— NWS alert feed for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), office CWA EAX, zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 19
Today: sunny, high near 95°F, heat index values as high as 99°, SSW wind 9–13 mph with gusts to 22. Tonight: a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7–10 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms likely 10 p.m.–3 a.m. (60%), low around 70°, heat index still reaching 97°. Sunday: a chance of showers and thunderstorms, high near 81° (50%). Sunday night: showers and thunderstorms likely (70%), low around 64°. Monday: showers and thunderstorms likely before 1 p.m., high near 70° (70%). Then it cools for the week: Tuesday partly sunny, high near 67°, lows dropping to the 50s. Hydrate if you're out at today's events; have indoor backup for tonight and Sunday. Weather
— NWS forecast for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill (CWA EAX), zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 19
A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION is set for Monday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m. at Independence Municipal Commons, immediately ahead of the Regular City Council Meeting at 6 p.m. (same venue, first floor). The open session is expected to take up the first reading of the special-election schedule for the recalled First District seat — City Manager Anderson's recommendation is a February primary, April general, with a single special election alone estimated at $164,400. StayWell Committee meets Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2 p.m. (IMC 246), and the police chief finalists open house is Thursday, Sept. 24, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Midwest Genealogy Center. City government
— City, executive session Sept 21 · City, council meeting Sept 21 · City, StayWell Sept 22 · City, Sept 10 open house · The Examiner, election cost
KSHB is currently featuring the debate over Truman Connected Phase 2, the ~$9 million project along Sterling Avenue (roundabout at S. Sterling & E. Sheley Rd., bike lanes, road diet, wider sidewalks from Winner Rd. to U.S. 40). Residents near the corridor call the roundabout unnecessary and want storm-drainage and sidewalk needs addressed first; the city pays $4.7M+ with the rest from federal grants. The council unanimously voted to postpone the $118,212 design change order indefinitely, with City Manager Anderson leaving the option open to revisit. A related design scope expanded from ~20 to 178 affected properties. Transportation
— KSHB 41, residents question Phase 2 · KSHB 41, council postpones change order · City, Truman Connected project page
The city's nationwide search is down to four finalists — three from the Kansas City area (including a former IPD commander) and one from the southwestern U.S. (per KCTV5, from New Mexico). The department has been without a permanent chief since Adam Dustman's resignation in Aug. 2025; interim chief Doug Brinkley remains in place, and a Jackson County judge this week ruled Dustman's post-resignation pay deal can stay sealed from the Kansas City Star's open-records lawsuit, citing Sunshine Law exemptions. City targets swearing in a new chief by October. Also this week: the city's “Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup” week runs Sept. 27–Oct. 4, and IPD continues investigating the Sept. 12 fatal motorcycle crash on eastbound I-70 at Sterling Ave. and the Sept. 8 fatal crash at southbound Noland Rd. and I-70. Public safety · Community
— City, Sept 10 · Kansas City Star, finalists + sealing ruling · KCTV5, Sept 10 · City, IndeCleanup Sept 14 · City, Sept 12 crash
No ISD board agenda is posted further forward than Sept. 8, so there's nothing verifiable to preview this cycle; the next regular meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 13 (per the Sept. 8 packet). The live story: the district is raising its 2026 property tax levy about 5% — to a proposed combined rate of $5.5009 per $100 of assessed value (operating levy $4.5891, debt service $0.9118 unchanged) — because aggregate assessed values inside the district are expected to fall 6.3%, from about $1.40B to roughly $1.31B. The Examiner's Sept. 15 story (“bumps levy, aiming for steady revenue”) is paywalled — summarized from the headline. ISD
— The Examiner, Sept 15 (paywalled — summarized from headline) · ISD Sept 8 meeting packet (PDF) · ISD board meeting list
The one-room 1870 Howard Schoolhouse on the 1859 Jail Museum grounds has reopened for tours after an 11-month, roughly $80–90K renovation, restoring the living-history experience that first-graders (including ISD classes) have used for 66 years under the Jackson County Historical Society. An official ribbon-cutting is set for this Thursday (Sept. 24). The schoolhouse is not part of the city's $19.9M historic-sites bond on the Nov. 3 ballot. History · Schools
