— NWS alert feed for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), office CWA EAX, zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 22
Today: patchy fog before 10 a.m., then mostly cloudy, high near 71°F, north-northeast wind around 8 mph. No heat-index concerns this morning — cool and breezy. Tonight: mostly cloudy, low around 55°. Wednesday: mostly sunny, high near 74°, clear overnight (low ~54°). Thursday: mostly sunny, high near 75°; a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Friday (20%). Friday: showers and thunderstorms likely (60%), high near 73°, chance of storms continuing overnight (50%). Plan outdoor Tuesday–Thursday time before the weekend rain arrives. Weather
— NWS forecast for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill (CWA EAX), zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 22
The Regular City Council Meeting convened Monday night at Independence Municipal Commons with a first reading on the special-election schedule for the vacancy left by the Perkins recall. City Manager Troy Anderson said before the meeting he would recommend a February primary (if more than two candidates) and an April general election; candidate packets for the district were expected to be available in early October. The recall itself cost the city an estimated $164,400. Still on this week's calendar: a town hall on data centers/BESS rules with Mayor Kevin King and Councilmember Brice Stewart — Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m., Santa Fe Room at Municipal Commons; the police chief finalists open house Thursday, Sept. 24, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Midwest Genealogy Center; and a StayWell Committee meeting this week. City government
— City, council meeting Sept 21 · KMBC, election process + Sept 21 first reading · City, StayWell Committee · City, town hall Sept 23 · City, Sept 10 open house announcement
KMBC's Monday follow-up on the Sept. 20 crash on Walnut Street near Dodgion Street: witnesses heard a “really loud, big boom” as a 2018 Jeep Renegade heading westbound on Walnut — where the view is blocked by a hill — lost control, striking a pregnant woman, a small child, and several parked vehicles. The woman and her unborn child were pronounced dead at an area hospital; the child suffered minor injuries. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating; no charges have been filed and her name is not being released pending family notification. The city's official statement was posted Sunday. Public safety
— KMBC 9, Sept 21 (witness account) · City of Independence, official statement Sept 20 · FOX4, Sept 20 · KCTV5, Sept 20
Still open from last week: police identified the Sept. 18 homicide victim in the 500 block of N. Dover Drive (Hawthorne Apartments, ~8 p.m.) as 41-year-old Dane Pace, with a suspect in custody and charges to be announced by the Jackson County Prosecutor. The four police chief finalists — three Kansas City-area veterans, one from New Mexico, per the outlets' reporting — face the public at Thursday's open house, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Midwest Genealogy Center before panel interviews; a selection is expected by late October. Also still open on the city feed: 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
— City of Independence, Sept 18 statement · KCTV5, Sept 18 (victim ID) · KSHB 41, Sept 10 (finalists) · City, Sept 12 crash
The ISD board meeting list shows nothing scheduled past Sept. 8, so there's no forward agenda to summarize this cycle; the next regular meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 13 (per the Sept. 8 packet). Recap of what the Sept. 8 board did (from the published packet): approved resolutions issuing Series 2026A GO School Building & Refunding Bonds (the $60M new-money bonds authorized at the April 2026 election, plus a refunding of certain Series 2016/2016B bonds if savings are realized) and Series 2026B refunding bonds — MyTownView reports estimated interest savings of about $1.1 million from the refundings — and set the 2026–2027 tax rate at no higher than $5.5009 per $100 (operating $4.5891, debt service $0.9118). The levy story continues in the press: the ~5% bump comes as aggregate assessed values inside the district are expected to fall 6.3% (roughly $1.40B to $1.31B), per KSHB; the Examiner's Sept. 15 story is paywalled — summarized from the headline. Also from KCUR's Independence desk: the district agreed to drop its lawsuit against Jackson County over the county's property-tax relief plan, though ISD still anticipates a financial hit. ISD
— ISD board meeting list · ISD Sept 8 meeting packet (PDF) · MyTownView, Sept 8 recap · KSHB 41 (levy detail) · KCUR (lawsuit dropped — from tag-page summary) · The Examiner, Sept 15 (paywalled — summarized from headline)
The most recent 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 stores, all status Active. Headliner: 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). Nothing newer has posted since. Public record
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 election board hand-counted the district's 1,650 votes on Sept. 8 and the recall was certified official. He joins Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, voted out in April — three of the five council members who approved the incentives are gone. City Manager Troy Anderson's recommended schedule (February primary if more than two candidates, April general) got its first reading Monday night; candidate packets are expected in early October. Ongoing
— Spectrum News, Sept 2 (recall official) · KCUR, Sept 3 · KMBC, next steps + Sept 21 first reading
Context for Wednesday's town hall: after the council's 180-day moratorium on new data center/BESS projects (it doesn't touch the approved Nebius or Patmos projects), staff brought stricter proposed rules — but confusion from residents and council members pushed the vote back at least another month, with Mayor King saying he'd look into organizing a public hearing before the October vote. Second District Councilmember Brice Stewart introduced thirteen amendments and says more will follow. A sixteen-count lawsuit seeking to stop construction at the Nebius site remains pending in Jackson County court. Ongoing
— FOX4 (moratorium) · Kansas City Star (rules vote delayed) · City, Sept 23 town hall
Wednesday, Sept. 23: town hall with Mayor King and Councilmember Stewart on data centers/BESS rules, 6 p.m., Santa Fe Room at Municipal Commons; mobile mammography at Independence Municipal Commons. Thursday, Sept. 24: police chief finalists open house 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Midwest Genealogy Center — meet all four finalists and give feedback before the selection; homeschool recreation at the Roger T. Sermon Community Center. This week's city calendar also lists a StayWell Committee meeting and a Neon Nature Walk (see city events pages for times). And sign-ups are up for Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup, Sept. 27–Oct. 4 — a community-wide week of cleanup projects. Community
— City, town hall Sept 23 · City, mobile mammography · City, chief finalists open house Sept 24 · City, homeschool rec · City, Neon Nature Walk · City, IndeCleanup Sept 14
A community benefit event with a silent auction is being organized in support of the Adam Scott family following the tragic loss of their seven-month-old adopted son; organizers are seeking sponsors, auction donations and performers, with items being collected at Tom's Bar and Grill, 12949 E Hwy 40. Announced Monday on 921NEWS. Community
KCTV: on the one-year anniversary of Anthony Myers' stabbing death, his family gathered to launch “Reaching the One,” an outreach to feed the unhoused and support people struggling with addiction. The trial is set to begin in November. Community · Courts
| Tue 9/22 | StayWell Committee meeting (this week's city calendar) · morning fog, then mostly cloudy, high ~71°; low ~55° |
| Wed 9/23 | Town hall: data centers & BESS rules with Mayor King and Councilmember Stewart, 6 p.m., Santa Fe Room, Municipal Commons · mobile mammography at Independence Municipal Commons · mostly sunny, high ~74° |
| Thu 9/24 | Police chief finalists open house 5:30–7:30 p.m., Midwest Genealogy Center · homeschool recreation, Roger T. Sermon Community Center · mostly sunny, high ~75°; showers likely Friday |
| Also this week | Neon Nature Walk on the city events calendar (see city page for time) |
| 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) |
| Oct–Nov | Data-center rules vote returns to the council agenda in October (per The Star) · special-election candidate packets out in early October (per KMBC) · Anthony Myers trial begins in November (per KCTV) |