The Kansas Supreme Court will conduct a special evening session on October 3rd in Parsons as part of its ongoing outreach to familiarize Kansans with the high court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.

It will be the Supreme Court’s first visit to Parsons in the court’s 161-year history, and it will be only the 13th time that the court will hear cases in the evening.

The public is invited to attend the special session to observe the court as it hears oral arguments in two cases to be announced soon. After the hearing concludes, the justices will greet the public in an informal reception.

The court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 8 p.m. Monday, October 3, at Parsons High School, 3030 Morton Ave.

Parsons will kick off it’s first “5^th Friday” event tomorrow evening.  The Executive Director of the Parsons Chamber, Liz Cochran says it will be a fun night in a relaxing atmosphere with live music, vendors, open businesses and drinks from downtown establishments.

Two blocks of Main and 18^th Streets will be blocked off to traffic beginning at 4:30 to allow for set up and during the event itself.  Cochran says that 5^th Friday events are already being planned for next year beginning in March with months that have five Fridays.

A United States Representative and Senator respond to comments from the Mayor of New York City saying Kansas has no brand. Representative Jake LaTurner says Kansas's brand is about the people.

Senator Jerry Moran recognized the City of Humboldt on the Senate Floor with the Building Better Communities Award. He says what that community has done is an example of Kansas's brand.

Moran says earlier this year the New York Times Travel Desk selected Humbolt as a top destination in the world alongside places like Greece, Australia, and Argentina, which he says seems pretty ironic now. 

An Independence man dies after being hit by a car.

This morning just before 7:00am, Montgomery County Deputies, Independence Fire and EMS and Independence Rural Fire were dispatched to West Oak Street for an accident. A white male was found unresponsive in the ditch. EMS attended to the subject’s injuries before transporting him to Labette Health in Independence, but he passed away due to the injuries sustained in the accident.

The subject was identified as 60-year-old Marty Raney. Witnesses told deputies, that Raney was struck by a truck while performing his job duties. The investigation is still ongoing.         

The Kansas Sheriffs’ Association is Giving away a $1000 scholarship to Kansas High School Seniors.

Students can prepare a 10-minute presentation on a topic related to driving safely.  Students will then be assigned a time to give their presentation via ZOOM on October 12^th or 13^th. They will be asked questions from a panel of judges. Winners will be selected and announced on October 20^th. To enter they will need to fill out the form here.  Students need to apply by tomorrow.

A new leadership team is announced at last night’s special meeting of the Caney City Council. According to the Montgomery County Chronicle, Mayor Josh Elliott introduced City Clerk Amber Dean, Utilities Billing Clerk Kyla Robinett, City Administrator Kelley Zellne and Deputy City Clerk and Treasurer Melinda Trabuc.

Zellner says the logjam on the Little Caney River, which is preventing water flow from Timber Hill Lake to the city’s water intake pipe, was in the process of removal. Montgomery County had agreed to do the removal for $7500. The jam is believed to have started as a beaver dam. City crews will move and burn the logs and a private company will remove any dirt that comes out of the project.

This does not end Caney’s water issues, but it does help get the most out of the city’s alternate water source. Residents are asked to continue to cut their water use as much as possible until significant rainfall has occurred.

An Independence man barricades himself inside the bedroom of an apartment.

Last night at around 9:30pm, Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the Garden Walk Apartments to assist the Independence Police Department. IPD had received calls that Steven Shanstra had entered one of the apartments with a sword. While trying to make contact with Shanstra they heard him barricading the bedroom door and refused to come out.

The county Emergency Response Team responded to the scene and members of the Crisis Negotiations Team arrived and started establishing contact with Shanstra via phone. By midnight CNT was able to talk Shanstra out of the apartment where he was placed in custody. Shanstra was transported and booked into the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on three felony warrants. 

Governor Laura Kelly announces that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, in collaboration with the Department for Children and Families, is now offering digital fingerprinting for applicants who are seeking work in the child care field.

The Federal Office of Child Care requires a comprehensive background check for all people living, working, or volunteering in child care facilities who meet certain criteria, including working unsupervised. A background check includes fingerprinting. The KDHE has been using fingerprint-based background checks with paper and ink prints.

The KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek says that with digital fingerprinting wait time for background checks will be greatly reduced and this will help applicants to obtain their licenses quicker. The changes should also enable organizations and childcare facilities to fill vacancies in a much more timely fashion.

A traffic stop leads to a drug arrest in Chanute.

The Chanute Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 1300 block of S. Santa Fe Ave. on Monday. Upon speaking with the persons involved, officers cited 45-year-old Charles Mendoza of Uniontown for improper turning, failure to give a proper signal, driving with an expired tag and failure to produce valid insurance. 

After an investigation, Mendoza was arrested for alleged possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The completed reports are forwarded to the Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of the charges being filed.

Parsons Police Chief responds to negative comments made on social media. 

Chief Robert Spinks says that unlike on TV they can’t process DNA in a day or fingerprints in an hour. That type of technology is a falsehood. Chief Spinks says that some crimes with DNA will never get processed per the KBI crime lab policies. They can’t control what the KBI decides to process any more than they can control the outcome of a criminal case that is prosecuted.  Spinks's response comes after comments were made about a vandalism case that is being investigated by the department. 

Earlier this month four vehicles were damaged in Parsons. The crimes occurred in the 1300 block of S 26^th Street and 1100 block of N 26^th Street and in the 3600 block of N 16^th  Street.  The vandalism included the slashing of tires, cutting of upholstery and damaging of paint. Officers were able to collect information from the victims and blood was collected from one area. Video footage was made available, but no identities were discovered. The video and blood evidence was sent to the KBI Crime Lab for analysis.  There is currently a significant backlog of cases at the state level, so no time can be given as to when the evidence will be processed.

A water watch is now in effect within the City of Coffeyville.  The resolution was adopted at the city commission meeting Tuesday night.

According to Water Services Director Steve Smith, the watch is the first stage in the city's water management plan.

Smith says stage two would most likely be triggered by pulling from reserves or low lake levels upstream. That could result in car washes and laundromats being asked to close.

Stage three, a water emergency, is the final stage and would result in mandatory water restrictions.

Smith says no significant rain is predicted in the next 90 days according to the National Weather Service, but lakes upstream still have plenty of water available.

The purpose of the water watch is to encourage conservation and raise awareness of the situation.

The railroad crossing repair that was scheduled in Coffeyville has been cancelled.

Kansas Department of transportation says this week's planned repair of the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad crossing on Highway 169 south of Highway 166 in Coffeyville has been canceled. HWY 169 remains open to traffic. 

Eighteen attorneys general are urging leaders of the United States Senate to oppose the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022, saying the act would be a reissue of the Clean Power Act, which was struck down by the U-S Supreme Court earlier this year. The coalition of attorney generals believes the power for their state's energy policy decisions would be transferred from the states to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says the issues the A-G's have with the act, is the ability for private companies to use eminent domain against state land, it would allow the F-E-R-C to construct wherever deemed necessary, and it would allow companies to spread the cost of constructing those facilities to citizens of other states. The act is expected to be taken up without committee hearings and public input. The letter from the attorneys general was sent to both Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Coffeyville City Commission is expected to approve a resolution to declare a water watch within the city of Coffeyville at their meeting tonight.

City Manager Mark Hall says this first stage is only voluntary.

The other steps after a water watch include a water warning and finally, a water emergency. Hall says there is still plenty of water available as reservoirs upstream are not yet depleted.

The commission will discuss this issue further tonight during their meeting in the Municipal Building at 6:30 p.m. As always, the meeting is open to the public.

The Montgomery County Prosecutor announces her resignation. Prosecutor Lisa Montgomery says she can no longer serve the citizens of Montgomery County in an adequate way based on recent events. Montgomery's resignation comes after complaints she made during a commission meeting about the mandates handed down by Chief Judge Jeffrey Gettler. Judge Gettler mandated that reports generated by Montgomery’s office be done in a more timely manner in an effort to improve the speed of court traffic in the 14^th Judicial District.

Montgomery at the June 27^th commission meeting asked the commission to approve overtime hours for her and her staff due to the mandates issued by Judge Gettler. She told the commission that the orders created very low morale and in fact, the staff had walked out in protest of the mandates. She also mentioned in the June 27^th meeting that members of her staff believed the mandates were issued because at the time she was running against Dan Reynolds for the Republican nomination for 14^th District Judge. Gettler was a fellow partner with Reynolds in an Independence law firm. After the June meeting, Montgomery was investigated by the Office of Disciplinary Administrator for attorney misconduct. Judicial ethics forbid public criticism of judges by other members of the legal or judicial system. It is not known who sought the complaint or why specifically she is being investigated.

Montgomery’s resignation will take effect on October 7^th. Montgomery is a Republican, so her position will be filled by the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee.

The City Administrator of Caney, Kelley Zellner met with the Montgomery County Commission asking the county for help in removing a log jam on the Caney river that is a half mile north of the City’s water intake pipe. The logjam is holding back water that could be used by the city.

Chair Robert Bever said that they could remove the jam, but the county needed a projected cost before the board would move further. Bever asked City Administrator Kelly Zellner to confer with Jim Wright about the removal. Wright would then report back to the commission next Monday, October 3^rd with the projected costs. If Wright was able to come up with the cost prior to the October 3^rd meeting then a special session could be convened to give the go-ahead for the logjam removal.

