It's Homecoming Week for Field Kindley High School.

Homecoming Queen candidates include Irene Fernandez, Taiylor Caron, Kenedi Redden, Kelsey Sontag and Jada Wilson and King Candidates include Ke'Shawn Hayes, Axel Erne, Keiton Jones, Aaron Tunstall and Jacob Horner. Interviews with a pair of candidates can be heard on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF at 10:30am each day.

The Homecoming Parade is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00pm in downtown Coffeyville. Homecoming Coronation starts at 6:30pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The football game starts against Christ Prep Academy starts at 7:00pm and can be heard on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF.

The City of Neodesha will be looking for a new fire chief.

As of this past Wednesday, Fire Chief and EMS Director Keenan Fyfe resigned from the position. The Neodesha Fire Department says Fyfe's list of accomplishments is very lengthy for his tenure and his leadership will be missed. They wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

According to a post on Facebook, Fyfe has taken a job with the Pittsburg Fire Department.

 Childcare providers in Kansas will have their licensing fees waived by the state.

 Governor Laura Kelly made the announcement today (Monday, September 30) that those seeking their initial licensure or their renewal will haves the fees for licensing, background checks, and fingerprinting fees waived through 2025 or until the available funds run out.

Covering these fees will lower the total start-up cost for child care businesses. State officials also hope this move will provide an incentive for unlicensed providers to become licensed and improve the safety of childcare in the state.

This program only covers state fees. Local governments may still impose other fees. Providers should consult their local health departments or local resource and referral agencies to ensure compliance with local ordinances.

 Dalton Defenders Day gets underway this Friday in Coffeyville.

 The event celebrates the bravery of Coffeyville citizens who defended the town against the Dalton gang who attempted to rob the town's two banks in 1892. There will be food vendors, music, and of course, reenactments. Organizer Richard Elliot says the reenactors use real weapons, but safety is always a top priority.

Dalton Defender Day begins at 4:30 Friday and continues with a full day of events on Saturday in downtown Coffeyville.

 The Nowata and South Coffeyville Police and the Nowata County Sheriff's Office along with Nowata Fire & EMS invite the public to the 5^th Annual Nowata County Cops & Kids event tonight in Jack Gordon Park.

 Area kids and their families are invited to interact with members of law enforcement and other first responders. There will be tours available of police vehicles and equipment plus inflatables, music, and prizes. There will also be free hot dogs and snowcones. The Washington County Health Department will also be on hand for free car seat safety checks.

It all happens tonight from 5 to 7pm at Jack Gordon Park in Nowata.

 That was the sound of the Grits and Grass String Band that greeted attendees to Saturday night's presentation Unearthing the Bloody Benders in Parsons.

 The crowd gathered at Parsons Municipal Auditorium to hear speakers form the University of Kansas who have been part of the excavation process at the site of the old Bender cabin west of Parsons. The Bender family ran an inn in the early 1870s and killed and robbed many of their customers before disappearing shortly before law enforcement at the time could catch them.

The owner of the Bender home site Bob Miller organized the event that featured team members Chris Hord from the Kansas Historical Society and KU professors Dr. Blair Schneider and Dr. Lauren Norman. The trio spoke about their processes and findings from the excavation that has just completed its second season. One of the audience members was Independence native and former Kansas Attorney General and current candidate for Kansas' 2^nd Congressional District Derek Schmidt. Schmidt says the presentation was very interesting.

Schmidt says the Benders are an important part of this area's history.

Research on the site is just beginning. The current goal is to find the original location of the Bender cabin. KU researchers plan to return next summer for another round of excavation.

Chris Hord from the Kansas Historical Society and the University of Kansas explains reporting of the Bender crimes from the time period.

Photo: Bob Miller (at podium), (seated) Chris Hord, Dr. Blair Schneider, and Dr. Lauren Norman

 Two pedestrians are dead after being struck by a train near Liberal.

 The accident occurred around 10pm last night (Sunday, September 29) as one of the individuals was pushing the other in a wheelchair as they walked along Western Avenue in Liberal. The pair approached the Union Pacific Rail Road crossing just north of US-54. The arms were down and the warning signals were flashing when the pair attempted to cross the tracks. Both were struck by the oncoming train. Neither person survived the accident.

No names have yet been released.

 Police have discovered the identity of a child found buried in the backyard of a Rose Hill residence earlier this month.

 Rose Hill Police say the remains are those of Kennedy Jean Shroer who was born in 2014. They say they believe the child died in November 2020, when she would have been six years old. A woman has come forward, claiming to be the mother of the child – whose birth name was Natalie Garcia -- and two other girls who were living in the home. Christa Helm says she gave up her children for adoption in 2018 in hopes of giving them a better life. Officials at the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center have not been able to determine a cause of death, stating that there were no visible injuries nor any healed or healing injuries.

Rose Hill Police are continuing to investigate the case to determine what happened to the child and hold the appropriate individual or individuals accountable.

 An Oklahoma woman is under arrest after leading Pittsburg Police on a high-speed chase in a stolen Jeep.

 The Jeep in question was reported stolen last Tuesday and a police officer spotted the vehicle parked at a mobile home park in Frontenac on Wednesday. While officers were waiting for backup, a suspect got into the Jeep and fled the scene. The chase led authorities across the Missouri state line where the vehicle crashed after failing to negotiate a turn. Police then arrested the driver, 36-year-old Michelle Johnson of Ada, Oklahoma. Johnson is expected to face multiple felony charges in the case.

 A man arrested last week after a bomb was discovered in his car faces formal charges in the case.

 Police in Golden City, MO, pulled over a vehicle with expired tags last Tuesday and instead of just issuing a ticket, discovered an explosive device instead.

When officers spotted a duct tape-covered object in Terry Mitchell’s car, they asked him what it was. Mitchell told them, it was a bomb. The Springfield Bomb Squad was called to the scene to render the device harmless. An x-ray later revealed that it was an actual explosive device.

Mitchell was taken into custody and faces multiple charges including Unlawful Possession, Transport, Manufacture, Repair, or Sale of an Illegal Weapon. His next court date is set for Tuesday, October 1.

 An Arkansas couple living in a camper trailer attempt to give up their baby in exchange for cash and beer.

 Last Saturday, September 21, Police in Benton County, Arkansas, were called to camp ground near Rogers in response to reports of a sick baby. When they arrived, they found that the parents had signed an agreement to give up the baby.

Witnesses say 21=-year-old Darien Urban and 20-year-old Shalene Ehlers decided to trade their two-month-old baby for a 6-pack of beer. They later decided they also wanted $1,000 as well. The agreement included this disclaimer: “After signing this there will be no changing yall two's minds and to never contact again." The person who agreed to take the baby – and who was intoxicated at the time – took the child to their home and discovered the baby needed medical attention. The person then dialed 9-1-1.

The baby was taken to the hospital. Urban and Ehlers were later located and arrested. They face charges of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor and Attempting to Relinquish a Minor in Consideration for Things of Value. Both are Class D felonies.

Photo: Shalene Ehlers (Left), Darien Urban (Right). Photo courtesy Barton County, AR, Jail

 The Montgomery County Commission will meet this morning for their regular weekly meeting.

 On today's agenda will be a review of information on the new website by County Administrator Jonathan Booe and an update on Public Works projects from Brandon Beurskins.

The commission meets every Monday at 9am in the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence. The meeting is open to the public.

Here's the sound of engines and steam whistles at this year's Wilson County Old Iron Days in Fredonia.

Visitors got to experience living history demonstrations ranging from old-fashioned hay bailing to feed production and blacksmithing. Organizer Mike Olson says they had a good student turnout this year.

Olson says one of the main focuses of Old Iron Days is to teach and preserve history for all visitors.

The Parade of Power featured several younger tractor drivers, with one as young as 10 driving a full-size John Deere. Old Iron Days takes place the last weekend of September in Fredonia.

The 30^th Annual Coffeyville Regional Medical Center Foundation Bill Read Golf Classic is tomorrow.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the CRMC Foundation. The Bill Read Golf Classic is an 18-hole, 4-man team scramble. Registration begins at 7:30am with a shotgun start at 9:00am. Lunch will be provided at the clubhouse or brought to golfers on the course.

The tournament concludes with the Golf Ball Drop. The tournament will also include additional contests, a silent auction, door prizes and awards for the top three teams in each flight.

 Parsons Police conclude their investigation into a threat of violence at Parsons High School.

 The Parsons Police Department responded to a potential threat of violence directed towards Parsons High School following a tip received by School Resource Officer on Tuesday. The tip was promptly forwarded to the Investigations Division, initiating a thorough investigation conducted by Detectives, School Resource Officers, and Patrol Officers throughout that evening. In response to the report, there was an increased law enforcement presence at the high school.

Multiple search warrants were issued to examine social media activity, and cell devices and several interviews were conducted. No posts or evidence have been found to corroborate the threat.

Detectives have determined that the rumored "shooter list" on Snapchat never existed. The individual involved admitted to fabricating the story after overhearing a conversation about not attending school on Wednesday. They claimed it was "a joke" and did not anticipate the situation escalating to this extent.

The Labette County Attorney's Office is currently reviewing the matter to determine if formal charges will be filed against the person or persons involved in spreading this false information. If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department

 A Wichita man faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and kidnapping after allegedly shooting his wife outside an elementary school earlier this week.

 46-year-old Vincent Solomon made an appearance in Sedgwick County Court yesterday morning while on a gurney as he recovers after being shot by a sheriff's deputy during the incident. Solomon also faces charges of aggravated assault on a police officer and interference in the case.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning outside of Cessna Elementary School after Solomon and his wife dropped their children off at the school. An argument began between the two and Solomon is accused of shooting the woman multiple times. When she ran, Solomon chased her, laid on top of her, and placed a gun to her head. Deputies arrived and shot Solomon twice. Both he and the woman were taken to a nearby hospital. The woman remains in the hospital and is expected to survive her wounds.

 A Bartlesville woman faces charges after a Wednesday incident at a Bartlesville grocery store.

 25-year-old Diana Gayton faces larceny shoplifting and indecent exposure misdemeanor charges after she allegedly exposed her breasts to employees at a Homeland Store in Bartlesville

According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, it is alleged that on , Gayton picked up an item in the store and walked past all points sale without paying. She then got into a loud argument with store staff where she then lifted her shirt over her head, exposing herself.

Gayton was placed under arrest and transported to the Washington County Jail where she is being held on a $2,500 bond. Her next court appearance is October 16.

 Wilson County Old Iron Days in Fredonia will have a full day of events and activities to enjoy tomorrow.

 There will be quilts for sale and demonstrations of farm equipment and machinery plus domestic demonstrations, too. Organizer Mike Olsen says it's a way to educate younger generations while keeping the old traditions alive.

There will also be live music from The Cedar Creek Crossing Band at 1pm and the Parade of Power happens at 3. It all happens at the Rollin' Red Vandever Memorial Park near the junction of US-400 and K-47 in Fredonia.

 U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced this week the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.5 million grant to the city of Barnsdall, for infrastructure improvements to support business development in the region.

 This grant will reconstruct a spillway at the Waxhoma Lake Dam to encourage business growth and resiliency. This EDA investment will be matched with $1 million in local funds.

Raimondo stated that the EDA investment will ensure that Barnsdall has the infrastructure needed to grow existing local businesses while attracting others to the region.

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG). EDA funds INCOG to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development road map to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

 Today is the last day to purchase a Dalton Defenders Days Lost Loot Button.

 Clues will begin on Sunday to lead a lucky treasure hunter to find the lost loot bag with two coins in it hidden somewhere in Coffeyville. Coffeyville Tourism Director Wyatt Starnes says having a Lost Loot Button will make a big difference in the payout.

Organizers say the lost loot will be hidden in a public location, but NOT in a cemetery. The last day to purchase a button is TODAY. They are available at the Chamber Offices at 806 South Walnut Street.

 The Independence Public Works Department updates the City Commission on various projects.

 At last night's city commissioner meeting, City Engineer John Garris told commissioners that Public Works has had a busy couple of weeks. Garris says the Bartlett Water Line Project, also known as The Big Straw, is ready to enter the second phase.

Garris says city crews have also been busy with road repair and, very soon, replacing the flashing red lights downtown

Garris says the current stoplights will be removed and replaced by four-way stop signs before Neewollah.

In other business, commissioners also approved the demolition of unsafe structures on south 15^th street.

 The Environmental Protection Agency presents the Iola School District with a check for more than $600,000 to purchase electric school buses.

 The grant comes as part of the EPA's 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program. The program is designed to help school districts replace existing school buses with zero-transmission vehicles in an effort to reduce harmful health conditions such as asthma that have been linked to vehicle emissions.

Iola Unified School District Operations Director Aaron Cole says the grant funds will help diversify USD 257's bus fleet and bring new technology to Iola schools.

The City of Fredonia will see some improvements made to a major roadway in the city starting next week.

Next Wednesday, October 2, traffic on Washington Street will be rerouted between 8am and 12:30pm to allow for the removal of a tree at the corner of Washington and 10^th. Barricades will prevent traffic from traveling westbound on Washington Street in front of the Tri-Mee Drive-In. Drivers needing to travel in that area are asked to use 11^th Street, to Adams, and then onto 9^th Street until the tree can be removed. Eastbound traffic will not be affected.

The 5^th Annual Native American Unity Gathering is coming up this weekend in South Coffeyville.

A day of cultural celebration, food and native fellowship will take place at the Native American Fellowship grounds, and organizer Kris Crane says there will be something for the whole family.

Crane says the event is free to the public and will also feature drumming, dancing and hatchet throwing. KGGF staff will also be broadcasting live with a remote on US 98 from 10 to noon.

The gathering at 215 Oklahoma Street in South Coffeyville will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. tomorrow.

Kansas State’s Ag Lenders conference is taking place at the beginning of next month.

This conference is for agricultural lenders, loan officers or any interested in what's going on in the ag economy. Extension Assistant Rich Llewelyn says there are some good speakers lined up to talk about the business side of agriculture.  Llewelyn says there will also be a couple of speakers talking about the markets.

The first conference will be held in Garden City on Tuesday and then the following day it will be in Manhattan at the International Grains Program Center. The conference in Manhattan will be live streamed for those who can't attend in person. Registration for in-person is $135 and $50 for online.

 The Federal Government is appealing a ruling from last month in which a U.S. District Court Judge threw out a ruling against a Kansas man for possession of a machine gun.

 Judge John Broomes tossed the charge and questioned if the ban on automatic weapons violates the Second Amendment.

Tamori Morgan was accused of possessing a model AM-15 .300 caliber machine gun and a machine gun conversion device known as a Glock Switch that can be used to make a semi-automatic weapon fire like a fully automatic gun.

If Broomes ruling is upheld, it could have an impact on gun laws nationwide.

 Good news for Kansas tourism.

 A recent report from the Kansas Tourism Division of the Department of Commerce says the number of tourists visiting the Sunflower State finally returned to pre-Covid levels last year. In 2023, an estimated 37.9 million people visited the state and spent around $8 billion in local economies. More than half of that was spent on transportation and food and beverage sales.

The report also says tourist visits to the state sustained nearly 100,000 jobs and generated $823 million in combined state and local taxes.

One out of every 22 jobs in Kansas exists because of the travel and tourism industry.

