The Montgomery County Commission makes significant cuts to the 2027 budget.

At Tuesday's special meeting, Interim County Administrator Kori White and the county commissioners agreed to across the board cuts to the 2027 budget in an attempt to keep the mill levy as low as possible. White details the cuts that were made.

Commissioner Robert Bever says the cuts were necessary.

Commissioner Phil Clubine says everyone will feel the effects of the cuts.

Commission chair Mike Cordray says the commission has listened to what taxpayers have said.

As the budget currently stands, the mill for 2027 would be set at 41.903. That number is down from the 44 mills when budget talks began. The county will hold a Public Hearing to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate at its August 31^st meeting.

Police officers in Kansas City, Missouri, get a bit a surprise during a recent traffic stop. No kidding.

A KC MO officer recently spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen and pulled the vehicle over. AS the officer was arresting the driver, he kept hearing what he thought was a goat-sounding ringtone. He asked the suspect if that was his ringtone and the suspect said, “No, those are real goats; they’re in my trunk.”

The officer checked the trunk and found two small goats that belonged to the suspect. With their owner detained, the animals named Denver and Aspen, took in the goats. The group determined they were still babies and had not yet been weaned from bottle feeding. The young male and female goats were very thin and suffering from intestinal parasites. The KC Pet Project has placed the pair with a foster family who plans to adopt the baby goats following a 10-day hold.

Both goats are expected to make a full recovery.

A vehicle pursuit across several southeast Kansas counties leads to an arrest.

The chase began in Labette County when Sheriff's deputies started a pursuit of a vehicle. The Crawford County Sheriff's Department joined the chase as it crossed the county line. Law enforcement used tire deflation devices that caused the vehicle to lose on of its tires.

The suspect then abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot into a cornfield in Cherokee County, near K-171. The Kansas Highway Patrol's Air Support Unit assisted and quickly located the suspect hiding in a bean field.

The suspect was identified as 48-year-old Jeremy Johnston and taken into custody without further incident.

Johnston was taken to the Cherokee County Jail where he faces multiple charges including felony criminal damage to property and interference with law enforcement.

The City of Independence invites residents to join the Independence Fire & EMS for a traditional welcoming ceremony for its newest fire truck.

I-F-D recently received its new pumper truck known as Engine 3 after receiving approval for the purchase from the Independence City Commission. The truck had been originally ordered by another city's fire department when that city withdrew from the purchase, giving Independence the opportunity to purchase the custom vehicle. The new truck will replace a 40-year-old fire truck that had exceeded its expected service duration.

The department will welcome the new truck with what is called a “push-in ceremony,” where firefighters physically pushing a firetruck into the station. The tradition dates to the 1800s when fire crews relied on horses to pull equipment. Horse teams cannot easily back up a heavy cart, so firefighters would manually push the wagon into the station.

Residents are invited to attend the ceremony and open house on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the West Myrtle fire station next to City Hall. Refreshments will be served, and staff will offer tours of the Fire/EMS facility.

The Montgomery County Commission will hold a special meeting today to discuss details of the 2027 budget.

At Monday's meeting, Interim County Administrator Kori White informed commissioners of additional cuts that have been made to next year’s budget. White says those cuts should set the mill lower than originally planned.
 

That number is still higher than this year's mill of 39.989. The include cuts to several departments including Public Works, Environmental and Zoning and the various fairs in Montgomery County.

Today's meeting will begin at 9am in the Commission Room on the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence. The public is invited to attend.

The Nowata County Commissioners decides to not intervene with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission regarding a transmission line project from American Electric Power or A-E-P.

During a yesterday's morning, commissioners were advised by Assistant District Attorney Ashley Kane to refrain from intervening in the matter. Nowata County Clerk Kay Spurgeon reads Kane's letter to the commission.

Commissioners Paul Crupper and Troy Friddle agreed that they would not approve a motion to intervene. However, Commissioner Brandon Wesson says he disagrees.

Crupper represents District One, another district that will be heavily affected by the project's current proposed route. He expressed interest in intervening as a concerned citizen, not as a representative of the board.

The Nowata County Commission meets every Monday at 9am.

The Coffeyville City Commission is set to discuss the first step in the possible approval of a data center.

