The Nowata County Commission approves their meeting and holiday schedule for 2027.

In addition to approving the schedule for next year, Commissioners Troy Friddle and Brandon Wesson discussed with County Clerk Kay Spurgeon canceling meetings for the upcoming holidays.

The commissioners will not hold meetings on November 23rd, December 21st and December 28th due to the holidays.

USD 445's Roosevelt Middle School is looking for volunteers to help students practice job interviews.

Mock interviews take place November 17th and 18th in the school gym, with sessions beginning at 8:30 each morning. Volunteers will interview four to eight students. Instructions, interview questions and evaluation forms will be provided.

Several time slots are available throughout both days. Organizers can accommodate volunteers who cannot stay for an entire session. Anyone interested is asked to provide their preferred date and time to Jennifer Foraker, Samantha Hintz or Amanda Rains at RMS.

An emergency siren test is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Coffeyville.

CVR Energy plans to test their community emergency alert system starting at 9:00am. The test includes a facility evacuation drill. Sirens will sound for one minute, followed by a voice announcement. An “all clear” announcement will follow the drill.

The sirens are located west of Linden Street between 4th and 5th streets, and at 1st and Maple streets. The test depends on safe weather conditions. If severe weather threatens, it will be postponed.

The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds drivers to buckle up and put down their phones.

Wednesday is Buckle Up Phone Down Day, encouraging drivers to wear seat belts and avoid distractions every time they get behind the wheel. Preliminary state data shows 368 people died in Kansas crashes last year. Of those, 110 weren't wearing seatbelts. Another 60 people died in crashes involving distracted driving.

Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed says adults can set an example for younger drivers by practicing safe habits. KDOT encourages drivers to silence notifications, let a passenger handle messages or park somewhere safe before texting.

The Altamont City Council will hold its regular meeting tomorrow night.

The council usually meets on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, but ran into a problem at last week’s meeting. Mayor Richard Hayward explains that the meeting was postponed due to a lack of quorum.

The council will once again consider last week’s published agenda which includes a discussion of Motor Fuel Tax Relief and a possible increase of City trash rates.

The meeting will be held at the Altamont City Hall. It is open to the public and can be viewed online via the City of Altamont Facebook page.

The Montgomery County Clerk’s and Elections Office is inviting students in grades kindergarten through twelve to take part in its 2027 “I Voted” sticker design contest.

Students can create designs celebrating voting, civic pride, and their community. Elementary school winners will be selected by popular vote, middle school winners by the Clerk’s and Elections Office, and high school winners by poll workers.

First- and second-place winners in each category will receive certificates and privately donated gift cards. Winning designs will also appear on official “I Voted” stickers distributed during the 2027 Montgomery County elections.

The deadline to submit designs is November 30th, and winners will be announced December 18th.

Students and families can find contest rules and entry forms on the Montgomery County website.

It’s Neewollah week in Independence and that means drivers will need to use extra caution in and around the downtown area.

The set up of food vendors and the carnival midway this week will cause road closures. Additional caution will be needed on Thursday for the DooDah Parade, on Friday for the Kiddie Parade, and on Saturday morning for the Grand Parade. Independence Police Chief Dustin Stafford says it’s important for drivers to obey the no parking signs and barricades.

West Laurel Street will be closed tonight beginning at 5pm to allow the carnival midway to set up. Stafford says downtown Penn Avenue will close tomorrow to allow food vendors to set up.

ADA parking is available at the Municipal Parking lots at 6th and Myrtle and at 8th and Chestnut as well as in the 100 block of East Laurel Street.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office releases the identities of the victim and the suspect in a Friday morning shooting.

In the early hours of Friday morning sheriff’s deputies were called to a location in rural Cherokee County just north of Riverton. There they discovered a male victim suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim has been identified as 23-year-old Gannon Reece of Riverton. Reece was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The suspect in the shooting was located at the scene as well. 19-year-old Joshua Wilson, also of Riverton, was taken into custody and booked into the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus where he faces a charge of Intentional 2nd Degree Murder.

The investigation into the case remains ongoing.

FFA students from chapters across southeast Kansas celebrate a successful trip to the 99th Annual FFA Convention in Indianapolis.

Over 70,000 FFA members, advisors, and supporters from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands gathered for the organization's largest annual event. Among those participating were students from Neodesha High School and Labette County High School.

The Neodesha Chapter sent their first Career Development Event or C-D-E team to compete at Nationals since 1996. Delaney Bradford, Sofia Ecton, Harlie Keller and Jenna Meseraull competed in Agricultural Communications and won Silver honors.

From Labette County High School, Noah Wiley was an American Star Finalist while Jaci Falkenstein was a Proficiency Finalist in Goat Production.

Congratulations to these students for their hard work in becoming the next generation of agricultural professionals.