 Threats of violence have occurred in a wave across the state of Kansas in the past few weeks.

 School districts in Humboldt, Neodesha, and Parsons have investigated threats made online in each of those districts recently. An arrest has been made in the Humboldt case.

Now, threats against Great Bend Middle School have also led to the arrest of several students. Two separate incidents have occurred at the Great Bend School this week. A 14-year-old boy was arrested in connection to the first threat. Three other students were arrested for their part in the second threat. That investigation led police to conclude that the three made the threat in order to disrupt the school day and avoid going to class. Police determined it was not a credible threat, and those involved have been taken into custody.

 The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Caney public water supply system, however city officials have issued a mandatory boil order.

 According to city officials, an electrical issue during the overnight hours Wednesday caused no alarms to be sent to operators. The power loss caused a loss of pressure in the distribution system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

 Customers are asked to boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water, and dispose of ice cubes, especially those coming from a household automatic ice maker. If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.

 The advisory took effect this morning and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved.

Only the KDHE can issue a rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

 The U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee passes a bill from Kansas Representative Ron Estes to increase transparency from the Congressional Budget Office.

 The bill would require the CBO to include details of judicial actions and executive orders that have a cost over a 10 year period of over $50 billion in its baseline reports. Estes says it's an important step in letting lawmakers and taxpayers know how much the government is spending.

The CBO publishes and updates a baseline each year, outlining our nation's current fiscal situation and the 10-year economic outlook. It is used to help measure the cost of legislative proposals and their fiscal impact on economic growth, inflation and our nation's deficit. Estes says this bill will hopefully help the federal government get spending under control.

Ron Estes represents Kansas' 4^th Congressional District which covers the south central part of the state and includes Chautauqua, Elk and Greenwood counties.

 Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says he has returned to work following heart surgery to clear a blocked artery.

 The Republican governor said in a statement Wednesday that he received a stent last week at Oklahoma Heart Hospital South. His spokesperson Abegail Cave said in a statement that the blockage was discovered during a routine checkup and surgery was performed last Friday.

The 51-year-old Stitt has no other known health issues.

 Parsons Police continue to investigate a threat of violence made against Parsons High School on Tuesday.

 Parsons detectives continue to sort through social media data from multiple sources as well as material gathered from the several search warrants executed in the case. The initial tips about the threat came through the School Resource Officer at Parsons High School. Officers continue to follow-up on leads, including interviews with P-H-S students and others associated with the case.

P-P-D will have an increased presence in USD 503 throughout the week and are working closely with faculty, staff, and administrators in order to solve the case.

 The town of Copan is reportedly having issues with their water supply.

 Yesterday, the issues caused concern at the Copan Public Schools.

A message from the school district yesterday stated water had been turned off in the morning. However, work continued at the Copan Water Plant. The school district initially thought they might have to cancel classes for the day, but later in the morning decided they could make it through the rest of the school day. Officials hope that the conditions at the water plant will improve today.

 A child who was reported missing in Las Vegas three years ago is found safe in Kansas.

 The six-year-old child was found yesterday in Augusta in the custody of 30-year-old Natalie Black. Black was arrested on charges of felony parental kidnapping on a warrant issued by the Nevada Attorney General's Office in May 2021.

A tip led authorities to believe Black was hiding out in August and a request was sent to the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force to arrest Black and recover the child.

Following her arrest, Black was taken to the Butler County Jail.

 A homicide investigation is underway in Wilson County.

 The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Neodesha Police Department, and the Wilson County Sheriff's Office have begun a murder investigation after human remains were discovered Tuesday in rural Wilson County.

The skeletal remains were found in a pasture in the 6500 block of Ottawa Road. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause and manner of death. Officials say positive identification may take longer than usual due to the advanced state of decomposition of the remains.

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the KBI website.

The investigation is ongoing.

 Oklahoma Senator James Lankford took to the floor of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday and spoke out in opposition to the Democrats attempting to force an abortion vote through the Senate.

 Lankford believes the resolution says the Senate doesn't care about life-saving care for women and that doctors can face criminal prosecution for caring for their patients. Lankford says he wants to set the record straight on this.

Lankford says it is important to continue the conversation on this topic so that people will have a better understanding of it if and when a resolution is found.

Lankford is also the Chair of the Senate Values Action Team.

 The City of Sedan is pleased with some new signage on highways near the town.

 In a joint effort with the Sedan Area Economic Development Committee and the Sedan Chamber of Commerce, the new signs are now in place at both exits to the city on US-166 and on K-99. The new signs feature a photo of downtown Sedan taken by resident JoLynn Reed and lists amenities in the city that travelers might take interest in, such as shopping and dining and the historic downtown area. They also feature the town slogan “Small Town, Big Heart.” The City also thanked the efforts of resident David Taylor for his work on the signs.

The final design was approved for use by both the Sedan City Council and the Kansas Department of Transportation.

 The Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Osage Nation have both received grants to assist with decreasing domestic violence and to help victims of crime.

 The grants are from the U.S. Department of Justice for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The Delaware Tribe received more than $280,000 to help decrease domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking. The grant will also help ensure perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

The Osage Nation received more than $440,000 to implement services for victims of crime that meet needs identified by the community and to reflect Tribal community values and traditions.

In all, Oklahoma Tribes within the Northern District awarded more than $6.2 million in grants include the Peoria Tribe of Indians, Eastern Shawnee Tribe, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Quapaw Nation, the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, the Seneca Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma and the Shawnee Tribe.

There is discussion of a potential solar energy generation facility coming to Wilson County.

Sunflower Skies had applied for an application for the facility earlier this year, and the original application was rejected by the commissioners and county zoning board.

At this week's meeting, representatives from Sunflower Skies, as well as Evergy spoke to the commission, presenting new information about the potential facility.

Commissioner Andrew Miller says the commissioners want to learn more about the project, but also have to keep the county's best interests in mind.

The commission voted to table the issue until the October 9th meeting.

Additional items of business at this week's meeting was a Health Department update from Director Amy Lell, as well as the reappointment of Maria Gonzalez to the Juvenile Services Advisory Board.

Several law enforcement agencies are conducting a homicide investigation after human remains are found in Wilson County.

On Tuesday, September 24 around 11:30 a.m., the Neodesha Police Department requested KBI assistance after they located skeletal remains in a pasture east of 6554 Ottawa Road in Neodesha. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the area, and investigators confirmed the remains were human.

An autopsy is scheduled. Positive identification may take longer than typical cases due to the condition of the remains.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at HERE.

The investigation continues with help from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Neodesha Police Department and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

The Coffeyville Community College Fine Arts Department announces the Dalton Defender Days Marching Festival.

This event celebrates local high school marching bands and takes place on Tuesday, October 8^th, at Veterans Stadium from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Admission is $5 for adults, and students and children can attend for free. This year's event will include a lineup of over 600 participants, including 12 bands from local schools such as Field Kindley, Independence, Caney Valley and others.

Each band will perform at scheduled times and will be evaluated by a panel of adjudicators. As the festival concludes, awards will be presented to the top performers in several categories.

 The Independence City Commission will meet Thursday for their regularly scheduled meeting.

 City Manager Kelly Passauer says there will be several items on the agenda. Passauer says one of those issues will be a discussion of the status of some condemned structures in the city.

Passauer says there will also be an update on Public works projects around the city like the Bartlett Water line.

She says there have also been several improvements to the city streets.

The Independence City Commission meets at City Hall at 5:30 tomorrow. The public is invited to attend or to watch online via the city's website. To view, click on the camera icon.

 Foggy conditions across the area this morning is cited as the cause of an accident west of Tulsa.

 The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports that the driver of a pickup truck traveling near Perkins on OK-33 attempted to pass another vehicle in the fog. The driver was unable to see a bus approaching in the oncoming lane and struck the front of the bus, causing it to veer into a ravine. The bus was transporting inmates from the correctional facility in Cushing. There were 37 inmates on the bus at the time of the accident and 10 were taken to area hospitals with injuries. The remaining 27 were taken back to the prison in Cushing. The driver of the pickup truck did not have to be transported to the hospital.

Photo Courtesy Oklahoma Highway Patrol

 Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will headline the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bartlesville's annual Great Futures Luncheon as the keynote speaker on Friday, Dec. 13, at 11:15 a.m. at the Bartlesville Boys & Girls Club.

 A former member of the Boys & Girls Club of East St. Louis, Joyner-Kersee’s connection to Boys & Girls Clubs runs deep. The track and field icon, often regarded as the greatest all-around female athlete in history, is known for her dedication to youth empowerment. In 1999, she gave back to her hometown by establishing a new Club facility in East St. Louis, offering young people the same transformative experiences she had. As a champion of youth, she has also served as the spokesperson for a NIKE initiative aimed at bringing sports and fitness opportunities to Club kids across the country.

Joyner-Kersee’s athletic career is legendary. She is the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon and the first to break 7,000 points in the event. Additionally, she is the first African American woman to win an Olympic medal in the long jump. Joyner-Kersee was named one of ESPN’s 50 Greatest Athletes of All Time and Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated.

"We are honored to have Jackie Joyner-Kersee as our keynote speaker for the 2024 Great Futures Luncheon," said Jason Barta, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bartlesville. "Her remarkable story of athletic achievement and her ongoing commitment to giving back to young people aligns perfectly with our mission to shape great futures for the kids in our community."

The Great Futures Luncheon is an annual celebration of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ impact in Bartlesville, Dewey, and surrounding communities. This year’s presenting sponsor, Gateway Bank, will announce the 2024 Youth of the Year winner. Funds raised from the event will help support the Club’s continued efforts to provide essential programs for local youth.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available. For more information, please contact Beth Beard at 918-336-3636 or bbeard@bgcbville.org.

 A rookie fire school is being offered on October 14-18 for citizens interested in learning more about fighting fires.

 The Osage Nation Wildland Fire Management will train entry-level probationary firefighters. Classes will be taught from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Osage Casino and Hotel in Pawhuska.

Those wishing to participate must be at least 18. You can register by sending your name and date of birth to wildlandfire@osagenation-nsn.gov. There is no registration fee associated with this class.

 A north central Kansas man dies when his tractor is struck by a semi.

 38-year-old Andrew Pumphrey was driving his tractor and towing a farm implement on US-36 just west of Scandia, KS, late Monday night when he was struck from behind by a semi-truck. The collision caused Pumphrey's tractor to enter the ditch and eject him from the vehicle. The driver of the semi, Casey Tate of Luray, KS, sustained minor injuries. A passenger in the semi Michelle Hauger received serious injuries and was taken to the Republic County Hospital in Belleville for treatment.

 An Ochelata woman faces two felony counts of forgery and stealing mail dating from 2023.

 49-year-old Becki Banther appeared in Washington County Court on Tuesday, after allegedly forging checks along with two others in November 2023. The other two suspects in the case are Jason Nathaniel Solis, who has an outstanding warrant, along with Michael Brown who is deceased. Banther was arrested on a search warrant, after a fraud investigation found a 2017 Hyundai Tucson SUV with checks made to people from Red River Credit, whose names were found on mail in the Hyundai vehicle. A search warrant revealed thousands of dollars worth of forged documents and merchandise. The investigation also revealed that Banther allegedly stole the mail of a Bartlesville man, mail from a Tulsa woman and the identity of a Bartlesville man

.

Banther faces a $10,000 bond is scheduled to appear back in Court on Nov. 1.

 The Coffeyville Community College Theater Department brings a classic Greek tragedy play to the stage of the Spencer Rounds Theater this week.

 The play Oedipus Rex was written around 420 BC by the ancient writer Sophocles. Only seven of Sophocles' plays have survived to the modern day and of those, this play is regarded as his finest work. CCC's Ashley Tatman says the play explores some universal themes.

Performances include tomorrow and Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 2pm. Admission is free.

 A traffic stop in southwest Missouri yesterday reveals a suspicious device that turned out to be a bomb.

 The incident occurred in Golden City, MO, about 25 miles northeast of Joplin. Sheriff's deputies made a traffic stop on a vehicle that was then found to contain what is being described as a suspicious device. The Springfield Fire Department Bomb Squad was called to the scene and determined that the device was, in fact, an explosive device. The bomb was rendered safe and taken to a facility at the fire department.

An adult male is in custody but his identity is not being released pending formal charges.

 Rescue crews in southwest Missouri work overnight to rescue two people lost in the forest west of Branson.

 Crews responded just after 1 o'clock this morning (September 25, 2024) to reports of two people getting lost in the Piney Creek Wilderness, part of the Mark Twain National. Initial reports indicated that the two adults had become separated and then were lost in the wilderness area. Crews from the Central Crossing Fire Protection District responded with rescue apparatus and Search and Rescue Canines. The search for the pair continued into the early morning hours.

Both individuals were located around 5:30 this morning and escorted back to safety.

 Coffeyville residents will soon see lower taxes after the city commission approves a large cut in the mill levy.

 At this week's city commission meeting, commissioners approved the 2025 budget. Mayor Alec Hendryx reads the resolution.

Commissioner Don Edwards says the budget discussion was, at times, a contentious issue, but he thinks the commission made the right decision for the city and for taxpayers.

In other business, commissioners also voted to approve a contract with Swindell Excavation for the demolition of 13 structures in the city.

Voter registration deadlines are quickly approaching for the November general election.

Citizens who wish to vote on November 5^th and who have never voted or have changed their name or address since the last time they voted will need to re-register in order to be able to cast a ballot. Registration deadlines vary by state. For those in the four-state area, registration deadline for the November general election for Arkansas its October 7; Missouri it’s October 9; for Oklahoma it’s October 11; and in Kansas is October 15.

For information and/or online registration, click on your state:

Arkansas

Missouri

Oklahoma

Kansas

 Authorities in Parsons are investigating a threat of violence made yesterday against Parsons High School.

 Tuesday afternoon, September 24, the School Resource Officer at P-H-S received a tip about a possible threat of violence at the school today. The report was forwarded to the Investigations Division of the Parsons Police Department. An Investigation into the possible threat was quickly launched and officers spent yesterday evening conducting interviews and securing search warrants for social media feeds.

So far, no posts or evidence have been found to indicate a threat. Both P-P-D and USD 503 take threats seriously and there will be an increased police presence at PHS today to help ensure student safety.

P-P-D asks that anyone with information about this incident contact the department at 620-421-7060 or via email at tips@parsonspd.com.

 Governor Kelly declares this week as Kansas Falls Prevention Week.

 The purpose of the declaration is to raise awareness to the risk that falls pose to older people. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among people 65 and older in Kansas. It is estimated that for every older Kansas adult who dies from an unintentional fall, 61 more are treated in the emergency department for an unintentional fall-related visit.

Falls threaten older adults’ safety and independence and generate enormous economic and personal costs. However, the number of falls among older adults can be reduced through practical lifestyle changes. Falls can be reduced by utilizing cost-effective strategies, such as exercise programs to improve balance and strength, medication management, vision improvement, reduction of home hazards and fall prevention education.

To learn more about falls and fall prevention, go here.

 Independence Community College takes a big step toward a new welding training facility.

 The U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has announced that ICC will receive a $1 million grant to construct a new welding training facility at the college to provide training and certifications for welders. Raimondo says more training opportunities for Kansas workers means fewer will be left out of the economy.