At tonight's regular meeting, commissioners will discuss proposals the city has received regarding the construction of a data center in the Coffeyville Industrial Park. City Manager Ben Brubaker will seek commission guidance on advancing to the next phase of due diligence by authorizing submission of an Southwest Power Pool Transmission Study. The study would determine whether the City's electric system and regional transmission infrastructure can support a project of this size.

Last week, the City held a public information forum to allow residents to learn about data centers, ask questions, and provide feedback before any decisions are made. Though the City has received several proposals, no commitment of any kind has been made. Tonight's vote would be to determine whether or not to proceed with the transmission study. Completion of the study does not obligate the City to approve a project.

If the study is approved, the City will hold additional public meetings before any development agreement or electric service agreement is considered.

Tonight's meeting begins at 6:30pm in the Commission Room at Coffeyville's City Hall. The public is invited to attend in person or to view the meeting online via the City of Coffeyville YouTube channel.

Two area residents are appointed to serve on state advisory boards.

Governor Laura Kelly announced the appointments late last week. Kelly reappointed Jean Schodorf of Sedan to the State Historic Sites Board of Review. The Board review sand recommends nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and the Register of Historic Kansas Places, and also awards preservation planning and rehabilitation grants. Schodorf is a former state senator from Wichita and has also served on the USD 259-Wichita Board of Education before relocating to Sedan.

Kelly also appointed Duane Banzet of Neodesha to the Firefighter Memorial Advisory Board. This Board advises on matters concerning the Memorial to Kansas Firefighters on the State Capitol grounds and makes recommendations regarding appropriate activities memorializing or commemorating the services of firefighters in Kansas.  Banzet is the former Fire Chief for Neodesha and currently serves on the Neodesha City Commission.

Photo: Banzdet (l), Schodorf (r)

Football season is just round the corner and that means the cross-county rivalry between Independence Community College and Coffeyville Community College is heating up.

To celebrate the kick-off of another season of K-J-C-C-C football, Independence Community College is offering free admission for all Montgomery County residents to the Pirates' home opener against the C-C-C Red Ravens on September 12.

Additionally, fans who present a valid photo ID or other proof of Montgomery County residency at the ticket gate will also receive a complimentary season voucher valid for free admission to all remaining ICC home athletic events during the 2026-27 season, excluding conference and national tournament contests.

The ICC-CCC game happens on September 12^th at 5pm at Shulthis Stadium in Independence.

Grandstand action gets into full gear today at the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo.

Today's events include The PRCA Rodeo Slack to start the day at 8 along with the swine show in the livestock arena.

Inside exhibits will open today from 2 to 7 in the exhibit building at the Coffeyville Rec Center. Tonight is also the first night of the carnival which opens at 6 p.m. The fitting contest will be tonight at 6:30 in the livestock arena and the LJ Jenkins Bull Riding starts at 7:30 in the grandstand with gates open at 6. KGGF staff will broadcast live tonight from 5 to 7 on US 98 in front of the grandstand.

Tomorrow will bring a full day of events including the majority of the livestock shows, plus the parade downtown at 5 followed by the bean and watermelon feed and the first night of PRCA rodeo.

South Coffeyville Public Schools are gearing up for the first day of classes coming up on Monday.

Superintendent Daryl Pruter says they are implementing some new safety guidelines by requiring clear backpacks as recommended by the state.

The state has also required increased recess time, which the district already provides in addition to an increase in meal prices to meet state minimums. At last night's meeting, the school board approved increasing full-pay lunch from $3.35 to 3.45 for students and $5.16 to 5.30 for adults. The board also approved a 50 cent pay raise for non-certified staff.

South Coffeyville is also preparing for a $5.9 million bond issue to go before voters on August 25^th. If approved, the bond would go towards construction for a new gym which would be available for both school and community use.

Photo: South Coffeyville Ag Teacher Jeff McGlathery shows board members the Ag Program's new $36,000 trailer, which was purchased through a lease-purchase agreement.  The trailer has already been used to bring livestock to the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo.

The Chautauqua County Commission passes an ordinance regarding new high-voltage transmission lines.

At today's meeting, commissioners passed an ordinance establishing a permitting and oversight process regarding the placement, construction and maintenance of electrical generating facilities that includes high-voltage power lines running 200 kilovolts or more.

According to the ordinance, new lines must follow or parallel state or federal highway right of way when feasible. Lines also must be at least 500 feet from schools, hospitals or churches. A permit will also be required for construction, and public comment periods will be required ahead of approval.

