Today (Monday): a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 a.m., a chance again between 7 and 8 a.m., then a slight chance between 8 and 10 a.m., clearing to sunny with a high near 91°F — heat index values as high as 100° — southeast wind 10–17 mph with gusts as high as 29 mph, 30% chance of precipitation, a tenth to a quarter inch of new rain possible. Tonight: mostly clear, low around 76°F, with heat index values still as high as 97° and south-southwest gusts to 28 mph. Tuesday: a slight chance of showers between 3 and 4 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly sunny, high near 90° with temperatures falling to around 85 in the afternoon, heat index to 97°, 40% chance. Tuesday night: showers and thunderstorms likely, mostly cloudy, low around 68°, northeast wind 6–12 mph, 70% chance — and 1 to 2 inches of rain possible, the heaviest total in this forecast. Wednesday: storms likely before 1 p.m., partly sunny, high near 90°, 60% chance, up to three-quarters of an inch. Thursday: slight chance of storms before 1 p.m., mostly sunny, high near 89°.
— NWS forecast & alerts for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), office NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill (CWA EAX), fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 14
A retaining wall along Truman Road near Union Street collapsed in June 2025, and the sidewalk one block from the Truman Home is still impassable — 14 months later — forcing pedestrians into Truman Road, which is also Missouri 12, for half a block. Because that's a state highway, MoDOT, not the city, holds jurisdiction over the repair; the property owner, Malissa McCleery, says she has spent $1,700 on cleanup and has contractors willing to rebuild, but MoDOT won't let her. MoDOT cites the wall's historic design and the need to study environmental impacts, with contracts for design and construction separate items. The city put up “sidewalk closed” signs (and a temporary barrier to keep rocks, mud and debris out of a stormwater grate) but says its role is limited: “The retaining wall and affected sidewalk are located entirely within MoDOT right-of-way, so MoDOT has jurisdiction over the matter,” and “City staff confirmed today that the immediate issue has been addressed.” The city says it has been coordinating between MoDOT and the owner. Public works
— KSHB 41
The council is roughly halfway through its 180-day moratorium on zoning approvals for new data centers and battery energy storage systems, and the stricter rule rewrite staff submitted did not get a vote. Confusion from residents and councilmembers pushed the vote back at least another month, to October. The proposed rules would tighten where and how data centers can be approved, how much water and energy they can use, their impact on nearby homes, developer disclosure requirements, and would allow the city to strip special use permits if a project violates city ordinances during construction. Mayor Kevin King said he would look into holding a public hearing before the October vote; Second District Councilmember Brice Stewart introduced 13 amendments and said more are coming; City Manager Troy Anderson said the moratorium is unaffected by the delay and that the Planning Commission was “split” on advancing the ordinance. Residents including First District's Joanie Flanagan asked the council and mayor to “read the room” and delay. Separately, the city's public-meetings page shows the Planning Commission meets Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. — the body that was split on the ordinance. The Nebius project under construction in northeast Independence and a smaller Patmos data center in a former warehouse are both unaffected by the moratorium; a 16-count lawsuit seeking to halt the Nebius build is still pending in Jackson County court. Ongoing · Paywalled — summarized from the published reports
— The Kansas City Star, Sept 9 · The Examiner · FOX4, moratorium
The city narrowed its nationwide search to four finalists and will hold a community open house Thursday, Sept. 24, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Midwest Genealogy Center, 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road. Residents can meet the candidates, ask questions and give feedback that the city says will help inform City Manager Troy Anderson's pick; finalists also sit for panel interviews. The search opened July 20 and closed to applications Aug. 17. Independence has said it expects to name and swear in a chief by October. The department has been without a permanent chief since Adam Dustman resigned Aug. 15, 2025, following a three-month leave; Doug Brinkley has been interim chief. The next chief inherits a force that lost both deputy chiefs in June, one of them not voluntarily, amid lawsuits from current and former officers. Public safety
— City of Independence, Sept 10 · KCTV5, Sept 10 · KC Star, Sept 11 (paywalled)
A Jackson County judge ruled this week that the city's separation agreement with former Police Chief Adam Dustman can remain shielded, citing Missouri Sunshine Law exemptions — a loss for The Kansas City Star, which sued in May to force disclosure. The Examiner and parent CherryRoad Media filed their own suit in July. The Star also learned that former Deputy Chief Jason Petersen had a separation agreement when he retired in June; the city acknowledged the agreement exists but withheld the records, and said there was no such agreement with Deputy Chief Michelle Sumstad. City records show Dustman has received more than $100,000 from the city since publicly resigning in August 2025. Paywalled — summarized from the published report