Raimondo says welding is a skill that is in demand in a variety of industries.

This Economic Development Administration investment will be matched with $1 million in local funds and is expected to create 10 jobs and generate $1 million in private investment in southeast Kansas.

A bridge on U.S. 75 north of Caney will soon be replaced.

The Kansas Department of Transportation expects to begin a project to replace the Cheyenne Creek Bridge one mile north of the U.S. 166 and U.S. 75 junction at Caney. Work is expected to start on Monday, October 7^th. The bridge will be replaced one-half at a time. Traffic will be reduced to one lane controlled by signals in the work zone area and drivers can expect brief delays. Weather permitting, the new bridge should be open in the fall of 2025. KDOT awarded the $3.8 million construction contract to Bridges Inc., of Newton.

Fall weather and cooler temperatures in Kansas doesn't mean fishing in the area has to stop. K-State Fisheries and Aquatics Specialist Joe Gerken says as waters cool down some fish become more active.

Gerken says November and December bring the possibility of trout and ice fishing.  Gerken says for those trout fishing make sure to have a trout stamp in addition to a fishing license.

 Authorities in Mayes County, OK, are still looking for the suspect in a fatal weekend hit-and-run.

 Around 4:30 Sunday morning, September 22, a vehicle struck a 15-year-old Pryor boy as he bicycled along the should of US-69 just north of the City of Pryor. The boy – who was a student at Pryor High School – was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Police have no description of the vehicle that hit the boy but they have determined that whoever was driving, swerved and hit their brakes. Investigators say they definitely know they hit something, yet did not bother to stop and check on the victim.

Authorities are using the FLOCK camera system in hopes of identifying the vehicle, but are asking the public for help in providing justice for the victim's family.

Anyone with information on the accident is asked to contact the Pryor Creek Police at 918-825-1212.

 A domestic dispute in front of a Wichita elementary school leads to two people with gunshot wounds.

 The incident occurred yesterday morning as a husband and wife dropped off their children at Cessna Elementary School in south Wichita. The kids went into the building and the argument began between the couple. The man then produced a firearm and shot his wife in the chest. The woman attempted to flee into the school and the husband gave chase. He was holding the gun at her head when Sheriff's deputies arrived on scene. The suspect stepped away from the woman and the deputy shot him. Both victims are alive and in critical condition at a Wichita hospital.

School staff attempted to shield students from the scene and the school was placed on lockdown during the incident. Counselors will be available at the school to help the students.

 Two people are in custody after an hours-long standoff in Kingman.

 The incident began around 2pm Monday, September 23, when police received reports of a stabbing. The suspect fled when police arrived and barricaded himself inside a house. The stand off ended peacefully around 1am this morning, Tuesday, September 24. Police say a man and woman are both in custody. There were no injuries reported.

 The Nowata County Commission held their weekly Meeting on Monday.

 On the agenda were various items including improvements to the Nowata County Courthouse. Work on the building's pipes is slated to begin on Wednesday. 

The issue of Emergency Management was also discussed. Emergency Management Coordinator Laurie Summers says there have been updates from the state of Oklahoma in Emergency Management.

 In another issue, last week Summers recommended that the County declare a burn ban in Nowata County. Summers said that despite rain over the weekend in the area there is still a fire threat in Nowata County. While the County determined to not issue an immediate burn ban, the issue will be revisited next week.

 Tempers flare at the Osage County Commission Meeting in Pawhuska.

 At Monday's meeting, a group of citizens were there to voice their displeasure about the Board considering taking a first step that would allow a housing development to go up on a plat of land near Skiatook. That first step would be turning the 40 acre plot from agricultural land to residential land. 

The land is next to the property of Bud Beaston Beaston ran for County Commissioner against Steve Talburt in June. Beaston says there are Native American graves and artifacts on that property that need to be looked at first.

District Two Commissioner Steve Talburt says the things Beaston about spoke on aren't relevant.

After discussion, the Board opted to approve the application. The issue will now go back to the planning and zoning board.

 Two people are arrested on burglary charges in Copan.

 A man and a woman appeared in Washington County District Court in Bartlesville on Monday to face charges of felony burglary and abuse and neglect among two misdemeanor drug charges after an incident earlier this month.

18-year-old Bailey Rice of Copan and 20-year-old Justice Rogers of Wann were charged with Burglary in the second degree, and abuse/neglect/financial exploitation after the pair allegedly stole $8,900 on Sept. 6 from one of Rice’s family member's home in Copan.

An arrest affidavit states that after the incident, Rice allegedly texted her family member saying that she stole the money and Rogers opened up the safe.

Rice and Rogers were arrested and are being held on $15,000 bonds. The next court appearance for both is October 4^th .

Photo: Justice Rogers (L), Bailey Rice (R). Courtesy Washington County Jail

 A federal agency files a fraud complaint against a Bartlesville company.

 The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday  charged Bartlesville-based Anthem Holdings Company and its founder and CEO Anthem Blanchard with defrauding investors of over $5 million in two securities offerings.

According to the SEC's complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, between September 2020 and July 2022, Blanchard and Anthem Holdings made false and misleading statements to prospective investors about Anthem Holdings' financial projections, business development pipeline  and investment commitments.

The complaint alleges that, as a result of the fraudulent misstatements, Anthem Holdings raised $5 million from approximately 200 investors in a "Series A" equity offering and over $200,000 from two investors in a "Pre-Series B" convertible note offering.

The SEC's complaint charges Blanchard and Anthem Holdings with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and civil monetary penalties from Blanchard and Anthem Holdings, and an officer-and-director bar against Blanchard.

 A drug house in LaHarpe is shut down after a weekend raid by police.

 The LaHarpe Police Department along with the Allen County Sheriff's Office, Moran Police Department and the Humboldt Police Department executed a search warrant on LaHarpe residence on Friday morning. During the search, officers found marijuana, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a pound of an unknown white powder, and three firearms.

Police arrested 51-year-old John Willard, 44-year-old Brandi Fisher, both of LaHarpe, 30-year-old Benjamin Miller of Chanute, and 32-year-old Rebecca Stewart of Iola. The four face a variety of charges for possession of controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and trafficking.

The charges have been sent to the Allen County District Attorney's Office for filing.

 Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it had a little help from an Oklahoma State Trooper.

 Last week in Tulsa, law enforcement were made aware of a truck towing a makeshift trailer across the city on I-44. The trailer was losing chickens from the back as it made its way through traffic. Chickens were left scattered for over a mile along the roadway.

Some helpful citizens had pulled over and were trying to catch the panicked birds when OHP Troopers arrived on the scene to take over the chicken chase. With some quick thinking, fast feet, and a bit of patience, troopers soon had the bird corralled and off the road. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol … keeping the highways safe, one chicken at a time.

 Coffeyville City Manager Ben Brubaker informs the Montgomery County Commissions of intentions to annex city property.

 At this week's Montgomery County Commission meeting Brubaker informed commissioners that the City of Coffeyville will soon begin procedures to annex 100 acres of land recently purchased by the city into the City of Coffeyville. Brubaker tells the commission that no residences will be affected.

The area is located northwest of the city and is already bordered on two sides by the city limits. Brubaker says the land will be used to build a new housing development.

Commissioners informed Brubaker that they looked forward to Coffeyville being able to bring more housing into the city.

Note: The area shown in the picture is an approximation.

 The Kansas Highway Patrol is marking Rail Safety Week this week by reminding drivers and pedestrians of the dangers of railroad tracks.

 KHP is partnering with Operation Lifesaver and Amtrak Police in an effort to reduce pedestrian and driver injuries around railroad tracks. As a part of Operation Clear Track, law enforcement will be stationed at targeted railroad grade crossings, handing out railroad safety cards to motorists and pedestrians and issuing warnings and citations to violators.

Federal statistics show that every three hours in the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train. Operation Clear Track hopes to reduce those numbers and strengthen railroad safety across the state.

 Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond appeals a recent injunction that has halted the enforcement of Oklahoma's new immigration reform law.

 The law targets illegal marijuana farms which often employ illegal immigrants. The measure allows local law enforcement to arrest and incarcerate immigrants who are in Oklahoma illegally, without any federal authorization. The U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction against the law on June 28^th at the urging of the Biden/Harris administration, just days before the law was set to take effect.

Drummond says he will pursue the case to the U.S. Supreme Court should the Tenth Circuit not reconsider its ruling.

The Cherryvale Post Office will be without power tomorrow.

On Wednesday, September 25th, the post office in Cherryvale will remain open, but staff will only be able to sell stamps by check or cash.

Dense fog is in the area this morning for southeast Kansas, most of eastern Oklahoma and far southwest Missouri.

According to the National Weather Service, visibilities of 1/4 mile or less are possible between now and 10 a.m.  Drivers should use caution and low beams while driving.

 The City of Columbus receives federal grant money to help with funding and hiring police.

 Columbus has been awarded a grant of $125,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice through the C.O.P.S. Hiring Program. Grant funds will be used over the next 3 years to support the School Resource Officer position.

The C.O.P.S. Hiring Program is designed to provide direct funding for law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing and crime prevention efforts.

 2024 was a busy year for the Kansas Legislature as lawmakers were called back to Topeka in June for a special session in order to craft a tax reform bill that Governor Laura Kelly would be willing to sign.

 State Representative Ron Bryce says we are living through historic times at both the local and national levels.

The state legislature convenes for its regular session from January through early May. Bryce says legislators remain at work when the session is out, getting ready for next year. Bryce says, despite the tax plan passed in the summer special session, tax relief is still a big issue for Kansans.

Bryce says one of his priorities for the 2025 session will be property taxes.

Another issue up for discussion in 2025 and is currently in committee deals with dentists who use sedation and anesthesia. The Kansas Legislature will convene for its new session on January 13, 2025.

 The 26^th Annual Wilson County Old Iron Days kicks off Wednesday in Fredonia.

 Organizer Mike Olson says there will be more than 30 working farm and domestic demonstrations on display to learn about how southeast Kansans used to live.

Olson says a big reason for the festival is to keep alive the knowledge of how things used to be done.

Five dollar admission buttons are available for purchase. Kids 12 and under get in for free. The event runs through Sunday morning.

 Sedan prepares to make renovations to the city library.

 At last week's city council meeting, during the public comment section, council members heard about some much needed repairs required at the city library. The window panes at the library need to be replaced because the wood is rotting.

Renovations are also needed to rooms inside the library along with some other cosmetic changes. Representatives from the City and library are working to secure a $50,000 grant in order to pay for the more extensive repairs.

 Authorities say one person is dead following a strong storm that moved through parts of Oklahoma late last week.

 The storm hit the city of Pawnee on Thursday night. It flipped over several camping vehicles and downed trees and power lines. Several areas of the city were without power on Friday and residents were asked to move carefully in the area as repair crews were working to restore electricity. Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell says one person died in an RV that flipped. He said other RVs were also damaged in the storm. The National Weather Service office in Tulsa received reports of wind gusts higher than 70 mph and golf ball sized hail in the area.

 Nowata Public Schools issues a letter to the school community about the threat of violence at area schools. 

 In a letter by School Superintendent Tim Simpson on Friday, Simpson outlined guidelines for parents to help avoid issues related with threats of violence. Simpson said that the school district is currently discussing policy revisions to provide what he calls stringent courses of action for policy violations, and possible removal of campus facilities.  

Simpson reminded Nowata families to encourage their students to tell a teacher, adult, or supervisor if they see or hear anything that could be harmful to themselves or others. He also discourages the spread of misinformation or rumors by emailing and contacting your building principal to verify any information, issues, and circumstances.

Simpson encourages those in the Nowata Public Schools community to reach out to a school principal or him directly with questions visit  https://www.npsok.org/

 A Missouri woman is seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash late Saturday night near Galena.

 60-year-old Fontella Smith of Carl Junction was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by another driver who failed to yield at a stop sign. Smith was in a 2025 Lexus driven by 53-year-old William Smith, also of Carl Junction. The pair was traveling northbound on K-26 about 3 ½ miles south of Galena. A 2021 Honda Accord driven by 23-year-old Dylan Collins of Neosho, KS, was traveling eastbound on Old Highway 166 when he failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the Smith's vehicle.

Fontella Smith was taken to Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. No one else was injured in the accident.

 A 12-year-old Wagoner County, OK, child is recovering after a fall from a cliff in Whitehorn Cove last week.

 Deputies responded to a call on September 14th about a juvenile who had fallen from a 40-foot high cliff near the water’s edge. When deputies arrived, they found the child alive but unable to walk.

The child was taken to a Tulsa hospital and continues to recover from the accident.

 Authorities in Pryor, OK, are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run.

 The accident occurred around 4:30 yesterday (Sunday) morning on US-69 just north of Pryor. Officers say a juvenile male was struck and killed while riding his bicycle on the southbound shoulder of the highway. The suspect vehicle then fled the scene southbound on US-69.

Authorities are asking anyone with information on the accident to contact the Pryor Creek Police at 918-825-1212

 A Kansas woman says the remains of a child found buried in the backyard of a home in Rose Hill, KS, are those of her daughter.

 Christa Helm has told investigators that she gave up custody of her three daughters in 2018 after spending time in jail and battling substance abuse. She stated that her children were adopted by the Rose Hill family in 2019. Authorities have confirmed that Helm is the mother of three children who lived at the home. She provided a DNA sample to investigators who say identification of the remains could come as early as next week.

 More details are emerging in the death of an Oklahoma man found murdered along I-44 near Joplin last week.

 Two Honduran brothers were arrested in Kansas City late last week in connection to the crime. Detectives investigating the case say the two brothers were traveling from their home in Columbia, Tennessee, to Tulsa in order to buy methamphetamine. It it thought that they ran out of money in Joplin and approached 63-year-old Jesse Gilmore as he sat in his car at a Joplin gas station. The older of the two allegedly approached Gilmore, shot him in the head, then took his money and his car. The pair dumped Gilmore’s body in a dry creek bed along I-44. The older brother has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Authorities continue to investigate.

Coffeyville Community College will host a theater workshop for area high school students on Wednesday.

Students will have the chance to watch a pre-show performance of the play Oedipus Rex and then take part in a question-and-answer session with the cast and crew. The workshop is designed to give students a behind-the-scenes look at set building, lighting, and play production. Then, the public is invited to attend a performance of the play Oedipus Rex in the Spencer Rounds Theater on the CCC Campus. Performances include Thursday and Friday nights at 7pm and Saturday afternoon at 2pm. Admission is free.

Oedipus Rex, written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, is a gripping tragedy that explores profound themes of fate, free will, and the consequences of unchecked pride.

 Cherokee County Economic Development receives grant funding from the state of Kansas.

 Kansas Tourism has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Cherokee County group in order to help enhance and expand the advertising and attraction efforts of Kansas communities. Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe says the purpose of the grant is to help local communities attract new people and new businesses to the area.

Funding for Kansas Tourism grants is provided by the Economic Development Initiatives Fund that comes from state lottery proceeds.

 The Montgomery County Commission is set to meet today for their regular weekly meeting.

 On today's agenda is Coffeyville City Manager Ben Brubaker. Brubaker is expected to address the issues of annexing property into the City of Coffeyville as well as the subject of the levy district. Also on today's agenda is an update from Brandon Beurskins with Public Works and an update on quotes for the new county website from County Administrator Jonathan Booe.

