***** Update 11:40 p.m. *****

The prior tornado watch for southeast Kansas has been replaced with a severe thunderstorm watch for southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma through 7 a.m. Tuesday.

KANSAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ALLEN                BOURBON             BUTLER
CHAUTAUQUA           CHEROKEE            COWLEY
CRAWFORD             ELK                 GREENWOOD
LABETTE              MONTGOMERY          NEOSHO
SUMNER               WILSON              WOODSON

OKLAHOMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ALFALFA              BLAINE              CRAIG
GARFIELD             GRANT               KAY
KINGFISHER           LOGAN               MAJOR
NOBLE                NOWATA              OSAGE
OTTAWA               PAWNEE              PAYNE
WASHINGTON

***** Update 8 p.m. *****

Severe storms are not expected to move into southeast Kansas until after 10 p.m. A tornado watch is in effect for the following counties in Kansas through 1 a.m. Tuesaday:

IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS

BUTLER                COWLEY                HARPER
HARVEY                SEDGWICK              SUMNER

IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS

CHAUTAUQUA            ELK                   GREENWOOD
MONTGOMERY            WILSON                WOODSON

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANDOVER, ANTHONY, ARKANSAS CITY,
ATTICA, AUGUSTA, BEL AIRE, CEDAR VALE, COFFEYVILLE,
COTTONWOOD FALLS, DERBY, EL DORADO, EUREKA, FREDONIA, GRENOLA,
HARPER, HAYSVILLE, HOWARD, INDEPENDENCE, LONGTON, MADISON,
MOLINE, MULVANE, NEODESHA, NEWTON, PARK CITY, ROSE HILL, SEDAN,
STRONG CITY, VALLEY CENTER, WELLINGTON, WINFIELD,
AND YATES CENTER.

***** Original Story *****

Severe weather is possible tonight across the four-state area.

The best chance for severe weather will be northeast of Wichita towards Topeka, although southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma will see a “slight” to “moderate” risk of severe weather, up to a level 3 out of 5.

Hazards include hail up to 2 inches, damaging winds and a few tornadoes.

Storms are expected to initiate along a cold front over central Kansas this afternoon. The storms will then spread slowly southward through the remainder of the night across the four-state area. Storms will impact southeast Kansas generally between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Storms are expected to eventually congeal into a line, with damaging winds and heavy rain becoming the main risk. KGGF will provide severe weather coverage tonight if needed.

The Nowata County Election Board continues live ballot testing before the June 16^th primary elections.

Last Week, Election Board Secretary Dave Neely announced the election board would test approximately 350 ballots. This week, Neely says the election board would test about 500 ballots.

Neely says each candidate in a specific race, depending on the amount of candidates in the primary, is given a certain amount of hypothetical votes to test the ballot machines.

The Nowata County Commission approves a budget increase for the OSU Extension District.

Extension Office Agriculture Educator Tara Martin says the increase would be for bringing in an additional family and consumer sciences educator.  Commissioner Troy Friddle and Martin discussed the position.

The commission approved the increase on a 2-1 vote with Vice Chairman Brandon Wesson voting against it.

The City of Caney responds to concerns about Lincoln Memorial Elementary School's use of Memorial Park for school activities and events.

City officials say the school has had permission to use the park for several years, and those activities have become a regular tradition. School staff have consistently shown care and respect for the property. The City says Principal Cameron Traxson has helped maintain the park, including assisting with field leveling and planting grass when needed.

Officials say the events give students a safe place to spend time together and build lasting memories. The City says it remains committed to working with the school while ensuring Memorial Park is maintained and respected for everyone to enjoy.

Coffeyville firefighters assist with wildfire response efforts.

Crews left Coffeyville at around 7:00pm yesterday morning, with Squad Two, a Type six brush engine, joining a Wyandotte County Task Force alongside Columbus Fire Rescue. The task force includes personnel from Kansas City, Kansas, Bonner Springs and Edwardsville.

Firefighters arrived in Meade yesterday afternoon around 2:30pm and were assigned to the fire line, where they worked suppression efforts until about 10:00pm. Crews then traveled to Dodge City for overnight rest before returning to the Meade area this morning to continue operations. Crews remain actively engaged in wildfire response as conditions continue in southwest Kansas.

It’s nearly time for most area cities to open the public swimming pool for the summer.

The City of Neodesha has been putting the finishing touches on the pool over the past few weeks. With a new coat of paint and back up pumps for all of the amenities, the pool is nearly ready to go. However, City Administrator Brogan Jones says some recent criminal activity at the pool has Neodesha Police looking for suspects.