Zellner told the commission the removal was critical for Caney to receive all the water released from Timber Hill Lake which flows into the Little Caney River.

On Saturday, Officers with the Independence police department were dispatched to Riverside Park to investigate a report of an individual pointing a gun at a female in her car, and then they fled the scene. A search was coordinated with other agencies and Montgomery County deputies outside of the city limits arrested 32-year-old Zack Barton who matched the description of the suspect. Barton is being held at Montgomery County Department of Corrections on the charge of Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon.

This Saturday before you head out to the Dalton Defender Day, join the Daylight Defenders Pancake Feed. The 1^st Baptist Church at 9^th and Elm will start serving pancakes at 7 and they will stop at 10:30. For only $5 you get pancakes, sausage, coffee, juice, or milk. All the proceeds will go to the Midland Theater Restoration.

While water is actually seeping over the dam in the Caney River thanks to more water being drawn from Timber Hill Lake and the excellent response of the residents, Caney is still under mandatory water restrictions.

The official water emergency was declared on September the 14^th during the special council meeting and the residents of Caney were notified by social media, door hangers distributed by the local Caney Boy Scouts, and KGGF news, as well as other news agencies.

The declaration specified that no water may be used for outdoor watering, either public or private gardens, lawns, trees, shrubs, plants, parks, golf courses, playing fields, swimming pools or other recreational areas, or the washing of motor vehicles, boats, trailers or the exterior of any buildings.

The School, which is the largest user of water in the city, is taking meaningful steps to curb its use as well. They have shut down all water fountains, large quantities of bottled water have been purchased, menus from the food service leaders are being adjusted to cut water use, portable toilets will be placed at the football stadium, and large quantities of hand sanitizer have been placed in the restrooms to use rather than running water for hand washing.

The city officials have another issue. The water is restricted by a logjam upstream that officials are working on to see how it can be removed.

Rain is not in the immediate forecast, so Caney will have to live with these changes until significant rainfall makes its way to SE Kansas.

Lee Miller with the Emergency Management Department asked the Montgomery Board of Commissioners in their regular session yesterday for their approval and signatures on a purchase order that would allow them to hire a temporary position that is funded by a grant of $4562.50 from the Department of Justice.

The Victim Services Position would look at all the available services for victims of crimes and also victims of natural disasters.

Chair Robert Bever asked that the commissioners receive a follow-up on what was accomplished.

The motion was passed by the board and now applications will be taken by Emergency Management for the position.

Coffeyville City Commissioners have unanimously approved an application for a housing grant.  Commissioners met in a special session and approved a resolution to apply for the state Moderate Income Housing Grant.

City Housing Director Charla Brown spoke to commissioners about some of the application specifics while Community State Bank CEO Mike Ewy addressed commissioners about how funds would be used.  The funds for the grants were recently announced by the state and include $5 million dollars annually that applicants can apply for.

Independence Community College has been awarded a grant to help aid in student success across campus.

The over $2 million dollar grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Education. The Title III Strengthening Institutions program is designed to support colleges and universities seeking to become more self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students. ICC will receive the funds over the next five years.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Taylor Crawshaw says this money will allow ICC to expand and enhance the services they can provide to students, creating additional access to success in the classroom and workforce.

The Labette County Commission votes to prohibit the use of cell phones and laptops by commissioners during meetings.

The motion was made by Commissioner Terry Weidert who says he doesn't think commissioners need these devices as distractions during meetings. Commissioner Lonie Addis says he uses his phone to check the time, so Commissioner Weidert added the purchase of an atomic clock to his motion to be used for keeping time in the commission room.

Commissioner Cole Proehl argued he uses his laptop for commission-related business. The motion passed on a 2-1 vote with Commissioner Proehl voting against it. After the vote, Commissioner Addis mentioned he had received a complaint about executive sessions being recorded. Addis says this motion should put an end to any concern over that.

A railroad crossing in Coffeyville will close for repairs this week.

The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad plans to repair its crossing on Highway 169 in Coffeyville on Tuesday and Wednesday. The crossing is south of Highway 166 or 11^th Street. HWY 169 will be closed at the crossing.

Traffic will follow a signed detour on city streets. For more information on this closure, you can go to kandrive.org.

The missing Coffeyville teenager has been found. 

The Coffeyville Police Department says Gage Keeney, who went missing last week,  has been located and is back with his family. CPD thanks the public for their assistance in locating Keeney.

Independence Police Officers respond to a complaint by a woman being followed and arrest a man on drug charges.

Thursday at about 1:00pm, officers were called to Riverside Park in reference to a white male following a woman and her children. After speaking with the woman, officers located 46-year-old Jason Barrager.  After a search, officers arrested Barrager for possession of an opiate, a hallucinogenic drug and drug paraphernalia. Barrager was taken into custody and to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections where he awaits his first court appearance.

A teenager is arrested for drugs and tobacco in Independence.  On Friday at around 11:30am, Independence Police Officers were called to the 1300 block of N. 10^th St. to follow up on a call of suspicious activity.

After an investigation, a 17-year-old male was charged with possession of a hallucinogenic drug, drug paraphernalia, and a minor in possession of tobacco.

A burglary suspect escapes police but is arrested during a second burglary attempt. 

Early Friday morning, Independence Police Officers were called to the 800 block of W. Laurel St. for a vehicle burglary, in which the suspect was seen fleeing. Officers could not locate the man, but they identified him as 34-year-old Jason York of Independence.

Later that morning at around 8:00am IPD responded to a report of a burglary in the 600 block of N. 13^th St. After an investigation, York was taken into custody and processed on charges of aggravated burglary, theft of a firearm, battery against a law enforcement officer and attempted aggravated escape from custody.  He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and is awaiting his first court appearance.

An air tour organized by the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education will make a stop in southeast Kansas early next month.

The annual flying celebration promotes aviation and economic growth, and Pittsburg, Kansas is one of the nine stops on this year's tour.

Aircraft participating in the tour will be at the Pittsburg airport between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 6th.
More than 30 pilots have already registered to fly the Air Tour this year.  Other stops include Wellington, Ottawa, El Dorado, Augusta, Rooks County, Hays, Concordia and Junction City. For more information, visit the Fly Kansas Air Tour Page here.
 

Two dogs are shot in separate incidents in Parsons.

Yesterday morning at around 11:30am, Parsons Police responded to a report of a dog shot in the 1500 Block of Grand. Witnesses provided varying descriptions of a white male wearing camo with a black backpack. The age range given was between 20 and 40. At least one pistol shot was fired. The dog was a pit bull and it was shot in one of its legs. A veterinarian had to euthanize the dog.

A second shooting occurred just before 7:00pm. Police responded to a residence about 1.6 miles northwest of the first incident. In this attack, a pit bull was shot one time. The dog was taken by its owner to a local veterinarian and appears it will survive after surgery. No witnesses have been located and no one reported hearing a shot being fired in the second incident. There is a $39,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of this individual. Anyone with any information should contact Parsons PD at (620)421-7060 or call the tip line at (620)421-7057.

The Montgomery County Commissioners will meet on Monday, September 26^th at 9 am in the Judicial Center in downtown Independence.

The Board will meet with the Human Resources Director Becky Lewis about the 2023 budget and so will the County Appraiser Melody Kikkert immediately following. Jim Wright with Public Works will meet at approximately 9:30. Emergency Management will discuss the coroner and approval for a temporary position. Anne Miller with GIS will give a software update and the County Attorney Lisa Montgomery will go into executive session with the board at about 10:15. Following that, Jason Clubine will discuss Microsoft Teams.

In other business, the board will have discussions about neighborhood revitalization projects in Elk City and Independence.

The Agenda is subject to change and as always the meeting is streamed LIVE on Facebook or ZOOM or attend in person and let your voice be heard.

Earlier this week officers with the Chanute Police Department responded to a hang-up call coming from the 900 block of S. Lincoln Ave. During the course of the investigation, officers arrested 35-year-old Tim Martin of Chanute for an active arrest warrant out of Neosho County and he was also allegedly in possession of methamphetamines, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Upon completion, reports will be forwarded to Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges being filed.

A Dewey man was stopped by Caney Police yesterday. 24-year-old Bret Thompson was charged with alleged possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked, unsafe turning or stopping, failure to give proper signal, and failure to yield from a private road or driveway. Reports of the arrest will be submitted to the prosecutor for review and formal charges.

An Ellsworth County man is sentenced to two life terms to run consecutively for the conviction of child sex crimes under the Kansas version of Jessica’s Law. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced that his Senior Assistant Attorney General Melissa Johnson and Ellsworth County Attorney Paul Kasper prosecuted the case and that the defendant 36-year-old Jason Cunningham was found guilty in July of 10 felony sex crimes involving two minor children. The abuse occurred between 2014 and 2020.

Judge Carey Hipp sentenced Cunningham to two life sentences with parole eligibility after 50 years, plus an additional 32 months in prison. Hipp also ordered Cunningham to register for life as a violent offender and lifetime parole.