The Montgomery County Commission meets every Monday morning at 9am in the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence. The public is invited to attend.

Two Field Kindley High School teachers have been selected to attend a conference in New York.

Teachers Kayanna Adams and Megan Wade were selected by the Fort Hays State University History Department to represent the department and the school district at the American Historical Association Conference in New York City in January. The AHA is the primary professional organization for practicing historians in the United States, hosting panels on a wide range of topics, including historical research, education, exhibit curation and more.

USD 445 says they are proud of these educators and students for their dedication and commitment to excellence, as they continue to represent the district and community on the national stage.

 The Independence Chamber of Commerce is looking for people who would like to host a trunk at the upcoming Trunk or Treat.

 This year's Trunk or Treat will be held on Halloween night from 6 to 7pm in downtown Indy. Those interested in signing up can by visiting the chamber website at indkschamber.org and go to events. You can also call the Chamber offices at 620-331-1890

 Two men are found guilty in federal court of a Neosho kidnapping.

 51-year-old Freddie Lewis Tilton of Joplin and 39-year-old Alvin Dale Boyer of Rogers, Arkansas, were found guilty of kidnapping charges in a Springfield courtroom earlier this week. The charges stem from an incident in July 2020 that occurred at Boonslick Lodge in Neosho.

Police were called to the hotel after reports that woman was being choked and then dragged into a room. When police knocked on the door of the room, the injured victim answered the door and ran out of the room. Tilton had jumped out of a back window and escaped. Boyer had rented the room and invited the victim to meet him there. When she arrived, Tilton was waiting for her. The victim was then assaulted.

The U.S Attorney's Office says both Tilton and Boyer are subject to a sentence of llife in prison without parole in the case.

 A semi truck driver is injured when his vehicle overturns on US-169 just south of Chanute.

 The tractor-trailer driven by 48-year-old Rebel Knight of Poteau, OK, was southbound on US-169 just after 1pm yesterday afternoon when a sudden gust of wind hit the side of his trailer. The wind gust caused the truck to overturn and come to rest in the northbound lanes of the highway.

Knight sustained minor injuries in the accident and was taken to Neosho Memorial hospital for treatment.

 The Bartlesville Police Department is actively investigating what appears to be a threat of violence at a Bartlesville school.

 Bartlesville Police Captain Daniel Elkins says they are trying to determine the validity of this threat and where it may have originated.

The Oklahoma School Security Institute says many threats against schools nation-wide this week have originated outside of the schools in question and, often, outside of the states where the schools are located. However, OSSI and Bartlesville schools take all threats seriously and promote a zero-tolerance approach. The public is asked to report any suspicious activity, threats, or tips through the ProtectOK app

 The body of a man found in a dry creek bed along I-44 in southwest Missouri has been ruled a homicide.

 63-year-old Jesse Gilmore was found deceased on Monday. The Jasper County Sheriff's Office says Gilmore had been shot in the head in the parking lot of a gas station on the outskirts of Joplin and dumped in the creek bed. The two suspects then took Gilmore's red Chevy Cobalt and fled. The vehicle was found abandoned in Independence, MO.

Two Honduran brothers in the United States Illegally have been arrested for the crime. 26-year-old Adin Cantareno Benitez and 20-year-old Jose Cantareno Benitez were arrested in Kansas City. The older brother is accused of being the shooter in the Gilmore case and the younger brother is also accused in the attempted car-jacking and shooting of a Kansas City woman, who remains in critical condition in a Kansas City hospital.

Adin Cantareno Benitez had been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree robbery. Charges against his brother are expected to be filed soon.

 Authorities in Allen County are investigating threats made against students at Iola High School.

 The threats made their first appearance on Tuesday as word quickly spread among students in Iola and on social media. Allen County Sheriff's deputies along with officers from the Iola Police Department, say the threats appear to have originated outside of the county and possibly outside of the state and appear to have originated on social media. There, the threats spread via text messages and then verbally among students. Law enforcement says students were never in any danger. Officers continued to interview witnesses on Wednesday and Thursday. Charges, if any, will be forwarded to the Iola City Prosecutor or the Allen County Attorney.

The investigation comes on the heels of similar threats made recently in Neodesha and Humboldt.

 A Collinsville man faces charges of felony DUI and child endangerment.

 39-year-old Jesse D. Maxwell was charged with felony child endangerment by permitting child abuse, an aggravated DUI in a Bartlesville courtroom yesterday.  According to court documents, he allegedly drove to the Bartlesville Braum’s while being impaired, with a child in his car.

The incident occurred Wednesday evening around 10:30pm when an officer conducted a traffic stop on Maxwell and the officer claimed that she smelled the odor of alcohol and witnessed slurred speech and red eyes from the suspect. Maxwell took a breath alcohol test where he tested at 0.15.

Maxwell was subsequently booked into the Washington County Jail on Felony DUI and child endangerment. He is being held on a $10,000 bond. His next court date is October 4.

 The Kansas State High School Athletic Association Board of Directors approves several changes to high school sports for the next school year.

 One of the changes to go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year is that high school basketball teams will be able to play a 23-game schedule, three more games than teams are currently allowed.

High school baseball and softball players will be able to play in six more games per season than previously allowed. Varsity squads will be able to play 26 games while junior varsity teams will be able to play 20 total games.

One change that will go into effect this year affects school wrestling teams. Wrestlers will not be allowed to take part in more than four events that begin before 3pm. This includes double-duals, quad duals, and one-day tournaments.

 A two-vehicle accident on US-400 west of Parsons leaves multiple people injured.

 Just before 7pm Thursday, September 19, a 2005 Chevy Tahoe driven by 20-year-old Christopher Peoples of Altamont was traveling westbound on US-400 about ten miles west of Parsons. Peoples attempted to make a left turn onto Gray Road when his vehicle was struck by an eastbound F-250 driven by 58-year-old Patrick Gallagher of Pittsburg.

Occupants in Peoples vehicle included 21-year-old Hailey Schild, 18-year-old Nathan Schild, and 22-year-old Andrew Stammer, all of Parsons. Gallagher was traveling with one juvenile female passenger. All six individuals were taken to Labette Health and treated for minor injuries.

Members of the USD 286 Board of Education receive a fine for violating the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says board members will each pay $100 in civil penalties and attend additional KOMA training. After an investigation, Kobach's Office determined that school board members violated KOMA by using executive sessions to discuss topics that were not appropriate, by making improper motions for executive sessions and by failing to comply with nearly every statutory requirement for such motions. Additionally, the board's meeting minutes did not accurately reflect the verbal motions made.

First Assistant Attorney General Amber Smith says while there is no evidence the board intentionally violated KOMA, it is necessary to recognize that their actions and practices fell far short. She says to the board's credit, they proactively obtained training during the investigation of the matter.

Over 200 people where in attendance for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for the new Bartlett soybean crushing facility in Cherryvale.

Senior Vice President Joe Griffith says the plant has made an impact economically in the area and will continue to do so in the future.  Vice President Bill Webster says they appreciate all the help they have received from around the county and the state in getting the plant open.

In addition to those from Bartlett, Governor Laura Kelly, Lt. Governor David Toland and U.S Senator Roger Marshall were in attendance at the Grand Opening.

 The City of Fredonia has a new city administrator.

 Evan Bolt has been hired to take over as city administrator in Fredonia. Mayor Allen Miller says the city is excited to have Bolt join the team.

Bolt has degrees from Washburn University and Wichita State University and has spent the past several years working in government in Colorado. Bolt stated that the sense of community, level of commitment and hospitality are all attributes that drew him back to southeast Kansas.

Bolt takes over for Interim City Administrator John Torline and replaces Wesley Young, who resigned in May to take a similar position in southeast Missouri. His first day will be Monday

 September is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Suicide Prevention Month.

 Maternal mental health is a big part of mental health awareness starting with postpartum depression. Many women experience what is often referred to as the baby blues, but Dr. Ravi Johar with United Healthcare says that's different from depression.

Johar says it's important for new moms to have a solid support network.

Adding a new member to the family affects everyone including mom, dad, siblings and even grandparents and aunts and uncles. Johar says dads can even experience a form of postpartum depression.

Raising awareness of mental health issues can support better outcomes for children and families.

 Drivers in Chanute and Neosho County need to be aware of a road closure coming up next week.

 Starting next Friday, September 27, The Neosho River Bridge on Elk Road will be closed for replacement. The bridge is located about two miles north of Chanute. The Chanute Police Department says Elk Road will be closed to through traffic at the junction of US-169 and Elk Road, north of the Allen/Neosho County line and at the junction of Elk Road and Ash Grove Road until the project is complete.

 Jasper County Sheriff's Deputies are still looking for the driver of a car wanted in connection to the discovery of a dead body along I-44 on Monday.

 Deputies discovered the body of 63-year-old Jesse Gilmore of Oklahoma in a dry creek bed along I-44 and are investigating the man's death. Police have recovered the red Chevy Cobalt spotted near the scene. The car was found in Independence, Missouri, just after 5pm on Tuesday. Now, deputies want to know if anyone saw the car near the Quick Trip store at I-44 and I-249 during the daytime on Tuesday.

Anyone with information on the car or on the case is asked to call the Jasper County Sheriff's Office at 417-359-9100 and ask for Detective Sergeant Cady.

 A Copan man lands back in jail after not showing up for court in May on two misdemeanor charges.

 46-year-old Brian Curtis was seen in the Washington County Jail on Wednesday on a felony charge of bail jumping. 

After posting bail an aggregate bond of $1,500 for two misdemeanor trespassing cases, Curtis failed to show up for court on May 29. The bonds Curtis posted were then forfeited and a $2,000 bench warrant was issued for him.

Last Friday, Curtis paid a $2,000 cash bond and was ordered to appear for an arraignment on Monday. After Curtis failed to appear for that arraignment, the judge forfeited the $2,000 cash bond and issued another bench warrant for $4,000.  

Curtis now has a total bond of $14,000 and is set to appear in Washington County court on Friday. 

 A teen-aged driver causes a fatal crash in north east Kansas.

 The minor driver was attempting to cross US-75 at an intersection in Jackson County near Holton yesterday morning, when the teen failed to yield and was struck by another vehicle that was traveling north on US-75.

The driver of the second vehicle, 26-year-old Allison Lee of Effingham, KS, suffered serious injuries and was taken to KU Medical Center. A passenger in Lee's vehicle, 52-year-old Scott Reaka of Topeka suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The teen driver was not injured in the collision.

 A Buffalo teen is arrested after a road rage incident.

 A seventeen-year-old girl from Buffalo was taken into custody by deputies after a reported road rage incident south of Humboldt in which a gun was allegedly pointed at occupants of another vehicle.

Around 8pm on Tuesday, September 17, two Chanute residents reported to the Humboldt Police Department that they had been traveling on Old U.S. Hwy 169 to Humboldt.  A Jeep Liberty, reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed, passed and repeatedly braked in front of them. An occupant in the Jeep then allegedly pointed at the Chanute residents as they crossed the bridge near the Monarch Cement plant.

The Jeep and the driver, a seventeen-year-old female and a juvenile passenger were located and detained by the Iola Police Department at the Pete’s convenience store on the east side of Iola until a deputy arrived.  A .45 caliber handgun was removed from the vehicle along with alcohol, nicotine and THC vapes, plus items alleged to be narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

The teen driver was taken into custody and transported to the juvenile detention center in Girard. The fifteen-year-old passenger in the vehicle was released to a parent.

The following charges are being forwarded to the Allen County Attorney’s Officer for consideration:  Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Narcotics, Possession of THC, Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, Possession of Tobacco/Nicotine by a Minor, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

 An early morning blaze is reported in Labette County.

 Fire Crews were called to the 22000 block of Wallace Road east of Parsons around 6am this morning. Early reports indicate a large fire involving both a mobile home and a house. Fire crew from area municipalities were able to extinguish the blaze. There have been no injuries reported at this time.

This is a breaking news story and ee will have more details for you as this story develops.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Montgomery County Sheriff deputies and detectives execute a narcotics search warrant in Coffeyville.

The owner of the residence is Cheyenne Dodge, who was arrested for methamphetamine distribution following a police pursuit on Saturday. She is currently in custody. Upon arriving at the residence, deputies made contact with Christian Dodge. A search of the premises resulted in the discovery of nearly a pound of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, marijuana and a handgun.

Christian was taken into custody and booked at the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on charges of possession of marijuana. In addition to the previous charges, Cheyenne now faces further charges of methamphetamine distribution, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute and criminal use of a firearm. A 17-year-old was also taken into custody in connection with this investigation.

 Kansas Governor Laura Kelly will be in southeast Kansas Thursday morning to help celebrate the grand opening of the new Bartlett Grain soybean crushing facility in Cherryvale.

 Kelly will be on hand tomorrow morning at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new plant scheduled for 10:30. She will deliver brief remarks at the event.

The $400 million facility has been working toward meeting their planned opening deadline this fall. The plant will provide a new, local option for grain delivery as well as increased access to soybean byproducts. Bartlett anticipates being able to process 45 million bushels of soybeans annually.

 The Independence Police Department recovers a stolen car.

 I-P-D has recovered the red Mustang convertible that was stolen from the Independence Wal-Mart parking lot on Monday afternoon. The car was reported stolen and several suspects were recorded on security cameras. I-P-D asked the public for help in locating the car and three persons of interest in the case.

The vehicle has been returned to its rightful owner and I-P-D thanks the public for the help on the case.

 Dewey Public Schools announced Monday they have at least one case of whooping cough within their district.

 Dewey Schools joins Bartlesville Public Schools with confirming whooping cough cases. In Bartlesville, district officials say the outbreak is impacting all school sites within the district.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, whooping cough is extremely contagious, spreading by close contact with those who are infected. The infection can also spread person to person by sharing food, drink, or other items contaminated with germs from the nose and throat.

Vaccines for whooping cough are available.

 A district court judge ruled this week that one camera and one audio recording device will be allowed in the courtroom during the trial of former Marion police chief Gideon Cody.

 Cody faces obstruction of justice charges after a raid on the newspaper The Marion County Record last year. He faces a maximum of 23 months in prison if convicted. Cody's defense team asked that cameras not be allowed in the courtroom, stating that it would violate Cody's right to a fair trial.

The judge's ruling does include some limitations including the prohibition of recording attorney-client conversations, recording jurors, and recording through open doors.

 Six members of a Kansas-based cult are convicted of forcing children to work up to 16 hours a day while subjecting them to beatings and other abuse.

 The U.S. Department of Justice says the six were high-ranking members of an organization formerly known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators.

Prosecutors said members of the group beat children and forced them – some as young as eight years old - to endure inhumane conditions while also imposing severe dietary restrictions on the youth. The children were also trafficked to work in businesses in other states.

The convictions carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The defendants 39-year-old Yunus Rassoul, 62-year-old James Saton, 49-year-old Randolph Hadley, 43-year-old Daniel Jenkins, 60-year-old Dana Peach and 50-year-old Kaaba Majeed are set to be sentenced in February.

 The City of Dewey discusses the current condition of roads around the city.

  At this week's city council meeting, the Dewey City Council received citizen input on the state of roads in Dewey, particularly on the west side of town. Mayor Tom Hays says it's a concern that many people have.