Those with information on the vandalism can contact police at 620-325-3031

The Independence Community College Board of Trustees will meet tonight for their regular monthly meeting.

On the agenda is a Memo of Understanding with Sparkwheel and the cost of the residence halls for Upward Bound Summerfest. Trustees will also hold an executive session to discuss the current search for a new school president.

Tonight's ICC Trustees meeting begins at 5:30 in CIE Room 104. The meeting is open to the public.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment updates the health advisory for several lakes due to blue-green algae.

Lakes with active Warnings are King Lake on Lyon County and Lake Afton in Sedgwick County. This status means that a hazardous algae bloom or H-A-B is present or expected. Marion County Lake is in Watch status while all advisories for the Council Grove Lake in Morris County have been lifted.

A HAB may look like foam, scum or paint floating on the water and be colored blue, bright green, brown or red. Toxins from such blooms can be absorbed by ingestion, inhalation of aerosols and even skin contact. Kansans should remain vigilant while engaging in activities taking place in or on the water, such as swimming, boating, and fishing.

Fire Departments across southeast Kansas send equipment and personnel to help fire wildfires burning in western Kansas.

Fire crews from Coffeyville and Columbus have joined firefighters from Edwardsville, Bonner Springs and Kansas City, Kansas, to form the Wyandotte County Task Force in fighting fires in Meade County in southwest Kansas.

Elsewhere, firefighters from Labette and Crawford Counties were sent to Bucklin in Ford County to help battles the blazes there.

State Fire Marshal Mark Engholm issued a statement on Sunday morning that all requests for apparatus and personnel have been filled and that progress has been made along the main line of the fire, with no new break outs or wildfires reported. Blackhawk helicopters from the Kansas National Guard worked with other air services to drop water on the fires to assist crews on the ground. Weather conditions in western Kansas remain hazardous with high winds, low humidity and drought conditions.

Photo courtesy Columbus Fire Rescue

The City of Cherryvale invites to public to meet and talk with Interim Police Chief Joshua Shields.

Officials say this will be a chance for members of the community to get to know Shields in an informal setting. Citizens will be able to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss ideas with the new Chief. Shields recently stepped into the interim position following the resignation of former Chief Jimmy Holt. Holt left to accept a position with the Independence Police Department.

The forum with Chief Shields will take place on Wednesday, June 3, at 6pm at the Cherryvale Police Department.

The Cherryvale City Council will meet tonight to discuss a number of items.

Council members are expected to approve a purchase of water meters up to just over $25,000. An engineering services invoice and compliance service proposal are also expected to be approved, in addition to a street closing application for construction on N Maple at the start of June. Interim Police Chief Josh Shields will also give an update on police vehicles and the ICE Memorandum. Tonight will also be City Administrator Michael Hall's last meeting.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Cherryvale City Hall and is open to the public.

The Altamont City Council completes the yearly reappointment of city officials and updates emergency response policies.

At the most recent council meeting, City Manager LeaAnn Myers was reappointed along with City Clerk Brian Orender and City Attorney Robert Myers. Mayor Richard Hayward also informed the council that he had met with the City Administrator, along with Police Chief Michael Shields, Fire Chief Cody Dickerson, and City Superintendent Nathan Barnett to review emergency response policies. Hayward says the recent severe weather prompted the review.

The policies were last reviewed in 2019. In other business, it was announced that the public swimming pool is set to open on May 23 and that the annual Flag Day celebration is set for Saturday, June 13.

A Friday evening car accident near the City of Opolis along the Kansas/Missouri state line leaves two people injured.

The accident happened just before 6 on Friday night on K-171 at 260th Street or about 4 miles from the state line. 21-year-old Morgan Crespino of Carl Junction was driving a 2020 Ford Mustang and failed to yield to oncoming traffic on K-171. His vehicle was struck on the driver’s side by a 2017 GMC Terrain driven by 39-year-old Tasha May of Joplin. Crespino and a passenger in his car 53-year-old Susan Crespino also of Carl Junction both suffered minor injuries in the accident and were treated at Pittsburg’s Mercy Hospital.

Photo courtesy Crawford County Sheriff's Office

The recent severe weather that brought tornadoes to northern Montgomery County and southern Wilson County have some residents concerned about the effectiveness of city tornado sirens.

