— NWS alert feed for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), office CWA EAX, zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 16
Today: chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 a.m., showers and thunderstorms likely 7–9 a.m., chance until 11 — then partly sunny. High near 91°F, heat index values as high as 99°, wind ESE around 7 mph, 60% chance of rain, a half to three-quarters of an inch possible. Tonight: mostly clear, low around 74°, heat index still reaching 98° early. Thursday: mostly sunny, high near 90°, heat index as high as 101° — the muggliest afternoon of the week. Friday: sunny, high near 91°, gusts to 18 mph. Saturday: chance of showers and thunderstorms after 7 a.m. (40%), high near 90°; Saturday night: showers and thunderstorms likely (80%) — keep Saturday's outdoor events rain-plan-ready.
— NWS forecast for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill (CWA EAX), zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 16
The Southwest 353 Board of Directors meets tonight at 5:00 p.m. at the Independence Municipal Commons, 20201 E. Jackson Dr. Agenda posts at least 24 hours ahead on the city's events page. Also on the calendar: Board of Adjustment — CANCELED for Thursday, Sept. 17 (per the city events page); Regular City Council Meeting Monday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m. — where City Manager Troy Anderson is expected to give a first reading of the special-election schedule to fill the recalled First District seat (recommendation as reported: February primary, April general, piggybacking on scheduled election dates); and the StayWell Committee meets Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2 p.m., in person, IMC room 246. The 180-day moratorium on new data-center/battery-storage zoning approvals continues; the stricter data-center rules ordinance is still targeted for an October council vote after the Planning Commission's split vote. City government
— City of Independence, SW353 board Sept 16 · City, Board of Adjustment Sept 17 (canceled) · City, Sept 21 council meeting · City, StayWell Committee Sept 22 · KMBC, recall next steps
The Labor Day weekend storm left the nearly 100-year-old Old Fire Station #1 — city-owned, used as the National Park Service's Harry S. Truman National Historic Site visitor center — with falling and bulging brickwork; the building is closed and the sidewalk in front is shut off. Engineers assessed the damage Monday. While it's closed, NPS is selling Truman-site tickets at the Noland Home, 216 N. Delaware St., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The closure lands as the city asks voters about a $19.9M GO bond on Nov. 3 that includes restoring this building along with Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Vaile Mansion, Truman Memorial Building, and the 1827 Log Courthouse. Historic sites
The city narrowed its nationwide search to four finalists: Gregory Dull (chief, Excelsior Springs), Steve Hebbe (chief, Farmington, NM), Maj. Keith Kirchoff (KCPD), and Edward Turner (chief, Grain Valley). Open house: Thursday, Sept. 24, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Midwest Genealogy Center, 3440 S. Lee's Summit Rd. — public feedback and panel interviews feed City Manager Anderson's pick; the city targets naming and swearing in a chief by end of October. IPD has had no permanent chief since Adam Dustman resigned Aug. 15, 2025; Doug Brinkley is interim. Public safety
— City of Independence, Sept 10 · KCTV5, Sept 10 · The Examiner, Sept 11
IPD is investigating a fatal crash Saturday, Sept. 12 on eastbound I-70 at Sterling Avenue — the department's second fatal motorcycle crash in under a week after the Sept. 8 crash at southbound Noland Rd. and I-70; victim identities withheld pending family notification. City Manager Anderson named Richard Kemple interim director of Independence Power & Light, effective Aug. 8 after Joe Hegendeffer's departure. On National 988 Day the city highlighted local mental-health and suicide-prevention programs. Public safety · City government
— City of Independence, Sept 12 · City of Independence, Sept 8 crash · City, IPL interim director (Aug 6) · City, mental health resources (Sept 8)
The Examiner reports (Sept. 15) that the Independence School District plans to raise its property tax levy slightly for 2026, due to decreased property valuations in the district — a smaller rate increase to keep overall revenue steady as the tax base shrinks. Full detail is behind the Examiner's paywall; summarized from the headline and standfirst. Background from the board's Sept. 8 action (AI-drafted recap of the published packet): the board set the 2026-27 tax rate at $5.5009 (operating levy $4.5891, up from $4.3254; debt service $0.9118 unchanged) because assessed values inside the district are expected to fall 6.3%. No board-meeting agenda is posted further forward than Sept. 8; the next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13 — nothing verifiable to preview this cycle. ISD
— The Examiner, Sept 15 (paywalled — summarized from the headline) · ISD board meeting list · ISD Sept 8 meeting packet (PDF)
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 (Original Package Liquor, Sunday Original Package, and Permission–Employ Minors) at 11109 E 23RD ST S, filed 09/11/2026. Same three licenses the same 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). 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