Dewey City Manager Kevin Trease  also addressed the situation and says there is a possible solution moving forward.

Also at the meeting council members decided to table a vote on approving the industrial park lease agreement between the City of Dewey and Green Fuels Operations, Inc.

Dewey City Council meets the second Monday of every month at the Council Chambers at Dewey City Hall at 7 p.m.

 An incident involving a semi-truck causes major traffic headaches in Bartlesville

 An over-sized semi-truck pulled down power lines on Highway 75 yesterday evening causing a major traffic issue. Both the northbound and southbound lanes of the roadway had to be shut down to allow for clean-up. Bartlesville Deputy Police Chief Andrew Ward says officers were on scene to take care of traffic issues.

There were no reports of injuries associated with the incident.

 The Jasper County Sheriff's Office is looking for a vehicle related to the discovery of a body in southwest Missouri.

 The body of a deceased male was discovered on Monday evening in a dry creek bed along I-44 in Jasper County. The man has been identified as 63-year-old Jesse Gilmore of Oklahoma.

Investigators are looking for a vehicle related to the case. The car in question is a red Chevy Cobalt with Oklahoma plate P-I-H-6-6-7. The car also has significant damage to the rear passenger-side door. Anyone seeing the vehicle is asked to call the Jasper County Sheriff's Office at 417-359-9100 or call 9-1-1.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday to determine the cause of death.

 The Health On Purpose Wellness Fair happens this Friday in Independence.

 There will be lots of information on how to stay healthy and staff from Coffeyville Regional Medical Center will be on hand to perform a variety of lab work. Organizer Kathy Shepard says there will be a bonus for those who get there early.

For those getting blood work done, fasting is preferred and that means nothing to eat after midnight on Thursday night. Results will be mailed. Shepard says there will also be a variety of vendors at the Fair to provide lots of information.

There will also be presentations on topics such as the importance of colon cancer screening, mental health, estate planning and more. It all begins at 7am Friday morning and runs through 11:30 at the Civic Center in Independence.

 Three people are injured in a collision with a fire truck in Newton County in southwest Missouri.

 The fire truck was responding to a car accident with lights and sirens on when, it collided with a pickup truck at an intersection near Fairview, MO.

The 30-year-old driver and a 10-year-old passenger in the truck sustained minor injuries while a 52-year-old passenger was seriously injured. All three were taken to Joplin's Mercy Hospital for treatment.

 The number of registered voters in Kansas is on the rise ahead of the November general election.

 Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced that voters rolls in the state hit the 2 million mark last week. Since the beginning of 2024 more than 80,000 Kansans have registered to vote. Schwab said he was pleased to see so many citizens taking this important step and emphasized that the most secure way to register is through the official state website VoteKansas.gov.

The deadline to register in order to vote in the November 5^th election is October 15^th.

 The 2024 Fall Homecoming Festival happens this Friday and Saturday in Howard.

 Activities begin Friday evening with a homecoming tailgate dinner followed by the homecoming football game between West Elk and Udall.

Festivities get into full swing on Saturday with a biscuit and gravy breakfast at the Doll Museum. Other Saturday events include a parade at 10:30, a craft expo, cornhole tournament, pedal tractor pull, and much more. The evening will be capped off with a concert and street dance.

It all happens this weekend in Howard.

 Independence Police arrest a 33-year-old man on burglary charges.

 Officers from IPD were called to the 400 block of North 12^th Street early Saturday morning after receiving a call about an attempted burglary. After an investigation, officers arrested Jack Mann of Independence. Mann faces multiple charges including attempted aggravated burglary and aggravated assault.

 A resident at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility in north central Kansas dies unexpectedly.

 Staff at the correctional facility discovered 37-year-old inmate Kyle Fullington unresponsive in his cell on Monday morning. Life-saving measures were taken and emergency medical crews were called. Fullington was taken to a nearby hospital where he died on Tuesday afternoon. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause and manner of Fullington's death.

Fullington was a resident of the Kansas Department of Corrections in cooperation with the State of Virginia under an interstate compact agreements.

According to protocol, his death is under investigation by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of investigation.

A Joplin man is sentenced to over two years in prison in Cherokee County.

35-year-old Andrew Joseph Sanchez was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment in Cherokee County District Court. On May 8^th, Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputies encountered Sanchez when he drove off the road southeast of Crestline. During that encounter, they discovered Sanchez had warrants for his arrest from Kansas and California. Sanchez was placed under arrest and found to be in possession of narcotics.

In July, Sanchez pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine. He will remain in the Cherokee County Jail until his transfer to the Kansas Prison System.

 The water project to connect the city of Caney to Coffeyville takes a step forward to design.

 Approval was given during last night's meeting to proceed with Midwest Engineering in the design phase in the eight inch water supply line between the towns.

 City Administrator Kelley Zellner says while design can begin, the archaeological phase is in a hurry up and wait mode.

 In other business, approval was given to the fire department to rebuild pump engine #2 at a cost over just over $6,300, and there was a lengthy discussion concerning the inconsistent financial numbers of the grocery store and the software used.

 A workshop was set for September 30th, ahead of the approval to Dildine Real Estate for the construction of six tiny homes.

 The next Caney City Council meeting is set for October 7th at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

 Montgomery County Rural Fire District Number 1 welcomes a new Fire Chief to their ranks.

 Michael Smith took over the position on September 1^st and brings many years of fire-fighting experience with him. Smith replaces Rick Whitson, who leaves the position after seven years of service. Whitson brought many positive changes to the department. He will continue to serve Montgomery County as Emergency Management Director.

 Recent online threats directed at schools have prompted area school districts to take extra precautions.

 USD 461 Neodesha officials say recent online threats circulating via social media have been investigated by the school resource officer and the Neodesha Police Department to determine if the threats have a local origin. Police have determined that the threats have originated out-of-state and do not pose a danger to students and staff.

District Superintendent Juanita Erikson says the district has responded with a heightened sense of safety and security and that the situation continues to be monitored. Law enforcement has determined that there is no local threat.

Schools in Humboldt were locked down briefly last week after a threat was found to have local origins. Police have made an arrest in that case and charges are pending.

 Dalton Defender Days is quickly approaching in Coffeyville.

 The Annual Celebration and Reenactment of the historic Dalton bank robberies from 1892 will take place on October 4^th and 5^th. President of Dalton Defender Days says there will be a lot of activities to enjoy during this year's event.

Elliot says there is still room for vendors and those wishing to take part should contact him. He also says that there will be a unique occurrence at this year's reenactment.

There will be a reenactment at 5pm on the 4^th and the two more shows on the 5^th after the 9:30 show. It all happens October 4^th and 5^th in downtown Coffeyville.

 A Mulvane ends up in jail after attending a high school football game.

 Police say the 43-year-old man was arrested after allegedly hitting a police officer and a high school security guard at last Friday night's game between Salina South and Maize South in Salina. According to witnesses, the man was screaming at players and other game attendees and was drinking at the time. He was asked to leave the stadium, but then remained on the property. He was approached by a security staff member and a school resource officer and began fighting them. The security guard suffered a cut on the head and the recourse officer had a wound over the eye. The suspect was tasered and arrested.

 Suspicious packages containing powder are sent to officials in at least five states including Kansas and Oklahoma.

 The packages were sent to Secretaries of State and election officials. This is the second time in the past year that suspicious packages have been sent to election officials in multiple state offices. In most instances, the powdery substance has proven to be harmless. In Oklahoma, officials said the material sent to election officials there contained flour.

A state office building in Topeka was evacuated yesterday afternoon after packages were found addressed to Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Attorney General Kris Kobach.

The FBI is investigating.

Other states receiving packages include Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

 A Newton County, Missouri, man faces charges after a 9-month-old infant is found unconscious.

 28-year-old Jordan Boggess of Newtonia, Missouri, faces charges of child abuse or neglect of a child with serious, physical injury after an infant in his care was found unconscious and not breathing. Authorities were called to the scene over the weekend where they say Boggess admitted to tossing the child in the air to comfort them but that he failed to catch the baby. Responders say Boggess also admitted to bear-hugging the child until it stopped crying.

The baby was taken to Freeman Hospital in Joplin and later transferred to Children's Mercy in Kansas City with head trauma and other injuries consistent with physical abuse. The baby remains in critical condition.

 Independence Community College will soon be able to take the Fab Lab on the move.

 At this week's meeting of the ICC Board of Trustees, trustees heard a bid to approve the purchase of a trailer that would house the ICC Mobile Fab Lab. This would allow ICC to travel to public schools throughout southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma to introduce students to the technology the Fab Lab has to offer. Rural Post-Secondary & Economic Development Grant Director Tamara Blaes says the low bid for building the trailer came in from Sundowner Trailers in Coleman, Oklahoma.

Blaes says the cost to produce the trailer would be no more than $240,000 with another $70,000 to pay for the truck to pull the Mobile Fab Lab. Funding for both would come from the Rural Opportunity Grant program. The trailer will be custom built and would be ready for use in spring 2025.

The board of trustees approved the purchase of both the trailer and the truck unanimously.

 With some parts of the state of Oklahoma experiencing drought conditions due to lack of precipitation, Nowata County is considering a fire ban for the County.  

 Nowata County Emergency Management Coordinator Laurie Summers spoke at the Nowata County Commissioners Meeting on Monday that she recommends a burn ban for Nowata County after talking to Fire Chiefs in the area recently. Summers says current conditions suggest it may be time.

The County Commissioners took no action on this matter, but did say they will consider it this week and may take action by early next week. 

 Montgomery County commissioners hear updates from Public Works on KDOT funding and the Buckeye Street Project in Coffeyville.

 At Monday's county commission meeting, Brandon Beurskins with Public Works gave commissioners an update on several projects in the county. Beurskins says police presence in and around the construction area on south Buckeye Street has been increased due to a number of motorists ignoring the Road Closed signs.

Beurskins also told commissioners that the Kansas Department of Transportation had approved a project to repair a bridge over Onion Creek near Bolton. The cost of the project is estimated to be around $800,000 with another $90,000 needed for inspection. Beurskins said that the project could be completed at no extra cost to the county as long as the cost remained under $1 million.

Signs for the City of Cherryvale will soon be getting a facelift.

Cherryvale Chamber President Diana Mendoza gave an update to the city council last night on a project to paint a new design on the signs on the outskirts of town. The current multi-color graphics will be replaced with an American flag-themed design. Mendoza says local talent will be used to repaint the signs.

Mendoza says the work will start as soon as possible. In other business, the council approved a previously denied cereal malt beverage license for Snak Atak at 325 W 6^th pending appropriate state documents. Roof repairs of Logan Park buildings were also approved for up to $23,000. Approval was also given to allow a propane tank behind Newton's True Value, and a street closure for September 21^st was also approved for Newton's 100^th Anniversary celebration. Main Street will be closed this Saturday between Neosho and Depot from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 Police in Independence are asking for the public's help in locating a stolen car.

 The vehicle is an older model, red Ford Mustang convertible that was taken from the parking lot of the Independence Wal-Mart around 1pm yesterday. It is also believed the suspects may be in a dark grey, four-door passenger car with rear damage. Anyone with information on these cars should contact the Independence Police.

Photos: Suspect car (top), suspects (bottom). Photos courtesy Independence Police Department

A traffic stop leads to the arrest of two women and the seizure of over one pound of methamphetamine.

Montgomery County Sheriff deputies attempted to stop a 2010 Ford Edge north of Coffeyville. The vehicle sped up when the deputy turned on his lights and sirens but came to a stop shortly after. The driver was identified as Cheyenne Dodge, of Coffeyville, and passenger Anisha Jones, of Independence. Police Service Dog Pax was deployed and alerted deputies to the presence of drugs. Jones had hidden a substantial amount of methamphetamine on her during the pursuit.

In total, deputies seized around 491 grams or 1.08 pounds of methamphetamine. Both Dodge and Jones were transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections. Dodge is facing charges of distribution of methamphetamine, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, felony interference with law enforcement and failure to use a turn signal. Jones is facing charges of distribution of methamphetamine, felony interference with law enforcement and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

The Labette County Commission approves a Neighborhood Revitalization Plan despite construction having already begun.

Previously, any project where construction had already begun the NRP was not approved. Commissioner Cole Proehl says there was some confusion between the property owner and the county, which he and Commissioner Vince Schibi believe was the county's fault.

The commission voted 2-1 to approve the NRP, with Commissioner Terry Weidert voting against it. All three commissioners agreed the NRP process is confusing. With a new NRP need for 2025, County Appraiser Melody Kikkert says it would be good to do a workshop to better understand it.

In other business, the commission held a hearing for the budget and revenue neutral rate with no one from the public speaking on either. They voted to exceed the revenue neutral rate and approved the budget for the coming year.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrests a suspect and returns a child safely after a kidnapping in Bartlesville.

This morning the mother of a four-year-old reported that Justin Shearheart had abducted her child from the 1600 block of Kings Drive in Bartlesville and fled eastbound on Nowata Road in a 2020 white Chevrolet Malibu. Around 9:10am, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol located the vehicle, the suspect and the child in Rogers County.

The child was safely recovered, and Shearheart was taken custody without incident. BPD says it will continue its investigation to ensure all necessary procedures are followed, and the child's well-being is prioritized.

The autopsy results for the case of the 17-year-old who passed away June 25th have been released.

According to the findings from the Medical Examiner's Office, the cause of death was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Parsons Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case following every lead and examining all available evidence before ruling out homicide as the cause.

Parsons Police Chief Roberts Spinks says he cannot begin to imagine the loss that the family, friends and loved ones are enduring. He says in these difficult times, turn to one another for support, sharing in the grief and honoring the memory of the loved one lost.

Craig County Sheriff deputies respond to a shots fired call near Ketchum Public Schools.

At around 9:50am this morning, the deputies responded to the school in regards to a teacher hearing a single gunshot north of the campus. Law enforcement quickly responded to the area and the school followed their protocol locking down the campus out of caution. The School Resource Officer relayed information to deputies on scene as they investigated the incident.

It was determined the shot came from a property located northeast of the school in an unincorporated area. The shot came from a dove hunter who was legally hunting on private property. The deputies confirmed there was no threat to anyone in the area.

 Residents of Oklahoma will get the chance to vote on gradually increasing the state minimum wag to $15 per hour, but not until 2026.

 Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order last week setting the vote for June 2026, which is the next statewide general election after this November. Stitt's reason for the delay was to avoid the cost of nearly $1.8 million to taxpayers of calling a special election on the issue.

Proponents of the raise call the delay a political maneuver and a slap in the face to hardworking Oklahomans.

 A recent Risk Management Assessment leads to the termination of the Pawhuska, OK, Chief of Police and a police sergeant.

 Issues of official misconduct were laid out in a memo by Pawhuska City Manager Jerry Eubanks. One of the incidents occurred on February 20^th and involved Eubanks and Police Chief Lorrie Hennesy. Hennesy is accused of sending a photo to Eubanks that showed Hennesy holding a handgun pointed at the ground while glaring at the camera. A second incident occurred in May when Eubanks met with Hennesy, Sergeant Warren Towers, and another officer. After the meeting, it is alleged that Towers unholstered his weapon and placed it behind Eubanks' back on the chair. Towers has stated that it was intended as a joke.

