— NWS alert feed for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), office CWA EAX, zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 27
Today: a chance of showers and thunderstorms through mid-afternoon, then a slight chance; mostly cloudy, high near 74°F, east southeast wind around 7 mph; a tenth to a quarter inch of rain possible. No heat-index concerns. Tonight: mostly cloudy, low around 61°. Monday: partly sunny, high near 77° — the one dry day. Tuesday: chance of rain showers midday, then showers and thunderstorms (50%), high near 79°, gusts to 18 mph. Tuesday night: showers and storms likely (70%), a half to three-quarter inch expected. Wednesday: showers and storms likely (70%), high near 78°, continuing Wednesday night (80%). KMBC's Sunday outlook matches: rain chances take over next week, with "impact days" Tuesday through Friday. Weather
— NWS forecast for Independence (39.0911,-94.4155), NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill (CWA EAX), zone MOZ037, fetched 6:00 a.m. Sept 27 · KMBC, Sept 26
Recap (AI-drafted from press): the four finalists — Chief Gregory Dull (Excelsior Springs), Chief Steve Hebbe (Farmington, NM), Major Keith Kirchhoff (KCKPD), and Chief Edward Turner (Grain Valley, a 25-year IPD veteran) — met residents at Thursday's open house at the Midwest Genealogy Center and completed panel interviews Friday. Anderson told the Star's column he expects to announce "early (this) week, Monday (or) Tuesday"; contract negotiations follow, and the selected chief is set to start before the end of October. Resident preference cards from the open house and an online survey feed into the decision. Watch for the city's announcement at independencemo.gov/news. City government Today's top watch
— KC Star, announcement timing + finalist profiles · KCTV5, Sept 25 · The Examiner, Sept 25 · City announcement, Sept 10
Monday, Sept. 28, 6:00 p.m. — Study Session, Independence Municipal Commons (first floor, 20201 E. Jackson Dr.). Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:00 p.m. — Planning Commission, same location; the agenda uploads at least 24 hours ahead, so it should be posted Monday evening. With the data-center code package expected back before the full council in October, Tuesday's Planning Commission is the meeting to watch. City government
— City: Study Session, Sept 28 · City: Planning Commission, Sept 29
Ongoing: dozens of residents attended the council's town hall on proposed code changes for data centers and battery energy storage (BESS) facilities, and The Examiner reports Mayor Kevin King is aiming for code strict enough to steer the city away from a wave of new requests. Background: the council's 180-day moratorium (adopted July 6, 7–0) pauses only new applications — the city's FAQ confirms it does not reach the Nebius project — while staff draft tiered zoning rules (500-ft buffers from homes/schools/parks, closed-loop cooling, generator-testing limits, special use permits for large facilities). A residents' lawsuit over the Nebius approval remains pending in Jackson County Circuit Court. City government Ongoing
— The Examiner, Sept 4 (town hall) · City moratorium announcement, July 6 · City: Data Center & BESS Moratorium FAQs · KC Star (proposed rules detail)
Recent IPD statements on the city site: a pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed Sept. 19 when a Jeep lost control on Walnut Street near Dodgion, striking her, a small child and parked cars; police identified the woman as 31-year-old Allison Ortegano, and her toddler son was treated for minor injuries — city statement, KCTV5 identification, Sept 22); a Sept. 17 shooting in the 500 block of N. Dover Drive killed 41-year-old Dane Pace, and William Adams, 25, has been charged with second-degree murder (city statement, KCTV5, Sept 22); and the city published its Halloween events guide Sept. 21. Public safety City news
The district's board-meeting list still shows nothing past Sept. 8, 2026, so there is no forward agenda to preview. Recap of that meeting (AI-drafted from the meeting summary): the board approved a slate of refunding bonds for an estimated $1.1 million in interest savings, adopted the 2026–2027 tax-rate levy, and approved updated salary guides, transportation routes and a new tuition rate, with presentations on finances, internet safety and the first week of school. ISD
— MyTownView, Sept 8 board recap · ISD Sept 8 meeting packet
Aggregate assessed values in the district are expected to dip about 6.3% for 2026 (from ~$1.40B to ~$1.31B), so the district bumped the operating levy to $4.5891 per $100 (a 6.1% rise) while holding debt service at $0.9118 — an overall increase just over 5.0%, within Hancock Amendment limits but complicated by Jackson County's three-year tax-credit plan following the botched 2023 reassessment. Independence settled and dropped its related lawsuit against the county in July; the district estimated the credit plan could cost it roughly $19 million over 2026–28. ISD Money