Four people from Pittsburg are injured when their SUV strikes a deer on US-69.

The accident happened on Saturday evening around 10:30pm about 1 ½ miles south of Pittsburg. 34-year-old Yvonne Plascencia was driving a 2010 Chevy Tahoe when she struck a deer crossing the highway. Plascencia along with passenger 23-year-old Jesus Medina and two minor children sustained minor injuries in the crash.

All four were treated at a Pittsburg hospital.

A Girard man is seriously injured in a Saturday evening motorcycle crash.

47-year-old Jimmy Schmidt was traveling on a 2018 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle along Brunetti Drive in McCune just after 8pm on Saturday night. He failed to negotiate a curve in the road, lost control of his motorcycle and struck a tree. Schmidt was not wearing a helmet and suffered serious injuries.

He was taken to Freeman West Hospital in Joplin for treatment.

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

On today’s agenda, commissioners will hear from Public Works regarding the results of recent bids for the County’s Bi-annual bridge inspection. There will also be a quarterly report from the county health department and consideration of an agreement with Kansas Workforce One.

Commissioners will conduct a thirty minute executive session on economic development that will include Interim County Administrator Kori White,  Director of the Montgomery County Action Council Melissa Johnson,  and County Appraiser Melody Kikkert. The commission will also continue its ongoing selection of volunteers for the County-wide Steering Committee for the comprehensive zoning plan.

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

Oklahoma voters can begin casting early ballots on Wednesday ahead of the November 3^rd general election.

State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax says in-person absentee voting will be available Wednesday through Friday from 8am to 6pm, and Saturday from 8am until 2pm. No excuse is needed to vote early, but voters must complete an absentee ballot application when they check in.

Secretary Ziriax encourages voters to make a plan to vote.The November 3^rd ballot includes state and federal candidates, two state questions, numbered 845 and 847, and judicial retention questions. Some voters may also see local candidates or ballot questions.

Voters can find sample ballots through the Oklahoma Voter Portal and early voting locations on the State Election Board website. Remember, early voting sites may differ from Election Day polling places, and voters must cast their ballots in the county where they’re registered.

For information about County Election Boards, go here. You can also learn more by contacting the State Election Board at (405) 521-2391 or info@elections.ok.gov for more information

The Coffeyville Police Department is among the first departments in the nation to acquire a drone to respond to emergency situations.

As of the latest information received a few months ago, Coffeyville is the first city under 10,000 people with a drone-as-a-first-responder program, which will be used by both the police and fire departments.

The program was approved by the Coffeyville City Commission as part of funding for body worn cameras, car cameras and interview rooms.

Coffeyville Police Chief Kwin Bromley says there has been a lot of planning to make this a reality, and the drone is finally ready for use. Bromley says the drone will be able to arrive first on scene to specific emergency calls and will start relaying video back to police officers and firefighters.

Bromley says this technology is transformational for first responders.

Bromley says the goal of this technology is not to be intrusive, rather, he compares it to a cheap version of a helicopter.

Bromley says this will also help better allocate resources when it comes to mutual aid fire calls. He also says they are also working on a transparency portal on the city website for the drone program.

The city has two drones at this time, made by a company called Skydio. One drone is docked on top of city hall while the other can be taken to a site and be manually deployed. Drones are controlled by dispatchers, who have received required training and certifications through Wichita State and the company. You can listen to the full interview regarding the program HERE.

Two people are killed in a truck vs motorcycle accident north of Caney.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a 2015 Harley Davidson was traveling eastbound Friday afternoon near the north junction of US 166 and 75. The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. when the driver of the motorcycle failed to negotiate the curve to the south and crossed the center line on US 166.  The motorcycle then struck a 2025 GMC Sierra head-on on the westbound shoulder.

The motorcycle riders were identified as 71-year-old Michael Schmidt and 63-year-old Barbara Schmidt of Preston, KS.  Despite efforts by first-responders, both sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash.  The driver and occupant of the Sierra were not injured.

A Las Vegas man is killed in a two-vehicle crash in Wilson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash happened around 4:05am this morning on Highway 400, about eight miles west of the Highway 47 junction. A westbound car driven by 47-year-old Lavor Clayton Sparks crossed the center line and struck an eastbound semi.

Sparks died in the crash. The semi driver, 51-year-old Eno Cassy of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, had no apparent injuries. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

A staff member experiences a medical emergency at South Coffeyville Public School.

School officials say an ambulance responded, and there was no threat to student safety. According to the school, emergency personnel responded promptly, and staff worked together to help handle the situation safely.

The school asks the community to respect the privacy of the staff member and their family.

Neewollah begins a weekend of activities in Independence with “Frozen” opening tonight at Memorial Hall. Generalissimo Cody Dixon says tickets remain available for the musical.