The memo also highlighted other firearms policy violations, misuse of tasers, vehicle policy violations, and a lack of leadership and accountablity.

A statement from Hennesy's attorneys says they believe she was unjustly fired and called the city's investigation “a shame.”

 The Altamont City Council considers an offer from the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency.

 At the council's most recent meeting, Tyson McGreer with KMEA spoke before the council. McGreer says the city has the chance to purchase power from a new solar energy farm located in Pratt.

Council members went into executive session to discuss the issue. Upon the return to open session, the council decided to table the offer until their next meeting.

In other business. The city agreed to pursue a $2,500 grant to purchase trash receptacles for outdoor eating in the food truck area and approved a motion to move forward with the annexation of property at Idle Hours Lake. The council also approved the appointment of Christy Bishop, Kayla Daniels, and Hayley Hansley to the Altamont Recreation Commission.

 A motorcyclist is killed in a collision with a semi-truck on US-75 in Bartlesville.

 Authorities say both vehicles were southbound on US-75 around 2:30pm on Friday afternoon when the motorcycle struck the rear of the semi-trailer. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead from the injuries sustained in the crash. The name of the deceased has not yet been released pending notification of family members.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and local law enforcement are expected to provide further updates as the investigation progresses.

 Thousands of people attended Bartlesville Pride Saturday night at Unity Square, including supporters and a handful of protesters.

 Bartlesville Police Chief Kevin Ickleberry says his department's preparations for the Pride Festival kept everyone safe.

Ickleberry says there was an increased police presence around Unity Square to protect public safety and First Amendment rights.

 A Friday afternoon accident on US-75 claims the life of a Bartlesville woman.

 78-year-old Beth Slocum died Friday when her 2015 Honda Odyssey collided with a Ford F-150 just south of Ramona. The driver of the Honda – 80-year-old Gordon Slocum – was taken to St. John's Hospital in Tulsa by Life Flight where he was admitted in stable condition. The driver of the F-150 had no reported injuries.

The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

 A car accident south of Independence on Friday leads to a manhunt.

The injury accident occurred early Friday evening near the intersection of County Roads 3900 and 3800 or about 2 miles south of Independence on 10^th street. The driver of the vehicle that caused the accident then fled the scene on foot. Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputies and Troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol, searched the area for the suspect who was identified as Kyle Harris. The suspect was not found.

Authorities say Harris is not a danger to the public. Anyone with information on Harris should contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 620-330-1000

 The Jasper County, MO, Sheriff’s Office is looking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in a weekend shooting.

 Around 4:15am on Friday morning, police received reports of a shooting about a quarter mile from the Kansas/Missouri state line. Reports indicate an individual pulled alongside another vehicle and began firing a handgun at them. A passenger in the vehicle was struck and taken to a nearby hospital.

The victim’s condition is unknown.

Police say they have no description of either the car or the shooter and are asking that anyone with information on the incident to call the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 417-359-9100

 Humboldt Police make an arrest after online threats are made against area schools.

 Schools in the Humboldt area were under lockdown on Friday after unspecified threats were made on the social media platform Snapchat. No direct threats were made but the schools responded out of an abundance of caution. Students in Humboldt were kept inside for the remainder of the day and there was an increased police presence in the buildings.

Authorities in Humboldt say the suspect in the case was found and taken into custody in the county he is from. Charges are expected to be filed.

Along with Humboldt Police, officers from the KBI, Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Chanute Police Department, and Wilson County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the case.

 The City of Coffeyville has a new fire chief.

 Mike O'Connor is no stranger to Coffeyville, being a member of the department since September of 2007, as well as a graduate of Field Kindley High School.

 O'Connor is also an assistant football coach at FKHS, where he has served for 13 years, and is a teacher of Fire Science classes at Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute and Coffeyville Community College.

 O'Connor says the support of family and the firehouse family is the main reason he took the job as chief.

 Coffeyville City Manager Ben Brubaker says he's excited to have O'Connor lead the fire department, pointing to his experience, knowledge, and dedication to community, ensuring the town's continued safety.

**Photo courtesy of City of Coffeyville Facebook page**

One hundred years of radio was celebrated on the campus of Kansas State University this weekend.

On Friday, national and state dignitaries gathered at the historic KSAC radio towers on the south end of campus to commemorate the past and future of broadcasting on campus. Former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback worked at the station where the NPR program All Things Considered originated in the early 1970s.

While KSAC, which later changed its callsign to KKSU signed off in the early 2000s after its frequency sharing agreement ended, former NPR Vice President for News and Information says the station's loss was profound.

Current National Association of Broadcasters President Curtis LeGeyt says the future of radio still remains bright.

While the towers on campus have been silent for many years, K-State's radio tradition continues through student-run station KSDB, the campus amateur radio club W0QQQ and the K-State Radio Network programs which are heard right here on KGGF.

Click Here to listen to the audio feature of this story.

 The Montgomery County Commission will meet today for their regular meeting in Independence.

 On the agenda is a report from Public Works, an update from County Administrator Jonathan Booe, and an update on the county employee health insurance policy. The meeting happens at 9am in the lower level of the Judicial Center in Independence and is open to the public.

 A soldier from Fort Riley in northeast Kansas faces charges stemming from a car crash that killed a Clearwater, KS, police officer.

 Court records show 19-year-old Gage Kaiser is accused of killing 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth of Peck in a March 16^th car accident. Hollingsworth was on his way home from a shift with the Clearwater Police Department when his car was struck by another vehicle.

Kaiser faces charges of involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, two counts of aggravated battery, and DUI.

 The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is looking into allegations in the central Kansas city of Sterling.

 A spokesperson for the KBI says the Sterling Police department requested the investigations. The nature of the allegations have not yet been revealed. More details will be released if KBI agents find evidence that will lead to arrests or charges.

 Two people are in custody in Commerce, OK, in connection to the death of a 2-year-old child.

 Police have arrested 32-year-old Daniel Allen Ash and 30-year-old Amber Dawn Murphy in the death of a 2-year-old child that occurred at a Commerce residence on Wednesday. The pair are currently being held in the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus.

Both face charges of child abuse and voluntary manslaughter with bonds set at $30,000.

The case remains under investigation.

 An Inmate in the Jasper County Jail in Carthage has died.

 Authorities say 52-year-old inmate Jason L. Romain was found unresponsive in his cell yesterday morning around 6:30am. Life saving measures were taken but attempts to revive Romain were unsuccessful. At this time, his death appears to be by natural causes and no foul play is suspected. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.

 A house fire in Neosho damages home.

 Neosho Fire responded to a call of a house on fire in the city around 3:45 yesterday afternoon. N-F-D requested help from Redings Mill Fire, Goodman Fire, and Joplin Fire. The blaze was soon under control and extinguished. An investigation revealed the fire started on the roof. There was significant damage to the home, but all occupants were able to escape safely and no injuries were reported.

 Paving work on north Buckeye Street in Coffeyville is nearly finished.

 The Buckeye Street mill and overlay project between 1^st and 11^th streets is almost complete.  The City of Coffeyville says Bettis Asphalt and Construction has some minor clean up left and striping on the newly refurbished road has already begun. Turn arrows, crosswalks and stop bars will be added next week. According to the city, the final cost of the project will be just over $460,000 using funds from the Transportation Sales Tax

Montgomery County continues its construction project on the south end of Buckeye, from the city limits south. That section of road remains closed to traffic until the work is complete. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office reminds drivers that it is illegal to drive past the Road Closed signs into the construction area. Sheriff's deputies will be stepping up patrols in the area in order to ensure motorists obey the posted signage.

Photo courtesy City of Coffeyville

 A Montgomery County man is set to stand trial on charges of attempted murder after a judge denies his claims of self-defense.

 Lawyers for Robert William Darrow failed to convince Montgomery County District Court Judge Jeffery Gossard on Thursday that the September 2023 shooting of Nathaniel Rush was self-defense. Darrow is accused of attempted first degree murder in the shooting of Rush in Darrow's Wayside home on September 9^th of last year.

Darrow's self-defense claim was based on allegations that he and Rush had an altercation in which Rush punched him twice in the face. A witness said Darrow then shot Rush twice, first with a .22 rifle and then with a 12 gauge shotgun. The shotgun blast eventually caused Rush to lose part of his leg.

Darrow has entered a plea of not guilty to the attempted murder charge. His trial is set to begin in January. If convicted, Darrow could face a sentence of 12 to 50 years in prison. He remains in the Montgomery County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

 A Webb City woman is formally charged in the fentanyl overdose death of a 27-year-old Columbus man.

 22-year-old Mikaela Marie Sellars faces charges of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and Distribution of Controlled Substances Using a Communication Device stemming from the July 2 death of Patrick Stephens. Stephens was found dead at a home in Columbus and an autopsy determined he died from Fentanyl Intoxication. Since that time, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and Columbus Police Department have been investigating the events leading up to Stephens' death.

 Cowboy poetry will be in the spotlight in Ark City this weekend.

 Poetry on the River will pay tribute to the late cowboy poet Baxter Black in a free cowboy poet and musician gathering. Poets and musicians from across the Midwest will perform and the public is invited to join the fun. Organizer Mary Powell says cowboy poetry is all about farm life and fellowship.

Powell, who hails from Longton, is a decorated poet who won the 2023 Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest. Powell says one of the best things about the art form is that it is very family friendly.

The event takes place tomorrow and Sunday at the Rivers' Eagle Bar and Grill at 31332 61^st Road South in Ark City. Weather permitting, some activities will take place outside, so attendees should bring lawn chairs. The event begins at 9am tomorrow with performances throughout the day and a cowboy church service on Sunday.

Here is Mary Powell with her award-winning poem Full Moon at Noon.

Photo: Powell recites her poem Full Moon at Noon

 The Independence City Commission votes to exceed the revenue neutral rate and approves the budget for 2025.

 At Thursday's city commission meeting, a public hearing was held on the the revenue neutral rate and on the 2025 budget. No citizens spoke on either issue. Commissioners did vote to exceed the revenue neutral rate for the coming year. Mayor Tim Emert told those in attendance that the city has been working hard for the past six months to create a budget that would be least burdensome on the city taxpayers. One of the largest costs for the city is employee salaries, but Emert stated that the city must remain competitive in that area in order to attract quality candidates. Finance Director Lacey Lies told the commission that several positions with the city had been eliminated as a cost-saving measure in the past year.

In other business, the city also voted to pursue abatement against several houses in the city deemed unhealthy and unsafe. It was also reported that the Arco building has been placed on National Registry of Historic Places.

The next Independence City Commission meeting will be held on September 26^th at 5:30pm in the Commission Room in City Hall on North 6^th Street. The public is invited to attend.

The deadline to apply for Summer EBT has been extended to October 15^th.

The original deadline was September 11^th, so any family who thought they missed the deadline there is still time to apply. To receive these benefits, complete an application through the Department for Children and Families. Applicants will need to provide their name, child’s name, school, date of birth and address. They will also be asked to report their household’s income. There are no other documents or information needed, including social security number or proof of citizenship.

Applicants will need to create an account with DCF before applying. Families whose children qualified for free and reduced-price meals during the 2023-2024 school year may be eligible for $120 in food assistance benefits per child. The link to apply can be found here.

There is some good news for grocery shoppers in the latest Consumer Price Index report. USDA Economist Megan Sweitzer says consumers saw a slight decrease in the grocery store while seeing a slight increase at restaurants.

This is the first time there has been a decline in grocery prices in 2024. Sweitzer says there are few possible reasons for the slowdown in food price inflation.  Despite the decrease for August, grocery prices are still up .9% over the last year with food prices overall up 2.1%.

 A Nashville-based band on a concert tour has their trailer and equipment stolen while on a stop in Wichita.

 The band – Post Sex Nachos – were in Wichita last week for a performance at the Cotillion Ballroom on the west side of the city. They returned to their hotel on North Greenwich (Green-witch) Road around 1am and left their trailer attached to a van in the parking lot. When they awoke the next morning, the U-Haul trailer was gone. The hotel's surveillance footage showed an individual in another U-Haul, cut the lock and take the trailer. The band says there was more than $20,000 worth of equipment in the trailer.

While investigfating an unrelated stolen vehicle report this week, Wichita Police discovered the U-Haul and found most of the band's equipment still inside.

Still missing is the band's Yamaha keyboard, band merchandise, and a cash box containing $1,300.

W-P-D says the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. A GoFundMe has been set up to help the band replace their stolen equipment.

 Police in Rose Hill, KS, are investigating the body of a child found buried in the backyard of a Rose Hill residence.

 Authorities say they received a call around 7:30pm on Tuesday evening from an adult in distress. When officer arrived on the scene, the adult was barricaded inside the home. The incident was soon resolved and the adult was taken to a nearby hospital in serious but stable condition. During the investigation, officers learned of a past possible homicide and that information led to the discovery of the child buried in the backyard of the residence.

Rose Hill Police Chief Charlie Perlier stated that the state of decomposition of the body indicate it had been there for some time, possibly as long as two years. The deceased child does not appear to be linked to any missing person case. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the time and manner of death.

The Rose Hill Police and the Butler County sheriff's Office continue to investigate the case.

 Police in Joplin receive reports of a car accident, but when they arrive on the scene, they find a stabbing instead.

 The incident happened on Tuesday around 11am, when police responded to calls of a car-pedestrian accident in the parking lot of a Salvation Army store. Instead of a car accident, officers discovered a stabbing. The victim – identified as Chad Minor – had fled the scene on foot and flagged down a passing vehicle to take him to the hospital to treat a stab wound to the stomach. The alleged perpetrator – 18-year-old Deandre Fazio of Joplin – was found on the scene and was also involved in a disturbance with his girlfriend. Family members were contacted to retrieve a minor child who was also on the scene. Following the stabbing, Fazio also allegedly jumped on the windshield and hood of his girlfriend's car causing damage to the vehicle.

Fazio was arrested on the scene and faces charges of Assault in the 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action, Property Damage in the 1st Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree. Fazio remains in custody at the Joplin City Jail.

The stabbing victim Minor is reportedly in stable condition.

 The driver of a trash truck is killed when his vehicle overturns in southwest Missouri.

 Authorities in Jasper, MO, were called to the scene of a single vehicle accident yesterday afternoon around 1pm. When they arrived on the scene, emergency crews found a tractor-trailer trash hauler overturned alongside the roadway. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the accident was caused when the truck left the roadway to the right, over corrected, then left the roadway to the left and overturned.

The driver of the truck, 56-year-old Kim Melvin of Joplin, suffered fatal injures in the crash. A passenger in the truck, 65-year-old Darrall Taylor of Webb City sustained serious injuries and was taken to Freeman West Hospital in Joplin for treatment.

 The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is asking drivers to stay out of the construction zone on south Buckeye in Coffeyville.

 Sheriff Ron Wade says several vehicles have been disregarding the Road Closed signs posted on Buckeye and entering the work zone area. Wade says this is a safety hazard for drivers and construction workers.

In order to address the issue, Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies will be stepping up patrols in the area and enforcing the Kansas statute that makes it a misdemeanor to violate road closures. The law makes drivers subject to penalties and can also require them to pay for any damage caused to construction equipment, barricades, or signage.

Those who reside or have property inside the construction area are asked to use alternate routes.