The Coffeyville Police Department is asking for help in locating 16-year-old Gage Keeney. He was last seen leaving his residence Monday the 19^th wearing a gray shirt, gray shorts, a tan hat, and carrying a tan backpack with gray straps. If anyone has seen or knows the whereabouts of Gage Keeney, please call the Coffeyville Police Department at 620-252-6160.

Wilson County Old Iron Days will wrap up this weekend with a full schedule of events in Fredonia.

The annual gathering includes demonstrations of early farming equipment, engines, and old-school skills.

There will be more than 25 working exhibits on display Friday until 4 p.m., and Saturday's schedule includes a tractor pull, musical entertainment, a parade, and a garden tractor pull. The event will conclude Sunday morning with worship in the historic church on the event grounds.

It's all happening in Fredonia, Kansas just southeast of the roundabout at the intersection of US 400 and KS-47. More information is available here.

We are wrapping up Homecoming Week for Field Kindley High School with our last round of interviews.

Today's program features Senior Attendant Mariah Wilson, daughter of Edith and Thomas Wilson and Senior Escort Arbrye Walton. Today's interviews are brought to you by The Yoke and Coffeyville Recreation Center.

Today's theme is Purple and Gold Day. Coronation is tonight at 6:30pm with kick-off at 7:00pm on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF as the Nado takes on rival Independence High School.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is warning people of a scam where the KBI phone number has been spoofed. The KBI says caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the number on a caller ID display to disguise their identity. Callers do this to appear more trustworthy so that someone might share their personal information.

The KBI offers some tips to help protect anyone from these scams. The KBI might call in relation to a case, or arrange an interview, but will not make a call requesting a social security number, date of birth, account number or any other personal information. Make sure to never give personal information out over the phone unless you have initiated a phone call to an agency or service. If a caller is acting suspiciously, hang up and look up the number to verify its authenticity.

The third annual Native American Unity Gathering is coming up this weekend at the Native American Fellowship grounds at 215 Oklahoma Street in South Coffeyville.

There will be native craft vendors, dancing, drumming, a kid's activity tent, blow darts, hatchet throwing and free food while supplies last.

Coffeyville Indian Education Program Director Kris Crane was a recent guest on the KGGF morning show and says all are welcome at the event.

Seating is limited so attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

The event will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and live reports will air on KUSN 98.1 FM between 10 a.m. and noon.

The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that parts of southeast Kansas and northern Oklahoma are now in an exceptional drought. The D4 category of drought is the worst category, and this is an increase from last week's report.

As cattle producers struggle to feed their herds, K-State Research and Extension Wildcat District Livestock Production Agent Wendie Powell says animals are going to be eating unique feedstuffs right now.

Powell says feeding items like these can cause complications and injury in cattle.

Cuts in the mouth can lead to infection, causing eating and drinking to be painful. If you notice an animal going off feed more than two feedings, Powell says you need to take a look at the animal's mouth promptly and seek veterinary help if appropriate.

On September 21st, an officer with the Independence Police department performed a traffic stop at the corner of N 9th ST and W Main ST in Independence.  19-year-old Marcus Hastings was arrested for possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, no proof of valid insurance, aggravated
endangerment of a child, and possession of a firearm while addicted to
a controlled substance. Reports have been submitted to the Prosecuting attorney for review and formal charges.

Coffeyville and the surrounding communities are invited to attend and share in the Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Walter Johnson Park in Coffeyville on Saturday, September 24 from 4 to 8 pm. The entire family will enjoy the live music, entertainment, family games, and authentic Hispanic Cuisine. Come celebrate Hispanic Heritage and help preserve the culture and tradition of the Hispanic population this Saturday from 4-8 at Walter Johnson Park in Coffeyville.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and a coalition of 23 other state attorneys general sent a letter yesterday to the CEOs of American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. The point of the letter is to say that the monitoring and tracking of firearms purchases by processing firearms purchases with a new unique code creates an obvious risk that law-abiding consumers’ information will be obtained and misused by those who oppose Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights.

Activists have pressured the International Organization for Standardization to adopt a policy of creating a new unique code for gun stores. The result is transnational collusion between large corporations leveraging their market power to further progress toward their desired social outcomes, which circumvents and undermines the American legislative process.

The attorneys general wrote, “Social policy should be debated and determined within our political institutions. Americans are tired of seeing corporate leverage used to advance political goals that cannot muster basic democratic support. The Second Amendment is a fundamental right, but it’s also a fundamental American value. Our financial institutions should stop lending their market power to those who wish to attack that value.”

A copy of the letter in its entirety is available here: https://bit.ly/3SdPdke

A group gathered outside the Montgomery County Courthouse to raise awareness on the issue of the illegal distribution of Fentanyl in the area. Organizer Jessica Barlow says one death from a Fentanyl overdose is too much.

Barlow's nephew died earlier this month from an accidental Fentanyl overdose. The protest comes just a week after two men were arrested in the county with baggies of pills on them. One of those men bonded out but later has his bond revoked.

Homecoming Week continues for Field Kindley High School.

You can tune in around 10:30am every morning on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF to hear the candidates' interviews. Today's program features Senior Attendant Emilie Cook, daughter of Brad and Jennifer Cook and Senior Escort Kemp Fullard. Today's interviews are brought to you by H&R Block Coffeyville and Windsor Place.

Today's theme is dress as anything that starts with the first letter of your name. Tomorrow's theme is Purple and Gold Day and tomorrow's featured interviews are Mariah Wilson and Arbrye Walton.  

Multiple fire departments respond to a house fire in Caney.

The Tyro Division fire department assisted the Caney Fire Department with a structure fire yesterday evening around 5:20pm. Caney FD arrived on the scene and found smoke showing from the attic at the back of the structure. Also assisting Caney FD were Copan, Wann, Dewey FD, Caney Police Department and Caney EMS. The house was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

The fire is currently under investigation by the Caney PD and The State Fire Marshall's Office. 

A railroad crossing in Coffeyville will close for repairs next week.

The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad plans to repair its crossing on Highway 169 in Coffeyville on Tuesday and Wednesday. The crossing is south of Highway 166 or 11^th Street. HWY 169 will be closed at the crossing.

Traffic will follow a signed detour on city streets. For more information on this closure, you can go to kandrive.org.

A driver is placed under arrest after screaming and cursing at police officers during a traffic stop.

A Caney Police Officer on routine patrol observed a 2003 SAAB driving at a high rate of speed. The driver was identified as 30-year-old Nathaniel Rush, whose vehicle had an expired paper tag. During the investigation, a pair of brass knuckles were located in Rush’s possession.

He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail on recommended charges of driving while revoked, no registration, disorderly conduct and criminal use of a weapon.

For the 25^th month in a row, Kansas tax revenue at the state level has exceeded projections.

That's according to Kansas District 11 Representative Jim Kelly who was a recent guest on the KGGF morning show.

Kelly explains the reason for this increase is partly because of inflation.

Kelly says the extra money coming in can fund a variety of programs.

While taxes revenue is up, Kelly says a bill passed recently will reduce sales tax by 2.5 percent over three years until grocery items will no longer be taxed in Kansas.

Come out to the Independence Municipal Airport on October 8th and watch as exotic and expensive one-of-a-kind performance cars and drivers drag race side-by-side down the runway. You can get up close and expect to see Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, and modified Corvettes. BMWs and Mustangs are featured as well. Some cars will reach over 200 miles an hour. Go to airstripattack.com to get tickets or if you have questions.

GOP Gubernatorial hopeful and current Attorney General Derek Schmidt was our guest on the Mighty 690 morning show yesterday and he was very proud of his office’s consumer affairs fraud department’s performance in the 12 years he has been at the helm. Kansans through his office have recovered more judgments for more money than any other Attorney’s General Office in Kansas’s history.

However, the Montgomery County Native was more pleased with the Suicide Prevention Phone App that his office began developing back in 2017. His office then spearheaded the launch of the app that he hopes will be downloaded to every student’s phone and tablet in the state.

Understanding today’s youth, they wanted to make sure that texting would be an integral part of the app.

To listen to the interview in its entirety on our website kggfradio.com. Hover over the Community Tab and scroll down to KGGF Morning Interviews and click on it. You will see a list of all the KGGF morning news interviews.

Homecoming Week continues for Field Kindley High School.

You can tune in around 10:30am every morning on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF to hear the candidates' interviews. Today's program features Senior Attendant Jordan Wilson, daughter of Stacey Cook and Adrian Wilson and Senior Escort Tyler Zimmerman, son of Jason and Carmen Zimmerman. Today's interviews are brought to you by Heyman's Iron and Metal and Team Auto.

Today's theme is dress as your favorite holiday. Tomorrow's theme is dress as anything that starts with the first letter of your name and tomorrow's featured interviews are Emilie Cook and Kemp Fullard. The parade starts tonight at 7:00pm.

A Coffeyville man was arrested by the Coffeyville Police Department for 4 felony warrants from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. In the course of the arrest, Tremon Ancar was also booked for additional charges of alleged criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, possession of methamphetamines, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Reports of the arrest, upon completion, were sent to the prosecuting attorney for review and final charges.

