KGGF's John Leonard receives the first-ever lifetime pass to Coffeyville Community College Athletic Events.

CCC President Dr. Marlon Thornburg presented Leonard with the honor during his retirement celebration at the station on Friday. Thornburg says he believes this is the first pass of its kind.

Elected officials, former staff members and listeners came to celebrate Leonard on his final day with the station and his 30 years as general manager. The celebration was also broadcast live on The Mighty 690.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has rescinded a boil water advisory for the City of Galesburg public water supply in Neosho County.

The original advisory was issued on October 27^th  because of possible contamination due to mechanical water line break. Laboratory testing of the City of Galesburg water supply showed no contamination and the K-D-H-E has determined that all conditions that placed the system at risk have been resolved.

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend.

It's that time again when most of the United States and the world returns to Standard Time. Daylight Saving Time came into existence for most of the world during the First World War in 1918 in order to allow more daylight in the morning in an effort to save fuel for the war effort. It was discontinued in the U.S. when the war ended, but was reinstated during World War 2.

Hawaii and most of Arizona along with the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Guam do not observe Daylight Saving Time and, therefore, will miss out on the extra hour of sleep this weekend.

Make sure to set your clocks back by one hour tomorrow night.

Halloween is tomorrow and that means trick-or-treaters will be out and about, collecting goodies and having fun.

The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds families to keep safety in mind .

Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult, especially younger trick-or-treaters. Older children going out on their own should travel in groups, stick to familiar neighborhoods, and have a set route and return time.

Visibility is also important. Choose costumes that are bright and easy to see, and use reflective tape or glow sticks to help children stand out after dark. Make sure masks and costumes don't block vision or make walking difficult.

When crossing streets, use crosswalks, look both ways, and watch for vehicles. Trick-or-treaters should stay on sidewalks when possible and avoid running between parked cars.

Drivers are urged to slow down, watch for children, and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods.

Parents should inspect all treats before children eat them, checking for damaged packaging or anything that looks suspicious.

With a few simple precautions, families can help make Halloween fun, memorable, and safe for everyone.

A piece of Nowata's firefighting history is back home after nearly 50 years away.

In 1938, the City of Nowata purchased a new Ford fire truck for approximately three-thousand dollars. The truck was a major upgrade for the department at the time, with a pumping capacity of 500 gallons per minute.

Its arrival prior to World War II even required improvements to the city's water infrastructure, including the installation of fire hydrants capable of supplying the truck.

Now, nearly 90 years after it first entered service, the truck has returned to Nowata under private ownership.

The truck will be restored using private funds. The project will also give current firefighters an opportunity to work together to preserve a piece of their department's history. Once restoration is complete, the goal is to display the truck in parades, community celebrations, and public events.

The project aims to honor generations of firefighters, preserve Nowata's history, and share that legacy with future generations.

Photo: Nowata Fire Truck, Then and Now. Courtesy Nowata Fire Department.

The USD 445 Director of Indian Education earns national recognition.

Erin Lee has been named the recipient of the National Johnson-O'Malley Association Exemplary Program of the Year Award for Region Three-B.

The award recognizes outstanding Johnson-O'Malley programs that support Native American students through partnerships between tribal education departments and school districts.

Lee has also been invited to attend the National Johnson-O'Malley Association Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, in December where she will be recognized on stage and formally accept the award.

The recognition celebrates Lee's work supporting Native American students and highlights the importance of partnerships between tribal education programs and local schools.

Photo courtesy USD 445

A Humboldt organization is awarded a state tourism grant for marketing.

The organization called A Bolder Humboldt will share in a part of $117,408 through the Kansas Department of Commerce to market the City, reach new audiences, and inspire visitors to explore the Sunflower State.

A Bolder Humboldt's ongoing efforts to revitalize the City have included a new brewery, hotels, a campground, bars, restaurants, a candy shop, and a music venue among other attractions. The new grant will provide the group with an additional ten-thousand dollars ($10,000) to bring new visitors to southeast Kansas.

Humboldt is one of 18 communities to receive a Kansas Tourism Marketing grant.

A new Oklahoma law protecting parental rights in adoption, foster care, and child welfare decisions takes effect November 1^st.