— The Examiner, Sept 15 · KSHB 41 · KMBC (lawsuit dismissal, July 31)
KCTV5 profiles Steffens, who struggled to read in second grade and now works with students facing the same fight at Elm Grove Elementary — a feature on Missouri's science-of-reading push and community support for reading scores. ISD Feature
Headliner: New filing: CASEY'S #4347 (Sunday Original Package) at 11109 E 23RD ST S, filed 09/11/2026. Matching filings that day under the same licensee cover three license types — Original Package Liquor, Sunday Original Package, and Permission–Employ Minors — for 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
MoDOT KC will hold a public information session Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5–7 p.m. at Gregg/Klice Community Center (1600 John "Buck" O'Neil Way, KC, MO 64108) on the full I-70 closure between Van Brunt Blvd and Prospect Ave — roughly 11 months beginning Jan. 11, 2027, weather permitting. Significant for anyone routing through Independence toward downtown Kansas City. Infrastructure
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 · Jackson County Election Board (absentee dates) · Hoodline (2025 near-miss)
Ongoing: First District voters recalled Councilman John Perkins roughly 68%–32% on Sept. 1; the Jackson County Election Board certified Sept. 8. The council has begun steps toward a replacement special election for the remaining two years of the term (each such election costs the city roughly $164,000, and candidates must qualify by petition). Perkins joins Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, who were voted out in April. Also on the November horizon for Independence voters: statewide Amendments 3 and 6 and Proposition A (congressional maps), per KCUR's election guide. Elections Ongoing
— KC Star (replacement process) · KSHB 41 · Ballotpedia (results) · KCUR election guide, Sept 15
Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup — the citywide volunteer week (Sept. 27–Oct. 4, part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week) — opens today with three projects, each with a free MU Extension Master Gardener plant clinic: Truman Memorial Building landscape care (416 W. Maple Ave.), Lipton Conservation Area invasive-removal (31st St.), and the Santa Fe Lookout at Santa Fe Park (2731 S. Santa Fe Rd.). Free and open to all ages. Showers are a 50% chance this morning, easing to a slight chance by late afternoon. The week's citywide volunteer corridor cleanup kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 30, 8 a.m., with bulky-item pickup and drop-off options all week. Details and sign-ups: independencemo.gov/indecleanup. Community
— City announcement · Truman Memorial project · Lipton project · Santa Fe Lookout project · Corridor cleanup, Sept 30
The City's Halloween events guide (published Sept. 21) rounds up scares, history, free candy and costume events around town. Running all season: Visit Independence's free Paranormal Pursuit Passport — a self-guided digital tour of 13 haunted sites including the Vaile Mansion, Bingham-Waggoner Estate, the 1859 Jail & Marshal's Home and Woodlawn Cemetery, with points and prizes for check-ins through Nov. 6. Sign up at visitindependence.com/paranormalpursuit. Community
— City Halloween guide, Sept 21 · KCTV5, Sept 22 · KSHB 41, Sept 23
The Independence Farmers Market runs Saturdays May–October at the Independence Uptown Market — locally grown produce and meat, sweets and crafts from within 100 miles. This Saturday (Oct. 3) falls inside IndeCleanup week. Community
| Sun 9/27 | IndeCleanup day one: 3 volunteer projects, 1–4 p.m. — Truman Memorial Building, Lipton Conservation Area, Santa Fe Lookout · showers/storms a chance (50%), high ~74° |
| Mon 9/28 | City Council Study Session, 6 p.m., Independence Municipal Commons · police chief announcement possible any day this week · partly sunny, high ~77° |
| Tue 9/29 | Planning Commission, 6 p.m., Independence Municipal Commons (agenda posts 24h ahead) · showers then storms (50%), high ~79°; heavy rain overnight (70%) |
| Wed 9/30 | IndeCleanup Volunteer Corridor Cleanup, 8 a.m., citywide · showers and storms likely (70%), high ~78° |
| Thu 10/1– | IndeCleanup continues through Oct. 4 (bulky-item pickup and drop-offs) · wet pattern continues per NWS |
| Oct–Nov | Oct. 3: Farmers Market at the Uptown Market, 8 a.m. · Oct. 6: MoDOT public session on the 11-month I-70 closure (5–7 p.m., Gregg/Klice Community Center) · October: data-center code package due back before the council; new police chief starts before end of month · 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 |