First District voters recalled Councilman John Perkins on Sept. 1 with about 68% in favor — the first recall of an Independence councilmember in city history — after his March vote for Nebius data-center tax breaks. Perkins joins Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, the two other yes-voters voted out in April; three of the five council members who approved the incentives are now gone. The charter requires the council to set a special election promptly (primary + general unless two or fewer candidates) — the schedule's first reading is expected at Monday's council meeting, Sept. 21. Leigh Phillips was first to announce for the open seat. Running the recall plus follow-on elections could cost the city roughly $500,000. Ongoing
— KCUR, Sept 3 · KCTV5, Sept 1–2 · NBC News, Sept 2 · Ballotpedia · The Examiner, Sept 3
Independence voters will decide Nov. 3 on a $19.9 million general-obligation bond to repair five city-owned historic properties — 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 bond's 20-year life. The council put it on the ballot 7–0 on Aug. 17. As a municipal GO bond it requires a four-sevenths supermajority; a similar measure narrowly failed in 2025. The Fire Station #1 storm closure this week underlines the case. Ongoing
— Hoodline, citing the KC Star and the City of Independence · FOX4
The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 10 stayed a federal district court's order that had required Missouri to use the legislature's 2025 mid-decade map, leaving in place the Missouri Supreme Court's ruling striking that map down — so Missouri will almost certainly use the 2022 congressional lines in November, affecting how Independence voters are grouped in the 5th/4th districts. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has said his office will instruct counties to proceed under the 2022 lines amid a compressed ballot-reprinting window (overseas-absentee deadline Sept. 19). Ongoing · Regional
James Lyon pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently obtaining $124,262 in VA disability payments. Prosecutors say he invented three Vietnam tours with the Marines (he was in fact a conscientious objector who refused to enter the Marine Corps in 1966), claimed a Silver Star and Bronze Star, and submitted forged medical records diagnosing himself with ALS. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison without parole at sentencing. Federal court
A measles case was identified in the Kansas City area Monday, and Jackson County Health Department staff were exposed while monitoring for symptoms (everyone at the department is vaccinated). The case is a breakthrough case — the patient was vaccinated. Officials blame rising case counts on vaccine misinformation; Jackson County's 93% vaccination rate is below the ~95% herd-immunity threshold. The exposed resident also traveled to Johnson County, Kan., visiting Kyoto Steak and Sushi and PanAsia Super Market in Overland Park. Health · Regional
A retaining wall along Truman Road near Union Street, a block from Harry and Bess Truman's home, collapsed in June 2025 and the sidewalk has been impassable since, forcing pedestrians into traffic. Because Truman Road is MO-12, MoDOT — not the city — has jurisdiction; MoDOT says the early-1950s wall's historic-preservation and environmental requirements delayed scoping, and design and construction contracts will be awarded between 2026 and 2027. The adjacent property owner says she's spent $1,700 keeping the area clean and has contractors on standby, but MoDOT won't let her rebuild. Historic Square
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 for everyone who paints (rescheduled from the July 4 celebration due to 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. — potato sack race, nine-ring scavenger hunt, leaf-pin crafting, fishing, face painting, costume contest with KC Ren Fest tickets as prizes. $5 pre-registration / $10 at the door; register by Sept. 17, or call 816-325-7115. Weather note: Saturday carries a 40% storm chance with showers likely overnight — have a rain plan. Family
— City of Independence, paint-a-pot Sept 19 · City of Independence, Fellowship of the Field
| Wed 9/16 | ⚠️ Flood Watch until 1 p.m. · Storms through mid-morning, high ~91°, heat index 99° · Southwest 353 Board of Directors 5 p.m., Municipal Commons, 20201 E. Jackson Dr. |
| Thu 9/17 | Mostly sunny, high ~90°, heat index to 101° · Board of Adjustment CANCELED, per the city events page · Deadline to register for Saturday's Fellowship of the Field picnic |
| Fri 9/18 | Sunny, high ~91°, gusts to 18 mph |
| 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. · 40% storm chance, showers likely overnight |
| Mon 9/21 | Regular City Council Meeting 6 p.m., Municipal Commons first floor — first reading expected on the special-election schedule for the recalled First District seat; data-center rules vote targeted for October |
| Tue 9/22 | StayWell Committee 2 p.m., Municipal Commons, room 246 (in person) |
| Thu 9/24 | Police chief finalists open house 5:30–7:30 p.m., Midwest Genealogy Center, 3440 S. Lee's Summit Rd. |
| 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%) · congressional elections under the 2022 maps per the SCOTUS stay |