At last week’s Neodesha City Commission meeting, Commissioner Duane Banzet raised the issue. Banzet reported that there had been complaints from residents in the south part of Neodesha that they were unable to hear the sirens. Some suggested the sirens be tested more frequently. Banzet says the sirens are already tested frequently.

Banzet says the City went to the silent testing to ensure people don’t ignore the sirens in the event of an actual tornado.

Banzet added that the sirens are testing daily at 1pm.

Five people are arrested during the service of a narcotics-related search warrant in Crawford County.

On Friday, May 15, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office  with the assistance of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s High Risk Warrant Team executed a narcotics-related search warrant on a residence located in a rural area just west of Pittsburg. Officers located a camper on the property and gave multiple commands to the individual to exit, but that person refused. A K-9 officer was deployed and the occupant identified as 39-year-old Timothy Lee Koehn was taken into custody after being medically cleared by EMS on the scene.

A search of the residence, camper, vehicles and outbuildings was then conducted. Four other adults were then placed under arrests. They are 46-year-old Curtis Lee Demaranville, 30-year-old Kassandra Demaranville, 29-year-old Hannah Rueda, and 23-year-old Raden Stone.

All suspects face a variety of charges including possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. All five were booked into the Crawford County Jail in Girard. A minor child located in the residence at the time of the arrests was transported to the home of a family member.

Photo: (top row, left to right) Rayden Stone, Hannah Rueda, Kassandra Demaranville. (bottom) Curtis Lee Demaranville, Timothy Lee Koehn

A 74-year-old Wichita man is injured following a two-vehicle collision in northern Wilson County.

The accident occurred around 4:15 on Friday afternoon on US-75 near the intersection with 2000 Road or about ten miles north of Altoona. Ngoc Huong Thi Bradfield was a passenger in a 2013 Toyota Sequoia that was eastbound on 2000 Road. The driver of the SUV 52-year-old Elizabeth Miller of Haysville failed to yield at the stop sign at the intersection with US-75 and collided with a Ford F-250 Super Duty truck driven by 20-year-old Hunter Reiling of Burlington. Bradfield sustained minor injuries and was taken to Fredonia Regional Hospital for treatment.

No one else was injured in the crash.

The Montgomery County Commission is expected to appoint a new Director of Emergency Management at today’s regular meeting.

Commissioners are expected to tap the current District Fire Chief Michael Smith to fill the role in charge of carrying out emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for Montgomery County. The move comes after Rick Whitson announced his retirement from the position last week.

Also on today’s agenda is a report from Henry Schmidt with the Council on Aging and a budget discussion with the Director of Four County Mental Health Steve Denny. Commissioners will also consider a neighborhood revitalization request and hold an executive session to discuss non-elected personnel.

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.

The Schnazy Putt-Putt League is coming back to Riverside Park in Independence this summer.

Sign ups are currently underway for the family-friendly league. Play takes place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays in June and July from 5 to 7pm at the mini-golf course at Riverside Park. All players ages 3 and up are invited to take part. There are different age divisions for different groups with a year end award banquet with prizes and awards.

The cost to play is $25 per person or $20 per person for families with more than four members who want to participate. Players can sign up at anytime during the summer and get a league t-shirt, too.

All money raised from the league goes to support the Independence First Church of the Nazarene Children's Ministry for Kid's Camps and Retreats.

Area high school celebrate graduating classes.

Field Kindley High School, Caney Valley High School and Labette County High School all celebrated their 2026 graduating class this morning. Ceremonies were broadcast on the Mighty 690 KGGF, Sonshine 98.9 KQQF and US 98.1 KUSN.

Independence will celebrate their graduating class tomorrow afternoon at 1:00pm on Sonshine 98.9 KQQF.

A Hutchinson Police officer who shot and killed a woman armed with a pellet gun in March is cleared of any wrong doing in the incident.

Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton released the findings of the investigation yesterday.

According to the Hutchinson Police Department, on March 29^th officers were dispatched to a residential neighborhood near North Adams Street and West 28th. Reports indicated a woman in the area pointing a rifle at nearby residences. Four H-P-D officers arrived to find 50-year-old Cassandra Scott of Hutchinson in the street and armed with a rifle.

Shortly after officers made contact with suspect, she pointed the rifle at officers, prompting one to fire multiple shots, striking Scott. EMS was called to the scene and transported the woman to the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. She was later transferred to a Wichita hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the shooting. According to yesterday's statement, the investigation established that Cassandra Scott had made several threatening statements about shooting people. Scott pointed the gun at numerous officers and refused lawful commands to drop her weapon. Officers attempted to reason with Scott for over two minutes to drop the gun and talk to the officers.