A group plans to protest and bring awareness to the problems associated with the illegal use of Fentanyl in the area. The protest will take place in front of the Montgomery County Courthouse on Thursday at 8:30am. Organizer Jessica Barlow says she became aware of the growing issue of Fentanyl after her nephew passed away from an overdose earlier this month.

Barlow says her objective for the protest on Thursday morning is to raise awareness on this issue.  Last week two Montgomery County men were arrested with baggies of Fentanyl pills on them. One of those men bonded out of jail with the bondsman later revoking the bond.

An early morning fire in Parsons is ruled an arson.

Saturday at around 7:51am, Parsons Police were notified about a possible fire and when officers arrived, they found the structure fully engulfed in flames. Parsons Fire arrived and began working on the blaze while police secured the area. The fire was put out and it was discovered that the house was abandoned and had been red-tagged by Parsons Code Enforcement.

The structure is owned by Robert Lemaster, who is currently serving time in prison. PFD requested the fire be investigated by a fire marshal due to the suspicious nature. The investigator ruled the incident an arson. The investigation has been turned over to the State Fire Marshall.

Coffeyville Resources has scheduled a community siren alarm test for the end of the month. The will be on September 28^th at 10:00am. Coffeyville Resources plans to conduct a drill of the emergency response plan along with the siren test.

The test day could change depending on the weather conditions. If there is a likely threat of severe weather during the scheduled test it will be postponed. Coffeyville Resources' employees will be located throughout the community to evaluate the broadcast quality of the sirens.

Independence Community College will be hosting a Junior/Senior Day in October.

The event is scheduled for Friday, October 21^st and will take place on the ICC Main Camps from 9:00am until 12:30pm. Senior Recruiter Chris Cameron says the event is a great way for students to understand what steps they need to take while preparing for college and to see if ICC is a good fit for them.

Students will have the opportunity to meet current faculty and ICC students, speak to financial aid and admissions experts and learn about student life activities. Lunch will be provided, and each student in attendance will have the opportunity to win an iPad. Cameron says they offer a variety of programs with flexible options for students. For more information or to register for the event, contact Cameron via email at ccameron@indycc.edu.

Zoolloween presented by the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence will be on October 8th from 5 to 7 pm. Admission is only $2 and kids under 2 are free. Dress up and bring plenty of candy bags and join in on the fun. Trick or treating, carnival game, and lots and lots of prizes, all in one place. That's October 8th from 5 to 7.

The City of Independence still seeking individuals for two City Board openings. The opening on the Electrical Board will interpret the provisions of the National Electrical Code, and studies and recommends changes to the city electrical code when they are needed. The applicant must be licensed by the City as an electrician.

The Tree Board provides a community forestry plan, addressing the planting, maintenance, and removal of trees to enhance the natural beauty of the community. For more information on the openings on either board contact Scott Patton. His email, phone, and a link to the City of Independence’s website are included in the online version of this story @ kggfradio.com. The deadline to apply for either position is October 7^th.

The Coffeyville Police Department arrested 34-year-old Jonathan Gutierrez on alleged possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Reports have been submitted to the prosecuting attorney for review and formal charges to be filed.

The Fine Arts Season at Independence Community College opens September 27 thru October 2 with performances of the heartwarming and witty play ART. The showings will be in the historic William Inge Theatre on the campus of ICC. Admission is free.

The award-winning French play by Yasmina Reza is a satirical glimpse into the friendship of wealthy modern art fanatics. The questions and humor arise when one friend buys a blank, all-white painting for 200,000 Euros. The real value of ART is truly in the eye of the beholder.

ICC invites everyone to come and enter into this hilarious yet touching exploration of the connections that bind people together.

Homecoming Week continues for Field Kindley High School.

You can tune in around 10:30am every morning on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF to hear the candidates' interviews. Today's program features Senior Attendant Autumn Rippe, daughter of Matthew Rippe and Marla Shafer and Senior Escort Mason Lochner, son of Mike and Melinda Lochner. Today's interviews are brought to you by Jan L's Flowers and Gifts in Coffeyville.

Today's theme is BBQ Dads vs. Soccer Moms. Tomorrow's theme is dress as your favorite holiday and tomorrow's featured interviews are Jordan Wilson and Tyler Zimmerman. The parade is also tomorrow night starting at 7:00pm.

A teenager is arrested on drug and firearm charges in Caney.

During patrol, a Caney Police Officer observed a red Mazda passenger car traveling southbound on McGee Street when it crossed the center line and went into the northbound lane. The officer pulled the vehicle over identifying the driver as 18-year-old Treyon Johnson. During the stop, the officer thought he smelled burning Marijuana coming from the vehicle and Johnson pointed out a half-burnt marijuana cigarette in the middle console.

The officer searched the vehicle and located the burnt cigarette with marijuana, THC wax, a container of Marijuana and a Glock with a loaded magazine. The Officer investigated the driver for DUI and placed Johnson under arrest. Johnson has recommended charges of possession of a firearm, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, criminal use of a firearm and driving under the influence. 

Galena Police and Cherokee County Sheriff's Officer respond to a possible shooting.

Saturday afternoon at around 4:30pm, Officers responded to a report in the Foxfire addition of Galena.  A resident of the duplex had discharged a firearm in her apartment. The bullet traveled through the wall and struck a resident in another apartment in the forehead. The resident was taken to a local hospital where they were treated and released with minor injuries. During their investigation, officers located drugs and drug paraphernalia. Officers received a search warrant for the apartment and continued their investigation, in which they located additional weapons, drugs and drug paraphernalia.

40-year-old Morgan Farren and 40-year-old Thomas Farren were taken into custody and transported to the Cherokee County Jail. Multiple firearm and drug-related charges have been submitted for both and added charges of aggravated battery and discharge of a firearm for Morgan.

A driver gets directions from a Caney Police officer and is arrested for drunk driving.

Yesterday evening at around 7:15pm, a Caney PD officer observed a silver car in the parking lot of a vacant nursing home. The officer then observed the vehicle pull out of that parking lot and into another lot of a closed building. The officer pulled in next to the driver, identified as 33-year-old Curtis Riley, who told the officer he was lost.

Riley pulled out onto High Street where the officer observed a brake light burnt out and conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, the officer learned Riley had a suspended license and the officer could smell alcohol. Riley performed Standard Field Sobriety Test and was placed under arrest. He was transported to Montgomery County Jail, and with recommended charges of a DUI and driving while suspended.

An Augusta man is found dead after going missing on a hiking trail.

Saturday at around 6:00pm, Montgomery County Deputies along with Elk City Rural Fire, Independence Fire & EMS and Kansas Wildlife and Parks Officers were dispatched to the Elk City walking trail in reference to a 22-year-old male who went missing on the trail. Deputies arrived at the entrance of the 30-mile long hiking trail and spoke with the missing man's friend who said the last time he had seen him was around mile marker 13 on the trail.

Deputies began their search and at around 7:30pm, located the male subject on the ground just off the trail path. IFD and EMS started attending to the subject but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The subject was identified as 22-year-old Jeremy Cox. Foul play is not suspected at this point but the investigation is still ongoing.

Labette County commissioners approved five members to a planning and zoning board and three members to the appeals board. Commissioner Terry Weidert made the motion for all eight nominations to the board.

All eight members were approved on a two-to-one vote with Commissioner Cole Proehl voting no on each one. Commissioner Proehl says he wanted public input on the members of the board. The zoning, planning and appeals boards these members were appointed to were created in 2010 to zone Great Plains and has been inactive since 2017. This board could potentially look at putting a plan in place for zoning in all of Labette County.

The weekly meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners was held this morning at 9 in the Judicial Center in Independence. The meeting nearly exclusively dealt with the final touches of each department's budget for 2023. Board members wanted to cut as much as possible, but while still giving the residents of MG county all that is possible and keeping in mind the fact that nobody wants their property taxes to go up any further.

A Coffeyville man is arrested during a traffic stop in Caney last week. An officer with the Caney Police Department identified the driver as 45-year-old Joshua Werner. Werner allegedly did not possess a valid driver’s license and had an active warrant out of Coffeyville. In the process of executing the arrest for the warrant, the officer allegedly observed a small clear bag with a crystallized substance on the center console.

After further investigation, the office was able to allegedly locate 1.9 ounces of methamphetamine, a smoking pipe, and several needles in the vehicle. Werner also allegedly had on his person a small amount of marijuana.

Werner was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and the report recommends he be charged with driving while suspended, no registration, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, distribution of methamphetamine, and illegal display of registration.

Budget discussions from Montgomery County department heads will start the Board of Commissioners' regular weekly meeting this morning at 9 am in the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence. According to the agenda, the final department will meet with the board at approximately 12:45 pm. The meeting is streamed on LIVE and Zoom for viewing and open to the public in person.

It is Homecoming Week at Field Kindley High School.

You can tune in around 10:30am every morning on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF to hear the candidates' interviews. Today's program features Senior Attendant Jayden Camp, daughter of Megan and David Camp and Senior Escort Paxton Crawford, son of Meaghan and Jarod Ward and Jason Crawford.

Today's interviews are brought to you by Newkirk, Dennis and Buckles in Coffeyville. FKHS has the day off of school today, but tomorrow's theme is BBQ Dads vs. Soccer Moms. Tomorrow's featured interviews are Autumn Rippe and Mason Lochner.  

