Several community events are coming to the Coffeyville area this fall.

The Native Unity Gathering is September 26^th in South Coffeyville, featuring Native dance demonstrations, storytelling, music, children’s activities, craft vendors and free food. Dalton Defender Days returns to downtown Coffeyville October 2^nd and 3^rd with reenactments of the Dalton Gang raid, entertainment, vendors and children’s activities. The Aviation Heritage Museum will celebrate women in aviation October 10^th, followed by Downtown Spooktacular October 15^th.

Haunted History Tours are scheduled for October 16^th, 17^th and 23^rd. Cedar Bluff Camp will hold its Night of Fright October 23^rd and 24^th and October 30^th and 31^st. The fall schedule concludes with the Coffeyville Craft Fair November 21^st at the Recreation Commission. More information is available through the Coffeyville Chamber of Commerce.

A former firefighter pleads guilty to child sex crimes.

26-year-old Spencer Barnard of Baxter Springs pled guilty to attempted electronic solicitation and two counts of aggravated endangering a child. Investigators say Barnard attempted to contact teenagers online over a six-month period to obtain sexual content.

KBI agents arrested Barnard in July of last year following a traffic stop in Cherokee County. Investigators say a subsequent search of his home and electronic devices uncovered child sexual abuse material. Barnard is scheduled to be sentenced November 5^th.

The USD 446 Independence Board of Education votes to exceed the revenue neutral tax rate and approves the 2026-2027 school year budget. 
 

The vote came in last night’s Independence Board of Education meeting. The total mills of the proposed budget is 45.355, a projected increase of 0.471 mills from the 2025-2026 budget. 

In other business, the board approved the purchase of 35 new smartboards to replace older-model BenQ boards that began failing at high rates during the 2025-2026 school year. BenQ boards are 4K touchscreen displays that allow teachers and students to interact with lesson material. Each new smartboard will cost $2,450. 

The next USD 446 Independence School Board meeting will be on October 12 at 6:00 pm.

The Wilson County Commission approves a major purchase for the Road & Bridge Department at its most recent meeting.

Commissioners approved $22,000 for the purchase of an Iron Craft 3510 mower from Fredonia Outdoor Equipment. The heavy-duty mower is built for demanding mowing jobs on uneven terrain, including roadsides and right-of-ways.

In other business, County Coordinator Kris Marple updated commissioners on the progress of Neodesha's planned Granby Street Project.

Commissioners also agreed to cancel this week's regular meeting. The next meeting of the Wilson County Commission will be on September 23^rd at the courthouse in Fredonia.

A representative from Nowata EMS addresses the Nowata County Commission regarding the recent reclassification of the Nowata hospital.

Ascension St. John's application was recently accepted to reclassify Nowata's hospital to a Rural Emergency Hospital or R-E-H. Nowata EMS Supervisor Sabrina Lee says the reclassification will bring only minor changes.

In June, Ascension St. John submitted an application to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). That application was then reviewed and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), reclassifying Ascension St. John Nowata from a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to an REH.

Outpatient services and 24/7 emergency care do not change as a result of the reclassification.

There will be an Opioid Townhall tonight in Cherryvale.

The event will feature keynote speaker Shawn Campiti and a panel of experts who can answer questions and help attendees learn more about the issue. Substance use around Kansas has skyrocketed since 2017, with Montgomery County being in the top 10 of counties in Kansas per capita. Campiti, a Special Agent with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, will share his personal story about losing a loved one to fentanyl use. The public is invited to attend ask questions, and be part of the conversation as communities work together toward a healthier Montgomery County. Refreshments will be served.

Tonight's event begins at 6pm at the Cherryvale Community Center, located at 712 South Liberty Street. The public is invited to attend.

A Scammon man suffers serious injuries in a crash with a semi truck in Cherokee County.

23-year-old Raven Bailey was injured on Monday morning in an accident at the intersection of Scammon Road and US-69. According to the Kansas highway Patrol, Bailey failed to yield at a stop sign at the intersection and was struck on the driver's side of his 2011 G-M-C Acadia by a southbound semi on US-69. Bailey was taken to Joplin's Mercy Hospital.

The driver of the semi was uninjured.

The City Of Coffeyville unveils a new process for purchasing property from the City's Land Bank.

Starting this week, the City is using a sealed bid process, giving interested buyers an opportunity to review the available properties and submit their best bid during the designated bidding period.