 Former NFL and Oklahoma Sooner running back Adrian Peterson has been ordered by a Texas judge to turn over personal assets to help pay a debt that has ballooned to more than $12 million.

 A court-appointed receiver has been seeking to collect money from Peterson as part of a judgment against the four-time All-Pro running back over a loan he failed to repay to a Pennsylvania lending company. On Monday, a judge in Houston granted a request by the receiver for law enforcement to accompany him to Peterson’s home in suburban Houston so he can inventory assets that can be sold off.

Attorneys for Peterson did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

 The Oklahoma Supreme Court has rejected a request to reconsider its ruling to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the two known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

 The court on Tuesday turned away the request by 110-year-old Viola Fletcher and 109-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle to rehear its June ruling that upheld a district court judge's decision to dismiss the case in Tulsa. An attorney for the two was not immediately available for comment.

Previously the attorney had asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre that was one of the worst single acts of violence against Black people in U.S. history.

 A fee-to-trust application has been approved for the Osage Nation.

 This means the more than 41,000 acre Osage Nation ranch has been transferred from the Osage Nation to the United States, in trust, and will benefit the Osage Nation. Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear called the move a momentous day for the Osage Nation. This is the second largest fee-to-trust acquisition in U.S history.

 A 36-year-old Pittsburg man is killed after rear-ending a truck waiting at a stop sign in Riverton.

 The accident happened around 10pm last night as a Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by 35-year-old Zachary Truster of Baxter Springs sat waiting on traffic at a stop sign on Southeast 70^th Street. As he waited, he was approached from behind by a motorcycle driven by William Meiers-Vilmer. Meiers-Vilmer failed to slow and struck the rear of the pickup truck. He was ejected from his motorcycle and suffered fatal injuries. Truster was uninjured.

 Two people have lost their lives after an accident on US-400 just south of Fredonia.

 The accident happened around 6:30 Wednesday morning about a mile and a half south of the Fredonia roundabout. 76-year-old Donald Christeson of Liberty and 61-year-old Teresa Mansfield of Independence were killed when they attempted to make a left turn onto US-400 from Jewell Road. Christeson failed to yield during the turn and was struck by a semi-truck driven by 74-year-old Carl Studebaker of Fredonia. Studebaker was uninjured in the accident.

 All 77 Oklahoma counties that applied for grant funding from the state of Oklahoma through the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office Funding Assistance Grant Program will receive funds to help bolster law enforcement in their communities.

 That announcement came Wednesday from the Office of State Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Each county will receive between 150 and 300 thousand dollars to aid in enhancing public safety. Counties receiving funding include Mayes, Rogers, Ottawa, Washington, Osage, and Nowata counties.

Drummond's office will begin sending agreements to sheriffs and county commissions later this month. The grants can be used for sheriff office operations including training, technology, equipment, capital improvements and more.

 Several bridges across southeast Kansas are set to receive repair work thanks to funding from the State of Kansas.

 Governor Laura Kelly announced yesterday that various projects across the state will receive a portion of $40 million due to revenue from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. As a part of the state's 2026 off-system bridge program, rural bridges in Chautauqua, Cherokee, Greenwood, Montgomery, Neosho, and Woodson counties will receive funding for some much needed repairs. Bridges near Thayer and Bolton will receive $1 million for construction work.

The Off-system Bridge Program funds are targeted to replace or repair bridges located on roads that are not on the federal aid system.

Governor Kelly stated that local bridges play an important role in moving both goods and people through the state, calling those bridges vital connections for Kansas communities.

Multiple departments respond to a barn fire east of Liberty.

Yesterday evening just after 6 p.m., fire crews from Liberty, Dearing, Coffeyville, South Coffeyville, Cherryvale, Mound Valley, Tyro and Independence Rural Fire responded to 5355 County Road 3200 to a report of a structure fire. A barn was reported on fire, and a down power line complicated the firefighting efforts. Twin Valley arrived and was able to turn off the electricity. According to the Dearing Fire Department, the fire was isolated to the barn and was kept from spreading to other structures. No one was injured in the incident.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Photo: Dearing Fire Department

The Kansas State Fire Marshall concludes their investigation into an explosion at the Kansas State Fair.

The cause of the incident was a canned food item, which had been stored too close to a food warmer. The canned food item got too hot, causing it to explode. The Hutchinson Fire Department was called to the state Fair Grounds to discover the food truck that had a small explosion. The exploding can blew out the trailer windows causing broken glass to spray out.

Reno County EMS responded to six injured people. Three declined medical assistance and one declined medical evaluation. Two were transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where they were treated for lacerations and discharged that same evening.

The Coffeyville Community College Marketing Team has earned recognition at the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Medallion Awards.

These awards celebrate achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges across seven districts. This regional competition is exclusively for marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges. This year, the CCC Marketing Team received awards in two categories, Promotional Video and Social Media or Online Marketing Campaign.

Director of Marketing Ashley Tatman says this is the third consecutive year they’ve won Medallion Awards, which truly showcases the level of work their team produces. The CCC Marketing Team is hopeful that their achievements will also be recognized on a national level at the NCMPR Spring Conference in March 2025.

The Coffeyville Community College Honors Program announces its one-day Future Leaders Conference.

This is designed to inspire and educate high school students from Southeast Kansas about leadership opportunities in college. This event will offer participants insights and experiences from current CCC campus leaders and local professionals. Workshops led by CCC faculty and area business and community leaders will focus on various leadership topics, providing attendees with hands-on learning opportunities.

A special roundtable session featuring CCC student leaders will follow lunch, offering high school students an opportunity to hear firsthand about the benefits and possibilities for leadership roles on college campuses. The event is scheduled for Monday, October 21^st from 8:00am to 5:00pm in the Oak Room of the Student Union. Registration is required. A link to register can be found here.

Social media is playing a big role in the Parsons school district.

USD 503 Social Media Manager Matthew Peak spoke to the board of education about the growth the district has seen via social media. The district posts information to Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, with Facebook being the most used platform. Teachers, coaches and administrators have worked together the last few years to share more of what is going on in the schools and the accomplishments of the students.

Peak says there has been growth in Facebook follower numbers for all the schools and the district office, in the last year. Lincoln increased by 219 followers, Garfield by 182 followers, Guthridge by 133 followers, Parsons Middle School by 500 followers, Parsons High School by 633 followers and the district office by 346 followers. In the last 28 days, posts for the six buildings have reached over 87,000 views.

Hearing and respiratory protection are valuable when it comes to harvest time.

Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health Program K-State Project Consultant Tawnie Larson says combining different types of ear protection offers a greater reduction in damage to hearing.

Larson says for those in dusty or moldy situations there are a few options protect their lungs.  Hearing and lung damage can get worse over time so it's best to protect them as often as possible even if it hasn't been a priority in the past.

 South Buckeye Street in Coffeyville has been closed due to construction for several weeks and Montgomery County has just approved some additional road work in the area.

 At this week's Montgomery County Commission meeting, Brandon Beurskins with Public Works told commissioners that a recent inspection of the Onion Creek Bridge revealed some weakness in the bridge deck. Beurskins says those weak spots need to be repaired.

Beurskins says adding the bridge repair to the current project means there will be little additional disruption to traffic because the bridge repair would be finished before the rest of south Buckeye is complete.

The cost to repair Onion Creek Bridge will be somewhere between $200,000 and $450,000 depending on how much damage there is to the deck, but that money will come from the Public Works budget without additional cost to the county.

 The USD 447 School Board holds a public hearing to exceed the revenue neutral rate.

 At this month's meeting school board members heard from the one Cherryvale citizen at the meeting who was on hand to comment on the school district's proposed budget. The citizen commented that he felt the district was, in his words, chasing state funds. Superintendent Travis Githens responded in what was a heated yet respectful dialog with the citizen that the district was not chasing funding. Githens said that it's difficult for school districts to build budgets in the spring and summer based on projected enrollment in the fall, especially when enrollment numbers are falling.

Board members voted 4 to 2 in favor of exceeding the revenue neutral rate for this school year, with members Mark Torkelson, Kevin Crain, Gina Booe, and Casey Smith voted yes with Phil Reilly and Jonathan Booe voting no.

 Genesis Inc., the food pantry in Coffeyville, is in need of donations.

 The food pantry serves residents of Coffeyville, Liberty, and Dearing, and is running short on canned goods. If you have some you would like to donate, take them by Genesis Thursday starting at 9am.

Genesis is located at 1312 West 8^th Street in Coffeyville.

 Parsons Police are asking the public for help in finding the suspects who fired gunshots near Parsons Middle School earlier this week.

 Police say the intended victim of the shooting has been identified and interviewed, but is refusing to cooperate in the investigation. The individual has not given investigators any information as to who the suspected shooters might be or what the altercation between them was about.

No one was injured in the shooting that occurred near 28^th and Crawford Streets, but the incideent did force officials at Parsons Middle School to institute a lockdown until the area was cleared.

Anyone with information should contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060.

P-P-D continues to investigate the incident.

 A Florida family had given up hope of finding their missing dog. But, then, the missing pooch turned up in Oklahoma.

 When a stray pitbull appeared on the doorstep of Destiny Druse's home, in Enid, Oklahoma, she was determined to find its owner. Druse tried social media first, but no owner turned up. Then a dog groomer friend suggested the dog be scanned to see if it was chipped. The dog was and that's how they learned her name was Andora. But, there was no owner information listed. Druse filed a found pet report and minutes later, Andora's owner was on the phone.

The young pit bull had been missing from her home for nearly two years amd her owner, Brenna Denmark had nearly given up on finding her beloved dog. She rented a car and drove the 14 hours to Enid to retrieve her dog.

Andora is now back in the Sunshine State and happy to be home. Denmark is unsure how the dog may have ended up in Oklahoma, but suspects the animal may have been stolen. Andora's story had a happy ending and is a reminder to pet owners the importance of microchipping a pet.

Two people are injured in an explosion inside a concession trailer at the Kansas State Fair.

The Hutchinson Fire Department was called to the state Fair Grounds around 6:30 last night to discover a food truck that appeared to have had a small explosion. Firefighters say it appears that a can was left near a grill in the food truck. The can exploded, causing the windows in the trailer to blow out and spray broken glass.

Two people were taken to a local hospital with injuries. Several others were injured but refused treatment.

The Hutchinson Fire Department Fire Marshal and the State Fire Marshal's Office are investigating the cause of the incident.

 The City of Sedan is seeking citizen input for the city's Safe Routes to School plan.

 The city is working with the Kansas Department of Transportation to create their first safe routes to school plan which will focus on policy, program, and project recommendations. The goal of the program is to make walking, biking, and riding to school safer and more enjoyable for Sedan's kids..

Sedan residents can help by taking an online survey and providing some basic information about traveling to and from school.

To take the survey, go here.

For more information about the Kansas Safe Routes to School program, go here.

If you have any specific questions about Sedan’s plan, please reach out to Lana Robinson at lanar at sedanks.gov .

 Police in Tulsa are asking for the public's help to find a missing man.

 Authorities say Christopher Coulson was last seen on September 3^rd at 10pm. His pick up truck was found abandoned at the Mohawk Park Golf Course near the Tulsa International Airport. Police say the truck had been there for several days when it was discovered.

Anyone with information on Coulson should contact Tulsa Police at 918-596-9222.

 The Coffeyville City Commission considers changes to trash trucks in order to save city streets.

 At last night's meeting, commissioners held a lengthy discussion on the issue of heavy trash trucks and the damage they do to the city's street. Mayor Alec Hendryx says it's a big problem that might be solved by using smaller trash trucks.

Studies have shown that a loaded trash truck can weigh as much as 25 tons and can do considerable damage to street. Hendryx says that is of special concern for residential areas.

However, Jennifer Fagan with Republic Services says smaller trucks are not necessarily the solution.

No action was taken on the issue at last night's meeting. In other business, the commission voted to approve the first reading of a city ordinance that would allow the conditional operation of all-terrain vehicles, utility-type vehicles, and mini trucks on city streets.

 Flags across the State of Kansas will be flown at half staff today in commemorate the 23^rd anniversary of 9/11.

 Governor Laura Kelly made the announcement on Monday that flags will be lowered from sunup to sundown today. The move is meant to honor those who lost their lives on that tragic day in 2001.

Kelly stated that despite the extreme tragedy of that day, Kansans should reflect and remember the bravery and courage of the nation's first responders on that day. She thanked them on behalf of the State of Kansas

 Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond joins 41 other state attorneys general in calling for legislation to require the U.S. Surgeon General to place a general warning label on all algorithm-driven social media platforms.

 The call comes in the form of a letter addressed to Congress amid growing scrutiny of social media's role in the mental health of the nation's young people. The letter  cites a growing body of research that links young people’s use of these platforms to psychological harm including depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts in children and teens.

Drummond said such a warning would clearly underscore the adverse effects of social media on young people. Last October, Drummond filed a lawsuit against Meta for knowingly designing and deploying harmful features on Instagram, Facebook and its other platforms. Oklahoma is also among a number of states investigating whether TikTok intentionally designed its platform to enhance its addictiveness to young people.

The Kansas Department of Transportation will start a resurfacing project on U.S. 400 between Fredonia and Neodesha today.

The 10-mile project in Wilson County extends southeast from K-47 at Fredonia to U.S. 75 at Neodesha. Project activity includes placing ultra-thin asphalt surfacing on the mainline and chip sealing the shoulders. Flaggers and a pilot car will direct one-lane traffic through the work zone during daylight hours. Drivers can expect delays of 15 minutes or less. Weather permitting, the work should be finished by early October. KDOT awarded the $1.6 million construction contract to Pearson Construction LLC of Wichita.

 New generators better suited for colder weather will soon help power the Riverton area.

 According to Liberty Utilities officials, two new, industrial gas turbines will replace two generators built in the 1960’s, as there are no spare parts being manufactured.

 The units for the Riverton Power Plant will use hydrogen as an alternative fuel, and are rated at nearly 40% more efficient than current generators.

 Cost for the units is expected to be around $62 million. Construction for the housing for the new generators will begin early next year, leading to arrival and installation in late spring.

 Two Joplin men are arrested after eight puppies are found deceased in a plastic tote at the Joplin Humane Society.

 According to Jasper County Sheriff Randee Kaiser, deputies were contacted just before 11:00 a.m. Monday by the shelter. Further investigation and information sharing through social media led to anonymous callers with information leading to the arrests.

 30-year old Seth Vaile was arrested for outstanding warrants, and charges of 8 counts of Animal Abuse have been sent to the Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

 36-year-old Samuel Allen was also contacted and arrested for outstanding warrants. More charges may be filed against both men.

 The investigation is ongoing.

 A Cherokee County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to three counts of Attempted Aggravated Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon.

 63-year-old Charles Amos was sentenced to 16 years in prison today for the incident in June of 2023.

 Cherokee County officials say Amos was caught siphoning fuel from a stolen van in rural Cherokee County. When confronted by a stolen farm truck owner, Amos fired a shotgun toward the owner and the owner's family before fleeing.

 A manhunt was conducted, with Amos captured later that evening in Oklahoma City.

 Street work continues on Buckeye Street in the city of Coffeyville.

 According to the city of Coffeyville Facebook page, Buckeye Street between 5th Street and 8th Street is closed today, as Bettis Asphalt & Construction lays asphalt. Buckeye Street between 8th and 11th Street is reduced to one lane with flaggers in place.