The Coffeyville Community College Fine Arts Department will host more than 1000 participants in its first annual Dalton Defenders Days Marching Band Festival.

On Tuesday, October 4^th marching bands from area schools such as Field Kindley, Independence, Caney Valley, and more will perform at Veterans Stadium from 9 am to 4 pm.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students. The College says that you can come hungry, as there will be food trucks and concessions available during the festival.

Adjudicators will evaluate each band. The Director of Bands at Kansas State University, Dr. Frank Tracz, Dr. Phillip Payne from KSU, and Brad Shores from Bethel College will give awards to the top-rated performances.

Dr. David Wiggins the CCC Band Director says there will be something for everyone. For more information contact Dr. Wiggins by email at wiggins.david@coffeyville.edu.

Over the next 5 years, the Kansas Department of Transportation will receive $39.5 million in funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. Initially, these funds are to be matched with local monies to build direct current fast charging stations along KDOT-determined EV charging corridors.

U.S. 400 locally along with I-70, I-35, I-135, I-335, and US 81 north from I-70 to Nebraska will receive funding from the Federal Program to build direct current charging stations.

Once complete, nearly 1600 miles of Kansas interstate and highways will have readily accessible fast charging stations.

DOT’s Charge Up Kansas NEVI Plan has been approved and once completed with the vast amount of wind energy in the state, much of the fuel for the EVs will be locally produced, further benefiting the Kansas economy.

Details about EVs and EV charging stations and other related information are available on the Charge Up Kansas website - https://www.ksdotike.org/charge-up-kansas, Twitter: @ChargeUpKS, or Facebook: Charge Up Kansas.

Evergy was ordered by the Kansas Corporation Commission to explain the $1.2 billion increase in the company’s capital spending plan filed this year. This is in comparison to the projections shared last year when Evergy presented its Sustainability Transformation Plan.

The order requires that a workshop to discuss the matter be scheduled by September 28 and take place before December 1, 2022.

In the workshop, which can be viewed by the public on the KCC YouTube channel, Evergy will have the opportunity to explain the necessity and impact of the proposed increase in budgeted capital spending and answer questions from Commissioners, Commission Staff, and the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board at the workshop.

This increase is on top of two $1 billion dollar increases in as many years. Evergy outlined expenditures in every year’s proposed plans since 2020 and each year the 5-year plan was increased by $1 billion. The 5-year plan in 2020 was increased by $1 billion in 2021 and in 2021 it was increased by $1 billion and now the company is asking for $1.2 billion more in spending. The order by the KCC states the increase affects the majority of Kansans and thus requires public scrutiny.

SEK receives a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assist with youth behavioral issues. Administered through the Department of Pediatrics At KU’s School of Medicine, the five-year grant is through the Center for Mental Health Services in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

KanAWARE will be a multi-agency project formed to address increasing student behavioral health needs in the 11 counties in SEK that are at the highest risk for poverty, violence, trauma, substance use, and mental health concerns among K-12 students.

The project includes collaboration with KU Medical Center and the Coffeyville, Pittsburg, and Fort Scott School districts, and the Four County Mental Health Center of SE Kansas locally.

The project will also help to combine efforts of other government programs, schools, health care providers, social services, and advocacy organizations to improve K-12 students’ behavioral health.

A caller reported a suspicious object in the 2700 block of Dirr in Parsons to the dispatch at Parsons Police Department yesterday at about 2 pm.

After officers performed a positive field test of the object for explosives, the Kansas Highway Patrol Hazardous Device Unit was called in to collect and dispose of the object. The area was blocked off in case of a detonation.

The object was classified as an Improvised Explosive Device or (IED) as defined by the Department of Homeland Security as a destructive device or homemade bomb that is designed to destroy, incapacitate, harass or distract.

The investigation is ongoing and if anyone has any further information on this incident contact the PPD at 620-442-7060 or the Tip Line at 620-421-7057. Thankfully an alert citizen kept the situation from turning deadly. PPD Chief Robert Spinks said the safety of the citizens is the top priority and situations such as this can turn in a matter of seconds.

Last week the Chanute Police Department arrested 4 suspects for alleged possession of methamphetamine and also had 1 arrest for alleged possession of Marijuana. These arrests were all due to traffic stops and the Chanute Police Department’s officers’ ability to determine through successful investigation techniques that something more than a traffic infraction was occurring.

35-year-old Timothy Martin, 53-year-old Daren Bracken, both of Chanute, plus 52-year-old Michelle Jordan of Piqua and 25-year-old Rebecca Bloemer of Wichita were all charged with alleged possession of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia in addition to other various charges and infractions.

18-year-old Chase Turner of Eureka was arrested for alleged possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Reports of all the arrests, upon completion, will be forwarded to the Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges to be filed.

A suspect leads Montgomery County deputies on a chase through Independence.

Yesterday at around 2:21am, patrol deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of 16^th and Laurel for a car traveling 90mph in a posted 30mph zone. Deputies pursued the vehicle through town and after the vehicle struck a stop sign the driver exited the vehicle and started running on foot. Deputies recognized the driver and identified him as Norman Hiner of Independence. Deputies knew Hiner had several felony warrants and has eluded officers on multiple occasions.

Deputies gave chase on foot for several blocks before they were able to catch Hiner and take him into custody with the assistance of the Independence Police Department. During the arrest process, Hiner started biting on to one of the IPD officer's legs. Hiner was booked on charges of fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement officers, battery on a LEO, and several traffic infractions.

An Independence man is arrested on numerous drug charges.

Tuesday evening at around 8:44pm, a Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a silver Toyota passenger. The vehicle was displaying a Kansas tag that belonged to another vehicle. The driver was identified as Adam Trollope and the passenger as Ashley Barrager. Deputies located a loaded handgun, methamphetamine and fentanyl during their investigation. Trollope and Barrager were both placed in custody.

The vehicle was transported to the sheriff’s office where detectives located a loaded handgun, over 22 grams of marijuana, over 25 grams of methamphetamine and over 20 fentanyl pills. Trollope was booked into the department of corrections on numerous drug-related charges. Barrager was later released from custody after the investigation.

A mandatory water rationing is in effect for the city of Caney. Rationing has been mandated in order to prolong the water supply that is currently available. Mayor Josh Elliot says they just want to take safety precautions so they don't run out of water.

Elliot says a good rain or multiple days of rain would help solve this problem but in the meantime, he has been working on providing another solution.  Elliot made the recommendation in a special meeting with the city council to move from a water warning to a water emergency.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall receives the 2022 Lee Greenwood Patriot Award during a ceremony at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City.

Senator Marshall says taking care of veterans, service members, and military families is and will continue to be a high priority for him. He says he is fighting as hard today as he did as a young 2nd lieutenant in the Army to defend the constitution and keep this country great.

The Lee Greenwood Patriot Award recognizes leaders who support America’s veterans and military. Along with Senator Marshall, Kansas City Royal’s Hall of Famer George Brett and Country Music Artist Tate Stevens were honored with Patriot Awards.

With the potential of a railway strike, a U.S. Senator from Kansas spoke on the impact it could have on the state. Senator Jerry Moran says he represents a state who is a leader in many agricultural markets.

Senator Moran says it isn't just about shipping the crops out of the state, but also what is transported into the state.  Senator Moran says the Association of American Railroads found that a nationwide rail shutdown could halt more than 7,000 trains and lose more than $2 billion a day in missed economic output.

Tax rates have been a topic of discussion at recent community meetings, and Kansas District 11 Republican Candidate Ron Bryce of Coffeyville stopped by the KGGF studios to talk about a variety of campaign issues including taxes.

Bryce says reducing the government tax burden at the state level by doing away with taxes on groceries as well as giving tax breaks for those on a fixed income will help people in southeast Kansas.

Bryce is hoping to fill Representative Jim Kelly's seat who is not seeking reelection. Bryce will face Democrat Greg Wilkinson in the general election on November 8^th.

With the continuing drought in some areas, many farmers are considering baling their failed soybean crops, but there might be a problem with that according to K-State Research and Extension Wildcat District Crop Agent James Coover.

Coover says if you've used herbicides on a failed crop, that could be a problem.

Coover says many of the same herbicides that are used on other crops like corn do have haying as a possibility on the labels. In some cases, the reason for differences with soybean herbicides may have to do with animal and meat safety, but Coover says it's largely to do with not being tested for that use.

In addition, Coover says producers shouldn't expect any official word from the state on this issue.

Soybeans can also be silaged but it's not as palatable as corn silage for cattle. Coover says producers have to get creative during these challenging drought conditions.

Atmos Energy awards a grant to the Independence Fire Department and EMS.

The grant money will be used to purchase a 500gpm Quick Attack Monitor and nozzle, which is connected to a supply line allowing the department to flow water unmanned. This will be utilized for protecting exposures at structure fires, Haz Mat applications and cooling down electric-powered vehicles.

Emergency Management Director Rick Whitson helped IFD obtain this grant.

Kansas Gubernatorial Candidate Derek Schmidt chooses a fourth-generation Kansan as his running mate. Lt. Governor Candidate Katie Sawyer says she is from central Kansas, spent some time in southeastern Kansas for college and has a background in both journalism and agriculture.