The ordinance comes as Evergy re-evaluating potential routes for a portion of its Buffalo Flats transmission line project.

An open house on the project is coming up tonight (Monday) at the Cowley County Community College Brown Center at 215 S Second Street in Arkansas City from 5 to 7.

A second open house will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Sedan High School from 5 to 7. A link to the map of proposed routes can be found here.

The Montgomery County Commission will hold a special meeting tomorrow at 9am to discuss details of the 2027 budget.

At Monday's meeting, Interim County Administrator Kori White informed commissioners of additional cuts that have been made to next year’s budget. Those include cuts to several departments including Environmental and Zoning as well as to the various fairs in Montgomery County.

Tomorrow’s meeting will begin at 9am in the Commission Room on the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence. The public is invited to attend.

Rural fire crews respond to a grass fire near Tyro.

Crews from Tyro Rural Fire and Dearing Rural Fire were called to a location along County Road 2800 about 5 miles northwest of Tyro on Sunday afternoon for a fire in a grass field. Firefighters responded quickly and were able to extinguish the blaze and keep it from spreading to a larger area. About 5 total acres of grassland was burned, but no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

It's back to school season and students in Independence are invited to get back to the books with a back to class bash.

On Thursday night, USD 446 will hold it's annual Indy goes Back to School bash at Riverside Park. Independence Chamber President Lisa Wilson says it's always a fun event.

Indy Goes Back to School happens Thursday night on the oval at Riverside park from 5:30 to 730pm. USD 446 students begin class on August 20.

Tax receipts for the State of Kansas in July come in above estimates.

The total tax receipts for July came in at $718.9 million. That number is about 3.5% or just over $24 million above estimates. State representative Doug Blex says those numbers are driven primarily by income tax and retail sales.
 

While those measures were up, corporate taxes fell below estimates. Those receipts were $18.5 million or 21.7% below estimates, but up slightly at one tenth of one percent higher than a year ago.

To read the full July 2026 report, follow this link.

Part of US-69 in southern Miami County was closed for a brief time on late Friday afternoon following damage to a bridge.

The damage was caused when a crane on the back of a logging truck struck the West 399th Street Bridge northeast of the City of La Cygne as the vehicle traveled beneath the structure in the northbound lanes. One of the northbound lanes of US-69 was closed along with the bridge as engineers with the Kansas Department of Transportation examined the damage. The engineers determined that both the highway and the bridge were structurally sound and could be reopened to traffic.

Repairs to the bridge will be scheduled soon.

A 4-year-old child in Allen County is dead following an electrical shock.

According to a statement from the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, the child was reported to have been playing at a residence in the 200 block of North Walnut Street in the City of Savonburg on Thursday evening, August 6, around 9:pm. At some point the child received an electrical shock from a 220-volt dryer. The parents took the unconscious child to the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, where the child was pronounced deceased.

The Allen County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, but foul play is not suspected.

A weekend car chase across two counties leads to an arrest.

Early Saturday morning, a deputy with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on a Dodge Ram 1500 on US-69 near the Kansas Crossing Casino. The vehicle had been spotted traveling at three times the posted speed limit. However, the driver fled, traveling west along US-400. The driver failed to negotiate the turn and struck a curb at the Labette Bank in Cherokee near the US-400/K-7 intersection.

The driver re-entered the highway and continued to flee, traveling north on K-7 until one of the tires on the vehicle became deflated and eventually came apart. At that point the driver ceased his flight and surrendered to police. The driver was arrested an identified as Nathan Adriel Hernandez.

A juvenile female passenger was held until her parent/guardian could arrive, at which point she refused to go with them. She was transported to the Crawford County Sheriff's Office and seen by a Juvenile Intake Officer.

Hernandez was transported to the Crawford County Jail and faces multiple felony charges. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond.

The City of Neodesha receives a $50,000 grant to build new restrooms at Riverwalk Park.

The funding comes through a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant. The project will allow the City to build ADA-accessible public restrooms at Riverwalk Park and is the result of citizen input in a recent community survey, showing the desire of residents to see more events held at the park, located on West Main Street/US-75 on the west side of Neodesha. According to the City, adding the ADA facilities will help make it possible to hold more events at the park.

A previous Pathways grant also funded the walking trail around the park’s pond.

Construction is expected to begin soon with completion planned for next spring.