House Bill 3586, known as the Right to Raise Act, protects families from being denied the opportunity to adopt or foster children solely because they use biologically accurate language or choose to raise a child consistent with the child's biological sex.

The law also clarifies that those actions alone do not constitute child abuse, neglect, or endangerment.

Republican Representative Erick Harris of Edmond authored the measure. He says child welfare decisions should be based on a family's ability to care for children, not whether parents conform to an ideological agenda. Harris says the law does not prevent authorities from bringing abuse or neglect charges when appropriate.

Harris also pointed to cases in other states involving families who say child welfare officials penalized them for their beliefs about biological sex and gender identity.

The Parsons Police Department earns a national award.

The department recently received the FBI-LEEDA Agency Trilogy Award. The award is a prestigious recognition presented by the Law Enforcement Executive Development Association to law enforcement agencies that demonstrate a sustained, department-wide commitment to professional leadership development. Chief Robert Spinks says it's an honor earned by only a few departments.
 

All five members of its command staff completed the organization’s three-part leadership training program. Police Chief Robert Spinks, Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd, and Lieutenants Sherri McGuire, Kyle Wiford, and Jason Ludwig each completed 15 days of advanced leadership instruction, totaling 75 days and 120 hours of training for the department’s command staff. Chief Spinks says the award reflects the department’s commitment to developing better leaders, making better decisions, and providing better service to the community.

The department also earned Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program accreditation in 2026.

The department says the recognition reinforces its commitment to professionalism, accountability, and public service.

Photo: (left to right) Back Row – Commissioner Tom Shaw, Mayor Kevin Cruse, Commissioner Verlyn Boulanger, Commissioner Eric Schmidt. Front Row - Lieutenant Sherri McGuire, Lieutenant Kyle Wiford, Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd, Chief Robert Spinks, Lieutenant Jason Ludwig

It's Neewollah weekend in Independence and the kids take center stage today.

This afternoon is the Kiddie Parade in downtown Indy. More than 1,000 kids from across the area will show off their Halloween costumes along Penn Avenue. The parade will also feature a variety of floats and middle school marching bands from all over Kansas.

Then tonight at Memorial Hall, it's country music artist Bleu Edmondson live in concert at 7pm. Bandstand entertainment starts at 5pm tonight with John Hamlin, followed by Ty Ellis & the Flatliners at 6:15, Traci & the Time Travelers at 7:30 and Here, Now at 8:45. The carnival midway opens early today and runs from 3pm to 10pm.

It all happens today in downtown Independence.

There’s good economic development news for the City of Neodesha.

At this week’s commission meeting, Community Development Director Chris Bauman revealed some preliminary plans to commissioners. He says there are a couple of projects coming to the City.

Commissioner Ed Truelove says he’s happy to hear about the possibility of a new hotel.

In other business, an action item to accept the donation of a parcel of land at US-75 and Ottawa Road was brought forth, but allowed to die with no motion made. The issue may be revisited at the commission’s next meeting.

The Neodesha City Commission will meet next on Monday, November 9th, due to the usual meeting day falling on Veteran’s Day.

After more than 30 years as General Manager, KGGF's John Leonard will retire on Friday.

Leonard's voice has been a staple of life in southeast Kansas and Northeast Oklahoma, and he says his journey to this area started in 1980 when he came to Pawhuska to work a 6-month job at a station there.

While Leonard says it's been a long 6 months, he eventually made his way to the KGGF airwaves, working in the news department.

Leonard eventually came back to KGGF as General Manager in 1996 and says he grew to love the sales side of the industry and helping local businesses grow.

Looking back on his career, Leonard says the station's service during the 2007 flood sticks out.

In Retirement, Leonard will be moving to Oklahoma City, but he still plans to visit Coffeyville and continue doing voice-over work for the station, in addition to enjoying his newfound hobby of music and guitar playing.

Listeners are invited to a farewell celebration on Friday, October 30th from 10 to 1 p.m. at the KGGF Studios located at 306 W 8^th Street in Coffeyville. Leonard will take calls during Open Line from 9 to 10, and the festivities will also be broadcast from the lobby through 11 on KGGF AM 690.

From all of us at KGGF who have had the privilege of working with John, we wish him the best, and want to thank him for an unforgettable time.

