— NWS alert feed for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), office CWA EAX, zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 29
Today: mostly cloudy, a slight chance of rain showers after 5 p.m. (20%), high near 81°F, south wind 7–12 mph gusting to 21. Tonight: a chance of showers then showers and thunderstorms (30%), low around 69°. Wednesday: slight chance of showers early (20%), mostly cloudy, high near 82°, south wind around 12 mph gusting to 21; Wednesday night: showers and thunderstorms (80%) with a quarter to half inch of rain. Thursday: showers and thunderstorms (100%), high near 71°, 1–2 inches of rain possible through Thursday night — the heaviest hit of the week. Friday: 50% chance of morning showers, then clearing skies behind it, high near 66°, cooling to 54° Friday night. No heat-index concerns in the current forecast. Keep Thursday errands in the morning if you can — that's when the rain ramps up. Weather
— NWS forecast for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill (CWA EAX), zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 29
Recap (AI-drafted from the city announcement and press): City Manager Troy Anderson announced Monday that Edward “Ed” Turner has accepted the position of Chief of Police, effective October 26, 2026. Turner, an Independence native, spent 25 years with the IPD (rising to Major, with leadership over investigations, patrol, special operations and support services) before becoming Grain Valley's chief in 2023. The city says the nationwide search drew 25 applicants, narrowed to 11, then to four finalists who met residents at a community open house last week; Anderson said Turner received “overwhelming support from residents” at the open house and positive feedback from every interview panel. He inherits a department that has lacked a permanent chief since Adam Dustman's departure more than a year ago, with interim/acting leadership under Doug Brinkley since September 2025, two deputy chief retirements earlier this year, and a docket of lawsuits from current and former members. City government Today's top story
— City announcement, Sept 28 · KCTV5, Sept 28 · KC Star, Sept 28 · KMBC, Sept 28 · The Examiner, Sept 28
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:00 p.m. — Planning Commission, Independence Municipal Commons (20201 E. Jackson Dr.), First Floor; the city says the agenda uploads at least 24 hours ahead. Context: after last week's council-hosted town hall drew dozens of residents to weigh in on proposed code changes for data and battery-energy-storage centers, Mayor Kevin King told The Examiner the council hopes to pass a tiered code package in the coming weeks — inside the 180-day moratorium on new applications that runs into December. Up next this week: Street Improvement Oversight Committee, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 4 p.m., Municipal Commons First Floor; Storm Water Oversight Committee, Thursday, Oct. 1, 4:30 p.m., Municipal Commons Third Floor. City government
— City: Planning Commission, Sept 29 · The Examiner (town hall / code options) · City: SIOC, Sept 30 · City: Storm Water Oversight, Oct 1
Recent items on independencemo.gov/news: the city's Halloween events guide (Sept. 21) rounds up scares, history, free candy and costume events; Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup (Sept. 14) runs through Oct. 4. On the public-safety record: the Sept. 19 Walnut Street crash near Dodgion killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child, with a small child sustaining minor injuries; in the Sept. 17 shooting in the 500 block of N. Dover Drive, the victim died and a suspect was taken into custody — charges were announced Monday (see Around Town). City news Public safety
The ISD board calendar shows posted meetings through September 8, 2026 and nothing beyond it, so there is no forward agenda to preview. Check isdschools.org for the next posting. ISD
Still the key money story for district watchers: the board voted to bump the operating levy to offset a projected decline in assessed values, keeping total revenue within state limits while Jackson County's three-year property-tax-credit program continues to erode the base. The district settled and dropped its lawsuit against the county over the credits in July. ISD Money
ISD Community Education runs Community Health with Patricia tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:00–7:30 p.m., at Truman High School, 3301 S. Noland Rd., room 219 — covering home health, state programs, family services, community resources, Social Security and Medicare. $5.00. ISD Tonight
Headliner: New filing: CASEY'S #4347 (Sunday Original Package) at 11109 E 23RD ST S, filed 09/11/2026. The same licensee filed a matched set of three license types — Original Package Liquor, Sunday Original Package, and Permission–Employ Minors — at five stores that day: CASEY'S GENERAL STORE #2213 (New filing: CASEY'S GENERAL STORE #2213 (Original Package Liquor) at 1110 E. 23rd St., filed 09/11/2026), CASEYS 4351 (New filing: CASEYS 4351 (Original Package Liquor) at 4208 S Noland Rd., filed 09/11/2026), GOODSTOP BY CASEY'S #4343 (New filing: GOODSTOP BY CASEY'S #4343 (Original Package Liquor) at 11715 E US Hwy 24, filed 09/11/2026), and CASEY'S #4342 (New filing: CASEY'S #4342 (Original Package Liquor) at 17600 E 39th St S, filed 09/11/2026). All 15 records show status Active. Public record
