The Mighty 690 will be on the road tomorrow to broadcast live from the Mayes County Fair.

KGGF's Matt Jordan will be at the fair in Pryor from 9:00am to 11:00am, providing updates and visiting with fair organizers, exhibitors and others attending this year’s event. The Mayes County Fair runs through Sunday. The carnival is open from 6:00pm to 10:00pm each night until Sunday. The goat show gets things started tomorrow morning followed by the dairy and sheep show. The swine and beef shows are on Saturday, with the premium sale wrapping up the fair on Monday.

Tomorrow’s live broadcast is sponsored by DeLozier Insurance, Morehead Construction, Whitetail Properties agent Dean Anderson, Locust Grove Feed, the Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce, Pryor Vet, Troyer-Weaver Insurance and Brittain Farms.

Two debates for statewide offices will be heard on KGGF this weekend.

This Sunday, September 13^th, KGGF will broadcast a debate via the Kansas Information Network featuring Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher both vying for the Governor's seat in Kansas. That debate will start at 5 p.m.

Then, at 6:30 p.m., Candidates for US Senate, Republican Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton, will face off for an additional 90-minute debate.

The debates will be broadcast on The Mighty 690, KGGF.

Coffeyville Police arrest two in separate incidents.

The first incident occurred on August 24^th when police stopped 44-year-old Bradley D. Phillipi of Coffeyville for a traffic stop. During the stop, officers discovered illegal narcotics. Phillipi was arrested and faces charges of Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with the Intent to Manufacture, Possession of Marijuana, and Aggravated Endangering a Child.

The second incident occurred on August 27^th during another traffic stop on East 8^th Street in Coffeyville. During that stop, officers discovered illegal narcotics along with an illegal handgun. 62-year-old Leon E. Smith of Coffeyville was taken into custody. He faces multiple charges including Distribution of Methamphetamine, Defacing Identification Marks on a Firearm, Transporting an Open Container and DUI.

Anyone with information of either case is asked to contact Coffeyville Police. Anonymous tips can be made to the Crime Tip Hotline at 620-252-6133.

Photo: Phillipi (l), Smith (r)

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Montgomery County and western Labette County through 1pm today.

Morning storms have moved through the area and dumped a large amount of rain. Flooding is expected to occur along rivers, streams, and other flood prone locations.

Areas in Montgomery County covered in the warning include Coffeyville, Independence, Cherryvale, Caney, Dearing, Mound Valley, Elk City, Tyro, Liberty, Havana, Bolton, and Sycamore. In Labette County, areas include Angola, Parsons Tri City Airport, Big Hill Lake, and Dennis.

Remember to use caution around flood waters. Never drive through flooded roadways, turn around, don’t drown. Do not drive around barricades and avoid unnecessary travel in areas experiencing flooding.

The Kansas Department of Transportation will begin a mill and overlay project on Monday along a short stretch of US-169 in Labette County.

The contractor on the project - Bettis Asphalt and Construction of Topeka - will mill the existing pavement and add a 4-inch asphalt overlay along a nearly two-mile section of the highway from the Montgomery County line to near the Neosho County line. Other work includes paving the shoulders and adding center and shoulder rumble strips and pavement markings.

Flaggers and a pilot car will guide motorists through one-lane traffic in the work zones. Motorists can expect delays of 15 minutes or less.

Work will occur during daylight hours Monday through Friday, and is expected to be completed by early October.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the recent death of a Dewey police officer.

Dewey Police Chief Jimmy Gray says Sergeant Robbie Hicks died on Monday at the Dewey Police Station.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office says Hicks was under investigation for alleged crimes when the shooting occurred. Hicks was taken to Jane Phillips Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The case remains under investigation.

An Independence man is arrested and faces charges for distribution of narcotics within 1000 feet of a school.

Officers from the Independence Police Department were called to the scene in the 400 block of north 10^th Street on Tuesday for a report of a domestic disturbance. Following an investigation, police arrested 24-year-old Raevaughn White and 23-year-old Kennedy Curtis. Both suspects were taken to the Montgomery County Jail.

White faces charges of possession of an opiate or narcotic, possession of an hallucinogenic drug, unlawful abuse of toxic vapors and possession with intent to distribute to a minor within 1000 feet of a school.

Curtis faces similar charges.

Photo: Curtis (l), White (r)

The Independence City Commission will meet tonight and hold a public hearing to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate for 2027.

According to city officials, while the proposed levy exceeds the RNR, the City is not proposing an increase to its overall mill rate. The City's 2026 actual mill rate was 53.799 mills, compared to the proposed 2027 rate of 53.795 mills, a slight decrease of 0.004 mills. The increase would allow the City to collect an additional $113,000 in taxes for 2027. The City will receive additional property tax revenue because the assessed valuation is estimated to increase; the Revenue Neutral Rate is designed to reduce the mill rate as valuations grow, so that property tax revenues remain approximately level from year to year.

Also on tonight's agenda, commissioners will also consider adopting a resolution amending the Neighborhood Exterior Grant Program, consider awarding a Downtown Independence Building Grant to Independence Industries for a roof replacement at 115 South 6^th Street and hold public hearings on 11 properties deemed dangerous and unsafe. There will also be consideration of an emergency abatement and demolition of the trailer park at 1610 West Laurel.

Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 in the Commission Room at City Hall in Independence. The meeting is open to the public and can also be viewed online via the City's website.

An inmate at the El Dorado Correctional Facility dies in custody.

According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, 67-year-old Eddie Holmes Jr. was discovered unresponsive in his cell on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the Butler County facility. Prison staff alerted EMS and began life-saving measures. Holmes was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased. His cause of death will be determined by an independent autopsy.

Holmes was serving a 19-year prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter for the 2024 shooting death of Reginald Privette in Topeka.

Whenever an individual dies while in custody in a Kansas prison, the death is investigated by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation remains ongoing.

A longtime USD 445 coach, educator and school administrator has passed away.

Harold Thomas passed away on September 5, 2026, at the age of 94. Thomas impacted many in the Coffeyville community through his 36 years with USD 445. Throughout his career, he coached 25 All-SEK athletes, seven All-State athletes and one High School All-American.

Thomas played basketball at Field Kindley High School and earned All-SEK honors and served as co-captain in 1950. He continued his basketball career at Coffeyville Community College, where he was a two-year starter and the team’s leading scorer during his sophomore season. His accomplishments earned him All-State and All-Kansas honors, and he served as co-captain in 1952.

Thomas competed against the Phillips 66 Oilers, the 1950 National Industrial Basketball League champions; the McPherson Globe Refiners All-Stars; the Marques Haynes All-Stars and Harlem Magicians; and Kansas City’s Chapel Touring All-Star Basketball Team.

Thomas will long be remembered for his involvement in the Interstate Basketball Classic, which was named in his honor.

Harold Thomas' full obituary can be viewed here.

This year is the 25^th anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

To remember the tragic day, there will be a 9/11 Revival held at the Love in Action Chapel on Centralia Road in Childers, Oklahoma. This year's theme is “Our Finest Hour” and special guests include David Engles of the Oasis Radio Network, Doyle Edwards of Tulsa, Vincent Orange of Wann, Scott Lewis of Louisiana and Edwina Kidd of Arkansas. The revival will be held September 10th and 11th starting at 7 p.m. For more information, call 918-440-5683.

No injuries are reported following a vehicle fire early Monday morning.

Firefighters were called to 705 West 10^th Street shortly before 12:30am. Crews arrived to find a passenger vehicle heavily involved in flames. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire without incident.

The cause remains under investigation.

The Parsons Police Legacy Fund is donating $500 to the Labette County High School Booster Club.

The money will support student-athletes, activities and other opportunities for LCHS students. Parsons Police Chief and Legacy Fund President Robert Spinks says the contribution supports the organization’s goal of investing in young people and the community’s future. Lieutenant Jason Ludwig says the donation is especially meaningful because the Parsons Police Department includes graduates of both Labette County and Parsons high schools.

The Legacy Fund raises money through donations, sponsorships, partnerships and charitable events to support youth, education, athletics and other community programs.

The Caney City Council votes to make a slight increase to the mill levy and exceed the revenue neutral rate by 3 mills. 

The vote came in last night's Caney City Council meeting.  Caney City Administrator Andrea Sibley says that the slight increase was necessary to keep the budget numbers the same. 

In other business, the city officials declined to comment on the Carl Hempel case, as it is now going through the legal process. The next Caney City Council meeting will be on Monday, September 21, at 6:30 p.m. 

The Kan-Okla 100 Mile Highway sale is this week, and you can advertise your garage sale for FREE on the radio with KGGF's Open Line.

Callers are welcome to call during the program every weekday from 8:40 to 11, and Saturdays from 9 to 11. Some interviews are scheduled during the Open Line time, so it's best to listen to the radio if possible before calling in. Open Line is broadcast live on 690 AM across the four-state area, and can be streamed online at kggfradio.com or through the KGGF App.

Once you call in, you'll be placed on hold and put on the air as soon as possible. If you reach a busy signal, wait a few minutes and try calling again. When calling Open Line, you can list your sale location, hours of operation, a brief overview of items and a phone number if desired.

Listeners are welcome to call each of a sale. The list of all items listed on Open Line is repeated through the day, available for viewing at the station at 306 W 8^th Street in Coffeyville and is also posted here.

In addition to garage sales, individual items can be listed as well. Full Open Line rules are available here.

Some area cities are encouraging a return to traditional trick-or-treating.

At last night's Cherryvale City Council Meeting, Acting City Administrator Karen Davis informed the council that the remaining four members on the Community Center board have given their resignations. Because the Community Center traditionally organized the city's annual trunk-or-treat, Davis and the council discussed the feasibility of another organization putting on the event or returning to traditional trick-or-treating. While some including those with the public library expressed a desire for the event to continue, the consensus was to not hold the event this year, as some residents expressed.

Independence Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Wilson says Independence will also not be having a trunk-or-treat this year because of the conflict with Neewollah.

The Coffeyville Chamber will host its annual Spooktacular event on Thursday, October 15^th.