Halloween activities can be frightening for pets.

Coffeyville Friends of Animals Becky Barnhart says costumes, ringing doorbells and extra traffic can affect how animals behave. She says owners should take precautions when welcoming trick-or-treaters.  Barnhart says owners should also consider their pet’s comfort before dressing them for Halloween.

Barnhart also reminds owners to keep candy bowls out of reach and watch decorations that curious pets might try to eat.

Coffeyville’s military banner program is already collecting names for next year.

The program features 160 banners honoring local military members, exceeding its original goal of 150. Coffeyville’s Reawakening Denise York says the credit goes to Jerry Wall for the idea.

This year’s banners are complete, but families interested in a future banner can visit coffeyvillemilitarybanners.org. The Coffeyville Area Community Foundation can also help connect families with Wall by calling (620)251-4769. A presentation recognizing the banners is planned for Monday at 10:00am in the parking lot behind Pete’s.

$100,000 in matching funds will help donations go further during this year's Coffeyville Match Day.

The event hosted by the Coffeyville Area Community Foundation is coming up on Thursday, November 12th. Director Sam Kudrick says donors can choose which organizations they want to support.  Donations are accepted at the Perkins Building located at 807 Walnut, from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Online giving is available all day at GiveMatchGrow.com. Mailed donations must be postmarked by November 12th.

Kudrick says participating organizations have flexibility in how they use the money.  Donation forms and information about the participating organizations are available at GiveMatchGrow.com.

The Altamont City Council discusses the issue of downtown parking along Huston Street.

At this week's meeting, a local business owner raised the issue during public comments. The individual was concerned that there were too few open parking spaces available in the 400 block of Huston Street, near the Altamont Police Department, the Post Office, and the Senior Citizen's Center. A request was made to allow for six of the nine available parking spaces to be designated for the businesses during weekday business hours. Council Member Zachary Sellars says the City could consider an ordinance to make those spots 20 minute parking.

Mayor Richard Hayward says he would be okay with temporary signs indicating the the spaces were preferred for business customers but not reserved for them.

Council Member Lyle Sikes says he thinks the City should not even take a position on the issue.

The council decided to allow the preferred parking signage on a trial basis.

In other business, City Administrator LeaAnn Meyers reported she was still gathering information on a proposed increase in city trash rates. The council took no action on the issue.

Residents of Elk County will have several Halloween events to choose from this weekend.

Coming up in Howard is the annual Hot Dog Roast and Truck or Treat. The event runs from 5:30 to 6:30 on Saturday in downtown Howard.

In Longton it's Fall Festival Time with lots of family-friendly fun. There will be street vendors, apple bobbing, cowboy poetry, a costume contest and trunk-or-treating, plus a 1pm corn hole tournament. In the evening, visitors can enjoy live music from Swamp Poodle. The Longton Fall Festival runs from noon to 9pm on Saturday in downtown Longton.

Moline will host its annual Hot Dog Roast starting at 5:30 on Halloween evening in the City Park.

The City of Cherryvale is currently accepting applications to fill an upcoming vacancy on the City Council.

The opening follows the resignation of Council Member Norman Johnson, with the vacancy taking effect November 3^rd. The appointment will fill the remainder of the term, which expires in January 2030. To qualify, applicants must be registered voters and live within Cherryvale city limits in Ward Two, which includes areas west of the S-K-O Railroad tracks.

Anyone interested in serving on the City Council can pick up an application at Cherryvale City Hall, located at 123 West Main Street. Completed applications should be returned to City Hall, attention Acting City Administrator and City Clerk Karen Davis.

There is no application deadline. The position will remain open until the Cherryvale governing body selects someone to fill the vacancy.

Kansas law enforcement agencies are being invited to apply for more than $3.7 million dollars in federal grant funding to combat unlawful drone activity.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says the fiscal year 2027 Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program will provide $3,725,420 statewide. Funding can support equipment, training and other efforts to detect, track and, where authorized, counter threatening drones. Priority areas include protecting crowded public venues and critical infrastructure. State, local and tribal law enforcement agencies are eligible, and no matching funds are required.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. November 4^th. More information is available through the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Authorities in Cherokee County are amending charges against a Riverton man accused in a recent shooting death.