Staton stated, "The Hutchinson Police Officer involved in this incident reacted based on both an objective and subjective reasonable belief that the use of lethal force was necessary to protect themselves and other citizens from great bodily injury or death. The Hutchinson Police Officer’s actions were legally justified. It is my conclusion that the officer is absolved from any wrongdoing."

The Kansas Highway Patrol takes part in an international initiative to improve safety and compliance among commercial vehicles.

The K-H-P took part this week in the International Roadcheck, a three day event in which inspectors  compliance, enforcement and educational initiatives targeted at various elements of motor carrier, vehicle and driver safety. Through commercial vehicle inspections and compliance enforcement, state troopers worked to ensure commercial vehicles operate safely on Kansas roadways.

Since its inception in 1988, roadside inspections conducted during International Roadcheck have numbered more than 1.8 million. International Roadcheck also provides an opportunity to educate industry and the general public about the importance of safe commercial motor vehicle operations and the roadside inspection program.

Photo courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol

Three people are hurt following a two vehicle accident near the state line in Crawford County.

The accident happened Thursday afternoon on K-171 at the intersection of South 260^th Street or just southwest of Opolis. The adult female driver of one of the vehicles was taken to Mercy Hospital in Pittsburg while the male driver of the second auto was taken via MedFlight to Joplin. A female passenger was also transported via ambulance to Mercy Pittsburg. First responders were on scene for nearly two hours before the accident was cleared.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, Crawford County Sheriff's Department, Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, as well as Fire Departments from Galena, Crawford County, and Cherokee Township, and KDOT responded to the scene.

Photo courtesy Crawford County Fire District No. 1

Property acquisition and downtown renovations take center stage at this week's Independence City Commission meeting.

At the very end of Thursday's meeting commissioners voted on the purchase of a plot of land by the City. Mayor Dean Hayse makes the motion.

The commission also approved the establishment of a Reinvestment Housing Investment District and also agreed to the issuance of industrial revenue bonds with the provision of a tax abatement for the Professional Building in downtown Independence. Finance and Bond Attorney Mitch Walter with Gilmore & Bell says the bonds will help finance the planned renovations to turn the historic building into apartments.

Commissioner Scott Smith says the plan with help extend the life of the Independence landmark.

In other business, commissioners heard a report from Ginger Hill with Four County Mental Health on substance abuse and the use of funding from the City's alcohol tax.

The 60^th Oklahoma Legislature officially adjourns to end this legislative session.

The state lawmaking body completed its work earlier than the constitutionally mandated date of May 29^th and agreed to end the session early. A large part of the reason for the early completion of the session was an early agreement between the House, Senate, and Governor Kevin Stitt on the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget.

The 2027 budget made significant investments in education.  In total, the Legislature committed $232 million in new money to common education this year, triggering a 7-day increase in the school year to a minimum of 173 days. The budget also increased funding for the Department of Mental Health, while making some changes to the SNAP program as well as to child care teacher recruitment and retention.

Another major education bill that was passed into law was the  "Bell to Bell no Cell" bill that requires school districts to permanently adopt a policy prohibiting students from using cell phones on campus during the school day.

Lawmakers concluded the session at 5pm on Thursday, May 14^th with some discussion regarding a potential special session for remaining, dormant bills. A decision on whether or not there will be a special session will be left to Governor Stitt.

Deep Fission holds another public meeting in Parsons to answer questions and address the public's concerns about its underground reactor.

Representatives from the California-based company along with nuclear engineering experts were on a panel earlier this week at the Parsons Municipal Building. The group gave a brief presentation followed by a question and answer session. One of the panel members was the Director of the Nuclear Engineering Program at Kansas State University Amir Bhahadori. Bhahadori addressed issues of safety concerning nuclear reactors. He says federal regulators keep a close eye on all reactors and that regulation strongly outweighs the risks.

Chief Operating Officer of Deep Fission Mike Brasel  was also on the panel. He says the technology used for the underground reactor is similar to that used in oil drilling.

He adds that the equipment involved uses the latest technology.

The panel also told the audience that waste from the reactor will be handled by the federal government and that 28 states are currently seeking authorization to be dedicated sites for waste storage.

Deep Fission uses a small modular pressurized water reactor placed in a 1-mile-deep borehole, aiming to enhance safety through underground containment. The facility is currently being built at the Great Plains Industrial Park in Parsons.

Photo: COO Mike Brasel addresses the audience