Fire crews in Wilson County battle a house fire.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a residence on the north side of Fredonia just before 6pm on Tuesday night. When crews arrived on scene, they found a home heavily engulfed in flames. Units immediately began working to protect two additional house and a garage located to the north of the burning structure. Mutual aid was requested from surrounding fire departments.

The blaze was successfully extinguished. The homeowners escape the blaze without injury. However, the family's pets did not survive. The house was deemed a total loss.

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

Photo courtesy Wilson County Rural Fire

The Neodesha City Commission will meet today and consider finalizing an agreement with Labette Health regarding an ambulance that was damaged and taken out of service.

The agreement settles the loss of a Neodesha-owned ambulance that was being leased by Labette Health. After the ambulance was declared a total loss, Travelers Insurance paid Neodesha just over $129,000. The agreement closes out claims related to the vehicle and reduces Labette Health's leased ambulance fleet from three to two, while leaving the rest of the existing agreement unchanged. In other business, commissioners will consider a new appointment to the library board.

Today's meeting begins at 4pm in the Commission Room at Neodesha's City Hall. The public is invited to attend. The meeting will also be recorded for later viewing on the Neodesha Facebook page.

The Montgomery County Commission denies the City of Coffeyville's request for an Neighborhood Revitalization plan.

At this week's meeting, Coffeyville City Manager Ben Brubaker asked for the county's approval of the City's Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. An N-R-P provides property tax rebates to encourage people and businesses to fix up old buildings or build new ones in designated areas. The county wants to focus on agricultural and residential properties and to exclude commercial from the plan, partially because commissioners say commercial properties have the opportunity the recoup their costs in ways that the other types do not. Commissioner Phil Clubine says county taxes are another reason.

Last year, the county commission approved a similar plan for the City of Independence. Half of that city is represented by Clubine and the other half by Commissioner Robert Bever. Commissioner Mike Cordray represents Coffeyville and says he worries about hurting that City's economy.

Commissioner Bever says he wants to see more cooperation between the cities in Montgomery County.

County Appraiser Melody Kikkert says, in the long run, that would be the ideal solution.

The final vote to deny Coffeyville's request was 2 to 1, with Commissioner Mike Cordray voting no.

North Buckeye Street in Coffeyville will remain closed today as city crews continue work on a waterline project on 8^th Street.

Buckeye north of 8^th Street was closed yesterday to begin the work. The area will remain closed today until repairs are made. City officials anticipate that the intersection will reopen tomorrow, work conditions permitting.

Drivers are asked to plan an alternate route until the street reopens.

The Cherryvale City Council votes to exceed the revenue neutral rate by five mills.

At last night's meeting, the council held its revenue neutral and budget hearing. Resident Brooke Austin spoke during the hearing, saying she would prefer a three-mill increase as opposed to five.

Acting City Administrator Karen Davis says the city continues to face big expenses and they have limited funding options as a small municipality.

The majority of the council voted in favor of the increase with council members Steve Strickland and Curtis Whittley voting against. Cherryvale raised taxes by three mills last year. A mill represents $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed taxable value.

The Montgomery County Commission denies the City of Coffeyville's request for Neighborhood Revitalization.

City Manager Ben Brubaker says the requested to have the entire city be included instead of just small areas of the city.  Brubaker, Mayor Jim Faulkner and Vice Mayor Deborah Maples discussed the reason behind the commission not approving Coffeyville.

NRP's are approved for 10 years at a time so Independence's will be in place until 2035.

The City of Coffeyville will conduct a manual test of its outdoor storm sirens Thursday at noon.

The sirens will sound for about three minutes. City officials say it is only a test, and residents do not need to take any action. A computer system issue continues to prevent the sirens from being activated through the normal system. The sirens remain operational and can be activated manually during an emergency.

Thursday’s test will allow city employees to practice that process. Officials say the three-minute cycle is required when the sirens are activated manually. A technician is expected to repair the computer system within the next several weeks.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports no fatal crashes during its Labor Day holiday enforcement period.

The reporting period ran from Friday evening through late Monday night. Troopers made 23 DUI arrests, compared with 22 last year and 12 in 2024. The patrol issued 683 speeding citations and another 686 speeding warnings. Troopers also issued 96 seat-belt citations, including 11 involving teenagers. Another 15 citations were issued for child-restraint violations.

KHP personnel assisted 548 motorists during the holiday weekend. That is down from 643 motorist assists during the same reporting period last year.

A previously approved battery-storage project in Labette County could be expanded under a new arrangement involving Evergy.

Labette County Zoning Administrator Mel Haas says Evergy has discussed adding 100 megawatts to the Plus Power project near the Wallace Road substation. The county approved a 20-year agreement with Plus Power about two years ago. Under the new arrangement discussed, Evergy would reportedly purchase two-thirds of the project’s capacity or output, while Plus Power would retain one-third. Haas says the discussions remain preliminary.

The original agreement includes language protecting the Plus Power project from future countywide zoning changes. Officials are now considering whether the additional capacity would be covered by that provision or be subject to the county’s newer battery-storage regulations. Haas says Evergy indicated the proposed arrangement could increase payments to the county.

The Commission says the plans will need to go before the Labette County Planning and Zoning Board.