Independence Police are investigating a fatal traffic crash Saturday, Sept. 12 on eastbound I-70 at Sterling Avenue. It is the second fatal motorcycle crash IPD has worked in under a week: the department also reported a fatal crash Tuesday, Sept. 8 at southbound Noland Road and I-70, where a Kawasaki motorcycle and a van collided around 11:10 p.m. and the rider later died; that rider was wearing a helmet, and the van's driver stayed at the scene and cooperated. The victim's identity in both cases is being withheld pending family notification. IPD's Crash Investigations Unit is handling. Public safety
— City of Independence, Sept 12 · City of Independence, Sept 8 crash · KCTV5
Independence Police released photos of a man they believe may have information about a sex offense that occurred in Independence — described as a white male in a pale blue T-shirt and blue shorts, on a phone at what appears to be a QuikTrip, plus a photo of a person backing an Acura SUV out of a parking spot. Anyone with information is asked to call IPD at 816-325-7300. Police have not released further details. Public safety
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson charged 62-year-old William Morrison of Sugar Creek with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 45-year-old Jonathan Brown. Independence police took a missing-person report on May 13; Brown was last seen May 10 riding in the passenger seat of a white sedan, reportedly headed to do concrete work in the basement of a property Morrison owns. On May 23, Kansas City Fire Department detectives and Missouri Task Force One cadaver-dog handlers searched the residence, where two dogs independently alerted near a freshly poured concrete slab. Investigators excavated the slab and recovered a man's body with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head; the medical examiner identified the remains as Brown on June 5 and ruled the death a homicide. The Star's and other reports note Morrison told people Brown had gone to Springfield, and that cellphone and surveillance data contradicted that account. Morrison is held without bond; The Independent reports a next court appearance is set for next week. Public safety
City Manager Troy Anderson named Richard Kemple interim director of Independence Power & Light, effective Aug. 8 after IPL Director Joe Hegendeffer's departure. On National 988 Day (Sept. 8) the city highlighted local mental-health and suicide-prevention programs and services. And IPD participated in the statewide “Saturation Saturday” DWI saturation patrol. City government
— City, IPL interim director (Aug 6) · City, mental health programs (Sept 8) · City, DWI saturation (Sept 1)
There is no agenda packet posted for the next Independence School District board meeting, and the district's posted meeting list runs no further forward than Sept. 8, 2026 — so this edition cannot publish a verified “What to Watch” list. What stands from the most recent meeting: the board held a public hearing on the tax rate and then approved the 2026-2027 levy — operating levy $4.5891 per $100 of assessed value (up from $4.3254), debt-service levy unchanged at $0.9118, total $5.5009. The district sought the increase because aggregate assessed property values inside its boundaries are expected to drop 6.3% for 2026, from about $1.40 billion to roughly $1.31 billion. The board also approved resolutions to issue refunding bonds for an estimated $1.1 million in interest savings, plus updated salary guides, transportation routes and a new tuition rate, and heard presentations on district finances, internet safety and the first week of school. Background worth keeping in view: ISD backed the Nebius data center project and stands to gain more than $463 million over two decades in payments from it, and the district settled and dropped its lawsuit against Jackson County over the county's 2023 property-tax-credit plan, which the district has estimated would cost it about $19 million over 2026–2028. Recap
— MyTownView, ISD board Sept 8 · ISD meeting packet, Sept 8 (PDF) · KSHB 41, levy · ISD board meeting list · KCUR, data center revenue to ISD
Independence saw a batch of 15 new liquor filings dated 09/11/2026, all from licensee Casey's Marketing Company (Corporation), all status Active. The most recent: New filing: CASEY'S #4347 (Original Package Liquor, Sunday Original Package, and Permission – Employ Minors) at 11109 E 23RD ST S, filed 09/11/2026. The same three license types were filed the same day for CASEY'S GENERAL STORE #2213 at 1110 E. 23rd St., CASEYS 4351 at 4208 S Noland Rd., GOODSTOP BY CASEY'S #4343 at 11715 E US Hwy 24, and CASEY'S #4342 at 17600 E 39th St S. 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
New filing: BINGHAM WAGGONER ESTATE (Caterer - Retail by Drink) at 313 Pacific, filed 08/25/2026 — licensee J Creek, LLC (Limited Liability Company), status Active. Listed here as public record; the estate at 313 W. Pacific Ave. also hosts city events, including this Saturday's paint-a-pot. Public record
First District voters recalled Councilman John Perkins on Sept. 1 with about 68% in favor, according to unofficial results — the first recall of an Independence councilmember in city history. Perkins, who had spent 10 years on the council and was elected to serve through 2028, was one of five members who voted to approve tax breaks for the Nebius data center. He joins two other yes-voters, Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, who lost their April bids. Filling the seat requires a special election, with a primary and general unless two or fewer candidates file — and it is up to the City Council to set the date, with no timeline announced as of KCUR's Sept. 3 report. The council's next regular meeting is Monday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. Independently, the Kansas City Star has reported that running the recall plus the follow-on elections could cost the city roughly $500,000 in total, with about $164,000 per election. NBC News covered the recall nationally as a rebuke over the AI data center. Ongoing
— KCUR, Sept 3 · KC Star, Aug 14 (recall cost) · NBC News, Sept 2 · City, Sept 21 council meeting