Press, Monday: Cool Crest Family Fun Center has been temporarily closed a second week; more than a dozen employees told KCTV5 they haven't been paid and have missed three checks. The center is owned by Adventure Landing (Florida), which has closed multiple entertainment venues in the past 12 months; KCTV5's outreach to the company's listed press contact bounced and the owner didn't return calls. No reopening date has been announced. Cool Crest has served the Kansas City area since 1950. Business Press
Court records, Monday: the Jackson County prosecutor charged William Adams, 25, with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm in the Sept. 17 fatal shooting in the 500 block of N. Dover Drive. Records describe an argument in which a witness tried to separate Adams and the victim before Adams fired about two rounds and fled on foot; bond was set at $100,000 cash only. This follows the city's Sept. 18 statement confirming the victim died and a suspect was in custody. Public safety Press
— Salina Post (via Jackson County court records), Sept 28 · IPD statement, Sept 18
The council put a General Obligation Bond Question No. 1 on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot: $19.9 million to renovate, improve and equip city-owned historic buildings — priority to the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Vaile Mansion, Truman Memorial Building, Old Fire Station One and the 1827 Log Courthouse — funded by a property tax levy repaid within 20 years. It needs the four-sevenths (57.14%) supermajority; the 2025 bundled measure got 55.42% yes and still failed. Absentee voting began Sept. 22 (Independence absentee office, 110 N. Liberty St.); no-excuse in-person absentee starts Oct. 20. Elections
— City: bond question FAQ · The Examiner, Aug 18 · Jackson County Election Board (absentee dates)
Ongoing: First District voters recalled Councilman John Perkins roughly 68%–32%; the Jackson County Election Board certified Sept. 8, and the City Council has begun steps toward a replacement special election for the remaining two years of the term. Perkins joins Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, who were voted out in April. The Examiner's follow-up on the town hall and code debate is the live political backdrop: the data-center vote continued to shape who holds seats on this council. Elections Ongoing
— KC Star (replacement process) · KCUR, Sept 3 · Ballotpedia (results)
Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup (Sept. 27–Oct. 4, part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week) hits its midpoint Wednesday. The volunteer corridor cleanup runs Wednesday, Sept. 30, 8 a.m. — residents, businesses and neighborhood groups pick projects at independencemo.gov/indecleanup-volunteer. At George Owens Nature Park (1601 Speck Rd.), Wednesday 10 a.m.–1 p.m.: hands-on plant work alongside MU Extension Master Gardeners, seed bombs, and a free plant clinic (register: pears.io/events/mu/10027/). Weather wrinkle: Wednesday itself is only a 20% early shower risk, but storms arrive Wednesday night (80%) — Thursday's 100% storms may push the outdoor calendar indoors. Community
— City: Corridor cleanup, Sept 30 · City: George Owens project, Sept 30 · City announcement
The City's Halloween events guide (published Sept. 21) rounds up scares, history tours, free candy and costume events around town — the guide at independencemo.gov is the one-stop list, and Visit Independence's free self-guided haunted-sites passport runs all season. Community
The city's Toddler Town (ages 5 and under, indoor play, Sermon Center gymnasium, 201 N. Dodgion St.) runs Thursday, Oct. 1, 9:30–11:30 a.m. No membership required, $3 per child, guardians stay on-site. NWS has Thursday's storms (100%) intensifying through the day with 1–2 inches — morning is the window. Family
| Tue 9/29 | Planning Commission, 6 p.m., Independence Municipal Commons (agenda posts 24h ahead) · ISD Community Health session, 6:00–7:30 p.m., Truman HS room 219 · mostly cloudy, high ~81°; showers/storms possible tonight (30%) |
| Wed 9/30 | IndeCleanup Volunteer Corridor Cleanup, 8 a.m., citywide · George Owens Nature Park project + plant clinic, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. · Street Improvement Oversight Committee, 4 p.m., Municipal Commons · high ~82°; storms arrive overnight (80%) |
| Thu 10/1 | Toddler Town, 9:30–11:30 a.m., Sermon Center · Storm Water Oversight Committee, 4:30 p.m., Municipal Commons · showers and thunderstorms (100%), high ~71°, 1–2″ rain · IndeCleanup continues through Oct. 4 |
| Fri 10/2 | 50% chance of morning showers, high ~66°, then mostly cloudy and cooler (low ~54°) |
| Oct–Nov | Oct. 26: new police chief Ed Turner starts · October: data-center code package expected before the council; moratorium runs into December · First District replacement special election to be scheduled · Nov. 3: $19.9M historic-sites GO bond on the ballot (absentee voting under way; no-excuse in-person from Oct. 20) · ISD Board next posted meeting — check the district calendar |