Bids are currently being accepted on 33 properties located throughout Coffeyville. The bidding period will remain open through October 14. The time frame will give interested buyers time to explore available properties, review property information and submit their bids to the City.

Property information, photos, minimum bid amounts, sale requirements and sealed bid materials are currently available through the City of Coffeyville’s Community Development webpage.

Kansas Works will be hosting a virtual job fair next week.

The job fair will occur online on Thursday, September 24, from 8am to 5pm and will be accessible through any digital device. The event is designed to allow jobseekers to discover and explore open job opportunities in a wide variety of career fields . Those seeking employment will be able to fill out applications, chat live, and interview virtually with participating employers. Training videos, a list of participating employers, and channels for attendees to register and log in are also available through the job fair online portal. Participants are encouraged to dress professionally, as employers may request to engage in a video interview.

Registration is required. For more information or to register, follow this link.

A mill and overlay paving project originally set to begin this week on a short stretch of US-169 in Labette County is postponed until October.

The project will cover a short, 2-mile portion of US-169 in the northwest corner of Labette County from the Montgomery County line to the Neosho County Line. Other work to be included in the project is the paving of the shoulders, adding center and shoulder rumble strips, and new pavement markings.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, the $1.5 million project is now scheduled to begin in late October.

The Montgomery County Commission clarifies its position on Coffeyville’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

At last week’s meeting, commissioners voted 2 to 1 against supporting Coffeyville’s latest N-R-P. An N-R-P is a local economic development program that offers property tax rebates to encourage people and businesses to fix up old buildings or build new ones. At issue was the commission’s approval of a similar plan presented by Independence last year. Commissioner Phil Clubine says last week’s decision doesn’t mean the county is not supporting Coffeyville.

Clubine says there is still a plan in place for Coffeyville that is in effect until through 2030 and that it is supported by the county.

Commission Chair Mike Cordray then read aloud a letter from the Coffeyville City Commission asking the commission to either reconsider last week’s decision or to explain the difference in treatment between the two cities. The City of Coffeyville stated in the letter that it would continue to move forward with the City’s N-R-P plan.

Neodesha’s Granby Street Project is nearly ready to go.

That was the word at the most recent meeting of the Neodesha City Commission. City Administrator Brogan Jones says the funding portion of the project is complete.

Jones says the project will be funded in large part through grants.

Jones added that the earliest possible start date for the project would be June of 2027.

In other business, the City agreed to settlement terms with Labette Health regarding an ambulance that was totaled in a traffic accident and also tabled an appointment to the Rankin library board until the September 23 meeting.

Enrollment numbers are up slightly for South Coffeyville Public Schools.

That's according to Superintendent Daryl Pruter who says they now have slightly more than 225 students enrolled.

Those numbers are up around 5-10 students from last year.  Pruter says they still have more room for students wishing to enroll for this year.

Emergency crews are responding this morning to an early morning traffic accident near Havana.

The initial call came in around 5:30 this morning as Independence EMS was dispatched to the intersection of US-75 and County Road 2600, just east of Havana and about 5 ½ miles north of Caney. Early reports indicate multiple emergency units are on the scene with possible injuries involved.

Drivers are advised to use caution in the area or find a different route. Again, that location is US-75 just east of Havana.

The USD 445 Board of Education votes to exceed the revenue neutral rate and approves the 2026-2027 school year.

The Board held their hearings for the RNR and budget during this month's meeting, with no one from the public speaking during either hearing. The mill levy was raised by 1.8 mills.

In other business, the board heard facility updates including the completion of the Community Elementary School roof project. The board also got a timeline on the Natatorium project, which is scheduled to be complete by late April 2027 and will be ready for the 2027-2028 swim season.

The burn ban in Labette County has been lifted effective immediately.

Labette County Emergency Management Director Charlie Morse met with county commissioners this morning to discuss the ban. Recent rainfall across the county has helped ease the dry conditions that led commissioners to originally approve the ban.

Residents may resume outdoor burning but are encouraged to continue using caution.

The Wilson Medical Center Board of Trustees is named as the Kansas Hospital Association's Board of the Year.

The announcement was made at the K-H-A Convention and Trade Show held in Overland Park last Friday. The award recognizes community hospital boards that display excellence in governance and leadership. The prize was changed this year from an individual award to a group award to honor hospital boards of directors who are leaders, and who give back to the community while routinely going beyond the call of duty.