Leigh Phillips has announced a campaign for the recalled seat, describing herself as an Independence resident, community advocate and elected committeewoman (2024-2028); The Examiner first reported her candidacy Sept. 3. No other candidates for the seat have been publicly reported. Ongoing
Independence voters will decide Nov. 3 on a $19.9 million general-obligation bond to fund repairs at five city-owned historic properties — the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Vaile Mansion, Truman Memorial Building, Old Fire Station One and the 1827 Log Courthouse — with free resident admission to all five for the 20-year life of the bond. The council adopted the ballot question 7–0 on Aug. 17, capping a process that began with Resolution 26-758 on July 20 and a first reading Aug. 3. Mayor Kevin King has said the sites are “extremely important to the city” and need to stay with the city. As a municipal GO bond on a general-election date it needs a four-sevenths (57.14%) supermajority; a similar measure narrowly failed in 2025. Voters also approved a separate $55 million IndeGO infrastructure bond in April 2025 and a school bond in April 2026. Ongoing
— Hoodline, citing KC Star and the City of Independence · FOX4 · City of Independence, IndeGO Bond
The March 2 vote that triggered the recall granted Dutch AI firm Nebius a 90% tax abatement worth more than $6 billion over 20 years for a roughly 400-acre, $150 billion “AI factory” near Missouri Route 78 and Little Blue Parkway. The June 2026 KCUR report on the terms: Nebius pays about $651.5 million in payments in lieu of taxes over the 20-year deal, against roughly $6.9 billion the property would otherwise generate; the city also expects about $30 million a year in utility revenue. Ground was broken in May 2026, with completion targeted about three years out. Opponents — organized around the Independence GUARD Alliance and the “Stop the AI Data Center in Independence” group — are pressing a 16-count lawsuit in Jackson County court; residents have also alleged a permit violation over construction hours (4 p.m.–4 a.m.), which the city said it was reviewing. The city says it handled the approvals lawfully; Nebius says it is complying with applicable laws. Ongoing
— KCUR, tax-break terms · FOX4, permit allegation · FOX4, groundbreaking
Main St. Diner is planned for 208 N. Main St. this fall, taking over the longtime Rheinland German Restaurant storefront. The Restivo family — Tony and Hannah Restivo, with son Anthony III Restivo as head chef (currently a cook at Rae's Cafe in Independence) — plans breakfast served all day, diner classics like pancakes, eggs and omelets, Italian-American items including meatball sandwiches and cannolis, and a walk-up window for breakfast sandwiches, coffee and pastries. Target plans: open daily at 6 a.m., closing 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends, average meal around $15. Tony Restivo told the Star the family had a long-standing dream of opening a business together and applied for a loan after discovering the old Rheinland space was empty. Business
Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m. — Show Me 250: Paint Your Own Patriotic Flower Pot at the Bingham-Waggoner Mansion and Estate, 313 W. Pacific Ave.: paint a clay pot with a patriotic motif, free and first-come to all ages, with free tours of the property for everyone who paints. The event was rescheduled from the July 4 celebration on the Square because of excessive heat. Also Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. — Fellowship of the Field Picnic at George Owens Nature Park, 1601 S. Speck Rd.: a themed afternoon with a potato sack race, a nine-ring scavenger hunt, leaf pin crafting, fishing, face painting and a costume contest with KC Renaissance Festival tickets as prizes. $5 pre-registration / $10 at the door, and registration is due by Sept. 17; register online or call 816-325-7115. Family
— City of Independence, paint-a-pot Sept 19 · City of Independence, Fellowship of the Field
Patio Restaurant & Lounge, the soul-food restaurant and R&B lounge on East Valley View Parkway, has permanently closed after about a year and a half, citing financial issues in a social-media announcement. The Star reported the venue opened in February 2025 and that the closure came roughly 16 months after a May 5, 2025 Cinco de Mayo shooting outside the lounge that left a security guard shot in the leg; prosecutors said at least 75 shell casings were recovered, and the shooter pleaded guilty and was sentenced to concurrent seven-year terms. Business
| Mon 9/14 | Chance of showers/storms this morning, then sunny, high ~91° with heat index to 100° · Tonight mostly clear, low ~76°, heat index to 97° · No board or commission sessions listed on the city calendar today; Municipal Commons is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Tue 9/15 | Mostly sunny, high ~90° (heat index 97°), chance of PM storms · Planning Commission 6 p.m., Independence Municipal Commons, first floor, 20201 E. Jackson Dr. (agenda posted at least 24 hours ahead) |
| Wed 9/16 | Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1 p.m., high ~90° · Southwest 353 Board of Directors 5 p.m., Municipal Commons |
| Thu 9/17 | Slight chance of storms before 1 p.m., high ~89° · Board of Adjustment 6:30 p.m. — CANCELED, per the city's public-meetings page · Deadline to register for Saturday's Fellowship of the Field picnic |
| 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. |
| Mon 9/21 | Regular City Council Meeting 6 p.m., Municipal Commons first floor — the council's first regular session since the Sept. 1 recall, and the body that must set the special-election date to fill the First District seat |
| Tue 9/22 | Staywell Committee Meeting 2 p.m., Municipal Commons |
| Thu 9/24 | Police chief finalists open house 5:30–7:30 p.m., Midwest Genealogy Center, 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road |
| Tue 11/3 | Election Day: $19.9M GO bond for five city-owned historic sites (needs 57.14%) |