Sawyer says that Schmidt and her share several of the same goals when it comes to not only the SEK but the state as a whole.  Sawyer was chosen by Schmidt in early June to be his running mate. Her political career started in 2016 with now U.S. Senator Roger Marshall. Sawyer recently visited Coffeyville, where she made several stops including the community college and KGGF.

Changes in the demographics of the area are presenting new challenges for schools.  Montgomery County has seen a significant increase in multicultural residents and the principal of Field Kindley High School, Travis Stalford says that creates some new challenges for the school system.  He says many of the students from other countries hold full-time jobs while they are in high school.

Stalford, speaking to the Coffeyville Rotary Club on Tuesday says that even with new challenges Coffeyville schools are performing well with graduation rates above the state average.  

An Independence Community College Board of Trustees member has resigned. Ashley Newland submitted her resignation, effective September 20, 2022. Newland currently served as Vice Chair and has served since January 2020. ICC President, Dr. Vincent Bowhay said the College greatly appreciated the leadership, insight, and expertise she has provided as Vice Chair of the Board.

Newland’s commitment to students at ICC will live on with the generous endowment she founded with the College. The Ashley Newland Endowed Scholarship through the ICC Foundation will provide scholarship dollars to single parents (regardless of gender) with dependent children residing with them.

Newland said, "During my time serving on the Board of Trustees, I have had the opportunity to see the positive transformations made by our new President, Dr. Vincent Bowhay, along with all the work his team has accomplished." Newland concluded, "I strongly recommend everyone volunteer their time at least once to serve on these types of boards. Volunteering to be on the board of a taxing district helps individuals better understand the difficulties of governmental budgeting and finance"

The remaining trustees will fill the vacancy by appointment. For more information email Cherie Stockton, ICC Board Clerk at cstockton@indycc.edu.

If you are having trouble paying for phone and internet services while paying for back-to-school costs, help is available. The Kansas Corporation Commission asks Kansans in need of assistance o apply for Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Plan. Anyone who qualifies for Lifeline is automatically eligible for ACP. But if you don’t qualify for Lifeline then you may qualify for ACP as its maximum annual income for a family of four is $55,500 per year, while the Lifeline program’s maximum annual income for a family of four is $37,463.

The ACP plan also provides for a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider.

More information on income eligibility, participating providers, and the enrollment process is available on the KCC website. This link is provided in the online version of this story at kggfradio.com

Coffeyville USD 445 school board members have adopted a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral tax rate for fiscal year 2023.

This action took place following discussion and public comment on the revenue neutral rate hearing last night. Revenue neutral is when a taxing entity budgets the exact same amount of property tax for the upcoming year as they did for the current year.

The proposed budget will result in $27,243 in new tax revenue.

Assistant Superintendent and Business Manager Michael Speer says this has to do with property value assesment.

Speer says taxes are based on school enrollment and that the process of estimating next year's budget is always a guessing game based on a variety of factors.

Local realtor Thomas Darbro spoke during the revenue neutral rate hearing and expressed concern that high taxes in the area are one of the reasons residents are leaving and hurts community growth.

Board Member Dr. Jerry Hamm acknowledged Darbro's concerns and superintendent Dr. Craig Correll mentioned utilization of federal money including the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund to lessen the tax burden on residents.

In additional action, the board approved paying $20,600 to ESSDACK in Wichita, KS for professional development training.

Caney Chief of Police, Kevin Kitterman, is asking the citizens of Caney to assist officers in reporting incidents of disorderly conduct of a small group of young men who have been driving around Caney harassing people in their yards, or walking down the street. Although the incidents seem to be random and not targeted at any one person or for a specific reason, the Chief is concerned these incidents are escalating.

Chief Kitterman asks that you do not chase or engage these individuals, rather call 911immediately and file a report as soon as possible. With your help, the Chief says reporting these incidents will help stop such actions before they lead to someone being injured. If you have any information about who is behind the incidents please call the Police Department at 620-879-2141. You can remain anonymous.

Late last week, 21-year-old Jarrett Robbins of Caney was taken into custody by officers with the Caney Police Department for alleged disorderly conduct. Robbins was able to post bond and a court date is pending. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

On Thursday, September 8^th a vehicle was captured on video entering the South Wood St. Storage Facility in Caney. Later that day, it was discovered that 7 storage units were burglarized and personal property was destroyed. A picture of the suspected SUV is included in the printed version of this story on our website KGGFRADIO.COM. If you have any information or recognize the vehicle, then contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department at 620-331-1000 or call 911.

This week the Montgomery County Commissioners heard from Andy Taylor with the Montgomery County Chronicle concerning the Revenue Neutral legislation and the tax statement he received from the county.

Mr. Taylor did propose that an additional employee might be needed in Montgomery County.

Senator Virgil Peck spoke with the Board next about how legislators hear from everyone that taxes are too high.

The Senator went on to say he would like to see more public involvement at hearings like these.

Board Chair Robert Bever responded that he doesn't want to raise taxes.

Chairperson Bever went on to say that the County Manager may be what is needed.

The Board also heard from two local real estate professionals who also relayed the point that people are moving out of the county because of the high personal property tax rates.

The Coffeyville USD 445 Board of Education will meet tonight to decide how to spend the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund money.

Superintendent Dr. Craig Correll stopped by the KGGF studios to explain how the fund works.

Correll says the money has to be spent on certain items.

In addition to the ESSER III funding decisions, the board will hear a report from Griffin Walker with the Boys and Girls Club and will assess students' needs going forward, especially those related to the learning loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 12th at 5 p.m. at the USD 445 Education Center.

The drought across the midwest continues to worsen and Kansas and Oklahoma are being hit hard. According to the latest from the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma are in extreme or severe drought. Western portions of both states are categorized as exceptional drought. SunGroup Realtor and Auctioneer Keith Beaumont says Montgomery county is in the next to worst drought category.

The area has seen some recent rain, but that hasn't provided much relief for producers who have had a long summer according to Beaumont.

You can check the drought conditions where you live by accessing the National Integrated Drought Information System here.

Friday morning on the mighty 690 Kansas Senator Virgil Peck was in the studios for his monthly update on important issues in Topeka. One of the topics of discussion was the proposal by GOP Gubernatorial hopeful and current Attorney General Derek Schmidt to change how the Kansas Department of "Transportation funds are disbursed. This is in an effort to insure long-term projects like road improvements are funded.

Senator Peck says this would open up a corridor here in Southern Kansas that would mirror I70 in scope and size which runs from KC to Denver in northern Kansas.

To hear the interview in its' entirety, go to our website and hover over the community tab at the top of the home page, and click on the KGGF Morning News Interviews.

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday, September 12^th, at 9 am in the Lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence.

At 9:05 the County Attorney, Lisa Montgomery and Human Resources Director, Becky Lewis will meet with the Board in an executive session for non-elected personnel. At 9:15 Matt Debo with Zoning and HR Director Becky Lewis are scheduled to meet about the KCAMP Reimbursement. 9:30 is reserved for the Revenue Neutral Rate and Budget Hearing. At 10 Lacey Lies, with the City of Independence will speak to the new Neighborhood Revitalization Districts. In other business, the Board has the appointment of Juvenile Correction Advisory Board.

The agenda is subject to change and as always the meetings are streamed on Facebook live and zoom and are open to the public in person.

Between the years of 2015 and 2018, suicide deaths for Kansas youth, ages 10-17, increased by 70%. This alarming trend, prompted Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, with the cooperation of the Tower Mental Health Foundation, to create a Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force in the spring of 2018. The 2019 report, issued by the Task Force, stated that a youth-focused phone app that would connect youth to resources and information was needed. It also created the position of Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator within the Office of the Attorney General.

Yesterday Schmidt announced the launch of the mobile app. A culmination of the efforts that were started 5+ years ago. The free app, named “Kansas – A Friend AskKS” was developed with the assistance of the Jason Foundation, a national suicide prevention organization. The tool connects youth with resources or to the 988 hotline to help a friend, or themselves, who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. The announcement yesterday morning at the Kansas Suicide Prevention Headquarters Breakfast for Hope in Lawrence coincides with National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, National Suicide Prevention Week, and Saturday’s upcoming observance of World Suicide Prevention Day.

If you or a loved one is contemplating suicide, please connect with the Kansas suicide and crisis lifeline by dialing or texting 9-8-8, in order to be connected with a trained crisis counselor who can provide support. 

Pittsburg State University’s Office of International Programs and Services will sponsor the International Night Market in Pittsburg on Friday, September 30^th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Lindburg Plaza at the corner of Lindburg and Elm Streets on the campus of PSU. The interactive event will explore the many regions of the world in an open-air market atmosphere. Food samples will be $1 each cash only. The event is open to all. For more information contact Pittsburg State University’s  ISA advisor, Brenda Hawkins, at 620-235-2680

According to the Coffeyville Police Department 18-year-old, Kade Steelmon was arrested last week for alleged distribution of marijuana possessing more than 25 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture, criminal use of a weapon by a person addicted to a controlled substance, no drug tax stamp, and reckless driving and possession of opiate or narcotic. Reports of the arrest have been sent to the prosecuting attorney for review and determination of charges.

