard Kemple interim director of Independence Power & Light, effective Aug. 8, following the departure of IPL Director Joe Hegendeffer (who left Aug. 7 to pursue a new professional opportunity).
— City of Independence, Aug 6 · IPL director departure, Aug 3
Applications for Independence's nationwide recruitment for its next Chief of Police were accepted through Monday, Aug. 17, 2026.
The Independence School District Board of Education's most recent meeting on file is Tuesday, Aug. 11; no agenda has been published yet for the next meeting. (The board typically meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month.)
New filing: SMOKE 4 LESS & CONVENIENCE STORE (Original Package Liquor / Original Package Tasting / Sunday Original Package) at 1701 S Noland Rd, filed 08/19/2026 — three filings from licensee Light Liquor LLC (Limited Liability Company), the most recent local liquor filings.
New filing: BLEU HOUSE BISTRO (Retail by Drink) at 15800 US 24, filed 08/06/2026, from licensee Bleu House Bistro, Inc. (Corporation).
First District voters will decide Sept. 1 whether to recall Councilman John Perkins, whose vote to approve a 90% tax abatement for tech company Nebius — to build a 2.1-million-square-foot data center in the Little Blue Valley — sparked the effort. A Jackson County judge tossed a lawsuit seeking to block the vote. Recall-election letters are due 5 p.m. today, Aug. 20.
— Ballotpedia · KCTV5, Aug 12 · Examiner · KSHB
The New York Times reported Aug. 19 that Independence would be one of the first municipalities in the country to hold a data-center-motivated recall election, as a backlash grows over data centers and local officials face recalls for supporting the computing sites nationwide. (Ongoing thread.)
The City Council voted unanimously to put bonds for historic site maintenance before voters on Nov. 3, 2026. Tagged sites include the 1827 Log Courthouse, Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Historic Fire Station 1, and Vaile Mansion. (Paywalled; summarized from the headline, snippet, and story tags.)
The annual SantaCaliGon Days Festival over Labor Day weekend will add a curfew: people younger than 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult. (Paywalled; summarized from headline and snippet.)
The Examiner reports the University Health Lakewood campus — a major public provider of healthcare in eastern Jackson County — has an upgrade plan advancing. (Paywalled; summarized from the headline and snippet.)
Weekly chess club at George Owens DeWitt Hall (1601 S Speck Rd) — all ages and abilities welcome; $1 drop-in fee without a club membership.
Parks and Recreation's LEGO/block-building club for ages 3–17 at George Owens DeWitt Hall (1601 S Speck Rd). $2 drop-in fee for non-members; membership $15/yr residents, $30/yr non-residents.
Growers-only market at 211 W. Truman Road with locally-grown meat, produce, sweets, and handmade crafts. SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks accepted.
A family-friendly talk at George Owens Nature Park (1601 Speck Rd.) on how hummingbirds migrate and adapt, ahead of the Hummingbird Festival in September.
The Southwest Independence 353 Board of Directors is listed on the city events page (date as listed there).
| Thu 20 | Patchy morning fog then mostly sunny, high 83° · Recall-election letters due 5 p.m. · Chess Club 2:30 p.m. · Let's Build! Summer Splash 4:30 p.m. · Board of Adjustment 6:30 p.m. (canceled) |
| Fri 21 | Sunny, high near 89° · chance showers/storms after 1 a.m. overnight (40%) |
| Sat 22 | Chance showers/storms before 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny, high 86° · Farmers Market 8 a.m. · Hummingbird Adaptation & Migration 1 p.m. |
| Sun 23 | Partly sunny, high near 83° |
| Sep 1 | Recall election for First District Councilman John Perkins |