Children attending the performances are encouraged to wear Frozen costumes for a parade across the stage during intermission. Activities move to Riverside Park tomorrow for races, a pumpkin decorating contest and the chili cook-off. Dixon says this year’s food competition includes another option.

Tomorrow’s 5K and 10K races begin at 8:30am, followed by the fun run at 10:00am. Decorated pumpkins can be dropped off at the shelter house between 8:30am and 10:30am.

Authorities in Cherokee County are investigating a homicide.

The incident occurred early this morning , on October 23, 2026, in a rural area of Cherokee County about two miles north of Riverton near the intersection of Southeast 67^th and US-400.

Deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call indicating a shooting had occurred. Law enforcement arrived to find a victim suffering from multiple gunshot wound.

Cherokee County EMS determined at the scene that the victim was deceased.

The suspect was still on scene and was taken into custody. No names have yet been released.

Southeast Lostine Road is currently closed between Hwy 69A and SE 60th, motorists will need to take an alternate route until further notice.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee County Attorney’s Office is assisting the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office with this investigation.

The Independence City Commission approves a Memo of Understanding with Labette Health regarding patient transfers.

At Thursday's meeting, Independence Fire & EMS Chief Aaron Cook presented the request from Labette Health to commissioners. Cook says the agreement would allow Labette to handle patient transfers while leaving Independence crews available for local emergencies.

Labette Health asked Independence to join a regional ambulance service for long-distance transfers between medical facilities. Cook says this will help when local ambulances are busy.

Independence Mayor Dean Hayse says these types of agreements are common.

Commissioners approved the agreement on a unanimous vote.

In other business, Independence Police Chief Dustin Stafford updated the commission on upcoming street closures and safety measures for Neewollah.

The Independence Fire & EMS Department and Independence Police partner with the American Red Cross to install smoke detectors in dozens of local homes.

Last weekend, firefighters and police officers went door-to-door on the east side of Independence offering to install smoke alarms in homes. Together, the group installed 38 detectors in the area of the City that was the site of a recent fire that claimed five lives.

During the past week, first responders installed an additional 50 smoke detectors at the request of residents.

Independence Fire and I-P-D thanked the local individuals and businesses who donated the smoke detectors to help ensure everyone has the potentially life-saving protection in their home.

Anyone in need of a smoke detector, can contact the Independence Fire Department at 620-332-2537.

Photo: An Independence fireifighter installs a smoke detector in a home. Courtesy Independence Fire/EMS

The Coffeyville Police Department is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back event tomorrow October 24.

The event is part of the National Drug Take Back Day and the City of Coffeyville's Clean Up Week. It's a chance for people to safely dispose of unused prescription drugs, patches and ointments, pet medications, and over-the-counter medicines. Coffeyville Police Chief Kwin Bromley says the drop off location will be at the Coffeyville Police Department on West 11^th Street.

Bromley says the medications collected will then be safely disposed of.

For those unable to attend the scheduled event, a 24/7 MedSafe Prescription Drug Drop-Off box is available in the C-P-D lobby year-round.

Flags in Greenwood, Wilson, Woodson, Elk, and Neosho counties will be flown at half staff tomorrow, October 24, in honor of a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Governor Laura Kelly issued the order to honor the passing of former District 13 Representative Larry Paul Hibbard.

Hibbard was a native of Toronto, Kansas, who served in the State House from 2013 through 2019 when he resigned for health reasons.

He passed away on Sunday, October 18, in Fredonia at the age of 81.

Flags will fly at half-staff from sun up to sundown tomorrow in his honor.

Independence Community College is adding men’s and women’s cross country and track and field programs beginning in the 2027-28 academic year.

The I-C-C Board of Trustees approved all four programs at its October 19th meeting. Cross country will begin in fall 2027, followed by track and field in spring 2028. The track programs will initially focus on middle- and long-distance events.

Athletic Director Melissa Anderson says the new teams will give students from Independence and across Kansas more opportunities to compete in college while pursuing their education.

“For local runners who want to compete after high school, having a college program here in Independence opens another door,” said Marcus Lanning, Independence High School Assistant Principal/Activities Director “It gives them a chance to keep developing as athletes while continuing their education close to family and the community that has supported them.”

The programs are expected to compete at the N-J-C-A-A Division One level, pending association and conference approvals.

I-C-C will begin searching for coaches and recruiting athletes ahead of the inaugural seasons, giving local runners another opportunity to continue competing after high school while staying close to home.

The City of Caney says its Facebook account has been compromised.

City Administrator Andrea Sibley says unauthorized videos have appeared on the page, and the city currently cannot remove them because it has lost administrator control.

She says the issue has been reported to Facebook, and she is investigating what can be done to restore access.