The Caney Police Department will be looking for the following folks who failed to appear in court yesterday. 35-year-old Cody Burton, 43-year-old Joshua Fultz, 37-year-old Durell Ingram, 34-year-old Ashley Krenz, 67-year-old Terry Mitchell, 21-year-old Quincy Poole, 26-year-old Preston Wardlow, and 20-year-old Kara Young.

Arrest Warrants have been issued by the court for those failing to appear. If you missed court you are better off contacting them and getting things straightened out, rather than waiting and getting arrested, which will cost you even more money and your freedom.

Earlier this week, officers with the Caney Police Department arrested 40-year-old Kelli Wilson of Dewey, OK and charged Wilson for alleged DUI, 3 counts of Child Endangerment, failure to signal, and unsafe turn.

Reports of the arrest have been sent to the prosecuting attorney for review and formal charges.

The Kansas Department of Commerce announced yesterday that due to an additional investment of $850,000 by the Patterson Family Foundation, a second round of Historic Economic Asset Lifeline or HEAL grants will be awarded to communities that are restoring underutilized properties and are developing downtown districts to create more economically vibrant and productive spaces.

In this round of the HEAL program, matching grants will be awarded for either the façade of a building or construction projects that will enable new or expanding businesses, housing, expanding arts and culture, civic engagement, support for childcare, or entrepreneurship.

Applicants must be organizations applying on behalf of building owners and may include designated Kansas Main Street programs, economic development organizations, cities, counties, 501C3 or 501C6 organizations, and local community foundations. Communities that received a previous HEAL grant are not eligible to apply in this round.

Applications will be accepted starting September 13^th and will close on October 21^st of this year. Award notifications should be in early December. A virtual webinar for more info is scheduled for 11:30 am Tuesday, September 13^th. You must pre-register to attend. The link for the webinar and the online applications is here.

Proof of matching funds will be required at the time of the application

Yesterday Kansas Attorney General and GOP Nominee for Governor Derek Schmidt announced a plan to eliminate state sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products in his first 100 days if elected.

Schmidt said that other governors in states in our region have stepped up and provided relief to young women, mothers, and families by making their daily life more affordable. With inflation at its worst in 40 years, Schmidt said this is a tax policy that is based on fairness and common sense. Diapers and feminine hygiene products are just as essential as prescription drugs and eyeglasses. Which are already exempt.

This is the second tax-relief proposal Schmidt has offered while campaigning for Governor. His Retire Tax-Free plan would eliminate Kansas’ income tax on Social Security Benefits, pensions, and distributions from dedicated retirement accounts like 401k’s

The Parsons Police Officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Appleton for a reported aggravated burglary that was in progress. In the early morning hours of September 4^th dispatch received a 911 call from a woman who said a man had entered the home and went into the daughter’s bedroom. The daughter escaped and woke her mother and they both ran into a bathroom and called 911 to guide authorities to the house. Dispatch advised the officers that there was still another juvenile in the house in a different room.

Officers arrived just in time to see a man, who was quickly identified as Mackenzie Cory Gamblian, leaving the house. In attempting to detain Gamblian, he allegedly began kicking and biting officers in an effort to flee. Officers were able to take Gamblian into custody and he was transported to the Police Department without further issues.

Parsons Patrol Lieutenant Kyle Wilford said that because of the quick thinking of the victims they were able to make an arrest while the suspect was still on the scene.

Parsons PD is recommending that 33-year-old Mackenzie Cory Gamblian of Parsons, be charged with Aggravated Burglary, Theft, 2 counts of Battery on Law Enforcement Officers, and Interference with LEOs. Gamblian was recently released from Labette County jail on July 11^th after taking a plea agreement for a 2019 case in which he was arrested. Bond has been set at $20,000.

Labette County is still under a burn ban. No outside burning is allowed, including trash. If you start a fire during a burn ban and it gets out of control, you may be held liable for any damages and the costs of fighting the fire. Remember outside burning of any kind is never allowed inside the city limits in all municipalities of Labette County.

On Labor Day, Monday, September 5^th, at about 10:20 am, an officer with the Independence
Police Department took a report from the V.F.W. at 113 E. Myrtle Street.

According to the complaint, apparently, someone stole the American Flags from the 1500 block of W. Main Street. The flags were on the Overpass. If anyone witnessed anything or if you have video surveillance footage that might be helpful please contact IPD. You can remain anonymous.

While conducting a traffic stop near the intersection of Steuben Ave. and 2^nd St. Officers with the Chanute Police Department spoke with the persons involved and subsequently arrested 35-year-old Timothy Martin of Chanute for alleged possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Once completed, reports of the arrest will be forwarded to the Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and charges to be filed.

An Independence woman is arrested due to a battery complaint. 47-year-old Heather Thornton, of Independence, was interviewed by officers with the Independence Police Department, and after an investigation, Thornton was placed under arrest for alleged domestic battery, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of an opiate, narcotic or stimulant. Reports were sent to the Montgomery County Attorney’s office for review and final determination of official charges.

Neodesha High School is celebrating homecoming this week and KGGF FM 104.1 will be airing homecoming royalty interviews every morning this week at 10:30 am. This morning features candidate Piper Essington and Senior escort Andrew Heck. The interviews today are compliments of Bank of Commerce and Newkirk, Dennis and Buckles of Neodesha. Tomorrow, Queen Hopeful Taylie McKlintic and senior escort Samuel Ortiz will be interviewed. G&W Foods of Neodesha and Neodesha Housing Authority are the royalty sponsors tomorrow.

Today is Country vs Country Club Day at Neodesha High. Tomorrow is America Day. Stay tuned for daily info and more interviews this week.

The festivities will culminate with the Blue Streaks taking on the Eureka Tornados, which will be broadcast live on the mighty 690 as the KGGF Sports Game of the Week. Game time is 7 pm.

You can find archived interviews with homecoming candidates under the “On Demand” tab on the home page. You can listen to any of the week’s interviews that you might have missed or listen again. Click HERE

Five Nowata Police Officers, which include a police captain, K9 officer, police sergeant and reserve officer, handed in their letter of resignation today, effective immediately. One of the resigning officers Elliot Harris says there were multiple smaller concerning issues and then one bigger issue that led them to speak with the city manager.

Harris says being asked to skip steps or do something that could be considered illegal was not something they wanted to do and took this information to the city manager.

Harris says the city manager took the information to the police chief soon after their meeting and therefore due to a lack of trust and fear of retaliation the officers felt the need to resign. Nowata Police Chief Mike McElhaney had no comment on the matter.

A body is found after a fire is put out in Labette County.

This weekend Labette County Deputies responded to a 911 call about a structure fire in Mound Valley. Upon the deputy's arrival, Mound Valley Rural Fire personnel and the Altamont Rural Fire Department were in the process of extinguishing the fire. Once the fire was put out, firefighters discovered a body in one of the residence's bedrooms.

The body was identified as 55-year-old Michael Frost, who was transported to Frontier Forensics for autopsy. At this time the origin & cause of the fire is being investigated by the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Jim Wright, Montgomery County Public Works Coordinator, met with the Board of Commissioners today and reported that the low bid to replace 18 road grader tires for the county is Purcells. For 18 Michelin Tires installed at the county shop by the vendor, the cost would be $18,360. The cost may be a little less if some of the tires are able to be refurbished.

The board moved to accept the low bid. They instructed Wright to have them come and replace the tires as soon as possible.

This Friday, September 9th the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson will begin. The Attorney  General's office will have a booth in the Meadowlark Building on the fairgrounds and will be available throughout the fair to answer questions or assist Kansans with consumer protection issues or public safety concerns. The Kansas State Fair opens on September 9th and runs through the 18th. For more information go to the fair's website at www.kansasstatefair.com

The classic movie “American Graffiti” is featured this Friday, September 9^th at Midland Movie Night. Be a part of the show and dust off your classic auto and take a cruise or two downtown and finish up at 8^th and Elm between 6-7:30. At dusk the movie will start and there will be free popcorn.

This Friday and Saturday is the biggest garage sale of the year. The annual Kan-Okla 100-mile garage sale maps are available in the Chamber of Commerce in the city in which you live. The map will show all registered participants along the route. Get ready for the two-day-long treasure hunt this Friday and Saturday, September 9th and 10th.

Late last week a Coffeyville man was sentenced to 154 months or almost 13 years for the 2019 alleged rape of a female victim, who at the time was 13. According to the Montgomery County Chronicle, 49-year-old David L. Hudnall agreed to a plea bargain in which the Montgomery County Attorney’s office agreed to lower the rape charge to attempted rape and a second charge of criminal sodomy was dropped.

The court-appointed attorney for Hudnall, Dan Reynolds, asked Judge Jeffery Gossard to lower the sentence due to his cooperation in the case. Citing that if Hudnall chose not to plead to the lesser charges, the victim would have been compelled to testify. While the assistant county attorney, Karen Miller, agreed with Reynolds, Judge Gossard nixed lowering the sentence, saying the standard sentence is appropriate, considering the amended complaint, and found no substantial reason to depart from the standard sentence.