The board includes Chad Estes, Justin Newland, Michael Springer, Mitchell Peitz, Amy Brown, Drew Johnson and Doctors Miranda McKellar and Bert Chronister.

The board shares the 2026 award with the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems Board of Trustees in Beloit.

Photo: (left to right, front) Amy Brown, Dr. Miranda McKellar, Drew Johnson, justin Newland. (back) Chad Estes Michael SPringer, Mithell Peitz

The Altamont City Council will hold a special meeting tonight after not having a quorum at last week’s regularly scheduled meeting.

Council members will entertain a light agenda with a residential development incentive up for consideration. There will also be a discussion on the city-wide rummage sale set for September 19 and for bulk trash collection on September 21 through 23.

Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:30 at the Altamont City Hall. The meeting is open to the public and can also be viewed online via the City of Altamont Facebook page.

Repairs to a bridge on the north side of the city are scheduled to begin today in Parsons.

The bridge over Labette Creek on North Boulevard between 16th Street and Lincoln Avenue will get underway this morning. Construction crews will work on one lane at a time, allowing the other lane to remain open to traffic throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to slow down, use caution, and watch for crews and equipment when traveling through the work zone. Use an alternate route if possible, until repairs are complete.

A Neodesha home is destroyed in a Saturday afternoon fire.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 513 North 10th Street in Neodesha around 1pm on Saturday afternoon to a report of a structure fire. The house was fully engulfed in flames by the time emergency crews arrived. The home was a total loss. The structure was vacant at the time and no injuries were reported.

Neodesha Fire, Wilson County Rural, Fredonia Fire, and Neodesha Labette EMS responded to the call.

Fire crews in Washington County, Oklahoma, respond to a Saturday morning grass fire.

Firefighters from Dewey, Wann, and Copan Fire Departments were called to the scene of a fast moving grass fire around 10:30 on Saturday morning. Crews were on the scene for nearly an hour before bringing the blaze under control. No injuries were reported. Officials remind citizens that the Washington County burn ban remains in effect and that brush and grass are still dry despite the recent rainfall.

The USD 446-Independence Board of Education will meet tonight and hold public hearings to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate and to approve the 2027 budget.

The Public hearings will begin before the regular school board meeting with the RNR hearing scheduled to begin at 5:40 and the budget hearing at 5:50. Approval of the budget is expected to occur during the regular meeting, along with the approval 22 individuals for staff positions, including Kids Crew Staff and classroom paras. Board members will also discuss the purchase of a new smartboard for classroom use.

Tonight’s USD 446 School Board regular meeting begins at 6pm in the library at Independence High School. The public is invited attend.

The Montgomery County Commission is set to meet today as they address a brief agenda.

On today’s agenda under new business is the quarterly report from Director of Facilities Maintenance Jeff Phelps. Commissioners will also address correspondence from the Coffeyville Chamber and the Coffeyville City Commission regarding last week’s decision not to support the City’s Neighborhood Revitalization plan.

There is also an executive session planned to discuss confidential information related to an economic development project in the county.

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.

Five people, including four children, are confirmed dead in an early Friday morning house fire in Independence.

Two adults and three more children are also being treated for life-threatening injuries suffered in the blaze. USD 446 in Independence has also confirmed that two of the children involved were students in the district. The initial call for the fire came in around 6:20 on Friday morning. The Independence Fire Department responded to the scene at 201 South Earl Street on the east side of the City where they found the residence fully engulfed in flames.

Multiple agencies assisted with the response, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Rural Fire Department, Independence Police, CRMC EMS, and Cherryvale Fire/EMS.

Independence Fire Chief Aaron Cook thanked first responders for their work along with the medical staff at Labette Health Independence ER. Cook and the City of Independence expressed their condolences for everyone affected by the tragic loss. The names of the victims have not yet been released.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Here is a link to a GoFundMe for the family.

Photo courtesy Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office

Multiple units respond to a fuel spill reported at the Indepdence Airport.

The initial call came in Friday night just after 8 p.m. of a report of a jet fuel spill from a tanker at the Textron facility at the Independence Municiapl Airport.  Fire units from Independence are responding in addition to Coffeyville Hazmat.  No fire has been reported at this time.

This is a breaking news story, more information will be shared as it becomes available.