Independence

Independence is the second Jackson County city, after Lee's Summit, to file a lawsuit over the property assessment process. Tens of thousands of property owners have already appealed their assessments, some of which increased by more than 90%.

This school year will look a lot different for students in Independence, who head back to the classroom this week. Independence is by far the largest district in Missouri to make the switch to a four-day school week. Plus: Dealing with household clutter is a part of life, but for some Kansans it spirals into hoarding.

After lifeguard shortages delayed and cut short last year’s swimming season, pools in the Kansas City area are opening right on time for Memorial Day this year.

Boxing's popularity has faltered with younger generations, but a referee and a gym in Independence, Missouri, want to bring it back — and help young athletes leave their personal fights behind. Plus: How White Castle got its start in Kansas and created a playbook for American fast food.

Independence, Kearney and Leawood are the last remaining cities in the Kansas City metro that still ban residents from owning pit bulls. Dog-loving residents in Independence are trying to collect more than 3,000 signatures in order to force a city-wide vote on repealing the ban.

El Proyecto GreenLight, que se puso en marcha el miércoles, tiene como objetivo combatir lo que ellos llaman "manejando en condiciones de pobreza", ayudando a las personas a pagar las multas acumuladas por infracciones de tráfico así como proporcionando abogados para ayudar a que obtengan de nuevo el permiso de conducir.

Project GreenLight, which launched Wednesday, aims to combat "driving while poor" by helping people pay off fines accumulated through traffic violations and providing lawyers to help get drivers’ licenses reinstated.

The city of Independence allocated millions in federal COVID relief funding to its police department — for things like sniper rifles and officer bonuses — but little to the health department. Plus: Kansas Jayhawks football has stirred up talk with their early-season success under coach Lance Leipold. But how long will it last?

The city of Independence, Missouri, spent $2 million of its ARPA funding on the police department, more than it allocated to any other department or project. The purchases were labeled as “community violence intervention” in its report to the U.S. Treasury.

If you love a haunted house and learning our region's history, this list of Kansas City ghost tours and paranormal investigations is for you.

You may love burnt ends, but you probably haven’t heard of Henry Perry, Kansas City's original "barbecue king." Plus: How Hiram Young, a former slave, opened the first school for Black children in Independence and became one of the wealthiest persons in the county.

Independence, Missouri, was the epicenter of westward expansion in pre-Civil War America. Hiram Young, a formerly enslaved man, became the wealthiest man in the county by building wagons and ox yokes, before almost losing it all.