The official wording of the criminal charge is “attempted rape by misrepresenting sexual intercourse as medically necessary.” The victim testified in a preliminary hearing in May 2021 that she was sent a text message by Hudnall. She testified that Hudnall’s text, in which he disguised himself as “Dr. Susan”, indicated that the victim should allow Hudnall to do what he wanted with her body or her privates would have to be surgically sewn shut. In the same hearing, the victim revealed that it wasn’t until Hudnall’s wife discovered her husband and the victim engaging in sex that he was forced to finally stop.
Law enforcement officers were made aware of the allegation and one day later after a search warrant was issued by the Coffeyville Police Department. That day officers found Hudnall hiding in the livestock barn at Walter Johnson Park. Hudnall was arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Corrections and he has been there ever since.

Late last week the Caney Police Department officers stopped a vehicle in a school zone for speeding. 20-year-old Colby Ray Glenn of Bartlesville was identified as the driver. During the stop and subsequent investigation, the offices developed probable cause to search the vehicle and located a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia as well as a firearm.

Glenn was taken into custody without incident and charged with alleged possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of a firearm, no driver’s license, and speeding. Glenn was released on bond, pending his court hearing.

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office has received complaints about crooks that are posing as city water or utility services and threatening to shut off services within days or even mere hours unless the citizen pays the caller. The imposters insist they must have payment now and have access to the customer’s financial information to keep the lights and air conditioner running. In some cases, they insist the consumer’s check bounced and demands payment with a pre-paid credit card or gift card. Others say they are simply trying to update the credit or banking info that they have on file.

Another new wrinkle this year is the appearance of solar panel installation companies going door-to-door, using high-pressure tactics to convince consumers that the solar panels will eliminate their electric bills, and then they lock buyers into financing terms that will last longer than the expected life of the system.

Remember, knowledge is power, alert your friends, neighbors, and family to this scam, so they can protect themselves. The best advice is to hang up on businesses or people you don’t know and call back the company or entity yourself and do your own research. You can reach Kansas Protection Hotline at 800-432-2310. The phone number and link will be provided in the online version of this story on KGGFRADIO.com

http://www.inyourcornerkansas.org/

Independence Community College is seeking the cooperation of individuals with the local and regional manufacturing industry to actively contribute to the future and direction of manufacturing industry technicians. The project, which began with the National Science Foundation, is known as BILT, or Business and Industry Leadership Team.

BILT members’ advice and knowledge will be valued and vital to help aid faculty and administration in designing curricula to enhance the opportunities and viability of students for local industry.

Through ICC’s MIT-affiliated digital fabrication lab, training can have greater success by drawing on hands-on applications that are more relevant to students by utilizing real-life activities and thereby giving students the problem-solving and technical skills local employers need.

To be a part of BILT or for more information, contact Tayor Crawshaw, Vice President of Academic Affairs at 620-332-5457 or email tcrawshaw@indycc.edu

Gubernatorial hopeful, current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, said yesterday during a campaign stop in Overland Park that he would respect the wishes of voters who just a month ago overwhelmingly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have removed abortion as a state constitutional right. Schmidt, who is running against Democratic incumbent Laura Kelly, said if he is elected he will concentrate on defending current abortion laws in the state and will not look to make any changes to the existing law.

Cedar Bluff Camp will host Bingo Night on Thursday, September 8^th. Start marking your cards at 6 pm.

Cedar Bluff Camp was founded in 1922 as a project of the Coffeyville Rotary Club. Coffeyville’s Iconic Camp is a favorite for Weddings, Reunions, and Birthday Parties.

The Bingo Night proceeds will go towards getting air conditioning upstairs for the camp.

It would make a fun and affordable weekday date night.

The agenda for the Montgomery County Commissioners, who will meet on Tuesday the 6th of September, due to the Labor Day holiday, shows that Human Resources Director, Becky Lewis will have a request for a proposal for Insurance, followed by discussions with Montgomery County Action Council, the Public Works Department, and Carolyn Muller with the Health Department in Coffeyville.

In other business, the commissioners will also decide if they will sign off on Neighborhood Revitalization Plans in Cherryvale and Independence.

The meeting will be called to order at 9 on Tuesday in the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, as part of the larger National Alliance on Mental Illness campaign, has proclaimed September as “Suicide Prevention Month” in the State of Kansas. Governor Kelly said that by advancing initiatives like the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis hotline and funding mental health resources in our schools it helps all Kansans to break past the stigma surrounding mental health issues and address these issues head-on.

For free, confidential support or prevention and crisis resources for you and your loved ones 24/7, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the suicide and Crisis Lifeline. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10^th.

The 2022 Kansas Dove season is on. It runs through November 29. During the season hunters may take mourning, white-winged, Eurasian collared, and ringed turtle doves. After the season closes, you can still take Eurasian collared and ringed turtle doves.

Although the drought severely affected spring plantings KDWP’s public land managers have gone above and beyond in providing optimum habitat specifically designed to attract the fast-flying quarry.

Public lands in Elk City, Toronto, Fall River, and on the Mined Land in SE Kansas have crops of sunflowers, milo, and wheat stubble to increase your odds of having a successful dove hunt this year. Go to http://ksoutdoors.com for more information, including special reports specific to the wildlife area you are interested in.

The Montgomery County Courthouse will close Monday in observance of Labor Day. The weekly Commissioners' meeting will take place at 9 am on Tuesday, September 6^th in the lower level of the judicial center in downtown Independence. An agenda should become available later today. Stay tuned to KGGF for updates.

In April, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill for a second time that would have banned transgender athletes from competing and sharing locker rooms in girls' and women’s sports in Kansas. Kelly said that the legislation proposed by the GOP would harm Kansas’ ability to attract and retain businesses and would send a signal to prospective companies that Kansas is more focused on unnecessary and divisive legislation instead of strategic, pro-growth lawmaking.

Fast-forward to today, Gubernatorial hopeful, AG Derek Schmidt in a speech called on the Kansas legislature to send to his desk in his first 100 days the Fairness in Women’s Sports bill that Kelly twice vetoed. Schmidt said he would enthusiastically sign it. Schmidt went on to say that Kelly’s view is well outside the mainstream in Kansas, to say that girls should be forced to compete with and share locker rooms with their biological male counterparts is a view held by Laura Kelly and Joe Biden, but not by most Kansans.

Kansans will get the opportunity to decide this November with their votes which direction they would like to see Kansas take.

The regular Labette County Commission meeting scheduled for September 6^th has been canceled. Commission Chair Lonie Addis communicated that the commission will meet next in regular session on September 12^th, at 9 am in the commission room in the Oswego Courthouse. However, Addis says if the need should arise in the interim, a special meeting could be called.

Residents in Caney are asked to continue to conserve as much water as possible as the Water Warning is still in effect. The recent rains have had almost no effect on the water levels in the Caney River, which serves as the city’s water source. Individuals should refrain from watering lawns and gardens, washing cars, and limiting clothes and dishwashing as much as possible. Businesses, especially those that use a high volume of water are asked to voluntarily restrict usage.

Keep in mind, that if the City were forced to raise the threat level to a Water Emergency, mandatory rationing would be imposed and it would be highly likely that several businesses would be shut down.

Today at noon Kansas will join 31 US states that have some form of legal sports betting. Kansas will be the second fastest state behind only Iowa to go from legal to live, and Kansas will also be the 3^rd state this year to go live digital.

A total of 12 sportsbooks will be allowed to operate. Six platforms - Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet are cleared and have committed to go live today at noon, while FOX Bet, Bally Bet, and Golden Nugget, have market access, but the Kansas Lottery, which oversees Kansas sports betting, say they have not been approved for the launch. Bally Bet and Golden Nugget both obtained skins through deals with Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City, and neither will have a retail location. FOX Bet gained access through a deal with Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway.

There are several incentives and bonuses available from all six digital operators, depending on where and how you want to place your bets. 

The good folks at Best Friends Animal Society would like to remind you that September is Emergency Preparedness Month and that a little planning will help keep you and your pet safe.

Along with your emergency first-aid kit put together a bag of basic supplies for your pet, should you need to immediately evacuate. It should include the following: 3-5 day supply of food, a pet toy, an extra supply of necessary medications, a list of your pet’s medical needs as well as veterinary contact info, copies of vaccinations records, a collar with current id tag or microchip that includes your cell phone number, a crate labeled with your pets name and consider putting a well-worn sweater in it to help them feel comfortable. Also, include extra poop bags, a bowl, a can opener, and a spoon. Also, take a photo of your pet as well as a photo of you with your pet and store them on your phone in case you become separated. You may think of other items specific to your pet. Keep in mind that a little bit of planning will go a long way if the unexpected should arise.

The Parsons Police Department wins the Lexipol Connect Gold Award for the second consecutive year.

Lexipol is the provider of policy, training, and wellness support that more than 2 million first responders and public safety professionals use to help address public safety issues that include state-specific and federal policies, laws, and statutes. Training takes place mainly through an online learning platform. The Gold award is given to departments where over 80% of the staff complete daily training, and stay up to date on all new policy content that is added.

Lieutenant Jason Ludwig with the PPD says that there are constant changes in case laws as well as changes in state and federal statutes and this training ensures that officers have the knowledge to help their decision-making abilities on the street.

Only the top 10% of agencies nationwide qualify for this award.