Back to School Resource Fair Seeks Community Support

Kearney School District is preparing for its annual Back to School Resource Fair with one clear goal: to make sure every student has what they need on the very first day of school.

The fair will provide essential school supplies, hygiene kits, food, gently used clothing, underwear, socks, haircuts—new this year—and information about community resources for any Kearney student in need. Last year, the event helped 285 students get ready for the start of school, an effort district leaders say was made possible by the generosity of local community partners.

As planning begins for the 2026 fair, the district is inviting businesses, civic groups and community organizations to get involved by sharing information about the event, organizing supply drives, making monetary donations, contributing gently used clothing, or volunteering their time. Groups willing to spread the word can share the fair flyer with their networks, request printed copies for distribution, or include details in newsletters.

Those interested in collecting supplies can coordinate with the district on high-priority items, while monetary donations will allow organizers to shop for needed materials directly. The district’s social workers are also asking for donations of gently used clothing in all sizes, from 3T to adult XXL, to be distributed during the event.

Clothing and shoes may be dropped off at Kearney Junior High from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 10 through 12 for the resource fair, which will take place Aug. 13 and 14. Organizers say volunteers are especially needed to help sort and prepare school supplies and clothing ahead of the event, and they encourage local organizations to mobilize their members in support of students and families across the district.

Individuals and groups can sign up online to volunteer HERE.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Prosecutor’s Office Announces Ten Most Wanted List

The Clay County Prosecutor’s Office has launched a new “Top Ten Most Wanted” initiative designed to help authorities locate and arrest 10 people with outstanding warrants in the county, an effort officials say is intended to move pending criminal cases forward while prioritizing public safety.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the people named through the initiative are wanted in connection with a range of alleged offenses, including violent and repeat felony crimes, gun-related crimes and narcotics delivery. Officials said the individuals are not targets of ongoing investigations; instead, charges have already been filed based on available evidence, and courts have issued warrants for their arrests.

The stated goal of the initiative is to bring defendants before the court so their cases can proceed. Prosecutors also emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, while underscoring that community safety remains the office’s top priority.

The effort is being carried out in partnership with local police departments, state agencies and community organizations, which officials said is intended to ensure arrests are made safely and lawfully.

Officials urged anyone who recognizes someone on the list not to approach them. Instead, they are asking the public to contact law enforcement directly or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers. The prosecutor’s office said tipsters may be eligible for a $3,000 reward if information is submitted through Crime Stoppers’ hotline at 816-474-8477, the P3 TIPS mobile app or the organization’s website.

The office said the “Top Ten Most Wanted” list will be updated as arrests are made, individuals surrender or circumstances change. Public information from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Clay County Crime Stoppers also directs residents to submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers rather than confronting wanted individuals themselves.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Eight Traffic Fatalities Reported Over Memorial Day Holiday

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said eight people were killed and 99 were injured in 234 traffic crashes during the 2026 Memorial Day holiday counting period, which began at 6 p.m. Friday, May 22, and ended at 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 25. Colonel Michael A. Turner, superintendent of the patrol, released the preliminary figures Tuesday as Missourians returned from one of the state’s busiest travel weekends.

According to the patrol, troopers recorded 107 driving-while-intoxicated arrests over the holiday period. On Missouri waterways, officers investigated four boating crashes that resulted in six injuries, but reported no boating fatalities and no drownings. The patrol also made seven boating-while-intoxicated arrests.

The 2026 holiday numbers were higher than the patrol’s 2025 Memorial Day counting period, when troopers investigated 203 traffic crashes involving three fatalities and 92 injuries.

In a broader statewide comparison for 2025, four people were killed and 356 were injured in 868 vehicle crashes, while three boating crashes were investigated across Missouri. The patrol emphasized that the 2026 statistics remain preliminary and could change as additional reports are received.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Fall to Platte County, 7-3

The Kearney Bulldogs battled early in the District Final game on Saturday, May 23, but the Platte County Pirates pulled away with a big fifth inning to claim a 7-3 win.

Platte County broke the game open in the top of the fifth, first taking advantage of a passed ball that brought home a run before Brennan McLaughlin delivered the key hit of the inning with a two-run single.

Evan McDaniel got the start on the mound for Kearney and worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out two and walking three. Platte County starter Zach Brown went six innings and gave up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Gabe Newton, Grant Bogert, Brock Scott, Hayden Fritter, Easton Haggart, and Caleb Fletchall each recorded a hit for the Bulldogs, while Newton, Scott, and Cade Holder each drove in a run.

Kearney also showed sharp defense throughout the game, turning two double plays and finishing error-free in the field. Newton led the Bulldogs with six defensive chances.

The loss ends a quality season for the Bulldogs. The team finished 25-11 on the season.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Missouri Voters to Decide on Ending State Income Tax

Missouri voters will decide in August whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would slowly end the state’s individual income tax. Governor Mike Kehoe put the measure, known as Amendment 5, on the Aug. 4, 2026, primary ballot by signing a proclamation on Friday.

Amendment 5 is a major part of Kehoe’s agenda. If voters approve it, Missouri would begin a five-year process to phase out and then fully end the personal income tax. Supporters say the plan would be historic because state lawmakers would be asking voters to get rid of the modern income tax system entirely.

The income tax would not end all at once. It would be reduced over five years, based on growth in state revenue, until it is gone. After that, the amendment would block future state individual income taxes. Because income taxes now provide nearly two-thirds of Missouri’s general revenue, the plan would let lawmakers expand sales and use taxes to more goods and services to help replace that money. That is why some lawmakers from both parties call it a tax shift instead of a simple tax cut.

The amendment includes several rules meant to reduce some of the effects of the change. It would require cuts to personal property taxes and some other local taxes if local sales tax revenue goes up. It also says the state cannot reduce funding for public schools because of the tax change. In addition, it would ban new sales taxes on services or transactions that were not already taxed on Jan. 1, 2015.

Supporters of Amendment 5 say ending the income tax would help Missouri compete with states such as Texas and Tennessee, which do not have a personal income tax. Kehoe says a tax system that rewards work and investment will help attract businesses and residents. The proposal also follows a law he signed in July 2025 that ended Missouri’s tax on individual capital gains.

Opponents, including tax policy experts and progressive groups, say the plan would hurt low- and middle-income families the most. They argue that moving more of the tax burden to sales taxes would put more pressure on people who spend a bigger share of their income on everyday needs.

Amendment 5 is one of four constitutional amendments on the Aug. 4 ballot. Voters will also decide on Amendment 1, which would renew a 0.1% sales tax for 10 years to support soil and water conservation, state parks and historic sites. Amendment 2 would require all Missouri charter counties to elect county assessors directly and follow state training rules. Amendment 4 would make it harder for citizen-led constitutional amendments to pass by requiring a majority vote in every congressional district, instead of a simple statewide majority.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.