19-year-old Joshua Wilson was arrested on October 23^rd in connection to the shooting death of 23-year-old Gannon Reece in rural Cherokee County late last week.

Wilson was originally charged with 2^nd degree murder in the case.

However, prosecutors have now upgraded the original charge to 1^st degree murder.

Wilson will now also face charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Aggravated child Endangerment, Felony Interference with Law Enforcement, Possession of a Firearm while Under the Influence, Distribution of Marijuana, and Minor in Possession of Alcohol.

Wilson's next court appearance is set for Friday, October 30.

The City of Independence is reminding residents about changes to its recycling program.

Due to a lack of available markets, the city can no longer accept plastic or glass for recycling. Accepted items include aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, junk mail, office paper, slick-coated boxes, household batteries, and car and lawn mower batteries. Recyclables can be dropped off Fridays and the first Saturday of each month, from 8 until noon, at the Sanitation Yard at 125 South 21st Street. Appliances, furniture and other bulky items also are accepted during those hours. Brush, leaves and limbs can be taken to the City Brush Yard, located one-half mile south of College Avenue, 3840 CR 4100, Thursdays through Saturdays, from 8 until noon.

For hazardous waste disposal, residents should contact the Montgomery County Hazardous Waste Department at 620-331-4139.

Two new Oklahoma laws aimed at improving public safety take effect November 1^st.

Republican Representative Steve Bashore of Miami authored both measures.

House Bill 3244 strengthens penalties for organized retail crime and identity theft. It expands the types of personal information covered under identity theft laws, including fingerprints, passwords and PIN numbers. The measure also increases penalties for repeat offenders and closes loopholes that allow criminals to exploit vulnerable people, including seniors and minors.

House Bill 2941 requires first responders to notify law enforcement when they suspect a drug overdose, after addressing the patient's immediate medical needs. It also establishes fentanyl as the presumed cause of death in fatal overdoses involving the drug.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports fentanyl was involved in 86 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths in 2024.

Bashore says both laws are designed to protect Oklahomans by holding criminals accountable and helping authorities better track and respond to the state's growing fentanyl problem.

Neewollah is in full swing in downtown Independence.

Today's activities are highlighted by the Doodah Parade. The whimsical and irreverent celebration is the chance for all of the adults to enjoy the Neewollah fun. Known as Neewollah's “parade of rowdies,” The Doodah Parade is a Mardi Gras-style parade that runs the lengths of Penn Avenue, from Memorial Hall to Main Street. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Individual Costume and the Best Group Costume. Judging takes place at 5:15 at Memorial Hall and the parade begins at 6.

The musical, comedy duo Big Show Dueling Pianos also performs tonight at the Booth Hotel. This 21 and over show begins at 8pm.

Tonight's bandstand performances begin at 6:30 with Brian Leedy, followed by Robbi Bell at 7:45 and Swamp Poodle at 9pm.

The carnival midway will also be open tonight from 5 to 10pm.

It all happens in downtown Independence.

Halloween weekend brings trick-or-treating, harvest parties and live music to Coffeyville.  Tourism Director Wyatt Starnes says two churches have events planned for Saturday.

Asbury Village also welcomes trick-or-treaters Saturday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Grace Fellowship holds its harvest party Friday from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Starnes says Saturday’s schedule also includes entertainment for adults.

The Cedar Bluff Camp Spook Trail runs Friday and Saturday. More event information is available through the Coffeyville Chamber’s community calendar.

Dollar General is facing a lawsuit from multiple states over allegations the discount retailer repeatedly charged customers more at the register than the prices advertised on store shelves and price tags.

The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from 20 states, including Kansas and Oklahoma, filed the lawsuit, alleging the company’s pricing practices have cost consumers millions of dollars.

The complaint claims Dollar General received tens of thousands of customer complaints about incorrect prices but failed to adequately address the problem.

Federal and state officials allege the company’s practices violate consumer protection laws and left shoppers paying more than advertised for everyday necessities.

Dollar General operates more than 21-thousand stores nationwide and markets itself as a low-cost alternative to larger retailers.

The lawsuit seeks to hold the company accountable for the alleged overcharges and deceptive pricing practices.