 Mill and asphalt work on Buckeye Street between 1st and 5th Street is finished. Officials say the road will be striped when the entire project is completed.

 USD 445 votes to exceed the revenue neutral rate.

 The board heard comments from the public regarding their plan to exceed the rate. Assistant Superintendent Michael Speer says schools board budgets rely on enrollment.

Speer says the district has many needs regarding building maintenance. He adds that Ise Field also has some upkeep needs.

The board voted to approve the resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate by a 6-0 vote. Board member LaKisha Johnson was not present at the meeting.

 A man is rescued after a fall from a 30-foot-tall cliff in southwest Missouri, less than a week after a 19-year-old woman fell from the same place.

 On Monday night, firefighters were called to the scene near Mother Nature's Crack above Shoal Creek after a man in his 50s reportedly fell off the cliff. Rescuers were able to reach the injured man and take him out by boat. He was then taken downstream and loaded into a Newton County ambulance. He was then transported to a nearby hospital.

The extent of the man's injuries remain unknown.

 Parsons Police make an arrest in a kidnapping and armed robbery that occurred last weekend.

 Officers responded to reports of an armed robbery and kidnapping at the Canterbury Inn around 4pm on Sunday afternoon. A male victim reported he had been robbed at gunpoint by a single individual who also kidnapped a female victim from the room. The suspect had his face obscured but the male victim was still able to identify the individual. That information allowed police to locate the residence where the suspect had taken the female victim. A search of the house revealed the victim and other items from the robbery.

Parsons Police arrested 33-year-old John Edward Logan Jr and transported him to the Parsons Police Lock Up where he face multiple charges including aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery.

USD 446 continues a strong 2024 of awards, recognizing the Yearbook staff for their recent honor.

The 2023-24 edition of the yearbook was selected for high honor at the state and national level. School principal Kurt Seiler says the group received praise for the quality of the publication.

IHS has been releasing annual yearbooks for decades to remember graduating classes and memories in the school hallway. Seiler says Yearbook Advisor Rene Stanley has been pivotal to growing the yearbook in recent years.

Additionally, the Early Learning Center is officially open as of last week. School Superintendent Jason McAfee says there will be two upcoming opportunities to see the building.

USD 446 meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of Independence High School.

 Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab says around 1,000 ballots for the August primary election were tossed due to mishandling by the U.S. Postal Service.

  Schwab says those voters were disenfranchised because their ballots were mailed before election day, but because of processing issues at the Post Office, they either arrived more than three days after the deadline or were missing a postmark. Schwab spelled out his concerns in a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. He sent the same letter to the six members of the Kansas Congressional delegation.

During the August primary, nearly 18% of Kansas voters submitted a mail-in ballot. About half of the state's county clerks reported receiving mail-in ballots without a postmark or after the three day deadline.

 A proposed amendment to the Missouri state constitution could bring changes to voting laws in the Show-Me State.

 Ballot Amendment 7 will come up for a vote on the November 5^th ballot. The proposed amendment would ensure that only U.S. citizens would be eligible to vote in Missouri elections, a measure that is already a state law. The measure would also ban ranked-choice voting, a type of voting where voters can cast their ballot not only for their first choice for office, but also for their second, third choices. Missouri does not currently have ranked-choice voting, but the amendment would ban its use in the future.

Five other states including Oklahoma have banned ranked-choice voting.

 Three people are in custody following an investigation in a Joplin apartment.

 The Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team found what they are calling a large quantity of fentanyl and methamphetamine after a raid on a Joplin apartment yesterday. ODET along with the Joplin Police Department SWAT team arrested two adult females and one adult male after the drugs were found. Formal charges of First Degree Trafficking and Possession of a Controlled Substance are pending against the three suspects.

 The City of Bartlesville is preparing for an upcoming Pride event in the city's Unity Square this weekend.

 Last year's event was a cause for controversy in the the city. Concerns, and even a petition circulated by citizens who found the drag show portion of the event lewd an inappropriate for children despite organizers saying it was "family friendly." Last week, the Bartlesville City Council approved a resolution to deal with the event more effectively  to ensure the safety of event participants, organizers and protesters. City Manager Mike Bailey says the city must balance two priorities.

Bailey says the purpose of the resolution was to protect the rights of the protesters while ensuring everyone can be safe and to to communicate information necessary to help lessen tensions, improve public safety and ensure compliance with all laws and regulations.

 At Monday's Osage County Commissioners meeting, the Board continued to review the budgets for county offices for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

 Departments the elected officials reviewed on Monday included the Court Clerk's office, Excise Board, County Clerk's Office, OSU Extension Office and General Government as a whole. Executive Assistant to the County Clerk Leah Quinton spoke on some changes to the budget in their office and other agencies for this fiscal year. 

Cheyenne Reed with the OSU Extension Office spoke on a change she wanted to make to their budget for this year.

The Court Clerk and Excise Board's budget remained the same from last year. Each budget was approved.

 At Monday's Nowata County Commissioners meeting, the commissioners approved a a resolution that accepts an interlocal agreement for an  Emergency Communications ammendment in Nowata County. 

 Jerome Gnatek is the 911 Coordinator for the County and explained changes in 911 services because the county has received more money in fees in January of this year. 

Gnatek says the County has received around $15,000 to $16,000, while the contract that was originally created was between $8,000 and $10,000. Gnatek says a collaborative effort may be needed.

The Commissioners passed the resolution in a unanimous vote.

 Frustration continues to be the mindset of taxpayers and officials alike in Montgomery County.

 Monday's Montgomery County Commission meeting continued in a similar theme to last week's meeting that featured public comment on the county's 2025 budget. The commission room was once again packed with taxpayers concerned about rising property taxes in the county. Several citizens on hand voiced their frustration with the county commissioners over the issue. That frustration was shared by commissioners over services the county is required by law to provide and services taxpayers want. Commissioner Robert Bever says the issue gets more difficult as the county sees its population decline.

Bever tried to remind angry citizens that everyone is on the same side.

The public hearing lasted nearly an hour and ended with the commission voting to approve next year's budget.

 The Parsons Police Department is investigating reports of shots fired near Parsons Middle School.

 The incident occurred Monday afternoon, September 9, when P-P-D officers responded to reports of shots fired near 28^th and Crawford. Students at Parsons Middle School sheltered in place for a short time, but P-P-D assures the public that this was not an active shooter event and that no children were involved and there were no injuries.

An investigation revealed the identity of the intended victim and that the person has been interviewed by detectives.

P-P-D continues to investigate the incident.

 A Bartlesville woman faces felony charges in Washington County after allegedly bringing meth into a patrol car.

 35-year-old Melissa Thornburg has been charged with a felony charge of possession of contraband in jail, destroying evidence, possession of CDS and a failure to appear warrant. An arrest affidavit alleges that Dewey Police conducted a traffic stop on Thornburg on Saturday.

Thornburg was arrested on Bartlesville city warrant and stated she had no narcotics or weapons on her. Police say when she arrived to the jail, police found Methamphetamine in the seat of the patrol vehicle.

When entering the jail, authorities found cylinder cap with white powdery residue, also methamphetamine.

Thornburg is being held on a $15,000 bond. Her next court appearance is September 20^th .

 Four teens are injured in a single vehicle accident in Cherokee County.

 The accident happened at the junction of K-171 and South 220^th Street, about 2 miles south of Pittsburg just before 10pm last night. 18-year-old Calderon Escobar of Pittsburg was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang when he failed to negotiate a curve, lost control of his vehicle, and struck a culvert. The car then overturned. Escobar and the three other juveniles in his car all sustained minor injuries. Two of the juveniles were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Staff at South Coffeyville Schools are working to be better prepared in an emergency.

The school board recently adopted an updated emergency plan, and at last night's meeting, adopted the statewide Chase Morris site plan for sudden cardiac emergency responses.

School Nurse Tia Lamb says automated external defibrillators are available inside the school and will be nearby during sporting events and on activity buses. Lamb says it's important to make sure students know what to do in a medical emergency.

In other business, the board approved the estimate of needs for the Nowata County Excise Board, heard a report on the testing and intervention program from Elementary Principal Karla Bauer and got an update on school construction projects from Superintendent Daryl Pruter.

 Kansas is one of the hardest working states in the U.S.

 According to a recent study by Wallet Hub, Kansas ranks 10^th among U.S. States when it comes to working hard. Wallet Hub used ten categories to determine the rankings including hours worked per week, share of household workers, commute times, and workers with more than one job.

Not surprisingly, the focus on work often leads Kansans to have less leisure time. Kansas ranked 47^th in the amount of leisure time spent per day.

 The Kansas Department of Transportation announces the approval of bids for state highway and maintenance projects. Two of the projects are in southeast Kansas.

 In Bourbon County, KDOT approved an $81,000 project that will repair cracks in US-69 from 23^rd Street in Fort Scott to the US-69/US-54 junction.

The state also approved more than $450,000 for a bridge replacement east of Cedar Vale in Chautauqua County.

 Residents of Montgomery County continue to voice their frustration over increases in property taxes.

 At this week's Montgomery County Commission meeting, citizens packed the commission room to once again make their voices heard over the county budget and increases in taxes. During the public comment section of the budget and revenue neutral hearing, residents asked for clarification on what revenue neutral actually meant. County Administrator Jonathan Booe gave an explanation of the term. State Senator Virgil Peck was also attending the meeting as a county resident and he also gave an explanation of revenue neutral, which means that a taxing jurisdiction budgets the exact same amount of property tax revenue in dollars for the upcoming budget year as they did for the current year.

County Appraiser Melody Kikkert explained that property taxes may still go up because Kansas is a market-value state. That means property values are a reflection of property sales in any given neighborhood.

Many residents expressed their frustration with the recent tax notifications sent out by Montgomery County. One resident said she was selling her business and moving out of the area because of high taxes. Another stated that people were being taxed out of their homes. A third taxpayer said that, while the county was going to remain revenue neutral, nearly all of the county's school districts and th Independence City Commission had all voted to exceed that rate.

The public hearing lasted nearly an hour and ended with the city commission voting unanimously to approve the 2025 budget and remain revenue neutral.

 A Claremore, OK, man is sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual abuse of an incapable victim in Indian Country.

 The sentence was handed down to 47-year-old Cody Paul Miller on Friday by a federal judge. Miller was found guilty of the charge in January stemming from a July 2023 incident at Miller's home. The victim stated that she and two minors began consuming alcohol while staying at Miller's house that night. She fell asleep and later woke to find Miller assaulting her. Miller claimed the interaction was consensual.

Miller is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin his sentence.

 The Mayes County, OK, Sheriff's Office arrest a man for firing gunshots in an empty church.

 Clint Kyle Sutton was arrested Friday morning after being found in the vicinity of the Spavinaw Methodist Church. Authorities had received reports of a man firing gunshots inside the empty church.

Sutton was taken into custody and transported to the Mayes County Jail where he awaits arraignment in the Cherokee Nation Court with no bond.

 A Saturday night accident in Mannford, OK, claims the life of one man.

 The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the accident happened around 8:30 Saturday night on OK-48. 37-year-old Adam Stephenson was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle 47-year-old Tara Myrter was uninjured. Myrter was traveling with four juvenile passengers between the ages of 12 and 13. Three of the four juveniles received minor injuries in the crash.

O-H-P says the cause of the collision was road rage. The incident remains under investigation.

 A person is arrested at the Kansas State Fair for brandishing a handgun.

 Troopers from the Kansas highway Patrol responded Friday night to reports of a person brandishing a handgun at the Kansas State Fair.

KHP says the suspect was placed under arrest on suspicion of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.

State Trooper presence in and around Hutchinson is in full force as the Fair gets underway. Friday night a Trooper checked the speed of a Camaro on K-96 in Reno County at 151mph. A pursuit ensued and the driver was eventually taken into custody. Some of the charges include DUI, a felony warrant, and a list of other traffic charges.

 The Mighty 690 KGGF will provide coverage of tomorrow night's 2024 Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

 Debate coverage will begin at 7pm with the Fox coverage of the ABC Presidential Debate from the Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The debate itself will begin at 8pm and is expected to run 90 minutes. The debate will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

 The 111th Kansas State Fair is underway in Hutchinson.

 The 10-day State Fair began on Friday at the Fairgrounds in Hutch with thousands of events and exhibits and Friday night's grandstand show Wynonna Judd and Saturday night's headliners the Goo Goo Dolls. Next weekend's show include Pop Evil on Friday, Riley Green with Ella Langley on Saturday and the Oak Ridge Boys on Sunday night.

The Fair features exhibits from Kansas 4-Hers and FFA members as well as vendors, shows, and the carnival midway. New events and activities this year include Goat Yoga in the Ad Astra Pavilion, a competitive class for Goat and Beef Showmanship, story time from the Hutchinson Library and the 1861 Club an air-conditioned food, beverage and entertainment venue.

The Kansas State Fair runs through Sunday.

 A pedestrian walking along I-135 near Newton is struck by a car and killed.

 22-year-old Aubrie-Li Lakey of Newton was walking north in the southbound lane of I-135 in Newton on Saturday night when she was struck and killed by a vehicle. The 2024 Dodge Durango driven by 46-year-old Aaron Dietz of Wichita was traveling in the outer southbound of the Interstate when the accident occurred. None of the occupants in the Durango were injured.

 The City of Independence begins a major paving project on one of its major roadways today.

 City Engineer John Garris says the paving project on east Main Street will take place in order to minimize the effect on traffic in the downtown area.

Garris says the project will also not affect Neewollah.

Sidewalks in the work area will also be replaced during the project. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to exercise caution and patience in all work zones.

 The father of a teen charged in an August 2023 fatal hit-and-run will also face charges in the accident.

 The Joplin juvenile was charged in March for leaving the scene of the accident near Galena that killed 60-year-old Gary LaTurner. LaTurner – a Galena resident – was walking along side Route 66 west of the city when he was struck and killed.

On Friday, authorities in Cherokee County filed charges against John H. Joseph II for leaving the scene of a fatality accident and contributing to a child's misconduct. Police say Joseph was not the driver in the accident, but did witness what occurred. Joseph has not been arrested but a summons has been issued for him to appear in court on October 7^th.

 An Arkansas man is arrested after telling medical staff at a Branson, MO, hospital he has harmed his wife.

 75-year-old Jeffery Stansbery told staff at the Cox Medical Center that he had harmed his wife after entering the facility complaining of a medical condition. The Searcy County, AR, Sheriff's Office along with the Arkansas State Police conducted a welfare check on the Stansbery's St. Joe Arkansas home last Thursday where they found the body of 43-year-old Amanda Stansbery. Her body had been concealed in such a way to avoid detection. Jeffery Stansbery has been charged with Felony Capital Murder and Felony Abuse of a Corpse. He is currently being held in Branson awaiting extradition to Arkansas.

 The Washington County Commissioners will meet this morning in Bartlesville for a standard agenda of items.

 In addition to receiving several monthly reports from county agencies, the commissioners are expected to discuss utility easement permits for properties on Road 2900 and 2700. The commissioners are also expected to discuss purchase card payments, a new process for the county.

The meeting begins at 9:30 am today on the second floor of the Washington County Administration Building, at 400 S. Johnstone Ave., in downtown Bartlesville.