The latest batch on the ATC record is dated 09/11/2026: licensee Casey's Marketing Company filed Original Package Liquor, Sunday Original Package, and Permission–Employ Minors for five Independence stores, all status Active. The headline one: New filing: CASEY'S #4347 (Sunday Original Package) at 11109 E 23RD ST S, filed 09/11/2026 — with the same three licenses that day for CASEY'S GENERAL STORE #2213 (1110 E. 23rd St.), CASEYS 4351 (4208 S Noland Rd.), GOODSTOP BY CASEY'S #4343 (11715 E US Hwy 24), and CASEY'S #4342 (17600 E 39th St S). No new filings have posted since. Public record
New filing: BLEU HOUSE BISTRO (Retail by Drink and Sunday by Drink) at 15800 US 24, filed 09/01/2026 — licensee Bleu House Bistro, Inc. (Corporation), status Active. Public record
Recap of the ongoing thread: First District voters recalled Councilman John Perkins on Sept. 1 with roughly 68% in favor — the first recall of an Independence councilmember in city history — after his March vote for Nebius data-center tax breaks; the Jackson County board hand-counted the district's 1,650 votes on Sept. 8. He joins Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, voted out in April — three of the five council members who approved the incentives are gone. The council takes up the special-election schedule (Anderson's recommendation: February primary, April general) at Monday's meeting; a single special election costs an estimated $164,400. Ongoing
— KCUR, Sept 3 · NBC News, Sept 2 · KCTV5, Sept 2 · The Examiner · City, Sept 21 agenda page
Independence voters decide Nov. 3 on a $19.9 million general-obligation bond for five city-owned historic properties — $7.5M Bingham-Waggoner Estate, $4.5M Vaile Mansion, $1.5M each for the Truman Memorial Building and Old Fire Station One, $600K for the 1827 Log Courthouse — with free resident admission to all five for the bond's 20-year life if it passes. Council placed it on the ballot unanimously in August; as a municipal GO bond it requires a four-sevenths supermajority. A similar measure narrowly failed in 2025. Ongoing
Show Me 250: Paint Your Own Patriotic Flower Pot — Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m. at the Bingham-Waggoner Mansion and Estate, 313 W. Pacific Ave.: free, first-come, all ages, with free property tours (rescheduled from the July 4 celebration due to heat). Also today, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.: Fellowship of the Field Picnic at George Owens Nature Park, 1601 S. Speck Rd. — potato sack race, nine-ring scavenger hunt, leaf-pin crafting, fishing, face painting, costume contest with KC Renaissance Festival tickets as prizes. $5 pre-registration / $10 at the door (the Sept. 17 pre-registration deadline has passed — call 816-325-7115). Weather note: today stays sunny and hot (heat index to 99°) until storms move in after 7 p.m. Family
— City of Independence, paint-a-pot Sept 19 · City of Independence, Fellowship of the Field
The Fall Parade of Homes kicks off Saturday, with 284 homes across the greater metro on display, including a dozen in Blue Springs and Independence. The annual tour runs through the coming weeks — see the Examiner's listing for details. Community
Mobile Mammography — Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1:30–5:30 p.m. at Independence Municipal Commons, 20201 E. Jackson Drive. Diagnostic Imaging's unit is open to city employees and the public; call 913-344-9989 to schedule, bring insurance. Screening generally recommended from age 40. And sign-ups are opening for Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup, Sept. 27–Oct. 4 — the community-wide cleanup week announced Sept. 14. Health · Community
— City of Independence, mobile mammography Sept 23 · City of Independence, Sept 14
| Sat 9/19 | Show Me 250 paint-a-pot 10 a.m., Bingham-Waggoner Estate, 313 W. Pacific Ave. (free) · Fellowship of the Field Picnic 11 a.m.–1 p.m., George Owens Nature Park, 1601 S. Speck Rd. · Sunny, high ~95°, heat index to 99° · storms likely after 10 p.m. (60%) |
| Sun 9/20 | Chance of showers and thunderstorms (50%), high ~81°; 70% overnight, low ~64° |
| Mon 9/21 | Storms likely (70%) before 1 p.m., high ~70° · Closed executive session 5 p.m. + Regular City Council Meeting 6 p.m., Municipal Commons — first reading expected on the special-election schedule for the recalled First District seat |
| Tue 9/22 | StayWell Committee 2 p.m., Municipal Commons (IMC 246) · partly sunny, high ~67° |
| Wed 9/23 | Mobile mammography 1:30–5:30 p.m., Municipal Commons, 20201 E. Jackson Dr. — call 913-344-9989 |
| Thu 9/24 | Police chief finalists open house 5:30–7:30 p.m., Midwest Genealogy Center, 3440 S. Lee's Summit Rd. · Howard Schoolhouse ribbon-cutting (1859 Jail Museum grounds) |
| Sep 27–Oct 4 | Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup — community-wide cleanup week |
| Tue 10/13 | ISD Board of Education regular meeting (next scheduled, per the Sept. 8 packet) |
| Tue 11/3 | Election Day: $19.9M GO bond for five city-owned historic sites (needs 57.14%) |