A storage shed at the Fredonia golf course is destroyed by fire.

Just before 4am on Sunday, fire crews were called to the scene of the  Fredonia Golf Club on Harper Road just south of the City for reports of a structure fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found a storage shed on the property fully engulfed in flames. After learning that the shed did not contain golf carts, which use chemical batteries, the decision was made to let the fire burn out on its own. Fire crews remained on the scene to ensure the blaze did not spread. The building was total loss.

Wilson County Rural Fire reported no injuries.

Photo courtesy Wilson County Rural Fire

The Montgomery County Commission will meet today and citizens will have the chance to learn more about the results of a recent wage study.

At today’s meeting, Phil Hayes with the Arnold Group will be in attendance to discuss the wage study. This study was the basis for significant wage increases for certain county employees over the past few years. Citizens will have the opportunity to learn more during a question-and-answer session.

In other business, commissioners along with Public Works Director Brandon Beurskins will take part in a road viewing at 9:30 for a potential vacation of the road on County Road 4800. County Emergency Management Director and District Fire Chief Michael Smith will appear to request approval to trade in a vehicle and Register of Deeds Marilyn Calhoun and I-T Director Jason Clubine will present quarterly reports. Brandon Beurskins will also request signatures for a High Risk Rural Roads grant  from the Kansas Department of Transportation for the Buckeye Street project south of Coffeyville.

Today’s meeting begins at 9am in the Commission Room on the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence. The public is invited to attend in person or to view the meeting online via the County’s website.

It's exhibit check-in day today at the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo.

Events kicked off at the fairgrounds in Coffeyville Yesterday with the Royalty BBQ Dinner Fundraiser and Auction and Royalty Horsemanship in the grandstand.

Today, inside exhibits and livestock will be check in, with exhibit judging taking place this afternoon. Tonight's public events include the bake sale and silent auction in the rec center at 5 p.m.  Auctioneer Matry Hill says they've got a lot of entries this year.

The PRCA Rodeo Slack will start the day off tomorrow at 8, and the swine show will kick off the livestock shows, also at 8 a.m. Inside exhibits will open from 2 to 7 tomorrow, and the carnival will open at 6 p.m. The fitting contest is tomorrow at 6:30 and tomorrow's grandstand entertainment includes the LJ Jenkins Bull Riding at 7:30, with gates open at 6. KGGF staff will broadcast live tomorrow from 5 to 7 on US 98. All events take place at the Coffeyville Fairgrounds.

The City of Bartlesville is undergoing a change in leadership. City Manager Mike Bailey resigns effective immediately after 21 years with the city.

In a letter addressed to Mayor Jim Curd and the City Council, Bailey says he decided after considerable reflection to pursue opportunities outside the city. Bailey describes serving as city manager as the greatest honor of his professional life. He says he has complete confidence in the city’s leadership team and employees and believes Bartlesville is well-positioned for the future because of their commitment and talent.

Assistant City Manager Laura Sanders will serve as acting city manager. Sanders will oversee the city’s day-to-day operations to ensure municipal services continue without interruption. Curd thanked Bailey for his years of service and wished him well in his future endeavors. The Mayor says the council has full confidence in Sanders and believes her experience and leadership will provide continuity during the transition. The City Council will determine the next steps for filling the city manager position and announce its plans as soon as possible.

Full resignation letter

Update 4:45 pm:

 The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has canceled the endangered persons advisory that was issued on behalf of the Yates Center Police Department. Tava Glover, 44, of Yates Center, was located safe in Oklahoma.

***** Original Story *****

Police in Yates Center are looking for a missing woman.

44-year-old Tava Glover was last seen by her family on Tuesday. when she was expected to be driving home to Yates Center from Kansas City. She is believed to be driving a 2016 white Lincoln MKZ bearing Kansas tag 9-2-6-1-A-G-M.

Glover is a white female who is approximately 5'4” tall and weighs around 175 pounds. She has light brown hair and hazel eyes. Authorities believe she may have traveled in Pittsburg, Kansas; Miami, Oklahoma; and Ottawa, Kansas, since Tuesday. Glover has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition and is without necessary medication.

An endangered persons advisory has been issued for Glover by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Anyone who thinks they have seen Tava Glover, should call 911 immediately. Anyone with information about her whereabouts, should call the Yates Center Police Department at 620-625-8640.